Museum Makeover

The world’s biggest collection of British-built bikes has been given a mammoth makeover in recent months and the new-look displays at the National Motorcycle Museum have just been unveiled. The five halls which showcase the majority of the museum’s machines have been completely reconfigured, bringing some remarkable motorcycles into the limelight and providing regular visitors with an entirely fresh perspective.…

CZ Café Racer

The Ceska zbrojovka company began building CZ motorcycles in 1935, was nationalised in 1946, merged with JAWA in 1948, enjoyed massive success in the 1950s, 60s and 70s in ISDT, motocross and enduro competition, and became a subsidiary of Cagiva in 1992. Cagiva’s scheme was to build new versions of CZ and JAWA models, and to move some of their…

Norton Dominator 99

  Back in the 1950s when young men dreamed of a Norton this is probably what their fantasy bike looked like. A ‘stylish high performance roadster with first-class steering, roadholding and brakes,’ Norton were justifiably proud of its ‘zestful and tireless engine, remarkably powerful brakes and a well-subdued exhaust. Steering is in the best Norton tradition and will please the…

Triumph 350 sidevalve single

  Back in 1938 all eyes were on Triumph’s latest innovation, the stunning Speed Twin parallel twin. The marque’s sporting singles had also been sprinkled with Edward Turner’s stardust, and many heads were turned by the handsome Tigers. But most working men selected their regular rides from the ‘De Luxe’ end of the range; the long-lived, solid singles which could…

BSA C15

BSA’s stalwart 250 single used to be the obvious choice for learner riders, back in the 1960s. Fifty years later the unit construction C15 has become another obvious choice – this time as a starter classic, a first British bike. We featured a Ceefer in the magazine last year, which inspired John Blackburn to share his experiences on the subject……

Classic bikes at Birmingham, part two

  RC’s roving reporter Richard Jones continues his end-of-year review from the NEC, seeking out quirky and iconic vintage motorcycles at the Classic Motor Show and Motorcycle Live… Here’s something you don’t see every day – a 1938 Norton Superior which was built by Bill Higginson and his friend, Maurice Cross. Apparently all you have to do is take a…