british single Archives

Veloette Viper Highlights

8th September 2022 RowenaH Buying Guide, Features, Reviews, Road Tests

In the August issue of the magazine, Peter Hatfield shares his experiences of owning a 350 sports Velocette single. Here’s some of the background to the model, to get you in the mood for the full-length feature… Back in 1955, Velocette’s design engineer, Charles Udall, transformed the 350 MAC and 500 MSS all-rounders into sprightly sporters, the Venom and Viper…

AJS & Matchless 500 Singles: out of the archive

19th May 2020 RowenaH Buying Guide

If you’re looking for a traditional British single-cylinder classic motorcycle, then the AJS Model 18 and the Matchless G80 are charming old chuffers which cost considerably less than their Norton or Velocette equivalents… Honest, dependable and free of phoney pretensions, the big singles built by Associated Motor Cycles after WW2 neatly balance price and performance. The 497cc AJS Model 18…

Single-minded musings

1st May 2020 RowenaH Features

Over the years, many of Stu Thomson’s motorcycles have been powered by single cylinder motors. He’s owned and ridden trad British bikes like Velocette’s Venom, sporty Italian classics from Moto Guzzi and Aermacchi, and modern classics from Enfield and the Far East. So what can Stu conclude after trying so many different types of single-cylinder motorcycle? Before the multi-cylinder machines…

Rudge Ulster GP Special

1st June 2018 RowenaH Features

The Scottish Classic Motorcycle Show takes place in Ayr at the end of June, and the indoor halls are usually packed full of eye-catching classic bikes. Last year, this 1932 Rudge was one among them, showing off its famous bronze-head and four-valve top end arrangement… In the late 1920s and early 30s Rudge were one of the top teams competing…