RealClassic

  • Frank’s Famous Last Words, #42

    Frank’s Famous Last Words, #42

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      Despite inhabiting a world of perpetual ups and downs, they keep our wheels going round and around. Pistons, says Frank Westworth, are the unsung heroes of the classic biking world. For some arcane reason which is now beyond me, a friend and I were discussing pistons. I know, I know; the very idea of…

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  • Auction Action: bid on classic bikes at Bristol

    Auction Action: bid on classic bikes at Bristol

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    Next weekend’s Carole Nash Classic MotorCycle Show at Shepton Mallet incorporates an auction of old bikes and classic motorcycles. This down-to-earth event feels a little bit different to those immensely up-market auctions which feature famous names and unique icons that sell for five figures (and frequently fetch north of £100,000, which fair boggles the brains).…

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  • Marsh 500/4: a really rare British racer

    Marsh 500/4: a really rare British racer

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    ‘This has been a nerve-wracking project to work on,’ admits restoration expert Colin Wall. And if Colin’s showing concern then you can bet that the classic bike in question is extremely unusual. Colin has over 50 years’ experience of restoring classic and vintage motorcycles, some of them the most significant machines in British motorcycling history.…

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  • Sidecars and scooters star at Newark Show

    Sidecars and scooters star at Newark Show

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    Sidecar enthusiast Roy Workman was delighted to discover that the special guests at the first big classic bike event of 2017 were Tom and Ben Birchall, four-times TT sidecar race winners and the current TT lap record holders. So he took himself to Newark for the two-day Carole Nash CBG Winter Classic. The day got…

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  • Museum Makeover

    Museum Makeover

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    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…

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  • Classic Bikes at Stony Stratford

    Classic Bikes at Stony Stratford

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    What better way, asks RC’s roving reporter Richard Jones, to spend New Year’s Day than gazing on classic machinery at Classic Stony? This annual event features the two, three, and four-wheeled vehicular delights – what a way to start the year. The weather wasn’t exactly marvellous as you can possibly see from the pictures but…

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  • CZ Café Racer

    CZ Café Racer

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    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…

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  • More Greeves needed for Classic Dirt Bike Show

    More Greeves needed for Classic Dirt Bike Show

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    The Greeves Riders’ Association aim to display an extensive array of classic off-road bikes built by Greeves on their stand at this year’s Classic Dirt Bike Show at Telford in February. The club’s stand – three times its normal size – will host 21 scramblers, from the company’s early production run in 1954 through to…

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  • Norton Dominator 99

    Norton Dominator 99

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      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…

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  • Triumph 350 sidevalve single

    Triumph 350 sidevalve single

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      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…

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