Square miles

WHEN BUYING A typical Brit bike – a big single or one of the many variations on the parallel twin theme – a canny consumer can normally get away with taking a small risk on a non-runner.

You know the type: a bike which has been stored in a shed since its restoration a couple of decades ago; the kind of classic which initially clocked up minimal mileage for its MoT and Sunday runs, and hasn’t turned a wheel in five years.

Those motorcycles can often be bought for affordable sums and, if the gods of fortune smile upon you, can be recommissioned with fresh fluids, a magneto rebuild or new electronic ignition kit and new boots.

If your luck runs out and mechanical mayhem ensues, then an extensive selection of spare parts and expertise is widely available to get you back on the road reasonably easily.

Read more in February’s edition of CBG