Features

Few new bikes have ever been as eagerly awaited as the production versions of the eight-valve, liquid-cooled Ducati 851 Desmoquattro. The prototype, clad in Tricolore livery, took Marco Lucchinelli to a debut victory in the American Daytona BoTT (Battle of The Twins) race exactly 30 years ago, then spent the 1987 racing season developing, before…

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You could describe a Matchless G3, or for that matter its AJS 350 sibling, as solid and dependable, but maybe not glamorous. The first models are a good example of a long stroke, long lasting single and provided unexciting but reliable transport for hundreds of thousands of postwar workers. Like many a British motorcycle of the…

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Like many British bikes, the American market enjoyed Royal Enfield’s Constellation (badged as the Indian Apache) a year before it came to the home market in 1958. Launched as “A motorcycle for real enthusiasts only” the solidly muscular Connie oozed raw power. Royal Enfield’s Constellation and Super Meteor were, for several years, the largest British…

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An interesting design merging traditional looks with brave, modern styling, means the FB Mondial is one of those bikes you don’t look at and instantly say “Oh, that’s a 125 learner-bike.” There is an Italian tan leather seat, chrome mudguards and twin stainless steel exhausts, nicely finished matt gunmetal tank and lower bellypan, subtle racing…

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  Tucked away just south of the Suffolk/Norfolk border, is a collection of anonymous farm buildings. These are surrounded by rolling wheat fields, currently being harvested and baled, thanks to the spate of hot weather we’re enjoying. With single-track lanes meandering through the landscape, it’s the sort of image you have when you’re envisaging a…

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In 1949 Vincent-HRD was having a hard time. Postwar, many companies were struggling with export expectations, meaning the domestic market supply suffered and material supply shortages were common. Vincent may have claimed to produce the world’s fastest motorcycle, but the banks took a long look at the accounts and decided they didn’t add up to…

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EVEN THE MOST dedicated fan of big mid-Seventies Japanese four-stroke bikes will admit that often the handling isn’t up to much, with frames and brakes wildly outperformed by the engine. But even back in the day, the dedicated speed freak could find alternative ways of getting around corners safely – and crucially – fast. Most…

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One rather special Triumph Tiger Cub. A conversation between CBG’s Rob Davies and Chris Davies (no relation). As I stood outside Chris Davies’ garage, I could hear and feel the sound of soft thunder coming from inside; a sound that gently vibrated the side wall. And I knew straight away that the throaty roar came…

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Luxury and speed for the discriminating motorist There’s a certain risk for those who reside at the top, for fame is often fleeting. Yet the ‘Rolls-Royce of motorcycles’ remains high on many motorcyclists’ wish-list, almost a hundred years after the first Brough Superior took flight. Write a roster of supersportsters, racers and other exotica to…

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A very special bike gets a new lease of life In this day and age the chances of stumbling across a forgotten gem of a motorcycle are few and far between. Almost all machines ‘of a certain age’ have a guardian or two keeping a watchful eye on their whereabouts, even if that isn’t the…

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