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A prewar package of beauty, economy and efficiency BMW launched ITS first motorcycle in 1923, the shaft-driven R32 494cc sidevalve flat twin, the basis of the now instantly recognisable Boxer engine. The company’s solid, reliable twins have certainly stood the test of time, with a plethora of models and variants in different guises, but BMW’s…

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In the past, this was the future… WORDS AND PHOTOS BY Oliver Hulme WHEN HONDA UNVEILED their CB750 four in 1969, the Superbike was born. In a world where a big bike mostly meant a high capacity pushrod twin, the CB750 was so far ahead of the game that it sent the British motorcycle industry…

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A 650 twin was eventually added to Ariel’s line-up, using most of a BSA engine to power it. They make for interesting rebuilds WORDS BY ROB DAVIES   PHOTOS BY ROB DAVIES AND DOUG WALKER A few weeks ago I had the good fortune to be invited along to one of the oldest established motorcycle clubs…

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Words and photos by Phillip Tooth We have a lot to thank the Yanks for. There’s the Big Mac, the King Size bed, the XXL T-shirt… and the Norton Dominator 99. America is where size matters and big is better. Norton jumped on the vertical twin cavalcade in 1948 with the 500cc Model 7 Dominator,…

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Updating an icon can be a risky business. It’s all too easy to throw the baby out with the bathwater, or produce a pastiche instead of an improvement. But if you want the best, you may have to build it yourself… WORDS BY Rowena Hoseason PHOTOS BY Chris Dickinson When bsa first built this bike,…

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Effortless efficiency (and it’s even affordable) PHOTOS BY Joe Dick IN THE PAST 40 years, Jack has always owned at least one Gold Wing. He started out with a GL1000 in 1977 and, as you might imagine, he’s owned quite a few since then alongside many other types of motorcycle. But there’s something about the…

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