New & Features

  • Sophisticated single: BMW R35

    Sophisticated single: BMW R35

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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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  • Familiar four

    Familiar four

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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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  • Showing off again

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    “HAVE YOU SEEN the Enfield? The one outside?” “No.” “It’s just your kind of bike. Really is. Here…” the kind guy thrusts his cell phone at me and shows me a tiny, dark, out of focus photo of a bike. It may be black, but it’s hard to tell. “But the price is ridiculous. You’d…

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  • Ariel Huntmaster: Ariel’s bigger twin

    Ariel Huntmaster: Ariel’s bigger twin

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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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  • World domination: We really have got something to thank the Yanks for…

    World domination: We really have got something to thank the Yanks for…

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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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  • Gold rush

    Gold rush

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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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  • THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE

    THE LIGHTER SIDE OF LIFE

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    CBG HAS BEEN my chosen motorcycle read almost from its first issue. It always holds my interest and I like your way of keeping it fresh by slipping in articles about modern retro bikes and readers’ specials and customs. Like many of my fellow readers, age and its problems have curtailed my riding of large,…

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  • Silent sophistication

    Silent sophistication

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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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  • That Brough, at Bristol

    That Brough, at Bristol

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    The Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show always hosts some of Britain’s best classic bikes. This year there’s something extra-special on display at the Royal Bath and West Showground THE COMBINATION OF TE Lawrence and Brough Superior has to be among the most famous partnerships in motorcycling history, and it’s one that will be celebrated…

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  • Classics at Kempton: Off-road & racing

    Classics at Kempton: Off-road & racing

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    WORDS BY Ieish Gamah PHOTOS BY Ieish Gamah & maurocarrarophotography.com AMONG THE MANY enjoyable aspects of owning, riding and fettling motorcycles, meandering around bike jumbles and shows gives the rider/restorer two opportunities: to secure parts or inspiration for future projects or the next purchase. The Southern Classic Shows at Kempton Park combine both activities and…

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