Road Tests

1948 Panther 100 Forget all that nonsense about autocratic engineers and underhand boardroom shenanigans; Joe Public killed the British motorcycle industry. The fact that he kept buying their machines when they were so lamentably underdeveloped and so shoddily produced simply encouraged the manufacturers to keep churning out the same old porridge, with a face-lift here…

Continue reading »

Norvil 1000 Commando Since the collapse of NVT thirty years ago, the Norton story has been complicated, to say the least. No sooner has the name popped up in one place than it disappears, only to resurface in a different guise eleswhere. Who can forget the Nemesis, that alleged saviour of the British bike industry?…

Continue reading »

2003 Harley-Davidson V-Rod It was love at first sight. There, in a cowshed at the Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show was a Harley-Davidson V-Rod. It looked out of place amid the gleaming Brit iron. I couldn’t take my eyes off it and pushed to the front of the small crowd gathered around the Riders of Bridgewater…

Continue reading »

Matchless ‘Golden Eagle’ G50CSR replica John Horn lives in a delightful country cottage. He was the creator of its lovely garden, he's a member of the parish council, and he's on the village hall committee. He's the organiser of the village fete, and he mows the lawns around the church. But, when not acting like…

Continue reading »

Triumph Hurricane X75 I dare bet that the X-75 could only have originated in the USA, as I doubt the bean-counters of the top-heavy home industry were in tune with the motorcycling public to recognise a chance to sell bikes. In fact, I seem to recall in the early days of my motorcycling Edward Turner,…

Continue reading »

1964 Triumph TRW 500cc military This Triumph TRW looks tiny and lost as it stands in front of two towering Foden trucks, both carrying 05 registrations and ready to hit the highways on March 1. Funny place to keep a bike, you might think, but owner Peter Beckwith is the yard manager for EH Smith…

Continue reading »

Royal Enfield Bullet Classic It’s fair to say that over the past few years there has been a return to traditionally styled motorcycles, albeit many with a thoroughly modern appearance. However, retro style has become ‘chic’ in aspects of daily life, with everything from cars and clothes to refrigerators and radios all taking on a…

Continue reading »