Classic Bike Guide

I’ve been riding around on a brand new Royal Enfield 500 Bullet recently, loving the old feel with the back up that a new bike brings. But, as we know, Enfields don’t change that often and that includes the sidestand. It’s only short, which means it feels like the bike is going to fall over,…

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Words: Matt Photography: Chippy ‘I’ll just stand in that field’ Wood Ever gone to a bike event and not seeN a modern Bonneville? Despite John Bloor’s reservations of retrieving the famous name to adorn a Hinkley product, it’s been a commercial hit of massive proportions. We hadn’t tried the 1200 model, so it was best…

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Engineering skills and a vision of exactly how his bike should be has helped Dermot Lynch create a bike his father would be proud of. Nortons are in Dermot Lynch’s blood. It’s no coincidence that he chose a Norton 750 Atlas as the basis of his beautiful cafe racer. Take a look in his compact…

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Jeff Smith, no. 14 on his 500cc BSA, trying to undercut Torsten Hallman on his 360cc Husqvarna at the Hants Grands International, on March 24, 1967. Smith had become 500cc World Champion in 1964 and 1965, the last year a four-stroke engine would win the title until the modern era. He was a superbly talented…

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This BSA X65 special may be a very rare sight, but plans are afoot to give more the opportunity to build one. Words AND PHOTOGRAPHY by Oli Hulme THE TRIUMPH HURRICANE X75 is one of those motorcycles that is nearly impossible to dislike. Ridiculously flamboyant and hopelessly impractical, the creators of the X75 had invented…

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Roger Barlow shares some fascinating first-hand insights into the birth of Norton’s brave Commando Words by Jim Reynolds photography Mortons archive and Jim Reynolds Roger Barlow worked as a draughtsman and designer in the motorcycle and car industry, including spells at Ariel and BSA in the 1950s and 1960s, before moving on to Rover, where…

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Words by Oli Photography by Gary Chapman ALONG WITH WHICH oil to use and which petrol won’t gum up your carbs, many a pub or internet debate has been had about what the next ‘affordable’ classic will be. Most old Brits over 250cc are heading north of £3000 and the prices of legendary Italian mounts…

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SUZUKI B120 Words by Oli PhotoGRAPHY by Gary Chapman SUZUKI CALLED IT the B120 Student, but everybody calls it the Bloop. It doesn’t really fit Suzuki’s 1960s and 70s style. They were busily turning out powerful two-strokes and small sportsters like the T125 Stinger for the teenage buyer, or the disc valve equipped A100 single…

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