Classic Bike Guide

Howard R Davies was born in 1895 and he quickly showed a love of life and excitement, riding horses and hunting as a child. However, racing motorcycles was what he wanted to do. Davies worked for AJS and Sunbeam, competing in both the ISDT (International Six Days Trial) and the TT, but he constantly suffered…

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Words and Photography: Robert Davies. Much thanks to: Graham Horne and Tony Cooper Have you ever gone to view a motorcycle and then ended up looking at something completely different? I did that. I went along to Graham Horne’s to talk about the elusive, but mysterious, Ariel Square Four, but I spent most of the…

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This Vincent Rapide had the usual issues while being restored, but now gets more use than a company car! Words: a happy OliPHOTOGRAPHY: Jon Ryan “YOU START IT,” says Andy, tickling the new Amal carbs and putting a foot, clad in a Nike trainer, on the Vincent Rapide’s kick-start, “like a cement mixer.” Vincents have…

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Words by Oli – Photography by Gary (prettyboy) Chapman THE HONDA CB650 FOUR of 1978 was the last of an illustrious line, a swansong model with a new engine and frame, but partly thrown together using left over bits from older models. Launched in 1971, Honda’s CB500 Four and the later CB550 had been big…

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From high-end singles and TT victories to a bike for the masses following the war – the Velocette LE would be all things to all men and women Producing A MASS-MARKET motorcycle for the Everyman has been the dream of many a manufacturer. Velocette’s best-selling motorcycle, which wildly outsold their high-quality postwar singles, was just…

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What is one of these halo bikes really like to live with? Matt steals one to find out Words by Matt Photography by Chippy Wood and Matt If you don’t like people, don’t buy an old Triumph. Park up, pull in for petrol; even stop at traffic lights and you’ll be recalled stories of how…

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This single carb version of Triumph’s 650cc twin could be a better bike than the mighty Bonneville WHAT IS THE best Triumph twin? Well, it’s the 1968 unit-construction T120 Bonneville 650, isn’t it? Everybody knows that. That’s the Triumph that gets restored to within an inch of its life, wins all the prizes at shows…

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