Road Tests

The Hesketh V1000 was conceived from an aristocrat’s ambition to produce ‘the finest motorcycles in the world’, yet the glamorous debutant lacked sufficient pedigree to impress motorcycling society…

We’ve all spent idle hours dreaming up our ideal motorcycle but only a tiny percentage convert their imaginings into metal. One of the few is Irishman Tom Healion who spent six years conceiving and building his 250cc NSU ‘Sportymax’ racer…

We all know Harley-Davidsons, right? Made in Milwaukee, thundering great V-twin engines, pistons the size of dustbins, low-revving, weigh about the same as a Cadillac? Not necessarily…

Justifiably playing up the retro image, Royal Enfield has gone the whole hog with the new Bullet Classic. Nigel Clark spent a day with one and reckons it just might be the best Bullet yet…

This charming 1954 Francis-Barnett has been owned by a father and then his son from new. It was off the road for some years, though has now been restored to its former glory. Roy Poynting tells the tale…

Though the Norton Model 50 is often derided for its lack of pace, it’s more a case of an exceptional frame, rather than a disappointing engine that has led to this largely unjustified criticism. Roy Poynting tells the story…

Launched in 1975, the low, lithe S3 was a visual treat. This Moto Guzzi S3 has been superbly restored and uprated by its owner, and is now capable of what the Italian factory originally claimed for it…

It was a simple premise – build a upmarket commuter motorcycle for everyman, one that would appeal to everyone and be capable of doing all things for all men. And it succeeded when others fell by the roadside. So why was Velocette’s flawed LE so special?

Two rotary-engined bikes but they’re as different as chalk and cheese. Bob Berry is surprised to discover that it was the troubled Norton factory that got it right while Suzuki went high tech and high cost and must have lost a packet…

In the hands of its first owner, this Ariel VB covered over quarter of a million miles, usage which obviously took its toll on the machine, but an exacting restoration has given it a new lease of life. Roy Poynting takes up the story…