Road Tests

This immaculate AJS Model 18S has been in the same ownership since the early 60s – it’s a relationship that’s passed the test of time with flying colours…

Sunbeam always had an image of being a machine for gentlemen – and this three-speed veteran single certainly fits the bill…

Quick and Quickly puns apart, the NSU Quick 50, based on a proven design, became one of the forerunners of the renowned sports 50s of the 1970s, though the diminutive NSUs are now rare…

This 250cc Aermacchi Ala Verde provides plenty of smiles, with a lively engine allied to a superb chassis, making it well-suited for the motorcycling many classic riders do. It’s a small price to pay for the lack of comfort…

Oh bliss. Oh joy. Oh sweet smiles of happiness! What a pleasant motorcycle this is. Can I ride it for a while or two? I can. Splendid. The Sunbeam S8 is as modern and as much fun as a decent game of croquet on a summer’s afternoon…

Cycle World magazine once awarded the Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster the title of ‘Motorcycle most likely to be stolen’, which actually says more about the bike than about contemporary American society…

The Triumph Métisse models developed for scrambling were streets ahead of the competition on the scrambles tracks of the world. But what are they like on the street asks Tim Britton?

Super Onslow Special and So Obviously Superior were two suggestions what the ‘SOS’ badge stood for. Whatever the terminology, the bike was an appeal to discriminating riders, to try something different in the lightweight utility market…

It may have looked undramatic, but Kawasaki’s shaft-drive GT550 four proved to be a solid seller for around 20 years. John Nutting rode versions at the beginning and end of the run…