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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… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

What could be better than a Thirties Harley big twin? devotees of the marque would no doubt ask. Why two of course… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

Harley-Davidson’s motorcycles earned their stripes in combat during WWII, though this veteran modestly disguises its military background today… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

Bimota’s SB2 was both the Italian factory’s and Massimo Tamburni’s first production road bike design. John Nutting tested in the Isle of Man in 1978… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

This mid-30s BMW, despite being 80 years old, is still more than capable of covering vast mileages, just as its maker intended when it was originally produced… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article…

Moto Guzzi never did improve on the superbly designed original, as Rod Ker finds out in the saddle of its plastic-shrouded successor… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

The Zündapp KS750 was designed as a go-anywhere, unbreakable military wagon, able to cope with extremes of weather… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

The Moto Guzzi Museum, at the firm’s factory in Mandello del Lario, charts the famous firm’s history, with a stunning collection of machines, from familiar models to one-off oddities… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below……

Ignore the Moto Morini V-twins at you peril. Great, surefooted handling, soulful engines and they look a million dollars… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

Ducati’s Desmo singles and twins hold a special place in the hearts of red-blooded bikers. Rod Gibson rode the biggest and smallest of the breed… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

A delightful restoration to rare French classic… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

At the dawn of the 80s the choice of 750cc sportbikes was limited to conventional in-line fours from Honda, Kawasaki and Suzuki. John Nutting rode three of the best… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Yamaha’s original XJ900 was biggest of a line of slim shaft-drive fours produced in the 80s that acquired a reputation as a wobbler. But John Nutting, who tested the bike at MIRA, thinks it’s undeserved… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article…

Kawasaki’s GPz1100 cracked the 150mph barrier in 1983. But was the last and most potent of the big air-cooled Kawasaki fours the best of the bunch? Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Thirty years on, the 500 triple’s fearsome reputation seems over-exaggerated. However, it still provides excitement by the shed load… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Rod Gibson’s tips on how to keep your four cylinder engine running smoothly… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

A few big bore Yamaha XS650 versions found their way into sidecar outfits but, as far as solo racing was concerned, other more suitable machines were available. However, such rules do not necessarily apply in the world of the classic clubman… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to…

Rod Gibson gets to grips with the science of camshaft design, and enters a world full of ramps, overlap, lift and durations. But will it make the bike go faster? Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines.

Honda’s CB750F was a desperate attempt to keep its ageing SOHC 750 in the ring with the new DOHC contenders from Kawasaki and Suzuki… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines.

Kawasaki’s blisteringly fast two stroke 750 triple lit the tarmac when launched in 1972. It was the ultimate white knuckle ride… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Yamaha’s RD250 two stroke twin was the first production bike to use reed valves to help deliver some midrange without killing performance elsewhere. But they were viewed with suspicion… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Following the success of the GSX series and Katanas, Suzuki upped the ante with the first GSXRs. A thinly disguised street legal race bike, the GSXR750 was an instant success… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Reader Andy Jones had been after a Suzuki GT750 for ages to restore. Then, like buses, two came along at once… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines.

Yamaha’s response to restrictive learner legislation was to launch the FS1-E, a high performing 50cc, which every 16-year-old aspired to… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Never a visual treat, but Yamaha’s FZ750 won friends with its 145mph top speed and amazing power spread… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

Suzuki, like Kawasaki, adopted the two stroke triple engine in the seventies, but it offered a more rounded product than its performance rivals… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Launched on the back of the development of the RC30, Honda’s V-twin-powered Bros is a competent allrounder… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Honda’s CB1100F was the last of its classic air-cooled fours and although overshadowed by the exotic CB1100R production racer still pulls a hefty punch with a 140mph top speed… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below……

This sprinter was built by three engineering apprentices in the early 1960s – and it’s continued to impress with its rapid pace in the decades since… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

BSA and Triumph were the undisputed leaders in the 50s motorcycle market, though some individuals decided to take parts from each manufacturer to fabricate their own ideal machine… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert…

Vincent’s Black Prince rode at the vanguard of a brave campaign, but its standard was raised too high to carry the day… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

Triumph’s three cylinder Trident provided the signature sound for racers in the early Seventies and led to the best of the bunch, the T160, made for just a year from 1975… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Shaft-driven Sunbeams were a gentlemanly alternative to the rufty tufty vision of 50s motorcycling, when young men supposedly roared across the countryside on Nortons, Triumphs and BSAs… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article…

Once dismissed as ‘grey porridge’ and often heaved onto the scrap man’s wagon, this BSA C10L – so representative of an era – is now a rarity. And that’s a real shame… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert…

As rarities go, they don’t come much more unusual than this US-only off-road BSA A65 competition twin… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

The famous Triumph Bonneville was, for many, at about its peak in 1969 and this US spec example from that season underlines the point… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Triumph’s Thunderbird is undoubtedly one of the most famous names in motorcycling lore, with both the model’s achievements and a notorious film appearance adding to the legend… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

This late Velocette Venom is a fine hard-working example of what to many is the ultimate British single… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

The Excelsior Manxman is, without question, one of the most visually appealing motorcycles of the 1930s. The 500cc version is also especially rare… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

When Associated Motor Cycles’ engineers enlarged the 350cc AJS 7R to make the 500cc Matchless G50, one of the best looking racers of all time was created… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

DMW was one of a number of makers that used Villiers engines in the 1950s, though its products were always at the higher end of the market. James Robinson reports… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Every now and then, something which leaves you a bit surprised comes along. This AJS – despite looking outwardly fairly standard – is one of those things, having had untold hours and endeavours laboured upon its recreation… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading…

Though functional-looking, the Triumph TR5 is also arguably one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made – and this one’s a real stunner… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Sometimes steady modification and improvements aren’t just quite enough and a radical rethink is necessary. Rod Ker tells the tale… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

Installing a Triumph engine into a Norton Featherbred frame, creating a ‘Triton’ was a common mechanical act in years gone by. But few are built to the level of this one. Triton image gallery… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues…

Norton’s famous – and successful – Commando came in a number of guises, but is any more handsome than the S Type? Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

The Royal Enfield Bullet is a machine which has been in production for many years, though few look better than this superb example… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

The 350cc ohv AJS is one of the iconic machines of the vintage era, famed for its light weight and sporty performance… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Though the ohc AJS was perhaps not initially the most successful of AJS’s 350s, it is undeniably one of the most handsome, with this a particularly spectacular example… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

When Triumph decided its range needed expanding and an overhead valve model should be added, the firm decided on awarding the task to an ‘outside’ consultant, Harry Ricardo… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

The Series A Vincent-HRD singles were the model which set the Stevenage maker on the road to immortality… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

SOS machines of any age are few and far between, as they were built in such limited numbers. So the even rarer vintage-era machines fall into the ‘hen’s teeth’ category… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

One man’s lifelong love affair with his Rudge has resulted in a show winner that means far more than money to its owner… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

This Douglas special has a fascinating history, including input into its construction by Triumph… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

BSA made its name on the back of solid, dependable machines, just like this one, suitable for hard work without complaint… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

This four-valve sporting Ariel single was only catalogued for the single season, though its name lived on… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

This AJS V-twin combination has benefited from a number of tweaks by its owner, classic motorcycle restoration guru Robin James… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Though there may be more glamorous, exotic 1930s Velocettes, few are as capable all-round as the 250cc MOV, an excellent commuter – and surprisingly sprightly sportster… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

The BSA G14 was, by the 1930s, a far-from-advanced piece of kit. But the qualities it possessed were still popular – and indeed still are today… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

Cotton, as a manufacturer, didn’t stray from the ‘straight tube’ frame building philosophy in the 1920s and 30s. That was because it was a design that worked… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article…

This largely original and unrestored Ariel Square Four spent many of the years since its 1938 build in Malta, where it was owned by one family until the present keeper acquired it… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert…

The AJS S3 was a bright and bold new design from AJ Stevens of Woverhampton. Unfortunately, its release couldn’t have come at a worse moment… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

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… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Visit the Mortons Archive (www.mortonsarchive.com) for more information and online search options concerning Kawasaki motorcycles, or speak to our archivist Jane Skayman on 01507 529423 with your requirements… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

The BSA A65 Lightning Clubman was the top of the range unit construction BSA, in many ways the replacement for the Rocket Gold Star as BSA’s twin-cylinder racer on the road… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert

Renowned for the quality of its products, Velocette excelled in international motorcycle racing, culminating in two world championship titles 1949/50, and today is still a force in vintage racing… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below……

Some of our favourite images from the 19th Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show at Stafford’s Showground… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert

Aintree motor racing circuit opened in 1954 and these pictures come from the first motorcycle race meeting, which attracted a strong entry… Article continues below… Advert Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines. Article continues below… Advert Article continues below… Advert