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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…

Stories of 750 owners being traumatised by a well-ridden Yamaha 350 are not the stuff of legend, rather, a very well documented fact. It’s realistically now very difficult to convey just what a complete package the Yamaha 350 was. Ostensibly a 350 in a 250 frame, the model was a performance ground breaker…

Rod Gibson completes the Yamaha’s engine and gearbox rebuild but it’s not back in the frame – the owner is so pleased with the motor that he’s now going for a full restoration

Close inspection of the Yamaha twin’s engine internals reveals a relatively happy state of affairs for spannerman Rod Gibson

Rod Ker is reminded of breezing along through a blue haze of burnt two stroke oil when he rides the smallest of Suzuki’s three-cylinder trio

From early sporting leanings in the roaring 20s, Norton’s immortal 490cc pushrod engine developed into a delightful lusty slogger, fondly remembered by many. The ‘Easy’ 2 was a mainstay of the Norton range for over three decades, and it’s not difficult to see why it had such a devoted following

Maurice Keen’s love affair with his Honda Gold Wing spans 30 years and two countries. We tracked him down at his home in Eire

Was Suzuki’s 500cc two-stroke twin doomed to become extinct before its time? John Nutting recalls the bike that started the Hamamatsu factory’s big-bike era and the last of the line.

Honda’s CB750 took and shook the motorcycle market but Kawsaki’s 900 raised the bar by a similar amount. More power, technology and performance than anything else. And affordable too. Rod Gibson tells the story…