Features

November 1971, Yamaha pulls off the coup of the decade by debuting the GL750 at the 19th Tokyo Motor Show. The world is fast realising that the once scorned two-stroke is the way to go; only Honda is championing poppet valves…

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…

Cotton, as a motorcycle 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. Best of all, the frame allowed all of the performance to be used. Roy Poynting explains…

Aintree motor racing circuit opened in 1954 and these pictures come from the first motorcycle race meeting, which attracted a strong entry…

South Africa’s first TT races owed little to the Isle of Man events, the organisers preferring to plough their own furrow…

Kawasaki’s blisteringly fast two stroke 750 triple lit the tarmac when launched in 1972. Punching above its weight, it was the ultimate white knuckle ride and remains an unforgettable ride today…

Rod Gibson’s offers tips and advice on balancing muliple carburettor installations, to keep your four cylinder engine running smoothly…

Thirty years on, the 500 Kawasaki two stroke triple’s fearsome reputation for all-or-nothing engine power delivery seems over-exaggerated. However, it still provides excitement by the shed load, and at the time it must have been like being hit on the back of the head with a baseball bat. Rod Ker tries one out…

Racing success and track development led to full showroom order books for Ducati’s road lightweights

Moto Guzzi never did improve on the superbly designed original, as Rod Ker finds out in the saddle of its plastic-shrouded successor