Classic Bike Hub
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Two generations of Aermacchi racing history heading to Stafford
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Two fascinating competition motorcycles spanning very different eras of Aermacchi and Harley-Davidson racing history will be heading to Stafford this autumn – you’ll be able to see them, and hear them running! Owned by Andy Webb, the 1969 Aermacchi-Harley Davidson 350cc Lawton Ala D’Oro and 1974 Harley Davidson-Aermacchi RR250 Grand Prix racer will be among…
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Hidden Gems: Yamaha YDS6
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Steve Cooper looks at a single year model that you can still pick up for not a lot of money. That the Japanese motorcycle industry plagiarised the work of others is well documented. In the modern business world such artifice creates what’s known as a second-to-market product and often such offerings have some of the…
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Vindec Special: The German Motorcycle That Nearly Won the First TT
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The Vindec Special was actually built in Germany by Köln-Lindenthaler Metallwerke AG of Cologne. However, it is an interesting footnote in British motorcycling history because its distribution in this country was handled by the South British Trading Company with the assistance and advice of William Huntingdon ‘Billy’ Wells. Wells had moved to London from his…
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The Walker Bullpup: The extraordinary one-off motorcycle that refused to disappear
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Although not technically a manufacturer – the Bullpup was very much a one-off – we include it here for its interesting story and because it really is ‘once seen, never forgotten’! The Bullpup was built by Farnborough engineer Victor George Walker who started the project in 1924 and finished it a couple of years later.…
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The Viscount: A rare production-built Norvin with Bonneville pedigree
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Marrying a Vincent V-twin engine and a Norton Featherbed frame was a well-known partnership by the end of the 1950s, but these ‘Norvins’ were generally the province of the amateur builder. Then motorcycle engineer Tom Somerton of Somerton Engineering decided that something a little less homebuilt would appeal to racers. One of the most successful…
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Looking back: Bultaco Owners Club gathers at the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum
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Looking back to April, the Bultaco Club UK brought more than 50 Bultaco motorcycles together at the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, a fitting venue given the close association between Bultaco and Sammy Miller during the 1960s. Chris Mabey was there to capture the day. In glorious April sunshine, the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum was delighted…
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From shed-find moped to classic bikes: Pete Chatburn’s motorcycling story
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Pete Chatburn tells us about his start in motorcycling (and that’s how he titled his letter – we’re not being rude!) and wonders whether might be buried treasure on a local airfield. It all started for me in 1965 when I found my Granpa’s abandoned 1959 Raleigh RM1C moped in the shed behind his tailor’s…
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Looking for a Saint? One rider’s search for an ex-Metropolitan Police Triumph
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Given his occupation, readers will not be surprised by the title the Reverend John Lines MBE has have given this article, but he will now set the scene for you… In a previous article (Readers Tales, OBM485) I wrote about my beautiful Triumph Thunderbird that I have managed to get returned to the condition it…
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Hidden Gems: Honda SL350
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Steve Cooper introduces us to one of the prettiest – and most underrated – of Honda’s 1970s offerings. Some would argue that, when Honda dropped the hugely successful CB72/77 for its follow up K Series 250/350 it somehow cheapened the brand. To a point that’s correct, but for good reason – the outgoing models were…
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Barry Sheene replica leathers raise £3,000 for Two Wheels for Life
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This weekend saw the annual Two Wheels for Life auction take place at the British round of MotoGP, held at Silverstone. One of the key auction lots was a unique set of Dainese custom-made Barry Sheene replica leathers. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Barry Sheene winning the first of his two 500cc World Championships…
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