Classic Bike Hub
-
Triumph Originals 2026: Seven nations battle it out with ‘Time Capsule’ Scramblers
Posted
by
Voting is now open for Triumph Originals 2026, with seven teams from around the world competing to create the most original custom Triumph Scrambler. Representing Canada, China, France, Italy, Spain, the UK and US, each Triumph team has worked with a locally selected custom workshop to showcase innovative design, build techniques and craftsmanship. Every one-off…
-
Tonkin Tornado: Steve Tonkin’s take on the ultimate café racer
Posted
by
Steve Tonkin took on the task of building the ultimate café racer. After John Tickle sold the rights to Unity Equipe, they would eventually be acquired by Andy Molnar in 1994. A former TT racer who won the Junior TT in 1981, Steve would partner with Andy Molnar to build the Tonkin Tornado. Built to…
-
Two generations of Aermacchi racing history heading to Stafford
Posted
by
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…
-
Hidden Gems: Yamaha YDS6
Posted
by
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…
-
Vindec Special: The German Motorcycle That Nearly Won the First TT
Posted
by
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…
-
The Walker Bullpup: The extraordinary one-off motorcycle that refused to disappear
Posted
by
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.…
-
The Viscount: A rare production-built Norvin with Bonneville pedigree
Posted
by
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…
-
Looking back: Bultaco Owners Club gathers at the Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum
Posted
by
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…
-
From shed-find moped to classic bikes: Pete Chatburn’s motorcycling story
Posted
by
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…
-
Looking for a Saint? One rider’s search for an ex-Metropolitan Police Triumph
Posted
by
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…
Enjoy more classic motorcycle reading, Click here to subscribe to one of our leading magazines.
