motorcycle history
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From The Classic Motorcycle Archives: Proving a Point – The ACU Heads West in 1919
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In 1919, the Auto Cycle Union sought to demonstrate that it was more than a London-centric organisation by holding a major gathering in Bristol. In this historical feature from The Classic Motorcycle, Simon Robinson explores the event, the motorcycles pictured beside Clifton Suspension Bridge and the notable visitors who attended. Simon Robinson reports… In 1919…
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Pa and His Pa: The Norton Founder, a 1921 Photograph and an Extraordinary Motorcycle Adventure
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Though always known as ‘Pa’ Norton, this picture shows the company founder with his own pa. Plus, some famous faces look on. Simon Robinson reports… The Norton motorcycle company sprang from the Norton Manufacturing Company, which was set up in 1869 by James Lansdowne Norton to manufacture bicycle chains. It was in 1902 that Norton…
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Ken Craven’s 1966 American Adventure: A Triumph Thunderbird, the Wild West and a Black Widow Spider
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In 1966, veteran motorcycle traveller Ken Craven set off alone through the American West on a borrowed Triumph Thunderbird. His adventure took him across desert landscapes, over remote roads and into a Mexican hospital following an unexpected encounter. Once in a while we come across a story from way back that we feel is worth…
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Hidden Gems: Kawasaki Z650
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Steve Cooper takes a look at the Kawasaki Z650, now rather overlooked but with a claim to being one of the best middleweight machines ever built. Most fans of Japanese classics will know the story of the Z1’s development, how Kawasaki was pipped at the post by Honda’s CB750 with its first four, but then…
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Remembering Rod Pallant: a drag racing original
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A couple of months on from the sad news of Rod Pallant’s death, we look back at Keith Lee’s tribute to one of British drag racing’s most memorable characters. First published in Old Bike Mart, the piece below is reproduced verbatim. The drag racing community has lost a memorable bike racer with the passing of…
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Wartime DKW emerges from the River Danube
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Global warming across the world has resulted in water levels in rivers, lakes and reservoirs dropping, leading to the reemergence of long-submerged buildings and even villages. But in Budapest, a decrease in the level of the Danube has led to a particularly interesting discovery. People walking along the side of river in Batthyány Square opposite…
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Tonkin Tornado: Steve Tonkin’s take on the ultimate café racer
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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…
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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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Free 100+ page digital magazine celebrates the best of classic motorcycling and scootering
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Discover more than 100 pages of fascinating features, stunning photography and expert writing from some of Britain’s leading classic motorcycle and scooter magazines – completely free to read online. IF you’re passionate about classic motorcycles and scooters, we’ve got something special for you. We’ve created a brand-new, completely free digital showcase magazine, bringing together some…
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Leaping Lena: The daring Australians who built the world’s fastest sidecar
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John Milton looks at how a handful of young Australians took on the world to win the sidecar landspeed record. The nickname ‘Leaping Lena’ has been used countless times in all manner of ways – a woman who jumped out of a Philadelphia window to avoid police arrest in 1920, pigeons, racehorses, cars, trains, even…
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