The World of Autojumbles at your FIngertips

out and about: Wham, glam... Seventies takes centre stage

It’s that time again, October, and the most eagerly awaited classic and Japanese show in the world will be here in a couple of weeks as our sister publication Classic Motorcycle Mechanics magazine takes over the top spot at the Stafford County Showground for the 18th Carole Nash Classic and Motorcycle Mechanics Show on October 15-16.

With the 1970s a far off land when the world started to become colourful and bikes spouted cylinders like a rash – singles were out, multis were in – and at 40 years old such bikes meet even the strictest criteria to be deemed classic.

Evocative? Yes, definitely. Groundbreaking? Most certainly. Exciting? Of course, just ask any of us who strapped ‘L’ plates on to an RD250 and found we could rocket away at high speed and – probably even better – stop safely from that high speed.

Around the halls and showground will be the best of Japanese, European, British and American motorcycles, accessories, parts, bits, bobs and stuff.

There’ll be bikes to drool over, projects to haggle over, auction bikes to ponder over and advice, support and information to get, over a cup of coffee on stands, in the cafes and at the club stands.

Clubs really are the backbone of the restoration scene, places where like minded souls go to cheer each other on, console you when it’s going wrong and share the joy when it’s going right. Don’t be shy of asking for help at a club stand, that’s why they’re there and if they didn’t want to be approached by prospective owners then wouldn’t be there in the first place. They’re just the place to tell you how to get sorted with those bits of information that turn a good restoration into a great one.