News

Don Padgett, a regular competitor in the Manx Grand Prix during the 1960s and 70s, and who with his elder brother Peter put their motorcycle dealership of Padgett’s of Batley well and truly on the road racing map, passed away on Monday, November 13. Troubled by health problems during recent years, Don had divided much…

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The countdown has begun for the biggest classic off-road event of the year, the two-day Classic Dirt Bike Show at the Telford International Centre sponsored by Hagon Shocks over the weekend of February 17-18. This year’s guest speakers at the traditional Saturday evening three-course dinner will be Gerrit Wolsink, Colin Dommett and Peter Duke. Wolsink…

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ELEMENTS of the scooter/motorcycle rivalry of the mid-60s will be showcased at The Carole Nash Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic show. The motorcycling event, now in its seventh year, takes place at Newark Showground on January 6-7 and has been expanded by two halls for 2018. Among the many attractions on offer will be a…

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Pete Kelly visits Velocette enthusiast Derek Manders to see his latest pride and joy – a green 1955 MSS that he bought as a 70% complete project at Bonhams’ Spring 2016 Stafford auction and which he has just finished restoring in the MAC form in which it originally left the Hall Green factory. Derek Manders…

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Mortons Media Group, which publishes Old Bike Mart, has renewed its contract with top motorcycle insurance broker Carole Nash. The commitment includes the continued sponsorship of Mortons’ classic motorcycle shows including those at Stafford each April and October. Carole Nash will also have a strong branding presence among Mortons’ extensive publishing portfolio for the next…

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OBM reader Richard Deal is anxious to track down some of the motorcycles he once owned and, if any of them is for sale, to restore and place in his Greeves collection. Along with his brother Eric, Richard used to travel to trials all over the UK, including the Scottish Six Days’ Trial in which…

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After repeated requests from its members and the motorcycling fraternity at large, the Vintage Motor Cycle Club has announced the return of one of the best motorcycling events in Europe, the VMCC Festival of 1000 Bikes combined with the Mallory Bonanza, at Mallory Park over the weekend of July 6-8, 2018. The event will be…

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One of Shropshire’s outstanding classic bike enthusiasts, Ron Maund, passed away on November 5, and we are grateful to Jim Reynolds for this timely obituary. Ron had been involved with bikes from the 1950s, riding to the TT on a solo in the early days and later taking his family in his Triumph Thunderbird sidecar…

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When Stuart Budd began restoring a decrepit 1937 Royal Enfield Model S that had been discovered behind a Thai restaurant in Kent, he knew that he needed to develop some engineering skills. He described the bike as “a lethal but just about running basket case” that needed a radical overhaul to bring it to the…

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Ian Kerr reports on a great exhibition staged by the Norton Owners’ Club to celebrate the 50th anniversary of one of the marque’s most successful machines at Ardingly, West Sussex, at the end of October. Even though another big classic event was taking place at Peterborough on the same weekend, thousands flocked to the South…

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