Buying Guide

This was one of the last stories Rob Davies, a regular CBG contributor, wrote for us before illness took him. Right to the end, he was trying to convince himself of bikes he didn’t think he would like. Words: The late Rob DaviesPhotography: Robin Horton, Ales Tomis and BSK SpeedworksPublished: Classic Bike Guide – December…

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This was one of the last stories Rob Davies, a regular CBG contributor, wrote for us before illness took him. Right to the end, he was trying to convince himself of bikes he didn’t think he would like. Words: The late Rob DaviesPhotography: Robin Horton, Ales Tomis and BSK SpeedworksPublished: Classic Bike Guide – December…

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Enter stage left Suzuki’s GS400 four-stroke parallel twin; the epitome of cost conscious classic Japanese motorcycling. This is a machine that will deliver you from A to B with the minimum of fuss and drama at minimal running costs. What’s more it won’t break the bank in terms of initial outlay either. Running examples can…

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Expansion chambers and disc valves rapidly transformed firstly his Suzuki sponsor’s race machinery, which aided the defection, but not long after the road-going products of Bridgestone Kawasaki and Yamaha benefited as well. Everyone will undoubtedly have their favourite of the period but inarguably Kawasaki’s 250 A1 Samurai and 350 Avenger must be some of the…

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Arriving 12 months after the CD the twin carbed 12v machine also featured something of a Honda trademark, an electric start. With sufficient va va voom to embarrass a 350 Triumph owner, the little CB was something of a watershed for Honda. By then a mainstream UK player the sporty 175 twin effectively defined exactly…

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Velocette Thruxton Naming a machine after a race or event is a fairly common theme in motorcycle circles – think Bonneville, Manx, Monza, Oulton, Silverstone. In which case perhaps the super sporting Venom-based single from Velocette could have been named Montlhery in honour of the 24 hour record the company had taken at the Montlhery…

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Early 750s are sought after. But there is an alterfnative Original sand-cast examples are out of reach for most of us and the K0/K1 analogues have worryingly moved too far north of most folks wallets but there is, thankfully, a more cost effective route into CB750 ownership. The K6 and K7 models represent pretty much…

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Norton ES400 Electro – a bike you must ride It is unbelievable how long it took to get the whole industry up to speed with such an idea as electric start. Even those manufacturers that were still around as the 60s lurched into the 70s didn’t really have the drop of it. The early problems…

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Don’t dismiss the humble step-through The sale of modern scooters, twist and go’s etc. proves there’s still a confirmed market for them and with the price of petrol these days thinking small might just be the clever option. These oft overlooked bikes are ideal tackle for short journeys, the odd bit of shopping, their original…

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