Features

The Walker Bullpup: The extraordinary one-off motorcycle that refused to disappear

by

Mark Lancaster

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25th August 2026

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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The Viscount: A rare production-built Norvin with Bonneville pedigree

by

Mark Lancaster

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20th August 2026

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…
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From shed-find moped to classic bikes: Pete Chatburn’s motorcycling story

by

Mark Lancaster

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18th August 2026

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…
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Looking for a Saint? One rider’s search for an ex-Metropolitan Police Triumph

by

Mark Lancaster

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15th August 2026

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…
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Hidden Gems: Honda SL350

by

Mark Lancaster

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13th August 2026

Steve Cooper introduces us to one of the prettiest – and most underrated – of Honda’s 1970s offerings. Some would argue that, when Honda dropped the hugely successful CB72/77 for its follow up K Series 250/350 it somehow cheapened the brand. To a point that’s correct, but for good reason – the outgoing models were…
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Looking back at the sidecar TT

by

Mark Lancaster

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11th August 2026

With the news that this year’s Sidecar TT class was cancelled after two massive crashes, Mick Payne takes a look at when Great Britain ruled on three wheels. Mick Payne reports When I introduced the concept of an A to Z of sidecars I admitted it wasn’t likely to be a set-in-stone monthly feature, and…
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The man who made the Manx better: John Tickle’s lighter, faster Norton

by

Mark Lancaster

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5th August 2026

John Tickle is a legendary name in the world of Norton, not least because it was he who – whisper it low – improved the Manx Norton. When he had bought the contents of the AMC race shop in 1966, Colin Seeley also acquired all the Manx Norton rights and parts. He decided to concentrate…
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The girl on a motorcycle

by

Mark Lancaster

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30th July 2026

Around Hull there was a legend of a beautiful blonde on a big Harley. But, as her friend Mike Cartlidge, tells us, that was no myth – that was Anita Manley. This is a tribute to a lovely lady who, in her younger days, did not need Bill Ivy or Fred Warr in a blonde…
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Singer: the Coventry car maker that began on two wheels

by

Mark Lancaster

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28th July 2026

Although best known for its cars, Coventry-based Singer began by making motorcycles, while its connection with two wheels goes back even further. In 1875, George Singer and his brother-in-law, James Stringer, founded a cycle company, and Singer went on to build the world’s first safety bicycle. By 1883, Singer was one of the country’s largest…
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Remembering… The Verus

by

Mark Lancaster

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22nd July 2026

After the First World War Alfred Wiseman began manufacturing motorcycles in his Glover Street works in Birmingham under the Sirrah name (the name came from reversing the surname of the designer, a Mr Harris), motorcycles which used a number of proprietary engines and were aimed at the budget market. However, to complement the various Sirrah…
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