Features

Iconic Norton engine Launching in 1932, the International was available in 350cc and 500cc forms and joined two other ohc machines Norton already had, this in an age when even a pushrod overhead valve engine was considered sporting. Though the previous engines had been powering the sporting range this job swiftly became the purpose of…

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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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1937 AJS Model 26 Looking back, I think my mother was probably right to wonder why I’d spent £250 on a rusty motorcycle with half an engine, no wheels, seat or handlebars. I like to think that I could see its potential beneath the rust, but I admit that I was hypnotised by the girder…

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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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Commander lightweight motorcycle They served admirably to provide a low-powered entry level for newcomers to motorcycling, or as a cheap, reliable and convenient means of commuting to and from work. In consequence, they had of necessity to be built down to a price that would compare favourably with that of their contemporaries. By the fifties,…

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Four cylinder Henderson This is a bit of a challenge for you as, unlike other bikes in this series, I’ve no idea where you might get to try a Henderson. The American motorcycle industry was a massive concern with dozens of different makes at one time. The depression era and the Model T Ford helped…

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AJS Model 16 In the case of the singles there were important differences, such as the position of the magneto that required different castings for the engine, so it is unfair to say that AMC simply bunged a different badge on as they came down the production line. It is also unfair to say one…

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The new showroom is right next to the old one… pretty convenient we think Oh, and did we mention he was riding the 1958 650cc Triumph Trophy he used in the ISDT and the Welsh Three Day? No? Well he was and what a way to open the new showroom of a company almost synonymous…

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Triumph in particular was so associated with the twin pushrod unit that many believed it had invented it but in reality Edward Turner had only developed the concept to its ultimate end. So, with a new power unit needed, Triumph turned to its fabled designer Turner and he came up with… a vertical twin. This…

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Life at the Meriden Triumph motorcycle factory (pdf) It’s a big event when you reach the ripe old age of 65, another chapter in your life comes to a close and thoughts start to turn towards your mortality. The other day, I was standing at my workbench, putting together a 1961 TR6 'Trophy' engine, when…

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