Features

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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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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1956 Manx helmet from J Compton, Sons & Webb Trials riders notwithstanding – where the cloth cap reigned supreme for years after the helmet law – there was a reticence on the public’s part to wear a helmet for fear of being labelled ‘racer’. Gradually though the idea of having something between the hairstyle and…

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Iconic Yamaha frame The system seemed similar to that of Vincent and some pre-Second World War Matchless machines but had the benefit of more understanding of how suspension worked. Where the Vincent version transmitted load to the very short backbone of the Series D machines, Yamaha’s version put the load at the steering head. Benefits…

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Honda CB450 rocked the motorcycle market when launched Originally nicknamed The Black Bomber, the Honda CB450 stood convention on its head, gave it a slap and made it wake up and smell the coffee. This is the machine that proved unequivocally that the Japanese were not limited to small bikes. The establishment was so worried…

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