Features

The AJS star touched a foot down only once in six days in an observed section – on Grey Mare’s Ridge, high above the aluminium-smelting town of Kinlochleven. The trials world clamoured for replicas of this superb AJS. After all, a bike that could win the Scottish was going to make a superstar out of…

Continue reading »

Rennsport BMW Pre-Second World War the stunning supercharged BMWs had wowed the world but FIM regs forbade forced induction so BMW alternated between fuel injection and carburettors on its works machines. This development led, in October 1953, to a production racer launched at the Frankfurt Show. Named the RS54 – for Rennsport 1954 – it…

Continue reading »

There is a certain satisfaction to riding a pioneer machine… The Pioneer is so important to the history of motorcycling we’ll take a look at not only the first Pioneer Run in 1930 but also the 1914 Old Crocks Trial that could arguably be the starting point for the whole old bike movement. Organised on…

Continue reading »

Honda CBX750 Following hot on the heels of the VF750S/Sabre debacle the Big Aitch ran back to the safety of its security blanket in the guise of the ubiquitous air-cooled four cylinder machines that had stood the company in good stead since 1969. However, on this occasion Honda didn’t simply rehash an old model; the…

Continue reading »

Now when was it that? (Book two) Links to all the articles are below. See also the first and third and fourth online 'books'. Originally written by OBM founder Ken Hallworth and recrafted for the bookazine series by Jeff Clew Now when was it that? was a popular, readable source of titbits from the motorcycle…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

Yamaha GL750 The bike is as much concept machine as it is prototype but if the reality is anything like the bike on display this is going to be something very special indeed. Four cylinders, 750cc, water cooling, twin front disc with double piston calipers and fuel injection. This is pretty serious stuff, make no…

Continue reading »

Just before heading over to the MoT station it’s probably a good idea to look the bike over. It’s 50 years this month since the government of the day, worried about the mechanical condition of vehicles on the public highways, introduced an annual test for all vehicles over 10 years old. Things like brakes, tyre…

Continue reading »

Details of the Calthorpe engine-shaft shock absorber After relining both brakes and scrapping the badly worn cup-and-cone hub bearings, I decided to unspoke the wheels. In the first place, the rims and outer surfaces of the brake drums were so corroded with rust that it was impossible to prepare them for enamelling while the wheels…

Continue reading »

AJS and Matchless twin – iconic engines Where others had a massive central flywheel and big mains in each crankcase half, AMC went for a central main bearing that was squeezed between the two flywheels. This it was claimed would lead to greater reliability and smoothness but in fact it created an undeserved reputation for…

Continue reading »