Features

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…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

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,…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »