From The Archive

New Imperial Classic In 1931 the British motorcycle industry was facing hard times. With the country in the grip of a deep recession, a number of manufacturers had already ceased business; amongst them AJS, who had gone into voluntary liquidation early that year. Something had to be done to restore confidence, and it was on…

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1954 DOT scrambler Model SCH Although DOT was only a relatively small company, based in Hulme, Manchester, it ranked as one of Britain's motorcycle pioneers. Formed in 1903 by Harry Reed, it is alleged the name was coined from the slogan later used in advertisements by the company in the Twenties – 'Devoid Of-Trouble'. However,…

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AJS Stormer Ford once very successful company, AJS seems to have suffered more than its fair share of misfortunes. Founded by Joe Stevens senior and four of his five sons in 1909, A.J. Stevens & Co Ltd, occupied premises in Retreat Street, Wolverhampton. It was here they had made the engine for the Wearwell Stevens…

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AJS model 8 It’s a relative term really – Lightweight, it all depends upon what it is you're judging it against. For Associated Motor Cycles, it meant lighter than the range of AJS traditional 350 and 500 singles that had seen them through from 1945 to the mid 1950s; good solid British style bikes that…

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Royal Enfield Interceptor – first of the superbikes It was with their 1963 UK model range, that Royal Enfield included the biggest big parallel twin, so far seen on the home market, The move was perhaps surprising, for the famous old Redditch company was already at the forefront of the Cubes battle, with their 700…

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The Campbells on their Coventry Eagles in 1938 It was in 1938 that Sir Malcolm Campbell, racing motorist and three times World's Land Speed Record holder on four wheels, rediscovered the joys of motorcycling. In a letter to the Coventry-Eagle Cycle & Motor Company, Sir Malcolm wrote "All my old zest has now come back…

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Velocette Venom Clubman They first appeared as full production models in the company's catalogue for 1960; previously the special equipment to turn the 350 Viper and 500 Venom into Clubman's racing machines had been available in the form of `extras'; parts supplied to order, for the sporting rider. The specification differences between the new Clubman…

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Sunbeam 500cc ohc twin S7 deluxe The Sunbeam name was always closely associated with 'quality' and when the very first motorcycle to bear the name left the Wolverhampton factory in 1912, it was to the highest possible standards of the time – a gentleman's machine. The original makers however, were no longer the masters, when…

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Catalogue description of 1939 Red Panther It’s hard to imagine in today's money motivated age, that the manufacturers of anything so complicated as a motorcycle, with its many moving parts and precise machining requirements could be content with a profit of just 7/6d (37½p) per bike! But it did happen during the depression years of…

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Sporty Douglas When Douglas released their first announcement about their post-war twin to coincide with the Bristol Engineering Exhibition in September 1945, it created quite a sensation. Although the company had remained faithful to their flat twin engine, it was now mounted transversely in the frame, and not in line with it as had been…

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