Fleet Lions' classic run in the sun

With a cut-off date of 1986, the 220 bikes entered represented a generous sampling of British, continental and Japanese machinery spanning 72 years.

The oldest motorcycle taking part was a 1914 New Hudson Model D, a design evocative of the pre-First World War years when owning and riding a powered twowheeler was an adventure now lost to history, while the Classic Superbike award went to that darling of the 1950s set, the BSA DB32 Gold Star.

Shining brightly among the entry for 1971 to 1986 machines was Joanne Burrage’s CL450 K6 Honda. Not available in the UK when new, and hence causing a few headaches during restoration, the dual purpose trail bike set a trend in styling that nowadays we take for granted.