Features

Vindec Special: The German Motorcycle That Nearly Won the First TT

by

Mark Lancaster

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27th August 2026

The Vindec Special was actually built in Germany by Köln-Lindenthaler Metallwerke AG of Cologne. However, it is an interesting footnote in British motorcycling history because its distribution in this country was handled by the South British Trading Company with the assistance and advice of William Huntingdon ‘Billy’ Wells. Wells had moved to London from his…
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The Walker Bullpup: The extraordinary one-off motorcycle that refused to disappear

by

Mark Lancaster

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25th August 2026

Although not technically a manufacturer – the Bullpup was very much a one-off – we include it here for its interesting story and because it really is ‘once seen, never forgotten’! The Bullpup was built by Farnborough engineer Victor George Walker who started the project in 1924 and finished it a couple of years later.…
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The Viscount: A rare production-built Norvin with Bonneville pedigree

by

Mark Lancaster

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20th August 2026

Marrying a Vincent V-twin engine and a Norton Featherbed frame was a well-known partnership by the end of the 1950s, but these ‘Norvins’ were generally the province of the amateur builder. Then motorcycle engineer Tom Somerton of Somerton Engineering decided that something a little less homebuilt would appeal to racers. One of the most successful…
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Looking for a Saint? One rider’s search for an ex-Metropolitan Police Triumph

by

Mark Lancaster

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15th August 2026

Given his occupation, readers will not be surprised by the title the Reverend John Lines MBE has have given this article, but he will now set the scene for you… In a previous article (Readers Tales, OBM485) I wrote about my beautiful Triumph Thunderbird that I have managed to get returned to the condition it…
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Remembering… The Verus

by

Mark Lancaster

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22nd July 2026

After the First World War Alfred Wiseman began manufacturing motorcycles in his Glover Street works in Birmingham under the Sirrah name (the name came from reversing the surname of the designer, a Mr Harris), motorcycles which used a number of proprietary engines and were aimed at the budget market. However, to complement the various Sirrah…
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The Amal Carburetter Company has been keeping British bikes on the road for 99 years

by

Web Editor

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9th July 2026

Formed in 1927 under the name Amalgamated Carburetters Ltd, Burlen Ltd rescued the Amal brand in 2004 from the brink of collapse. We took on all stock, machinery, customers, and the brand name itself, and started the long process of reviving the Amal brand.
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Leaping Lena: The daring Australians who built the world’s fastest sidecar

by

Mark Lancaster

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1st July 2026

John Milton looks at how a handful of young Australians took on the world to win the sidecar landspeed record. The nickname ‘Leaping Lena’ has been used countless times in all manner of ways – a woman who jumped out of a Philadelphia window to avoid police arrest in 1920, pigeons, racehorses, cars, trains, even…
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Len Vale-Onslow: the maverick who gave motorcycles the welded frame

by

Mark Lancaster

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24th June 2026

From childhood crashes to the first welded production motorcycle frame, Len Vale-Onslow’s story is one of invention, risk-taking and what might have been. The name of Len Vale-Onslow needs little introduction. Born Leslie Vale-Onslow in 1900, he was introduced to motorcycles in 1908 when he rode a machine built by his brothers. A police constable…
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Rebuilt 1973 Triumph Trident T150V

by

Steve Wilson

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17th June 2026

This late T150V Trident, fully and expertly rebuilt by keeper Peter Hall, finally sells your tester on three-cylinder power.
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R A Jones Classic Motorcycles: a family passion for proper classic bikes

by

Mark Lancaster

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12th June 2026

For anyone with a love of British classics, restoration projects and interesting old motorcycles, R A Jones Classic Motorcycles is well worth knowing about. Based in Manchester, close to the Trafford Centre and M60, the business is run by Robert Jones and specialises in classic motorcycles, with a particular passion for British machinery. Whether it…
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