Features

An inspiration to us all Having been involved in preparing, racing and restoring vintage motorcycles for something like seven decades, Archie Beggs has plenty of tales to tell. Words: JAMES ROBINSON Photographs: SEAN KELLY/ARCHIE BEGGS When I visited Archie towards the back end of 2017, at the home he shares with wife Joyce, he was playing…

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Hidden treasure A casualty of war – in a way – this Ariel LH250 Red Hunter had been out of sight for almost 80 years, until Andy Pennell was able to liberate it. Words: Phil Turner Photographs: Gary Chapman It’s well known that during both the First and Second Word Wars, manufacturers on both sides…

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Wears it well This redoubtable old warhorse has only had two owners from new and has never been restored, yet still delivers a fine ride today. Words: ANDY WESTLAKE Photographs: GARY CHAPMAN There’s something special about an old, unrestored motorcycle. It is still an inanimate object but it is given life by its wonderful patina of…

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Half-litre hot rod Though in its day it was about to be eclipsed in the performance stakes, Triumph’s 1956 T100 reamins a great little motorcycle. Words: TIM BRITTON Photographs: GARY CHAPMAN It has been said that Triumph’s model numbering equates to the performance each machine was capable of, ergo the Tiger singles in the Edward…

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It’s not hard to explain the swell of enthusiasm for scooters after the Second World War. Small wheels meant less weight and also left more room for bodywork giving some weather protection, and there could even be a modicum of luggage capacity. Of those factors, only the chance of keeping one’s clothes cleaner and dryer…

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Tucked away, off an unremarkable West Midlands dual carriageway, in an unremarkable West Midlands industrial complex is an unremarkable industrial unit. But it’s here where some of the world’s most extraordinary motorcycles are restored. As they say, you can never judge a book by its cover. This is the workspace of Colin Wall, who’s been…

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  Park a Bantam of any age in any British town and I’d wager you’ll not stand there long before you’re approached by someone who: “…rode to work on one of those…” or for whom “…it was my first bike…” The opening gambit is usually followed by a brief outline of what said person went…

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It’s oft stated that necessity is the mother of invention and when Gerry Cain was creating his ‘ultimate’ Velocette, he felt it was necessary his interpretation of the best Venom available had a five-speed gearbox – and as one wasn’t available, there was only one option. He explains: “It was 10-12 years ago and I’d…

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    Look in just about any motorcycle manufacturer’s catalogue from the 1930s and you’ll find a competition model listed. Designed for the man who liked to ride to work during the week and enter off-road trials on Saturday or Sunday, these bikes usually featured knobbly tyres on 21in wheels, high-clearance mudguards so that they…

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A cautionary tale to begin with: if you happen upon a motorcycle auction, be warned that you may end up taking home more than just a catalogue – as Gordon can confirm… “The Aermacchi? I bought it in Bonhams’ sale at the Stafford Show in April last year. “I was showing a bike on the Italian…

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