Features

The year was 1953 and their quest was to reach the Arctic Circle, which they attempted to do via Norway. Their machine was a Villiers-engined James Captain. As a 197cc lightweight, the Captain may not have been the most obvious choice of machine to pair with a sidecar, especially with the added challenges presented by…

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1947 AJS Model 18 Associated Motor Cycles (AMC), owners of Matchless and AJS, was well known for its ‘badge engineering’ of models. Matchless and AJS models were virtually identical, with only the tank badge and the timing chest cover among the distinguishing features (though for a time the magneto position on the singles was different…

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Bradbury Speed model “I’m quite well known in Swindon for my old bikes,” says Pete Sole with typical understatement, adding for good measure, “but that’s because I can’t afford new ones!” Pete, aged 67, is a regular contributor to the classic show circuit, but it was not until two years ago that he realised his…

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Rudge Special 1939 This Rudge has been a fixture of the classic show scene for many years, with jovial owner John Fisher picking up prizes year-in, year-out with the black and gold stunner. It isn’t just a show pony though – John still rides his Rudge, with one of the machine’s annual appearances at the…

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Rigorously trained and capable of covering enormous distances at speed, the Bersaglieres were highly effective skirmishers and shock troops – attributes that only improved when they were provided with specially manufactured Moto Guzzi motorcycles in the early 1930s. On June 22, 1936, in the city of Rome, the men of the Bersaglieri celebrated their centenary.…

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Panther Pegasus This historic sprint machine was built in the early 1960s by three engineering apprentices, as the first of a number of sprinters they were to go on to be involved in building. Derek Chinn, Ian Messenger and Mick Butler (for they were the three) progressed to sprint success with their range of Pegasus…

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Norton Dominator Model 88 I wonder if Edgar Lawrenson of Lancaster is still with us, or if any of his relatives read The Classic MotorCycle. If so, they’ll be fascinated to learn that the Norton he bought in October 1953 is still going strong. Of course, all man/machine relationships evoke some curiosity, but several factors…

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1931 AJS Model S3 classic motorcycle The mention of transverse V-twins automatically brings Moto Guzzis to mind, as the layout has been synonymous with the Italian firm since the 1960s. But AJS made a motorcycle in this format more than a third of a century earlier, and – judging by the latest restoration to emerge…

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