Features

Pictured is John Dale, who in the 1950 Senior event was running second until lap 16 (of 20, which made up 100 miles). Luckless Jim’s pushrod Matchless (a machine more associated with scrambling, although of course Les Graham’s ‘Shelby special’ Matchless enjoyed short-circuit UK success) cried ‘enough!’ a little later in the same lap as…

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Disputes dogged the show Thing was, the 1956 showpiece nearly didn’t go ahead. A dispute at the Norton works in Birmingham (remember, by now Norton was part of the AMC group, though the move to London was still in the future) had led to ‘industrial unrest’ to such a degree that stand-fitting staff at the…

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1939 OK Supreme G39 Flying Cloud Although ‘Flying Cloud’ sounds like an early Japanese model, Birmingham manufacturer OK Supreme gave the name to a 245cc motorcycle in 1933. The original recipient was a famous sailing clipper of the 1850s, whose graceful lines and lightweight construction are echoed in the single-cylinder machine, built in 1939, which…

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1927 AJS H1 Robin James is a man of exacting standards – so to be offered the opportunity to inspect and sample his own steed, which regularly transports Robin and Yve (Mrs James) to and on events home and abroad, is an opportunity not to be passed up. And what you may ask does a…

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1935 AJS Model 22 Unless you’re an expert on pre Second World War AJS models, it’s unlikely you’ve ever heard or seen an example of this rare 250cc twin port single, the Model 22. Resplendent with a pair of high level ‘competition style’ exhaust pipes, the quarter litre four-stroke and its 348cc Model 26 sibling…

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1926 HRD Super 90 The first machines to bear the ‘HRD’ badge though, were those made by Howard R Davies, racer and manufacturer, who not only won a TT on his own-made machine but also is the only man in history to have won the 500cc TT on a 350, which he achieved in 1921.  …

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Rickman Street Metisse Built-in-period Rickman Triumph café racers are few and far between – and this one boasts a particularly unusual story. It has been in the caring custody of Norfolk man George Blackburn since 2001, as he explained: “I’ve always loved the style of the 60s Café Racer, it’s what I was weaned on,…

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Triumph T120 Bonneville Many enthusiasts consider the 1968 Triumph T120 Bonneville to be the epitome of engineering excellence on two wheels. Rob Holton is the owner of the example that you see here. Loyal to the brand since childhood, he felt that the latest Bonneville was something very special back in 1968. Tracing its lineage…

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The all-white Matchless G12 in March 1962 But Hugh was “pleased to discuss” the all white police machine G12, and pose for a photograph, below. The police issue G12 doesn’t appear to be too different to the standard model, though it has a couple of police-specific features, namely the half length seat and the rear…

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