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1987: Suzuki pulls plug on Heron Suzuki team An official press release confirmed the Heron Suzuki team, including rider Kenny Irons, would miss the Portuguese, Brazilian and Argentinian GPs. The team hadn’t enjoyed a great season with Irons the best rider, scoring 12 points. Following a slump in motorcycle sales for the first six months…

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Affordable trials jacket with armour This German trials jacket is made from British waxed cotton and has all the specification expected, though its trump card is it comes with Forcefield’s CE approved armour in the shoulders and elbows. The ‘International Trials Jacket’ also comes with a zip-out quilted thermal liner. Perhaps the most amazing thing…

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Standing on a beach at sunrise; the intrepid octet They arrived on the Welsh coast at about 7pm – though sadly the weather was overcast and they couldn’t see the sunset. Isle of Wight based Jeff Read, the main instigator, reported they rode 410 miles ‘point to point’, while Jeff’s total mileage on his rigid-framed,…

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New motorcycle speed record at the Bonneville Salt Flats Riding a 17ft 650cc Triumph, Californian Bill Johnson set the new world record at 224.57mph. The record speed of 224.60mph was the average of Bill’s required two runs, one in either direction, of 227.17mph and 222.63mph. Earlier in practice the rocket shaped motorcycle had hit 236mph.…

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The Classic Motorcycle on sale now This month's contents includes: • News    • Gold Star day    • Banbury Run    • Festival of 1000 Bikes    • Letters    • (Wo)Men who mattered: Beryl Swain   The motorcycling world was shaken by a ‘blonde bombshell’ in the early 1960s, though soon ‘the establishment’ had her banned. • Brian Bonny…

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Yamaha TZ celebrated at Donington The Egham Royal Show is on August 25-26, at Whitehall Lane, Egham, Surrey. Vehicles expected range from the 1920s to the late 1970s and include cars, motorcycles and commercials. Each entrant gets a brass commemorative plaque and there are also small cash prizes too for the various classes that are…

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Michael Bockh was delighted to receive an award for his 1927 Model 9 Sunbeam This year's Reunion took place on July 22 and the featured marque was Sunbeam, as 2012 marks the centenary of the first Marston Sunbeam motorcycle. Vic Youel of the Owners’ Club managed to muster no less than 31 examples of the…

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Sammy with the Rennsport BMW Following in the tyre tracks of the two recent Moto Guzzi racers, yet another glamorous continental to grace the Sammy Miller Museum, this time a ‘short stroke’ Rennsport BMW. Sam will have it and the two Guzzis in the Isle of Man for the Manx. The Sammy Miller museum has…

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The New Era Auto-Cycle Company’s vertical parallel twin Although lighter than gear current at the time, Wall stated the new design was far stronger and intended for powerful motorcycles with sidecars. The unit had a live axle running on Hoffman bearings mounted in the rear fork lugs, while the gearing was of planetary design with…

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1955 Vincent Super ‘D’ Black Shadow The rare bike will be offered at The Canterbury Auction Galleries on September 4-5, with a guide price of between £30,000-50,000. Only 144 Series D motorcycles were made in 1955 and matching numbers show SXW 606 was one of the final 38. The machine was purchased new by Johnnie…

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