News

American motorcycle enthusiast Ken Lee had ridden his Henderson from Essex, adding to the 26,000 miles he has already done on the bike However, the appeal of this wonderfully casual get-together meant it was still well supported and this small Kentish village became the destination yet again for motorcycle clubs and individual riders to form…

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TT rider R O Clark set a host of records In common with its rivals, AJS was continually developing its models, making its range – transmission-wise – one of the most advanced in the world, with fully enclosed chain guards and countershaft gearboxes for all models displayed at the November 1912 Olympia Show. While the…

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Cartoon showed machine gun in action… Weighing only 16lb (7kg) and capable of firing 220 rounds per minute, the Laird-Menteyene machine gun seemed ideal for mounting on a motorcycle but due to its magazine position and size had to be mounted high above the handlebars. Scott and Cammell Laird hoped the War Department, which was…

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Charger for smaller batteries Paul’s chargers are suitable for 6V and 12V, are safe to use with all types of batteries and feature a quick release plug and socket connection that can be fitted out of sight to enable easy connection without taking the bike apart. Crocodile clips connectors are also supplied. The cost is…

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Don Daly giving it all on his Manx Norton in the 220 yard sprint at Eelmoor Bernie White completed some eight-second runs on his Douglas SW6 with a best of 8.21 and a 80mph terminal speed. Andrew Taylor, on his hill-climbing Ariel ‘Badger’ was more than a second in arrears. Roger Pailes was best of…

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Triumph Tiger 90 350cc twin Alongside the major British manufacturers of BSA, Triumph, Velocette, AMC, Royal Enfield et al, many ‘foreign’ makers were represented with the likes of Honda, Aermacchi, BMW-Isetta, Capriolo, Ducati, Heinkel, Zundapp and Moto Guzzi taking stalls directly, while Douglas mounted a large display of Italian designed Douglas-Vespa scooters. The Greeves factory…

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Randy Mamola loses works ride After finishing a disappointing 10th in the year’s 500cc GP title chase, Giacomo Agostini’s works Yamaha team released McElnea who immediately entered into talks with Suzuki, Cagiva and Elf. Despite finishing second with 158 points, just 20 adrift of Wayne Gardner’s Honda, Kenny Roberts’ Lucky Strike Yamaha team dumped Mamola,…

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Brough Superior SS80 Restored by Brough guru Tony Cripps, the nicely mellowed 1000cc machine joins a host of other classic machines, with more coming in daily. To keep appraised of what’s going on at the sale, visit www.bonhams.com or call 08700 273616. For more information about the 19th Carole Nash Classic Motorcycle Mechanics show, visit…

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November’s The Classic MotorCycle out now! This month's contents includes… • News    • Founders Day    • Eext GP    • Subscribe and save    • West Kent Run    • Letters    • Men who mattered (Val Page)    • John Surtees interview    • Classic advert    • For various budgets (enclosed models)    • Jerry Thurston column    • Archive photograph: The…

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Rare bikes at Cambridge auction The lot with the highest estimate is a bespoke 2011 JMC Egli Vincent Lightning replica 1200cc with just 700 miles on the clock. It’s expected to fetch between £30,000 and £35,000. Other items include a 1930 Enfield J Type, 1955 BSA C11G, 1959 James Comet, 1938 BSA C10, 1964 Raleigh…

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