Ariel Square Four-powered Norton… “I think there’s a tendency to go for something you’re familiar with,” says David Pitchford, who returned to motorcycling in 2002 after a 35-year layoff. “I learned to ride on Ariels,
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Magnificent ISDT TriBSA History records that the 1965 Isle of Man International Six Days Trial was one of the wettest in the event’s long and chequered history. The reason – as local folklore would have
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1968 Seeley-Velocette Thruxton There are no stiff and graceful BSA or Norton-style duplex loops here; just a boringly straight down tube, united with a flat base section by an old-fashioned brazed lug. Further aft, the
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At a time when the café racer was king, the December 1964 issue of Motorcycle Mechanics announced the arrival of a yellow emperor. The machine was described as a Vin-Nor, following the convention of prefixing
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Abingdon King Dick Model 78 You can just imagine the ribald comments a present-day rider would get if he or she rode a motorcycle made by a firm called King Dick. And that’s not just
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Immaculate AJS Model 18S Hampshire-man John Craven is a self-confessed AJS/Matchless nut. It could hardly be otherwise when he was born into a similarly obsessed family, and actually travelled on an AJS before he was
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Some people find it hard to comprehend the enthusiasm older Sunbeams arouse in their owners, and that’s quite understandable. They were unquestionably nicely designed motorcycles with decent performance, but so were several less prestigious machines
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NSU Quick 50 Mopeds may not be your scene and, for you, conjure up images of comedian Jasper Carrot’s moped man. But when they’re as well engineered as this top of the range Quickly, they’re
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1962 Aermacchi-Harley-Davidson Ala Verde There nothing like an Italian motorcycle to polarize opinions, is there? Non-believers say they’re all style and no substance, with lousy electrics and a self-destruct finish, while their fans feel that
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1965 Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster True, Harley's XLCH was expensive compared to other large motorcycles and would hold its value, either intact or in pieces. It was also showy enough to stand out in any car
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