The Classic MotorCycle
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Classic Archive – Tribute: John Surtees (1934-2017)
Star on two and four wheels, who died on March 10, 2017 Unique’ is an oft-overused word, but that is the only fitting term to describe the achievements of John Surtees, the only man to be world champion in the blue riband category on both two and four wheels. Born on February 11, 1934, in…
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Editor’s Welcome
For no other reason than my own amusement, I’ve been collating a few photographs of some of the motorcycles I’ve been privileged to ride over the years. There are quite a few, and most were memorable for the right reasons, though some of course weren’t quite so pleasant. But what really set me on this…
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May 2017
[su_note note_color=”#c0142b” text_color=”#ffffff”]Current issue: May 2017 – Next issue: June 2017 – On sale: May 5, 2017[/su_note] Archive photograph 6 News 8 Letters 14 BSA A65 Firebird Scrambler 18 Subscribe and save 24 Pioneer Run 26 Ariel KHA 32 Second World War dispatch riders 40 Gnome et Rhone 46 Keith Hickman profile 52 Wanderer V-twin 60 Closer look –…
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Born in the USA
The next edition of The Classic MotorCycle, the May 2017 number, has a cover feature which details BSA’s handsome and unusual BSA A65 Firebird Scrambler. In the 1950s and early 1960s, desert racing was big business in America – and BSA, along with fellow British maker Triumph, was, for the most part, the ‘weapon of…
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You were asking: Scaldis and service motorcycles
Interested in First World War history and as a motorcyclist myself, I’m always attracted to any mentions of dispatch riders and their machines. ‘The diary of a dispatch rider attached to the Belgian General Staff’ by E van Isacker, in ‘The Sphere,’ December 12, 1914, informs: “Van Isacker was attached to the Belgian General Staff…
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A lick o’ paint
With the Panther pulled apart and engineering work completed, Steve wanted some paintwork doing on the cycle parts. Words: TIM BRITTON Photographs: STEVE PARRISH The world of refinishing motorcycle parts has moved on a long way since the early days of the British industry, and the early days of the restoration hobby too for that…
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Men who mattered: Frank Cope
❝Frank’s interest was piqued by mention of the Clubman’s TT. And so, aged 52, he decided to have a go.❞ Born in Birmingham, on January 26, 1896, the life and times of Frank Cope make quite remarkable reading – an apprentice gunsmith, the youngest staff sergeant in the British Army, successful businessman, a trials ace,…
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The Ulster GP’s formative years
Promoted as the world’s fastest road race, the Ulster GP began 95 years ago as the Ulster Grand Prix Handicap Road Race, for which the organiser’s major award was presented. Its formative years could also be entitled the Joe Craig years. Words: Richard Rosenthal Photographs: Mortons Archive Based in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, the Ulster…
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Sinnis success
Roy Poynting’s article in the March edition (Fact? Pah, who needs fact…) spoke to me. I have owned many bikes in my long life – Ariel Square Four outfits when the kids were small, a number of original Enfield Bullets, LE Velocettes, MZ and Jawa, then a succession of Japanese fours, starting with the delectable…
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West country joys
The Bristol show once more lived up to its reputation as a friendly, fun, feature-filled event, with some show-stopping machines up for delectation. For a few minutes, I stood by the information desk at the Carole Nash Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show. A man approached the desk: “Where’s the Lawrence Brough, please?” he enquired, and received…
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