The Classic MotorCycle

Started in 1903, The Classic MotorCycle has more to offer the true vintage motorcycle enthusiast than any other publication, backed by Europe's largest motorcycle image archive.

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The Classic MotorCycle

Boys will be boys • Four-up on an ageing Ariel combo for this quartet of youths from Britain’s most famous school.

News & Events

The lady likes to travel • Female competition riders during the 1920s and 30s were a talented bunch, with Miss Edyth Foley among the best.

Commando power • The top two finishers in the 1972 Thruxton 500 Mile race were Norton Commandos, though the example leading in our picture wasn’t one of them. However it, and the Ducati behind, did make it to the end, the latter only just…

Readers’ Letters • YOUR VOICE & YOUR OPINIONS

Early motor transport for two • This wonderful 1898 Cudell De Dion 2¼hp Tricycle with ‘Lady’s Attachment’ Trailer was part of the fascinating collection belonging to Dr Peter and Ulrike Bühner, which was auctioned by Bonhams in Paris on February 1, 2023.

Last and best Lightning • BSA’s charismatic 1971 twin carb, oil-in-frame 650cc twin met a mixed reception. This finely restored US import A65L highlights the model’s positive points.

The tale of the toad • The fascinating history of Maserati and its motorcycles, plus an exquisite example of the company’s wares.

The fastest road race in the world • The historic Northern Irish Ulster Grand Prix road race was 100 years old in 2022; there was a fitting event to mark the auspicious occasion.

Straight-talking • A chance encounter at a petrol station would ignite Chris Sawyer’s urge for a vintage machine from a company with competition history. He ended up with this fine example of an often-overlooked marque.

Two by two… • The number two crops up again and again in this article, though it’s ultimately about a device with three wheels.

Changing roles • The Norton Model 18 was in the civilian-times Norton range from 1923 to 1954, during which period its expected usage changed somewhat.

Being Frank • During his motorcycling career, lifetime enthusiast Frank Dolman (1939-2022) completed 61 Pioneer Runs, raced, sprinted, toured and entered hundreds of club events for over six decades, on all manner of motorcycles.

Triumph Tiger 110 (T110)

Untidy necessities • Unlike four-wheeled conveyances, where all sorts of pipes and cables can be hidden behind bodywork, a motorcycle designer has no such luxury.

Sketchbook Travels • MOTORCYCLES, SEEN THROUGH THE SKETCHBOOKS OF MARTIN SQUIRES

You were asking • Your queries resolved with Richard Rosenthal

Diary

The green-eyed goddess • Jealousy regarding bequeathed motorcycles is a funny thing – though often, it’s an unreasonable emotion, as it’s seldom as simple as it seems.

Opportunity beckons • An unexpected offer triggers the chance to play with ignition timings and try and crack a milestone with a ride-to-work moped.

Forcing the issue • Pistons are the primary moving component of most internal combustion engines. Forced downwards by the rapid expansion of burning fuel gases, their movement is converted into rotational power output. So are pistons hollow bungs, or is their design more complex?