Features

Forget Barry Sheene’s RG500, forget Eddie Lawson’s YZRs, forget even Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha or Foggy’s Ducati. This almost standard-looking Honda XL250 cost just £100 and is the most successful race bike in the history of motorcycling. By miles…

Triumph’s TR6SC was ostensibly a single carb version of the TT Bonneville, sharing many of its basic components, and this is probably the best example you’ll set eyes on…

This mid-30s BMW, despite being 80 years old, has earned an enviable reputation for its capabilities as a touring machine and is still more than capable of covering vast mileages, just as its maker intended when it was originally produced…

As the British industry struggled for survival it needed a new power unit to replace the vertical – or parallel – twin engine design it had relied on for goodness knows how many years…

There are those among us who prefer practicality over aesthetics and are skilled enough to be able to make something from ‘a mishmash of unrelated parts.’ What’s more, said parts don’t necessarily have to have originated from another motorcycle… but a rotavator?

After a number of successful car sales, Historics at Brooklands included a motorcycle section in its recent June auction. The bike lots raised over £150k and could go much higher as a Black Lightning with an estimate of £105,000 – £140,000 is under offer…

Everyone has had a Yamha DT175, ridden one, borrowed one and/or abused one. Given a diet of petrol, half decent two-stroke oil, the odd plug and sundry consumables these machines have rewarded their owners with dogged reliability and unstinting service…

Kawasaki’s Z650 set the standard for four-cylinder middleweights, but the company did it the hard way. Confirmed Suzuki GS750 fan Rod Ker concedes the Z was the bike to beat in the performance wars

The history of British motorcycling is littered with what-might-have-beens. Jim Reynolds gets to grips – briefly – with one

‘World’s finest standard sports 500’, so boasted BSA. But to some, Gold Stars are overpriced and unnecessary, though to many others – including our scribe – BSA was quite right, and they are simply the best ohv singles ever made…