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‘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…

Forty-two years after it rolled off the production line, owner Tony Clements reckons that it’s possible to keep an 650 Thunderbolt in better-than-new condition, and he’s got the prizes to prove it…

Suzuki’s GT185 two-stroke twin typified Japanese lightweights of the early 70s: conventionally styled but with generous and sporty detailing. But, as John Nutting recalls from when he tested in 1973, the glitter concealed some peculiarities

Was Suzuki’s 500cc two-stroke twin doomed to become extinct before its time? John Nutting recalls the bike that started the Hamamatsu factory’s big-bike era and the last of the line.

Though the Norton Model 50 is often derided for its lack of pace, it’s more a case of an exceptional frame, rather than a disappointing engine that has led to this largely unjustified criticism. Roy Poynting tells the story…

Looking good! Our project Honda CB750K2 takes a big step towards completion, as Classic Mechanics editor Rod Gibson finishes the engine and re-fits the wheels and suspension…

Honda’s 400cc and 500cc V-four sport bikes that appeared in 1983 were exotic high-revvers with a luxury feel – but they concealed a nasty secret. John Nutting delves into his MIRA files to find out what they were like…

It may have been the antithesis of the staid pipe-smoking Brit machine but the Triumph Bonneville succeeded far beyond the dreams of its creators. It bestrode the world of motorcycling like a titan for more than a decade and just when its glory days seemed dead and gone it was born again for the modern…

The overhead camshaft Norton is one of those motorcycles; it looks fast standing still. It could go a bit, too…