Road Tests

Two rotary-engined bikes but they’re as different as chalk and cheese. Bob Berry is surprised to discover that it was the troubled Norton factory that got it right while Suzuki went high tech and high cost and must have lost a packet…

In the hands of its first owner, this Ariel VB covered over quarter of a million miles, usage which obviously took its toll on the machine, but an exacting restoration has given it a new lease of life. Roy Poynting takes up the story…

When the world was young, bold men rode big bikes and the ground shook at their passing, CDB turns back the clock

Given the many guises this Swedish thumper has been seen in, then it could be a bit of a chameleon, but this big bike is no lizard but a thoroughbred stallion in the hands of Bill Nilsson and Rolf Tibblin

Well aware of the rumours of exotica hiding within the body of Andy Roberton’s BSA, tester Vic Allan was pleased to find the machine was more a reflection of attention to detail by the builder

Poor old Suzuki. It’s not often that a bike that is technically advanced and a good performer gets sidelined very quickly, especially after it’s had a very positive reception from the press. However, it happened to the Suzuki GSX550…

Every once in a while the Japanese produce a motorcycle that takes your eyeballs, stretches them, and then pops them back in their sockets. The sensational styling of the Suzuki Katana made it a motorcyling classic even when it was still on sale…

With its range for 1932, Triumph fought shy of radical innovation. But they did list 350 and 500cc competition models for the first time, and by doing so started a trend which all other manufactuers have followed ever since. Alan Berry owns a rare survivor of the 500cc CD version…

Harley-Davidson’s X90 mini-bike was originally sold to tempt young owners into Harley ownership, under the banner of ‘the great American freedom machine’, but the bikes were actually made in Italy. We take a look at this restored example

More usually model 221s are 175cc capacity but the owner of this one has gone large…