Features

With the Triumph Bonneville celebrating its silver jubilee, the VMCC chose to offer up one such machine for their Christmas raffle prize. Always keen on a bargain, Jim Reynolds went to sample his quid’s worth…

Peter Williams, Norton factory rider and designer of the team’s new monocoque-framed machine, gave the company a well-overdue victory in the 1973 Formula 750 TT…

BSA’s Rocket Three wasn’t appreciated in the all-important American market, with its boxy, jarring look, and it was a poor seller. A pity because the bike had many hidden talents under its skin. Tim Britton reacquaints himself with a stunning example in snow-flurried Norfolk…

This largely original and unrestored Ariel Square Four spent many of the years since its 1938 build in Malta, where it was owned by one family until the present keeper acquired it…

The pretty Triumph Tiger Cub has always attracted a fair following, which continues to be the case…

Egged on by editorial pressure, editor Rod Gibson explores the art of wheel building for the first time, and discovers the black art isn’t as mysterious as it looks…

The word desmodromic will not be found in many dictionaries. It was coined from two Greek words, meaning ‘controlled run’ and its mechanical function is to elimi­nate one of the phenomenon of valve float, or ‘bounce’. Mick Walker explains how Ducati stole a march on rivals…

Engineering and style combine in an elegant outfit that has graced family occasions for several generations. Mike Lewis takes a closer look at James’s Model 10…

Much of the info is anecdotal, but in the last couple of months, the anecdotes have been coming thicker and faster. Classic bike theft is on the rise. The latest tale involves a Rocket Gold Star replica stolen from a locked workshop…

Last month I stripped the engine down on our Honda CB750 project bike and found signs that it had been well cared for in its 34 years of service. I’ll be replacing the main and big end bearings, primary and camchains. There’s also a little wear on the cylinder bores, so I’ll get those checked…