Features

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…

Honda’s slightly ‘oversquare’ 250 four is conventionally designed, aside from the four valves per cylinder, contributing to a healthy 45bhp output

The concept of pushing a button to start a motorcycle was regarded with as much ridicule in the 1960s as using a foot operated lever to start one these days would be…

Stories of 750 owners being traumatised by a well-ridden Yamaha 350 are not the stuff of legend, rather, a very well documented fact. Yamaha broke the mould with the RD350 – breathtaking performance, good handling and, bizarrely, economy too. The complete package…