Features

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

Monark, Husqvarna and Crescent developed the big four-stroke into the ultimate MX tool but, by 1979, such machines had been consigned to the history books, outclassed by the two-strokes. Or had they?

Just because a bike is good looking doesn’t mean it cost a fortune, as Nick Haskell found out when he spotted something special on the start line at Farleigh Castle

It looks nice and warm at Spa Francorchamps as the grid lines up for round seven of the 1977 500cc world championship. Suzuki could only dream of this sort of pole publicity now…

A box of engine parts arrives in Rod Gibson’s workshop masquerading as a 1973 Triumph triple engine. Rod is told that everything is there but inevitably he’ll have to go in search of some parts

Rod Gibson finishes his rebuild of the complicated three cylinder engine with work on the transmission. A hugely satisfying job – but Japanese bikes are easier to work on he says

The motor’s rebuilt and all the parts are refinished. All that remains before the final assembly is to patch up the exhaust. Rod Gibson breaks out the welder

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…

Suzuki was influential in moulding the tralbike concept and this TS125, launched in 1971 and following on from the Trail Cat, continued the theme