The Classic MotorCycle

Started in 1903, The Classic MotorCycle has more to offer the true vintage motorcycle enthusiast than any other publication, backed by Europe's largest motorcycle image archive.

Welcome

The Classic MotorCycle

Proving a point • Having been accused of being London-centric, the ACU headed west to organise an event to quieten its doubters.

News & Events

Appetite for action • As peace returned to much of the world, people looked for fun things to do, which included motorcycle sport.

Looking into the future • At the 1965 Brighton Motorcycle Show, a sensational newcomer was what many were talking about.

Readers’ Letters • YOUR VOICE & YOUR OPINIONS

Retro realism • There’s no denying it, retro-styled machines are a crucial part of a maker’s line-up, as they have been for more than 30 years now.

From the vault

The Master’s Manx • Of all those who prepared and tuned Manx Nortons for racing, Francis Beart was perhaps the best known. This is his last-ever prepared example of the breed.

Prime Humber • Humber’s rare OCS combined advanced engineering with elegant design, yet remained in production for only a few short years.

Rear view

Four fab days in France • Many readers will have been to the Bonhams’ Stafford sale and seen the ordered, nicely presented machines, stood in rows. An awful lot of work has gone into getting to that stage; this is how it happens.

Scouse stroker • One of the rarer machines of the 1930s, the city of Liverpool was better known for its maritime associations at that time, but it did have its own two-stroke motorcycle maker too.

Field of Dreams • The inaugural Still Kicking event took place in Cambridgeshire on July 10/11, with a fascinating range of machines from near and far congregating.

From the vault

Home MOV-ie • This 250cc Velocette was acquired as part of a pair of projects and tackled first, as it looked the easier task for a domestic workshop rebuild.

Sketchbook Travels • MOTORCYCLES, SEEN THROUGH THE SKETCHBOOKS OF MARTIN SQUIRES

Diary

What price beauty? • The choices we make are influenced by many things, from cost to practicality, but good looks always have a bearing.

Rapid return • With the exception of mechanical control, such as Ducati’s desmodromic valve system, poppet valve closure is by spring. These valve springs are often used in pairs, sometimes even in triplicate in performance situations.