Classic Racer

Classic Racer takes you so close you can actually smell the Castrol R. With the world's finest archive, and an editorial team who live and breathe the sport, the only way you'll get closer will be to put on your leathers.

Classic Racer

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Paddock Gossip • Compiled by The Classic Racer team // Send your classic racing news to: editor@classicracer.co.uk

Total Teez! • This year’s Mallory Park Bike Bonanza, on July 6/7, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the TZ700/ TZ750. We thought we’d show you the cream of the crop that will be attending.

Whatever happened to? KEN KAVANAGH • Australian Ken Kavanagh first made his name riding in trials, hill-climbs and scrambles in his home state of Victoria in the late 1940s and was successful enough to attract the attention of Disney Motors in Melbourne who, in 1950, offered him employment – with the added inducement of riding its new Manx Norton.

AMERICAN Idol! • With the sad death of Pat Hennen in April, the motorcycling world lost a true legend. In the first instalment of our two-part special, Classic Racer looks back on the incredible story of the first American to win a Grand Prix.

RIDING BARRY’S BIKE... • Barry Sheene – Britain’s biggest biking star – won his last races on the Fred Walmsley-built FWD Manx Norton 500 FW02. Alan Cathcart rode the bike and chatted to Fred about the bike and Barry.

1993 SUZUKI RGV500 XR79

1973 SEELEY SUZUKI TR500 • A legendary machine, this racing motorcycle uses a modified and tuned Suzuki two-stroke twin-cylinder road bike motor mated to a British-made frame designed by the talented racer and engineer Colin Seeley. It would be ridden by a certain Barry Sheene to a British national title.

The Fantastic Four-mula! • Between 1974 and 1979, Yamaha took advantage of the Formula 750 rulebook to produce one of the most powerful racing machines ever available to the privateer. Racers rewrote record books everywhere as the TZ750s won at all levels, from world championships to club racing.

ALL HAIL TEAM ALLSPEED! • Classic Racer friends Tony and Claire Greenslade run Gibson/Allspeed exhausts in Essex. As a big part in the classic racing/Yamaha Past Masters scene, 2024 sees them expand still further into the CRMC world with some new bikes.

Bill Simpson A tribute • Bill Simpson – father of multiple champ Ian – was a talented engineer and racer in his own right. We pay our respects.

Sublime SUZUKI • No other race bike can match the unparalleled success of Suzuki's RG500. Built with the ambition to win the 500 World Grand Prix Championship, a vast number of riders enjoyed race wins and championships on the two-stroke square-four. In part one, we examine the history of this machine from 1974 to 1978.

Glorious Gould! • Rod Gould was the last surviving British world motorcycle champion from the golden decades of Grand Prix racing. His friend, Bruce Cox, tells his story.

BARRY SYMMONS: A TRIBUTE • The racing world lost a gentleman and a magnificent team manager when Barry Symmons died on March 3.

BUILDING BARRY! • We love Mike ‘Spike’ Edwards – he’s a proper classic racer in his own right! And it’s time for part two of the actual ‘Barry the Bike’ build.

Back in the Day • Welcome to ‘Back in the Day!’ We want to see all your old photographs from way back when. They could be of you racing, or perhaps you meeting your racing idol – or maybe just snaps you’ve taken at a race event from yesteryear: do be...