Classic Bike helps and inspires enthusiasts to get more from their passion for classic motorcycles. The magazine shares their fascination with motorcycling’s heroic past while also helping them buy, fix and improve the bikes in their shed. Our main areas of content are: - Inspirational and entertaining reads that celebrate the glory of motorcycling, from riding stories that put the reader in the seat of history’s greatest bikes to incredible racing tales - Restoration stories and instructional features that inspire and help people get their tools out and sort out their old bike - In-depth technical features from the most expert and authoritative writers in motorcycling If you share our passion about classic motorcycles from the last century, you'll enjoy reading Classic Bike.
Welcome
CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE
Next month in Classic Bike
A SUMMER WEEKEND #1 • It’s that time of year when the events intensify, and July kicked off with Dragstalgia, Mallory Bike Bonanza and Laverda’s 75th Anniversary Rally all happening at the same time. We’ve done our best to squeeze them in…
A summer weekend #2 • The line-up of road and race bikes on track at the Mallory Bike Bonanza was as varied as ever
A straight line to fun • The Heritage Sprint at Betteshanger Park is one of those events which you turn up to for a look, then next year you’re back – on the strip. That’s what happened to Maria Coombes…
More dates for August
Arthur’s the best all round
Classic Bike
Show us yours • We love to see your acquisitions – so keep ’em coming to the address above
A VINTAGE DAY OUT • What happens when bikes up to nearly a century old are thrust into the hands of riders who are barely familiar with a right-foot gearlever – let alone a hand-change? We took a ride through the Kent countryside to find out…
Rick’s Guide to vintage riding
Suzuki GT750 • Its nicknames aren’t that flattering, but will our air-cooled man think the ‘Water Buffalo’ and ‘Kettle’ monikers are undeserved?
Steve Webster • The most successful sidecar racer of all time explains how he won 10 world championships, took 31 consecutive poles and watched most 500cc GPs from the roof of his truck…
STEVE WEBSTER • Three wheeled genius
RADICAL ROCKET • The Rustler BSA was like no other British racing triple before or since. It took on the TT with a home-brewed chassis – and now it’s been taken back to running condition
Moniker madness • Anglian, Silver Pigeon, Road Toad… manufacturers had some curious ideas about attractive bike names. Mark Graham investigates
PLAYING A BLINDER • Bought blind, Andy Jackson’s CBR1100R turned out to be rougher than expected – but he dug in and transformed it into this battle-scarred beast
Andy’s essential tools
The CB1100R • Honda’s original production racer
Ride into summer with Classic Bike
BUYING + RIDING + FETTLING • Welcome to the sharp end of Classic Bike. Your hosts are spannering supremos Rick Parkington and Alan Seeley, along with market guru Gez Kane
Buying well in a falling market • Don’t assume everything cheap is a bargain at the moment (though this Velo special may have been)
Imperial Fixes • Problems Rick cogitates with old on iron? your imperial Rick can problems help
At the workbench
Metric Fixes European and Japanese • classic bikes sorted with Alan Seeley
At the workbench
It’s all bee n worth it • After weeks of head-scratching and fruitless trouble-shooting, Rupert’s BSA is finally a functioning joy machine
How to train a resto BSA to behave
Look what I bought • Yamaha’s TRX850 was a Japanese take on the Ducati 900SS, with a 270° crankshaft in a parallel twin giving a...