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.
Editor’s welcome
Star turn and a Triumph • This diminutive lightweight machine, released in response to taxation changes, was one of several 150cc Triumphs.
NEWS IN BRIEF
News & Events
Book Review • ‘The complete book of Moto Guzzi – every model since 1921’ 100th Anniversary Edition
THE WAY WE WERE IN MARCH
Readers’ Letters • YOUR VOICE & YOUR OPINIONS
THIS MONTH’S STAR LETTER WINS
Proud pedigree • The term ‘racer on the road’ isn’t a misnomer for this sporty little number, built from bits but with its thoroughbred heritage clearly evident.
FINER DETAILS
A true visionary • Peter Williams, who has died aged 81, was a fabulous rider and engineer, responsible for some extraordinary motorcycles.
First of the line • This Matchless Model X was made in the year the model was released.
The power of V • There’s just something about the V-twin engine configuration, which lends any (nearly any…) motorcycle so equipped an air of grandeur and superiority.
Mystery machine • For years, the ‘Klamfoth swing-arm mystery’ has occupied one man’s thought… Here’s the tale of a BSA that never was, but clearly was…
Earls Court Show • In November 1949 the second post war motorcycle show was held in London – with some exciting and colourful new machines on display, pointing to a brighter decade ahead.
Store cupboard special • What with Christmas, and a house move in the offing, and it being freezing in the garage, not much has been done to the project… So we’ll take stock of the story so far and outline future plans.
Dare to be different • All Ariel trials machines are four-strokes – and most replicas of Sammy Miller’s ‘GOV’ – right? Well, wrong actually, as this band of two-stroke brothers proves.
The first of the many • Gottlieb Daimler’s Reitwagen was built as a testbed for his engine, and largely unintentionally the world’s first motorcycle.
Three thinking • Many tomes quote Triumph’s, and later BSA Group’s, autocratic boss Edward Turner stating the Bert Hopwood/Doug Hele three-cylinder concept ‘potty.’ A bit rich from a chap who designed a complex four-cylinder engine for Ariel over three decades earlier…
A brief chat with... Bill Snelling • The path for work and motorcycles is rarely straightforward, but makes for some great times, as Bill Snelling’s just-released book confirms.
Motorcycles, mates and memories
All by design • Assembling parts already made and generally regarded as ‘for the machine’ is a relatively simple thing… the problems start when deviating from the manual.
Forwarded on
It takes all sorts • One man’s meat is another’s poison, so the saying goes, which can be applied to motorcycling too.
You were asking • Your queries resolved with Richard Rosenthal
The Rudge ‘Revulator’
Finding your way • There’s all sorts of ways of learning how to do things – though in the end, you’ll find the approach that suits you best.
An electrical and engineering giant • Enthusiasts of British classic motorcycles are familiar with BTH magnetos and many hold them in high regard. Yet magnetos were just a sideline for this huge manufacturer.
Golden era • Could a picture be any more early 1960s? A sporty Arrow provides transport in an age all set to swing.
Next Month • ON SALE March 5, 2021
Classic Motorcycle