Classic Bike

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

Kiwis fly again • The chance to take flight on classic racers, after years of frustration, drew an enthusiastic entry at Timaru on New Zealand’s south island

Anyone fancy a project?

NEXT MONTH IN Classic Bike

Piston slap

Give them a wave • With the future of Mablethorpe’s beach races secure, there’s no better time than now to experience the thrilling racing and larger-than-life characters of this East Coast winter institution

OR BE HERE… MORE EVENTS FOR JANUARY

Feeling the Burn

Tender memories • Howard Biddle bought back the Triumph T100SS from his teens – asource of precious (and painful) recollections

Phil Read: chains and chips

Classic Bike

Sheene signs for Suzuki

Triumph T140 tested

Mick Andrews booed in Spain

Kawasaki Z1 hits the UK

GP RACING’S DARKEST DAY • In May 1973 Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini were killed in a horrific pile-up during the Italian 250 GP at Monza – it finally made the authorities start to take rider safety seriously

HELMET LAW

SIGN OF THE TIMES • Soaring inflation, a recession-bound economy, widespread industrial unrest and a war raising the cost of living. Sounds familiar? It was the same deal in the UK in 1973 – but there was hope on the horizon, with a government-backed scheme to save the ailing British motorcycle industry by merging its big hitters into one company – Norton Villiers Triumph

THE LIGHT FANTASTIC • Yamaha’s reed-valve RD350 propelled middleweight motorcycle performance to new heights. A race-tech stroker that could cane bikes twice its size, was affordable and could be fixed in the shed was a revelation 50 years ago…

RD350: How I restored it

‘Then I went and shot myself’ • In September Kenny Roberts won his first AMA Grand National crown, but ’73 didn’t start so well

Jupiter cicrles the world • In October Ted Simon left a London newspaper office and set off on a global jaunt 

CLASS ACT • BMW’s R90/S was conservative in technology, but innovative in style; audacious in price and radical in its market position. 50 years ago, Mark Williams was at the bike’s launch in France

Teenage rampage • 1973 was a great year for all motorcycle sales, but by far the biggest selling category were mopeds. What was all that about?

Dave Croxford • The four-time British champion, TT winner and factory Norton rider takes a break from pull-ups to make us laugh out loud for three hours straight

MUCHAS MOTOS • More than 300 privately-owned motorcycles of the 1920s-’80s celebrate Spanish motoring heritage at Madrid’s Motos ‘Made in Spain’ exhibition

MY WAY OR THE BYWAY • Yamaha’s groundbreaking DT1 set the trail for 1973’s CT3 – a 175cc stroker that shrugged off the rough and made road hops a blast

Classic Workshop • Spannering supremo Rick Parkington welcomes you to our

Why it’s good to club together • When an owners club genuinely serves its...