Innholdsfortegnelse for May 2025 i Classic Bike

May 1966, Spanish 250 Grand Prix, Montjuïc Park, Barcelona The Spanish Grand Prix was the opening round of the 1966 world championship, though only the 50cc, 125cc and 250cc classes were competing at the tight 2.3-mile circuit on a hill overlooking Barcelona, making the quarter-litre class the big race of the day. Honda and Yamaha fielded factory teams, with Mike Hailwood and Jim Redman on six-cylinder Hondas, while Phil Read and Bill Ivy (who had won the 125 race earlier in the day) rode Yamaha’s V4 two-strokes. In practice, Hailwood knocked three seconds off Read’s lap record, but it was Redman who led from the start. But he didn’t last long, crashing after half a lap. His bike slid down the road, burst into flames and set fire to the…

This is the bike that spawned the big-bore trailie adventure genre. A most significant machine, great to ride (still) and arguably the best of all the flat-twin on/off-roaders. Examples like this restored late model are very rare indeed. Slightly fewer than 22,000 were manufactured from 1980-1987, and a mere 140 are still active on UK roads. Both your correspondent and the editor of CB have owned and ridden these machines extensively on tarmac and in the greenery. Experience tells that while surprisingly capable in the rough, these bikes excel on asphalt. Light enough, at 186kg (410lb) wet, but only just about adequately braked with a single 260mm disc and Brembo twinpiston caliper up front. And the 100mph top whack is plenty when a gentle weave indicates acceleration is done with.…

Has any RC30 won more major races than this one ridden by Carl Fogarty in 1988 and 1989? We doubt it. The 748cc Honda V4 – up for auction at Stafford on April 27 – won the Formula 1 World Championship twice, Ulster GP twice, Donington Superbike series, Scarborough Gold Cup, British TT F1 races at Cadwell and Donington, Shell Oils Superbike at Cadwell and the 1000cc National race at Castle Combe. Foggy won the Production TT in 1989 on a stock RC30, too. This one isn’t standard – but is by no means a full-on factory bike, either. The engine was tuned by esteemed RC30 guro Tony Scott, the rear shock is by Proflex and that’s about it. After the last race of 1989, the RC30 was sold to…

BMW have revealed the new R12 G/S, a modern boxer twin which pays homage to the 1980 R80 G/S – the bike which started the big adventure bike trend. Off-road potential is increased by a 21in front wheel, long-travel suspension, a bolt-on rear subframe and cross-spoke wheels. But underneath that pretty G/S styling is a remarkably standard R12 NineT, complete with its air/oil-cooled 1170cc boxer engine, a tubular steel frame and loads of electronic rider aids. Despite appearances and assertions from BMW’s marketing bods, the new bike is a different beast to the old G/S. That machine was genuinely capable off-road because it only made 50bhp and weighed 186kg – still a fair chunk, but manageable. The new G/S produces 109bhp at 7000rpm and weighs 229kg; perfectly acceptable for a…

Mark Ship has a remarkable connection to his Yamaha RD350B. It began back in 1977 when, aged just 17, he stepped up from a mundane Honda CB250 to the RD – his first two-stroke, having started out on an SS50. “The extra performance, compared to that of the CB, was a bit of a shock. Twice the power in one hit. As surprises go, it was a really good one,” remembers Mark, with a wry smile. And it left enough of an impression for the pair to remain together for the next 48 years (and counting), despite almost 30 other bikes passing through Mark’s hands in that time. Since 1977, the RD’s been toured (around Cornwall with his mates in the late ’70s, complete with top box), tuned, raced, crashed,…

Today it’s hard to believe that in 1993 Ducati was struggling. Financial woes were never far away and, while the 888 had gone some way to restoring Ducati’s reputation, the company was still a long way from where it is now. But then came the 916. Designed by Massimo Tamburini and unveiled at the 1993 Milan Show, its fusion of cutting-edge design – underseat exhausts, single-sided swingarm, projector beam headlights – and sensuous, flowing lines captivated the motorcycling world. The 916 is arguably the most beautiful motorcycle of the 20th century. With looks like the 916’s, would the riding experience prove an anti-climax? Far from it. This is a consummate rider’s machine. Light and incredibly small, the 916 feels like a proper road racer – as it would prove to…

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Lockwire pliers Cost: £15-£30 Where: Tool suppliers “On a race engine, every sump plug, filler plug and various bungs around the engine at the end of an oilway or water way must be lockwired to stop them coming undone. There’s a myriad of other things I lockwire, right down to fuel hoses onto carburettors. I use these them all the time.” Analogue torque wrench Cost: £30-£300 Where: Tool suppliers “One of a selection of torque wrenches I use. This is a quarter drive, for small, low-torque fasteners. Mazda gave me it back in the ’90s, when I played with cars for about ten years – I was an engineer for the importer and ended up specialising in the rotary engine cars.” Assorted T-bar wrenches Cost: £5-£50 each Where: Tool suppliers…

I’ve owned this Matchless for 12 years. It’s an approximate replica of one of the 350 Competition models that the factory sold to amateur trials riders back in the late 1940s, though this one was built up from an assortment of parts by an unknown home mechanic. The engine and main frame are both from 1948, while the gearbox, forks, wheels, brakes, primary drive case and fuel tank are all from different years. It’s the epitome of a bitsa, and I love that about it. Fundamentally, it’s a great bike – but, having been built by a DIY mechanic from used bits, some of the components are, er… worn. In my ownership it’s had a magneto rewind, a fork rebuild and the brakes overhauled. Now it’s time to address the…

£1200 1976 Suzuki GT500 Offered without reserve, from a deceased estate, this project looks largely complete and original. However, its new owner will need to spend considerable time and money to restore it to its former glory.  charterhouse-bikes.com £4200 1970 Triumph T100C Triumph twins are still in demand – at the right price. And middleweights like this lovely street scrambler are holding their own. In good original condition mechanically and cosmetically, maintained to a high standard. charterhouse-bikes.com £800 1963 Bianchi Mendola This doesn’t look a lot of money for a riding and running Italian 125 – especially one that’s UK registered and comes with a largely complete spare engine. Sold as a project needing work, but a promising starting point. ebay.co.uk £1700 1977 Honda CB500T One of a collection of…

Selwyn Griffiths started work at Ray Cowles motorcycle shop in Pontypool, Monmouthshire in 1959, and was still working there two days before he died in February, aged 83. Riders in South Wales knew Selwyn through the shop, servicing and repairing customer machines, but for most enthusiasts he was known as a formidable TT rider. He made his Manx GP debut in 1961, aged 19, on an AJS 7R and won the Senior Manx on a Ray Cowles-entered Matchless three years later. From 1965 until ’75 he raced at the TT, finishing third in the 10-lap 1975 Production TT on a 750 Triumph Trident partnered with Dave Williams. Classic racing lured him back and he achieved podium finishes in the Senior Manx Classic in 1987 and ’89. He is the father of…

An online fundraiser set up for Les Whiston after his classic business was destroyed by fire has raised nearly £4000. It’s a start, but there’s a way to go – bikes worth £200,000-plus were destroyed, as well as tools and equipment. Unfortunately, at the time of the fire Les had no insurance because the policy had lapsed while he recovered from a near fatal racing accident last August. “I’ve never seen motorbikes burned like these. The fire was just so intense inside. The tube bender, the CNC machines – it’s all destroyed… the electrics are all gone,” he told MCN. Several race bikes – including Rob North Triumphs and Rocket Threes – were destroyed. Following the fire, motorcycle dealership Huggys Speed Shop set up an online fundraiser for Les and…

Alan Carter won his first Grand Prix when he was 18 – a record at the time. By 19 he was riding for Kenny Roberts alongside Wayne Rainey, doing battle with 250cc greats Christian Sarron, Carlos Lavado and Martin Wimmer. Fans, rivals and GP journalists were certain of one thing – Alan Carter was a future world champion. Yet he never won another GP. How could that happen? Settle back for a whirlwind tale of wild talent, catastrophic decisions and gut-wrenching tragedy. But let’s start with a high. It’s 1983 and 18-year-old Alan is on a Boeing 747 heading for his first ever GP, in Kyalami, South Africa. “The organisers had booked it out for all the GP riders, so it was packed with racers,” says Alan, sipping tea in…

I mainly work on RG500s,” says Paul Boulton, who runs MotoCatman in Lincolnshire, “but I do get some three-cylinder 750s, earlier 500 twins and quite a few GSX-R and GS1000 engines. It’s mainly Suzuki.” Paul started his Suzuki life in 1982 when he got a job with the factory GP team. “I was primarily a mechanic for Rob McElnea when Kevin Schwantz was the other rider. It was hard work, but great fun. ‘I get some Kawasakis and Yamahas, but I don’t really do road bikes’ “One of the interesting things with Team Classic Suzuki is that some of the bikes are ones I worked on in the ’80s. I’ll look at them and remember making a bracket or know how a dent got there. It’s quite a thing to see…

Inside Wiz’s Wankel WORKSHOP The specialists that keep Norton’s rotary racers spinning TT SPECIAL ISSUE featuring… Joey Dunlop’s greatest race + Unlikely TT race bikes, from BSA Bantam to Honda Gold Wing + Isle of Man classic bike restorations and rebuilds happening yards from the TT course + Teenage TT Tearaways – McGuinness, Hickman, Rutter and Hutchinson tell tales On sale May 21 *Just in time for practice week Subscribe and get three issues for £5. Go to page 68 or greatmagazines.co.uk/classicbike for more details…

I left school at 16 and managed to persuade my father to give me a job in the motorcycle shop he ran, Uptons in Middlesborough, which dealt in AJS, James, Sunbeam and, later, Honda bikes. I spent a happy two years there, before I was called up to do my National Service. I tried to get into the Royal Signals without success, but I was offered the chance to go into the Royal Military Police, with the possibility of getting into the motorcycle training depots. After six months of basic training, I managed to achieve a position as a motorcycle instructor at Aldershot. I spent a very happy 18 months there, as we were allowed to enter Army and civilian trials on our Army bikes. I had some success in…

Have you just bought a new project? Or have you finished a project, taken part in an event or just been for a ride? Do you have pictures of you or your friends from your biking past? Or can you identify the riders or a face in the crowd from the Startline image on page four? Please write and tell us Startline How many riders from the 1966 startline can you identify? Letters Want to start a conversation about bike values or commend good service? Your classics Just acquired a new project, completed a restoration or been for a great ride? The Way We Were Have you got pictures and a story from your biking past? Let us know. Contact us at… letters@classicbike.co.uk Get 3 Issues For £5 Turn to page…

£12,995 1967 Norton P11 Norton’s desert racer remains highly sought after. This P11 was originally supplied to the USA, but repatriated in 2005. Fully restored between 2012-15, it is offered in excellent order with an extensive history file. Dealer sale: anthonygodin.co.uk £10,000-12,000 1941 Harley-Davidson WL Rare non-military side-valve WL in restored condition. Four-speed gearbox and WLDR competition cylinder heads. Now UK registered and in good running order. Shuttleworth Spring Sale iconicauctioneers.com £37,000 1950 Vincent Rapide A non-matching numbers machine, but offered in very good condition. Starts and runs well and is fitted with electronic ignition and modern carburettors. The bike has been in its present ownership for the last 12 years. Private sale 07745 819383 Circa £30,000 2005 Bimota Tesi 2D Currently being recommissioned, with the final price to be…

’How much?’ Gez Kane on classic values The twinshock trials bike market is fragmented. At the top end, there are collectible machines like the CCM that tops our pricewatch chart above. Rarity, provenance and desirability all add to value, just as they do in the road bike market, but bikes in this category rarely see much action. Then there are ultra-competitive machines for the rider who wants to win. Often heavily – and sometimes expensively – modified, prices for potential winners of this sort can range from £3000-5000. For a rider who just wants a bit of good, dirty, fun, there are plenty of mainsteam bikes for £2000-3000, while relatively easy-to-sort projects can cost as little as £1000-1500. A few models – like Honda’s TL125, for example – seem to punch…

Ewan and Charley’s classic adventure Ewan McGregor and Charley Borman are about to release a new motorcycling adventure series on Apple TV. This time they are riding a classic Moto Guzzi and BMW from McGregor’s home in Scotland to Boorman’s in England, but going via Scandinavia and Northern Europe. Find it on Apple TV+ in May. tv.apple.com VMCC Founder’s Day date correction We published the wrong date for the VMCC’s excellent Founder’s Day event in our April issue. The correct date is July 20. Apologies for the error. foundersday.co.uk European track action The historic Zolder circuit in Belgium is hosting a classic motorcycle event on June 21-22. The event includes racing, track parades and displays. Get in early to book a track session. On-site camping is available and it’s about…

RESCUED Some work required After rebuilding 12 MZs of various capacities to oily-rag standard, MoT’d, put on the road and then sold, I fancied a change of direction – Hondas. I like Hondas. So I bought a 1968 SS125A, which was all there(ish). However, we all know about thin ends and wedges, so I bought a spare engine and some other parts – it was a bargain… honestly. Then I bought another whole bike. So now I have two complete SS125As and another set of parts for a 90% complete bike… all needing rebuilds, all needing new bearings and all needing hiding in my lovely shipping container (along with the Aprilia Tuono). She Who Must Be Obeyed knows about my Suzuki V-Strom 650 and the grandson’s Honda CBR400RR – she…

Of all the misadventure and missed opportunities that littered the last days of the British motorcycle industry in the 1970s, the Bonneville TT is probably one of the most unfortunate. The dirt-tracker-influenced machine could have been a contender – especially in the USA, where Triumph’s esteem had taken a dip – and earned lucrative Stateside sales. But, although a prototype was produced and shown to Triumph bosses in the UK and dealers in the US, it failed to make production. Why? The model’s creation was fuelled by the reaction from Triumph’s US dealers and loyal customers to the redesigned 650cc Bonneville, launched for 1971. They thought the makeover, executed by the BSA Group’s Umberslade Hall research centre, was a disaster. Not only was the seat set so high on the…

Honda CB400/4 My third bike and my first big one, which taught me how to ride. I used it six days a week riding to work and one day a week for pleasure, in all weathers. It revved like a banshee, handled terrifically, and, although slightly slower than my mates’ two-stroke 400s, it never broke down. Kawasaki Z1000A There’s always one you should never have sold, isn’t there? This is mine. I learned a lesson there. It came with a horrendously loud Piper four-into-one which I swapped for a new exhaust that came off a Mk2 Z1000. It transformed the bike. Great looking, quiet and quicker. I wish I still had it. Factory Suzuki XR35 This was the GP bike used by Randy Mamola and Graeme Crosby (above) in 1981…

Well, I call it ‘shed truth’ – stuff you think is true at the time, like ‘I’ll only be five minutes’ or ‘This is my last project’. Yes, the oil tank was the last big job left on the Henley, but as you work through the big jobs, smaller niggles always assume a greater importance so there’s always something left to do. The oil tank is soldered together – and where it had leaked, degreaser-resistant Castrol R had penetrated the soldered joints, meaning it couldn’t simply be re-soldered. MIG welding would work – but just as oil pollutes soldering, solder pollutes a weld and once filled with water as a test, the tank leaked like a shower head. The next step was to polish up the welds and solder the…

While Lucas dynamos are often criticised, they’ve managed to last a minimum of 60 years – and, unlike later generator systems, are easily removable, infinitely repairable and broadly interchangeable across different makes and models. Major failures can occur, but most troubles are easily sorted if you can bypass the traditional motorcyclists’ dislike of electrics. Inside a dynamo is a fixed iron shoe surrounded by a wire coil. When current flows through this ‘field coil’, the shoe is powerfully magnetised, generating a field within which the coils of a rotating armature pass to generate AC current. Collected from a segmented copper commutator on the armature by opposing carbon brushes, the current is converted to DC for charging. For the system to work, there must be a little ‘residual magnetism’ left in…

I loved the ‘Startline’ image in the January 2025 issue, capturing a great wheelie from Barry Sheene at Cadwell. But just behind him on the grid is his team-mate, Stan Woods, on bike No 1. This reminded me that around that time we were living in Beddington Lane, Croydon – very close to where the Heron Suzuki race team were based. One of our friends worked in the offices there, and one day she called me up to ask if I wanted to buy a crash helmet from someone at the factory. Obviously, I was interested in the chance to have a look around the place, so I immediately replied that I was interested and headed down there that evening. There was no security on the gate at all –…