Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2026 i Classic Bike

June 1976, Sidecar TT, Isle of Man The classic Isle of Man startline shot requires a white helmeted policeman, a couple of Boy Scouts and spectators hanging out of trees – and for the 1976 Sidecar TT, they even had sunshine too. This was the last year that the Tourist Trophy enjoyed world championship status, and while many of the top Grand Prix solo stars stayed away, the sidecar contenders were there in force. Here world champion Rolf Steinhausen and passenger Josef Huber (#1) are ready to go on their beer company-sponsored Königpowered outfit, while George O’Dell and Alan Gosling (#2) have Yamaha power and British Petroleum livery. During practice, O’Dell had got to within 0.62mph of the first ever 100mph Mountain Course sidecar lap – and was a staggering 41.2…

Beat that for a patrol bike With reference to the news article on the ‘Norton Yamaha’ police bike in the December issue, I’ve unearthed a few photographs, although I concede they are not of the finest quality. My former Force, Gloucester Constabulary, was sent some publicity material, but we were by that time 100% BMW and it went no further. However, a colleague who served in the Cheshire Force sent me a photograph of the bike they tried (above). Apparently, it was quite pleasant – but, like Gloucestershire, Cheshire decided to carry on with the BMW boxers. As an aside, they also tried a Moto Guzzi, but that remained a one-off. The other photograph above shows one of these bikes in service with Sussex Police. As you can see, it has…

£1840 1997 Triumph Speed Triple Rare and collectible 750 version from a limited run of 150 produced using Eurospec 749cc Daytona engines. In superb, unrestored condition with believed-genuine 15,773 miles. Someone got a bargain. iconicauctioneers.com £3680 1961 Triumph T120 Bonneville This earlier restoration might have sold for £7k-8k a few years ago, despite the slight deterioration in its condition since its resto. Recommissioned after being unused for a while – a very affordable pre-unit Bonnie. handh.co.uk £1850 1953 James Cadet Hard to believe, but this delightful James is unrestored. It’s a 122cc model – only produced for two years before the 150cc version arrived. Starts easily, runs well, all electrics work and has a large history file. ebay.co.uk £2990 1984 Ducati Pantah 600SL From the last year of production, with…

This year’s Motorcycle Live at the NEC in Birmingham from November 21-29 was an encouraging event. The show had more advanced ticket sales and pulled in more visitors than last year over its nine-day running. Better still, despite being focused on new motorcycles, the halls were well stocked with interesting classics – and it was the older machines that proved the star attractions for some of the stands. Just ask anyone who struggled to get close to the lovely line-up of period GSX-Rs on the Suzuki stand. A new Heritage Zone allowed visitors to get a feel for classics – they could clamber all over an array of military machines from across the ages. MCL also proved there’s no decline in demand for classically-inspired machines, with new retros including BSA’s…

With its transverse V-twin engine and shaft drive, the Moto Guzzi Le Mans flew in the face of the chain-drive Japanese fours flooding the market in 1976. But on its arrival in the spring, it was an instant hit. Developed from the 1971 V7 Sport, the Lino Tonti-designed Le Mans (subsequently referred to as the Mk1) had a longer-stroke 844cc engine featuring larger valves, higher compression pistons and 36mm carbs which made it good for 130mph. Low and relatively light compared to its mid-’70s peers, the Le Mans takes faster bends exceptionally well, its long wheelbase providing poise and steadfast handling. And with the meaty twin dishing out surging torque at 4000-5000rpm via long gearing, that 130mph max is genuine. It verges on practical, too. The Le Mans’ riding position…

Honda bailed out of Grand Prix motorcycle racing at the end of the 1967 season. The factory had won 138 Grands Prix since 1960 along with constructors’ world championships in all five classes. Under the steely rule of Soichiro Honda (aka Oyaji-san) the company’s philosophy was binary to a fault. “Very black and white,” says former Honda director Gerald Davison. “Like a switch – either do it properly or don’t do it at all.” The CB750 four-cylinder road machine was launched in 1969, with the CR750 race version winning the 1970 Daytona 200 ridden by American Dick Mann. Then… nothing. “Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki took over racing in the ’70s,” says Davison. “The commonality being they were all two-strokes.” At this stage, Mr Honda – who hated both two-strokes and…

As years go, 1976 was an eventful one. Concorde’s first commercial flight between Heathrow and Bahrain heralded a new age of supersonic travel. Britain wilted in a summer heatwave, with temperatures soaring to 35°C in late June. Prime Minister Harold Wilson resigned, as the country’s finances slipped deeper into the abyss. Punk ripped the music scene apart like an angry, spitting H-bomb – The Damned’s debut single New Rose marked the genre’s arrival, followed by The Sex Pistols’ Anarchy in the UK and notorious foul-mouthed tirade on Bill Grundy’s early evening TV show. And Britain took the F1 car title courtesy of James Hunt. As you’ll have seen elsewhere in this issue, it was quite the year for motorcycling, too. Despite the country’s gloomy economic outlook, motorcycle sales boomed during…

Harley-Davidson XLCR Styled by Willie G Davidson, this is an XL Sportster in café racer form – hence XLCR. The standard Sportster frame gets an engine with lower gearing, a rear end based on the flat-track XL750, moved-back ’pegs and glassfibre wrappings. Kawasaki Z1000 The 903cc Z1/Z900 grows into this. Capacity up to 1015cc thanks to a wider bore, giving 11% more torque, arriving 500rpm earlier. Smidge more horsepower too (82bhp), while a heftier crank makes it smoother. Disc rear brake as well. Triumph T140J Jubilee After planning to assemble Puch Maxi mopeds in unused factory space, the Coventry factory hits gold – well, silver – with a painted-up Bonneville. After an initial run of 1000, demand will see them make 2400 bikes – 25% of 1977 production.…

Cossack and Jawa 350s The Cossack Jupiter (left) might have been ideal for Dmitri’s commute to the Soviet collective farm, but decadent Westerners weren’t convinced. Its £270 price tag (when a Yamaha RD350 was listed at £520) didn’t make up for poor brakes, Bakelite tyres, crude suspension, feeble performance and dubious quality. The Jupiter used a 350cc two-stroke twin with a single carburettor – in Bike magazine’s 1974 test, which this great image was taken for, it managed a top speed of 83mph. These machines were manufactured 1200km east of Moscow at the Izhevsk factory, which also made Kalashnikov rifles. The Cossack brand name was attached to Soviet bikes imported to the UK in the 1970s, bearing model names that reflected the space age in which they were produced. In…

Yamaha TY80 “My dad started me off on one of these and it taught me about riding. Three or four years ago, I bought all the parts for one and renovated it to concours condition. It’s for my grandchildren to learn on. It was a really good starting point for me – I was seven when I got it and loved riding it.” Harley Sportster 1200 “My dad went out and bought a couple of Harley-Davidsons because he thought we ought to have one. The Sportster was the one I rode and it was the worst bike that I ever experienced. It’s the machine that convinced me I would never have another Harley-Davidson. Awful!” MV Agusta 350 4C “My favourite MV has to be the 1972-74 Read bike – the…

Yes, you can put a British twin engine together in a single day – but not this time. An undiagnosed history of trouble meant this particular one needed extra time, thought and care. But I have to admit, with the bottom end assembled I wasn’t expecting any further bother, with new barrels, a gas-flowed cylinder head with unleaded seats, and upgraded belt primary drive and clutch all on the bench ready to be fitted. No, all it seemed to need was new valves and guides – and for safety’s sake, a new belt. Belts are meant to run dry – but to meet US rules, these 1970-on Triumphs breathe oil into the primary case. The orange colour of the belt suggested it was oil-proof – but unlike chains, belts don’t…

This is me on my ‘RD500 Siamese Twins’. The project came about after I read an article in Biker magazine, in which a guy had built an ‘X14’ out of two X7 engines by pegging a bush to join the cranks. I loved the idea of doing this – and as a toolmaker, it was right up my street. I looked at using Yamaha engines, as they were cheap and plentiful at the time. I figured out that RD250E cranks could be built up into a long enough unit to take four pistons, by using the ends from one and the middles from three cranks. The top ends of 250LCs were cheap and easier to get; 350s fitted straight on but were expensive, so could be added later (LC cranks…

Mark Graham MG digs into his contacts book and speaks to the key people behind Honda’s works comeback and the mighty RCB. It’s a great story. Pages 44-49 Peter Collins It really was his dream year. So who better than the man himself to reveal the full story behind his superb 1976 world speedway title?  Pages 68-69 Dave Collister Isle of Man resident Dave has been photographing the TT races for 40 years. Just the chap to capture the sensational Key Racing 916. Pages 84-91…

Startline How many riders from our startline pictures can you identify? Your classics Just acquired a new project, completed a restoration or been for a great ride? Letters Want to start a conversation about bike values or commend good service? 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 Subscribe to CB, never miss an issue and save a few quid, too. Turn to page 98 for details, scan this QR code, or go to greatmagazines.co.uk/classicbike Simply scan the code from your Smart phone…

£19,000-27,000* 1978 Kawasaki Z1-R TC One of around 500 factory-approved Z1-R turbo conversions marketed in the USA in 1978/79. Fully restored, including crank-up engine rebuild. In superb condition, with original TCC factory documentation. mecum.com £14,000 1990 Benelli 900 Sei One of the last 100 six-cylinder 900s built and described as in fabulous condition. Recent comprehensive engine rebuild and respray, documented in the Benelli Owners Club magazine. Good running order. Private sale 07999 772092 £8950 1979 Laverda 1200 Mirage Matching numbers, recent new paint, Öhlins shocks and rides very well. Supplied originally to Sweden and owned and improved by a Laverda enthusiast, it will be supplied registered to the buyer in the UK. classicsuperbikes.co.uk £2500 1979 Bultaco Sherpa 199A Lovely-looking 325cc model, UK registered and road legal. Very good condition, but…

’How much?’ Gez Kane on classic values These recent prices prove the Bantam is an affordable entry into the world of British classics once more. Running bikes can be had for less than £1000, while for around £1500 a reasonably tidy D14 or D10 makes a great practical runabout. There are lots of bikes in good original condition for under £2000 if you want something a bit tidier. D1 models in top condition seem to command slighly higher prices – around £2500 for a plunger model and a little more for a rigid. But any mechanically-sound Bantam makes a great machine for pottering round the back lanes on a sunny day. Parts are still plentiful – and relatively cheap – and the Bantam is a simple bike to work on,…

Bruce Springsteen has been riding bikes all his adult life, so it’s no surprise that one of the rock legend’s favourite machines – a 1971 TR6C – stars in the new movie Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere. The film charts the making of his 1982 album Nebraska, which was recorded in his New Jersey bedroom (where he also wrote Born in the USA). Obviously it’s no On Any Sunday in terms of motorcycle spotting, but the TR6 wafts in and out of a good few shots, and Jeremy Allen White who plays Springsteen does actually ride the bike convincingly. The film has received decent reviews and is in cinemas now. See the trailer here: tinyurl.com/wnfvsckj…

Motorcycling strutted into 1976 with its head held high. There had been a massive boom in 1975, with the greatest number of new registrations in the UK since way back in 1959 – a total of 270,085 bikes, up a whopping 42% over the previous year. Grabbing the opportunity with both hands, manufacturers flooded the 1976 market with machinery that was ever more powerful, enticing and varied – and also unexpected. How else would you describe a 750 four with automatic transmission? Honda showed their new CB750A Hondamatic in Los Angeles at the very start of January, as part of their 1976 range for the United States. A couple of weeks later it was in the UK, being shown to dealers at seminars in Portsmouth. Triumph and Norton had only…

1975  The striking new Moto Guzzi Le Mans makes its debut at the Milan Show in Italy in November. The 844cc sports machine offers 130mph performance and sensational café racer styling. Initially it is known only as the Le Mans – it’s not until the MkII model replaces it that it becomes universally referred to as the MkI. 1976 Bikes reach the UK in early 1976. ‘A touch of velvet – a sting of power,’ said the MCN headline on their first 850 road test, apearing in the Wednesday April 14 issue. ‘Its smooth V-twin engine churns out the power in effortless style and makes long high-speed riding a sheer joy. Although the near £2000 price tag on the machine is high, the Italian performance product is hard to fault.’…

It was a year of change at the iconic Scottish Six Days Trial – 1976 would be the last year the event started in Edinburgh before moving to start and finish in Fort William. It would cut out a long road slog, but some felt a little of the atmosphere would disappear along with the road miles. For the first time in many years, the crowdpleasing sections at the Town Hall Brae in the centre of Fort William were dropped (they would be reinstated the following year, before being finally axed for good in 1993). Most significantly, 1976 would be the last year the Scottish was a round of the British championship. And yet the famous rock-hopping event remained the most prestigious trial of the year. During the 1970s the…

Tuesday November 30, 1976 was overcast and misty in Leicestershire. After a sun-soaked summer, the UK weather had reverted to its usual form, with occasional spells of drizzle thrown in just to reinforce the point. And yet there was an exotic feel in the air at Mallory Park, thanks to the arrival of two rather swanky motorcycles. Iconic Italian manufacturer MV Agusta had plans to bring their new four-cylinder 750S America and the sleek 350 Sport twin to the UK, with the pair of highend roadsters launched at a special event at Mallory attended by around 100 dealers. A handful of MV’s first four-cylinder models made it here in the 1960s, followed by a few of the later 750S – but they had grand ideas for the new America. The…

Plus: Rick Rides Yamaha’s FZ750 How to buy a peachy ’70s BMW Honda CB350 K4 reader resto Lunch with Terry Rymer Project Harris – yes, it’s back! Inside Greeves Motorsport Plus Wild outfits scrapbook + How to sort your clutch + Our new Project Rudge + Understand EXUP valves + Latest auction news On sale January 21, 2026 See our latest subscription offers at greatmagazines.co.uk/classicbike or scan this QR code…

HURRY, OFFER ENDS DEC 28th SAVE OVER 40% ON SHOP PRICES* TRY 6 ISSUES FOR £19.99 Simply scan the code from your smart phone TIM KEETON/IMPACT IMAGES Great reasons why you should subscribe… » Amazing people, epic machinery and the greatest stories from the wonderful classic world. » Eye-opening reader restorations and specials. » Your one-stop place for expert workshop advice, spannering insight and hands-on guidance – plus project bikes and real-life experiences. » Insightful buying advice and in-depth guides to help with your next bike purchase. » Digital access via our dedicated Classic Bike app where you’ll find past issues and exciting rewards. » Bonus content and an exclusive newsletter every month, straight to your inbox. » FREE UK delivery straight to your door every month. Choose a subscription that…

Timing disc Cost: £11.50 Where: pipercams.co.uk “We don’t get an engine and just line up marks. Most Japanese engines have timing lines, but we make our own camshafts so we use a timing wheel to do the open and closing periods of inlet and exhaust cam. We also use it when we’re setting up the electronics for the road bikes.” TDC gauge Cost: £12 Where: classicbikeshop.co.uk “This is a top dead centre gauge, which is used to check when all the pistons are coming to the top of their stroke and make sure they’re all accurate. It’s quite a simple way of checking to see if a crank has moved out of phase without stripping everything out to get at it.” Lump hammer Cost: £30 Where: Tool suppliers “That’s my…

TDC plunger You can set the timing accurately on post-1968 650/750 Triumphs using this £15 plunger. Screwed into the crankcase, it engages with a notch, stopping the crank at 38° or TDC. Star nut spanner The cheap-looking spanner I use for the cylinder-base star nuts is stronger than it looks. It fits well because it’s a genuine Triumph one, kept from the toolkit of my old 750 Bonneville. Ring compressors Old ‘Terry’s’ ring compressors come in 5mm bore ranges. I find them easier to use than modern universal ones that coil round the piston. Nylon offcuts steady the pistons. Next Month Rick embarks on a new project – a veteran Rudge makes its way onto his bench…

Triumphs from the early 1990s are staggering value. It’s because they’re in a wishy-washy part of the market. Some dealers spot their classic status and price accordingly, but most folk see them as just an old bike. And this means you can find great machines for not a lot of money. When John Bloor relaunched Triumph a lot of parts for the modular triples (750 and 900cc) and fours (1000 and 1200cc) were made in-house to ensure reliability. Crankshafts were heat-treated for 30 hours in a plasma nitride furnace. Swingarms were MIG welded rather than TIG, to reduce distortion. Every bike got a cold engine test and dyno run. Quality was ace. You feel it when you ride one. The triples give the impression of huge lumps of metal flying…

We want it + Temptation + Winning bids + News + Events + Your classics BSA’s most celebrated bike is now in easier monetary reach than it has been for decades. The recent realignment in perceived values of classic bikes has been exceptionally kind to prospective buyers of this always desirable machine. Just because bikes from the ’70s, ’80s and ’90s are growing in popularity doesn’t make the Goldie an overnight irrelevance. Fewer eager customers simply make it cheaper and more attainable. Two years back, a decent 500cc DBD34 was a £15,000 motorcycle. Today’s prices are two thirds of that. It makes buying a Goldie like going to an ‘everything must go’ furniture sale at the local retail park and walking off with a very decent sofa for relative peanuts.…

An extraordinary collection of veteran bikes has come up for sale, featuring several machines from the dawn of motorcycling, such as the 1898 Holden, 1910 Wilkinson and 1911 Pierce pictured above. But the curator of the collection is, if anything, even more extraordinary than the bikes themselves. “Rex Judd was a star racer in the 1920s,” says Martin Heckscher from Bonhams, who will auction Judd’s collection at next year’s Stafford Show. “He initially competed on 250cc two-stroke Velocettes and then met Daniel O’Donovan [aka The Wizard of Brooklands] who helped him tune his bikes. He won dozens of races and in 1922 switched to Douglas [as a factory rider], winning even more. He won a coveted Brooklands Gold Star in 1927 then retired from racing, but continued working for Douglas…

TT winner James Hillier is an interesting character – besides winning the 2013 Lightweight TT, taking 14 TT podiums and lapping at 132.7mph in 2023, he’s also competed in the Dakar Rally. And now he’s added another string to his motorcycling bow by restoring an original Africa Twin that was bought for him as a gift by his father. “My dad wanted to buy me something special for my 40th birthday,” explains James in the video of the restoration, “and I’d always wanted an Africa Twin. He didn’t understand why – it didn’t tick any boxes for him – and I wanted him to understand my enthusiasm. But sadly he passed away before I’d finished the restoration. “Him buying it for me makes the bike even more special, because I…

RIDDEN Right Royal noise My 1970 Royal Enfield Interceptor 750 was imported from the United States to Australia by UK drag race champion Jon Munn of Classic Style in Melbourne about 15 years ago. It was a rough runner, some wiring was badly burnt and it had been painted and modified. The engine number – IB2559X – is from the very end of Royal Enfield manufacture in England. It has unusual factory-modified exhaust rocker covers with nipple and tubing (I’m not sure what the significance of this is), but the engine has not been touched except for re-tapping the cylinder head for the spark plugs. I have done some rewiring and new Amal Concentric carburettors have been added. Required parts for the bike were supplied by Burton Bike Bits and…

The Series 1 bikes are far and away the most desirable – just under 2000 were built before the Series 2 appeared in 1977, so a genuine original in top condition might make £12,000. A series 2 bike probably offers the best value – good ones can be had for £8000-9000. One in fair cosmetic condition, running well and in regular use, sold at an Iconic Auctioneers sale earlier this year for £5980. We’d go for a proven ready-to-ride one like that. With only around 6200 MkI models produced in total, there aren’t too many bikes to choose from at any one time, so there’s often a bit of a scrum for decent ones. If you find the right bike for you, might be best to move fast to secure…

Few racing environments are both as alluring and terrifying as the Isle Of Man. The Mountain Course has always been the daddy of all tracks. Even for a rider so innately gifted as Joey Dunlop. Joe Dunlop (as he was known in ’76) made the Irish Sea crossing for his first TT in a fishing boat, as he would many times. Aboard were dad Willie, and pit crew Curly Scott and Ernie Coates. In 1975 he’d won the King of Kirkistown title on his first visit to the County Down track. He was generally fast from the off. But he knew The Island was a different proposition altogether. Curly Scott said: “He wondered if he’d ever get to learn it. He used to park me in the bar of the…

My hopes were high for ’76 because the previous year I’d topped the British League scoring averages and narrowly missed out on winning the world championship. In the 1975 final I won my first three rides – but before my fourth, some supporters had got onto the track and sprayed hosepipes to try and cut down the dust. I was on the outside, where it was flooded, and went from first to last. That was that. I was devastated. But I always believed I could win the world championship – it had been my dream since I was eight years old when I’d first watched Peter Craven at Belle Vue [the famous Manchester speedway track]. He became world champion in 1962 and it showed me that if he could do…

We’re here to win,” Key Racing boss Tim Keay tells me, while showing me around the team’s sizeable awning during practice week for this year’s Classic TT. “We set ourselves that standard in 2024, when we won with Mike [Browne]. That was Ducati’s first victory around here since Rob Holden won the Singles race back in 1995, so to do it with the 916 was really special. Now that we’ve won – and make no mistake, we want to do that again – our other goal is to go quicker than we’ve ever been around here before.” That was no easy target. Dean Harrison showed the Ducati’s potential back in 2023, posting a series of 125mph laps during practice week, before alternator failure scuppered any chance of a result in…

Workshops + Knowledge + British bike basics + Project bikes + Technique We are the predominant MV people,” pronounces Mark Kay, director of Meccanica Verghera, a family business based in the West Midlands. Mark and son Mitch specialise in pre-1980 threeand four-cylinder air-cooled MVs and can make any model to new condition. “We restore, produce replicas, service and sell parts to Japan, Australia, America and all of Europe,” says Mark, who took over the business from his father David. “He bought his first MV in 1977 as the factory was just about closed – that’s how it all started. He bought a load of parts from MV and went from there.” ‘My dad bought his first MV and a load of parts in 1977 as the factory was just closing’…

Air is indispensable to the efficient ignition of fuel. Or more pertinently, the oxygen contained within it. No need for a PhD in physics or chemistry to know that. However, the mere presence of air is not enough to ensure the best burn. The base considerations are the quality and quantity of the air – and as engine performance has increased over decades, pressure has become ever-more critical, too. Near-naked intake Back in motorcycling’s pioneer days, little thought was given even to the cleaning of air before it entered an engine. After all, it took decades before even enclosing four-stroke valve gear was seen as a key consideration of engine design. Hence accelerated top-end wear from unfiltered air was low on the designer’s list. At most there might be some…

The need to monitor your speed on the road has existed since the man walking in front with a red flag got a better job. That was back in 1897, when the Motor Emancipation Act raised the national speed limit to a giddy 20mph – where, crazily, it stayed until 1930. Despite that limit being rigidly enforced – up until the late 1920s at least – speedometers only became compulsory for motorcycles (over 100cc) in December 1937. By then, the Jaeger-patent ‘Smiths’ chronometric was fitted almost universally and remained dominant into the early 1960s, when it was gradually replaced by cheaper magnetic types. Jaeger was a French company, which explains why some threads are obscure metric rather than the usual British BA types. The ‘chrono’ is essentially a clockwork instrument.…

Disarming Dunstall This is my Dunstall Suzuki, on my parents’ drive in (I think) 1982. I was only 20 and had seen it being ridden by a man from the next village for a few years. I had to have it and eventually managed to own it. It was a GT550 and had already been converted when I got it. Originally it had a loud three-into-one, then the original exhausts went back on before I fitted these expansion chambers. I fitted air horns inside the fairing. It wasn’t the most reliable bike I’ve ever owned and seemed really long and heavy after my RD250, but it sounded amazing. Nevertheless, I used it to commute between my Staffordshire home and college in Southampton, also taking trips to Cornwall before I sold…