1960 BSA Super Rocket vs. 1957 Triumph Tiger 110

Familiarity breeds contempt goes the saying. And a forced marriage offers plenty of unwelcome familiarity. No surprise, then, that in the 1950s, relations between the two senior stepsiblings of the BSA Group — BSA and Triumph — were distant, competitive and sometimes downright hostile. By 1957, Triumph had been part of the BSA Group for six years. Yet, while Triumph’s ...

Staff

1972 CCM — Clews Competition Machine

Staff

Big-Hearted Beezer: BSA/Ariel “Flash Four”

Robert Smith

Before the Gold Star: 1934 BSA 350 Blue Star

Margie Siegal. Photos Nick Cedar

DIY BSA: 1959 BSA DBD34 Gold Star

Phillip Tooth

Sterling Autocycle: Going Back in Time

Further proof of growing interest in so-called “retro classics” comes with news that Black Douglas Motorcycle Co. will produce the Sterling Autocycle in the U.S. Created by motorcycle enthusiast Fabio Cardoni, Brugarolo, Italy, the Sterling has garnered praise in Europe, where demand has kept ahead of supply. The company says it’s been getting requests ...

Motorcycle Classics Staff

1930 Douglas T6 600cc

Mc Staff

1955 Douglas Dragonfly

Roland Brown

Egli-Vincent: the Café Racer built by Godet

Engine: 1,330cc air-cooled OHV V-twin, 92mm x 100mm bore and stroke, 8.3:1 compression ratio, 100hp @ 6,000rpm Top speed (approx.): 138mph Carburetion: Dual Mikuni Concentric 36mm Transmission: 5-speed, chain final drive Electrics: 12v Alton alternator, electronic ignition Frame/wheelbase: Egli-style tubular steel w/engine as stressed member/56.5in (1,435mm) ...

Staff

1968 Egli-Vincent

The Motorcycle Classics Staff

Record-breaking Vincent Black Shadow at Bonhams Stafford Sale

Press Release

Dale Keesecker’s 1971 Egli-Vincent wins 2008 East Meets West Run-Off

Motorcycle Classics Staff

1961 McIntyre Special Replica

1961 McIntyre Special ReplicaClaimed power: 54hp @ 7,600rpmTop speed: 135mph (est.)Engine: 496cc Matchless SOHC air-cooled singleWeight (w/oil): 271lb (123kg) Fuel capacity: 3.7gal (14ltr)In 1961, Scotland’s Bob McIntyre and ace welder and mechanic Alex Crummie created an all-new chassis to house an AJS 7R 348cc race engine. Lower, lighter and stiffer than any factory frame, the ...

Alan Cathcart

1962 Rickman Metisse Scrambler

1962 Rickman MetisseEngine: 497cc air-cooled OHV single, 86mm x 85.5mm bore and stroke, 9.5:1 compression ratio, 35hp (est.)Weight (dry): 300lb (136kg)Fuel capacity: 2 gal (7.5ltr)Remember the one that got away? That one tired old motorcycle that you had to sell because there wasn’t enough time or money to see it through?There are probably more than a few of you reading ...

Greg Williams

Métisse Motorcycles: The New Scrambler and Café Racer

Alan Cathcart

2010 Métisse 8v Mark 5

Ian Kerr

Métisse Triumph Steve McQueen Replica

Alan Cathcart

Sight Unseen: 1966 Matchless G80CS

1966 Matchless G80CS Engine: 497cc air-cooled OHV 4-stroke single, 86mm x 85.5mm bore and stroke, 8.7:1 compression ratio, 30hp (est.) Top speed: 90mph (period test) Carburetion: Single 3/16in Amal Concentric Transmission: 4-speed, right foot shift, chain final drive Electrics: 6v, Lucas NC1 “wader” magneto Frame/wheelbase: Dual downtube cradle frame/55in ...

Margie Siegal | Photos Nick Cedar

Wagon Wheels: The Arter Matchless G50

Alan Cathcart

1962 Surtees Matchless

The Motorcycle Classics Staff

World-class bike restorer and motocross pioneer Brian Slark to be inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame

Richard Backus

Found on eBay: 1962 Matchless G2CS

Landon Hall

1974 Norton Commando 850

Dan Bockmier had a clear vision when he started working on this Norton. “The concept for the bike occurred to me while pondering how conservative Norton was in terms of paint and style. They’re so unlike Triumph, for instance, who had different super sexy two-tone paint schemes every year. Norton was always about engineering and very little sizzle.” A Norton Commando, ...

Margie Siegal

Dave Kaufman’s Norton Commando Fastback Memories

Dave Kaufman

Mercury Rising: Norton’s Forgotten Featherbed

The Motorcycle Classics Staff

Steven Herberg’s Norton Commando Fastback

Letter | Steven Herberg

The Approachable Nortons

Hamish Cooper

Riding the Royal Enfield INT650 and Continental GT

Royal Enfield INT650/Continental GT650 Engine: 648cc air/oil-cooled SOHC parallel twin, 78mm x 67.8mm bore and stroke, 9.5:1 compression ratio, 47hp @ 7,250rpm (at crankshaft) Top speed: NA Fueling: Bosch multipoint sequential fuel injection Transmission: 6-speed, chain final drive Electrics: 12v, digital electronic ignition Frame/wheelbase: Dual downtube steel cradle ...

Landon Hall and Keith Fellenstein

A Ton of Fun: Royal Enfield INT650 and Continental GT650

Alan Cathcart

Interstellar Overdrive: 1959 Royal Enfield Constellation

Robert Smith

Riding the 2018 Royal Enfield Himalayan

Richard Backus

Royal Enfield Himalayan Arrives in North America

Press Release

1977 Silk 700S Sabre MK 2

1977 Silk 700S Sabre MK2Engine: 653cc 2-stroke water-cooled parallel twinTop speed: 110mphTransmission: 4-speed, enclosed chain final driveWeight (dry): 310lb (141kg)Fuel capacity: 3.6gal (13.6ltr)Price then/now: £2,482 ($5,262 at $2.12 per £1, 1979 avg. exchange rate)/$2,000-$7,000As far as Brit George Silk was concerned, the fun of riding a motorcycle in the ...

Phillip Tooth

1960 BSA Super Rocket vs. 1957 Triumph Tiger 110

Familiarity breeds contempt goes the saying. And a forced marriage offers plenty of unwelcome familiarity. No surprise, then, that in the 1950s, relations between the two senior stepsiblings of the BSA Group — BSA and Triumph — were distant, competitive and sometimes downright hostile. By 1957, Triumph had been part of the BSA Group for six years. Yet, while Triumph’s ...

Staff

Which Bonnie is the Best?

Staff

Classically Fast 1974 Triumph Trident T150V

Staff

The 1960 Triumph T20s Tiger Cub

Margie Siegal; Photos Nick Cedar

Period Modified: Triumph Drag Bike

Greg Williams

The Birmingham Blower: 1939 Velocette Roarer Replica

1939 Velocette Roarer ReplicaEngine: 498cc air-cooled supercharged SOHC parallel twin w/two counter-rotating crankshafts, 68mm x 68.25mm bore and stroke, 7.5:1 compression ratio, 54hp @ 4psi boost (est.)Top speed: 140mph (est.)Carburetion: Single Amal 10TT9 w/Shorrock-type superchargerTransmission: 4-speed, shaft final driveElectrics: Lucas AC2 magnetoFrame/wheelbase: Steel tube ...

Robert Smith

Ton-Up Club: 1961 Velocette Venom 500 Clubman

Robert Smith

1960 Velocette LE

The Motorcycle Classics Staff

1934 Velocette GTP

The Motorcycle Classics Staff

Mystery Bike: The Velocette KSS Mark 1

Alan Cathcart

The Rare Vincati

The 1970's bred a worldwide generation of "shadetree machanics." These were people with the self-taught skills of certified mechanics and engineers who undertook hobby projects in their basic backyard workshops. Some of their often crazy ideas worked: fitting a Volkswagen engine into a motorcycle frame; slotting a 427 Cobra Jet V8 engine into a 1955 Ford Ranch Wagon to make the ...

Staff

Ready to Ride: Vincent Rapide Series B

Margie Siegal

The Vincent That Never Was: Comet SS

Robert Smith

Seeking Grandfather’s Long-Lost Vincent

Anna Skeates

Where Big Sid Sat: 1950 Series B Vincent Meteor

Corey Levenson