News
Watsonian centenary rally
Watsonian celebrates its centenary this year and you can win tickets in our exclusive competition!

BSA Gold Star video
The Classic Motorcycle reader Viny Parkinson celebrates BSA's Gold Star with 'Halcyon Days', a song written and performed by him on YouTube. There's some good bike footage, too!

Essex Bikefest
This year’s Essex Bikefest, held on July 15 and fortunately just finding a small window in the recent poor weather, was a huge success. Alan Turner was there to take notes.

MV Agusta auction
Clock's ticking on the auction of the year, which takes place on Saturday August 18. Oh, it's in California...
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Videos
Randy Mamola's 'save' of the decade
Parts one and two and memorable because of Randy Mamola's fantastic 'save' during practice on the Rothmans Honda. Incredibly Mamola manages to stay on with the twisting and turning motions of a gymnast and regains control of the bike to continue his practice session...
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Road tests
BSA Spitfire
Whether the Americans truly desired the specification of machinery that we sent them, or whether it was merely the interpretation of the factory stylists in their smoky offices of the 50s remains arguable. However, one thing is for sure, these days in particular, that era of Trans Atlantic styling is eye-catchingly different.

Yamaha RD twins
Motorcyclists who grew up in the Seventies and had more than hint of fire in their veins would have had to try a Yamaha two stroke twin. In whatever size they came - 125cc, 200cc, 250cc, 350cc or 400cc – they were fast and furious and could punch much more than their weight.

MV Agustas
MV Agusta’s exotic sports bikes of the Seventies offered a glimpse into the technology of two decades earlier, and limited production made them even more exclusive and desirable.
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Competitions*
Still time to enter our Can-Am 250cc and Honda GB500TT win-a-motorcycle comps, or go for the Enduro Classics DVD, Sealey tool kit and Watsonian rally tickets competitions.

* Online registration needed to enter these competitions.
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Forums
Introduce yourself and/or ask or help solve someone else's techie question.

Classified advertisements
Find your bits and next project here. Over 1068 ads this week.

Buying guides
Norton Dominator
By the early 60s, Norton was beginning to make engines which were capable of exploiting the performance of its world-renowned frames, and the 650cc Dominator was one such bike.

BSA Bantam D1
Once the country’s most popular commuter, these days BSA Bantams – especially the early, prettier but slower 123cc engined ones – are more likely to be seen at static displays. Roy Poynting describes the different versions and focuses on a special D1.

BMW singles
To most classic enthusiasts the hallowed name of BMW is associated with bikes having two cylinders sticking out sideways. Rod Ker offers a different point of view.
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Reference*
The Hesketh story
British Bike enthusiasts were willing Lord Hesketh to fulfil his dream of building a competitive all-British superbike, but it was not to be. The bikes were badly received and suffered from noisy transmissions and production faults, forcing the company into receivership during the summer of 1982.

A to Z classic reference: Ultima - Velamos
Online Encyclopaedia of Classic Motorcycles: the definitive classic motorcycle guide.
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Archive*
BMW: sixty years of flat twins
One of BMW's first satisfied customers was none other than Man­fred von Richthofen. The legendary first world war German air ace, nicknamed the 'Red Baron' because he painted his aircraft scarlet, wrote in 1917 to thank designer Max Friz for the "Superiority of BMW engines"

Jimmy Shaw's success
Jimmy Shaw leads team-mate Alec Bennett in the 1925 Ulster GP. Shaw was to go on to win the 205-mile handicap race, claiming the Ulster GP Trophy, aboard his 490cc pushrod Norton, though he wasn't the fastest.
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Workshop*
Suzuki GT750: part one
Rod Gibson had already dismantled the Suzuki GT750 down in his workshop and we start the online feature at the first stage of reassembly. With the engine to one side, Rod concentrated on the cycle parts, having already arranged for the metalwork to be powder coated.

Starter motor overhaul
Starter motors on Japanese motorcycles can have a pretty hard life, and we do take them for granted. Rod Gibson brings one up to scratch.
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*Please note Reference, Archive and Workshop sections are subscriber only, but above articles can be viewed as tasters.

Image galleries
Mortons Archive gallery - this week's pick of the pics:
Bert le Veck on his Brough SS100, pictured in 1924
George Brough looking grumpy with his 'baby' SS80
Lovely Matchless G12 CSR studio image
Triumph Bonneville T120 with John Holder and Tony Godfrey, photographed in 1961

Updated: Out and about image gallery
Updated: Bikes we used to own gallery
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