Where legends live on..

Welcome to Issue 154 of Classic Racer

It was quite a treat not having to drive 200 miles to get to an event, as Newark is only 40 miles from Classic Racer Towers. The only time we usually get the short drive, living in the north east corner of rural Lincolnshire, is when we travel the four miles to Cadwell Park.

It was a fantastic weekend, in every respect (you can read the report on page 14) with two great racing guests of honour, Steve Plater and Alan Carter. Imagine the Classic Bike Guide Show as a smaller version of the shows at Stafford and you get some idea what it was like, but for a show launched from scratch it was pretty impressive, with 10,000 visitors over the weekend. Obviously it’s now going to be a regular on the calendar.

By the time your magazine drops on the doormat it will be time for one of my favourite weekends of the year, the Bristol Classic MotorCycle Show, down at Shepton Mallet. We’ll have gone from the short hop the Newark to the long ride down to the south west.

Bristol Show always throws up some interesting machinery, getting a public airing for the first time. And I always come back having bought something I didn’t know I needed. This year we have the Bonhams auction to look forward to; another temptation!
      
Across the page from this you’ll also read about the launch of what will be the world’s biggest and best classic motorcycle website, created just down the corridor from me by some jolly technical chaps. And that’s its greatest strength; those techie types have made it so easy to work that even a techno Luddite like me can enjoy it. Try it for yourself, and if you think there is anything they have missed let me know.

Hopefully you will also spot the exciting changes taking place at the fabulous Bikers’ Classics meeting at Spa, with the introduction of Superbikes, from the golden days of AMA and WSB. I’ve booked my ferry so see you there.

Enjoy this packed issue.

Malc