Indholdsfortegnelse for February 2026 i The Classic MotorCycle

Published in the July 17, 1913 edition of The Motor Cycle, this photograph depicts the winning threesome in the Notts and District MCC Reliability Trial, held on the first day of July. The three riders are all mounted on 6hp Brough V-twin motorcycles and are, from left, George Brough, William McKeggie and Tom Rigley. For their efforts, they were awarded the Campion Cup. Though two photographs of the trial were printed (one in the July 10, 1913 edition, and the other, this one, a week later) the event didn’t garner a report at all – just the printing, in the July 17 number, of the results following the statement: “The results of the Campion Challenge Cup trial are as follows…” with the top six listed, including their total marks lost…

Ever since I first saw a copy of Mick Walker’s book, Café Racers of the 1960s, about 30 years ago, I was fascinated by café racers. They just looked so cool, and as the mid-1990s was the height of the Oasis-inspired Britpop 1960s resurgence and everyone at school was into the Beatles again, it all led to me wanting my own Triton pretty badly. The main thing that stopped me was that I was 15, and I had no money. I spent all my time sketching my perfect Triton. It always looked the same; as much like a Manx Norton as possible, but with a Triumph pre-unit engine. I wanted the whole thing to look ‘Manx,’ including a plan to sink small lights into the Manx-esque front number board. I’d…

In 1900, former jeweller Joseph Magnat and garage foreman and engineer Louis Debon founded a firm in Grenoble, south-eastern France, which began by producing bicycles. In 1902, the company’s first motorcycle appeared, equipped with a De Dion-Bouton engine. Swiss engineer Arthur Moser joined as technical director in 1903. From 1906 onwards there was regular motorcycle production using the firm’s own-brand engines, and in 1908 Moser became a shareholder; the firm was officially now Magnat, Debon and Moser, though it continued to trade as Magnat-Debon. In the years before the First World War, Magnat-Debon prospered: the machines were well made, advanced, and featured many novel ideas such as telescopic front suspension, with some models (like the one pictured here) even using overhead valves. In 1913, Magnat-Debon abandoned all side-valve models and…

When one thinks of the British 350cc motorcycle, it’s not usually the name Royal Enfield that springs immediately to mind. Rather, AJS, Velocette or BSA perhaps — all companies with a fine reputation for their 350cc offerings. Yet Royal Enfield arguably deserves a place in that conversation, for its 350cc Bullet enjoys a production run unsurpassed by any of those contenders, while the machine retains a numerical following that the Big Port Ajay, cammy Velo or Beezer B31 long ago ceased to have. That reputation, however, was built on the 350cc Bullet — the name Royal Enfield introduced in 1932, and which would later evolve into the Bullet we recognise today: the Indian-built (from 1955), swinging-arm, two-valve four-stroke single. It is a motorcycle as basic as it is rugged, and…

JANUARY 3 OLD BIKE MART OUT NOW 3 Rufforth Autojumble at Rufforth Park, Wetherby Road, Rufforth, North Yorkshire YO23 3QH. 8am start. £2 entry. Tel: 01904 738620 or 07713 164848. Email: info@rufforthautojumble.com. Web: www.rufforthautojumble.com. What3words: suggested.withdraws.adventure. 4 New Year Autojumble at Whitewebbs Museum of Transport, Whitewebbs Road, Enfield, Middlesex EN2 9HW. 9am start. £5 entry. Earlybird £10. Tel: 0208 367 1898. Email: office@whitewebbsmuseum.org. Web: www.whitewebbsmuseum.co.uk. What3words: pipe.invite.spring. 4 Bike Day at the Ace Café, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 7UD. 9am start. Tel: 0208 961 1000. Web: London.acecafe.com. What3words: fuels.losses.lions. 10 Elvis Jailhouse Rock Birthday Party at the Ace Café, Ace Corner, North Circular Road, Stonebridge Park, London NW10 7UD. 7pm-1am. Tel: 0208 961 1000. Web: London.acecafe.com. What3words: fuels.losses.lions. 10-11 The Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic, Newark…

Frenchman Alain Nibart’s collection of Aermacchi motorcycles built before and during Harley-Davidson’s ownership of its Italian subsidiary, and their Linto cousins, is surely the finest anywhere in the world. Yet the garage holding much of it could hardly appear more inconsequential, standing adjacent to the elegant four-storey house built in 1928 in a suburb of Paris, which Alain shares with his partner Sophie. “We agreed to split the space inside here 50/50, so she has two floors, as do I – but the garage is all mine!” declares the genial 75-year-old retired graphic designer and exhibition stand builder. For the garage’s pink doors hide a rich treasure trove of motorcycles and assorted memorabilia. Call it Alain’s Cave – not Aladdin’s! For behind that humble entrance lies an array of Italian…

One of the long-running topics of conversation among vintage/classic motorcycle enthusiasts is how to encourage new blood into the movement. Given the age demographic, which is of course affecting machine prices as riders become too old or infirm to start their machines or ride, the worry is also what will become of the machines that are now our pride and joy when we are gone? We may be just custodians of the bikes, but most of us would like to think they will be cherished in the future by new custodians. Fortunately, there is a gradual increase in younger riders taking an interest and gradually working backwards from, say, a classic Japanese machine, as they come into contact with the older motorcycles at events and gatherings. The owner of this…

If there’s one thing guaranteed to send even the most seasoned home mechanic into a cold sweat, it’s electrics. We’re quite happy to rebuild a carb or strip a top end using nothing but a mug of tea and a bit of gusto, but show many of us a wiring diagram and confidence evaporates faster than PlusGas on a hot exhaust. It’s not entirely irrational: decades-old looms, brittle insulation and colour codes that have long since faded can make wiring feel like a dark art. With that in mind, I approached the task of fitting a new loom to the MZ with due caution. My strategy was to work steadily and logically: beginning at the rear, where things are relatively straightforward, and progressing towards the tangle within the headlight shell.…

Fuel specification Fuel manufacturers rarely publish the full specification of their pump petrols. While the forecourt label may state that a fuel contains five or 10 per cent ethanol, it will also include a complex blend of benzene, naphthenes, paraffins and other hydrocarbons, the proportions of which are seldom disclosed. By contrast, suppliers of specialist fuels such as AvGas (Avgas or aviation gasoline), classic 98- and 103-RON fuels and similar products are often able to provide more detailed information. Methanol, aka ‘dope’ ‘Dope’ is a long-standing slang term for power-enhancing fuels. Strictly speaking, methanol itself isn’t dope, but the term has become widely used to describe it, as under the right conditions — and usually with appropriate tuning — it can significantly improve engine performance. The word is also applied…

Henry Cole heads to Newark Television presenter and motorcycle enthusiast Henry Cole will take centre stage at the Classic Bike Guide Winter Classic Show, taking place at Newark Showground on January 10/11, 2026. With more than 30 years in television, Cole is best known for hosting World’s Greatest Motorcycle Rides, The Motorbike Show, Shed and Buried, Find It, Fix It, Flog It and Find It, Fix It, Drive It. Beyond the screen, Henry’s passion for motorcycles shines through his work with Gladstone Motorcycles, where he creates bespoke, hand-built machines. He has also made his mark on the Bonneville Salt Flats, setting a land-speed record for Brough Superior in 2013 and riding in the world’s fastest two-up attempt with creative engineer Allen Millyard. Visitors can see Henry live on stage with…

Published in 2025, Jacques Bussillet’s biography of Australian road racer Jack Findlay carries the same name as the headline of this piece, and was translated from the original French by our regular contributor Alan Cathcart. The book was reviewed in our December 2025 issue by Jonathan Hill, who detailed the ups and downs of Findlay’s career, from leaving Australia in 1958 bound for the UK, armed with an aged 350cc Manx Norton and a heart full of hope. Interestingly, he wasn’t a top-level Aussie racer on his departure, but a part-time rider of seemingly modest ability, though with a great deal of grit and determination. Findlay’s initial journey saw him accompanied by his wife, but when they all (by now they had a young son) returned to Australia for a…

The well-known Pioneer Run remains the Sunbeam MCC’s premier event. It is open to motorcycles, three-wheelers and quadricycles manufactured before 1915. The 2025 event was the 85th occasion on which it had taken place. Since Covid caused the cancellation in 2020, entries have still to return to the numbers seen previously. In response, the club has tried changes to enhance the appeal and maintain the event’s relevance and its worldwide reputation. This year saw potentially one of the biggest revisions yet with the introduction of ‘Pioneer Plus’. While the Pioneer Run continues to divide its entry with its three age-defined classes, Pioneer Plus made a fourth category, as it catered for motorcycles and three-wheelers 1915–1930. To add context, remember this period has now become around a century past. Witnessing the…

Generally held on the third weekend of June, just a stone’s throw away from the UK’s iconic Oulton Park race circuit, the Kelsall Steam Up is one of the largest steam gatherings in the British Isles. Run by Geoff and Marie Newsome, the event was originally to be held as a one-off in 2001; now, though, it’s well established, spans over 75 acres of land and attracts 15,000 to 20,000 visitors over the duration of the weekend. The commercial vehicle section tends to be the largest, with over 900 entrants this year including the largest ERF lorry gathering in the world. Aside from the truckers, other classic enthusiasts enter in their droves. In excess of 250 cars, 200 tractors and, of course, the 50-plus coal-blazing, fire-spitting and smoke-belching behemoth steam…

Post-War Foundations Japan’s post-Second World War motorcycle landscape developed at a remarkable pace. Industries that had produced wartime machinery shifted rapidly towards consumer transport, and by the late 1950s a growing youth culture was forming around motorcycles. These early riders – later known as Bōsōzoku (literally “violent running tribes,” referring to reckless youth motorcycle groups) – were not organised gangs yet, but enthusiastic, sometimes restless young men attracted to speed, noise and the freedom of late-night riding on Japan’s expanding road network. Their motorcycle of choice was the Honda Dream CB72/CB77, machines that British enthusiasts will recognise for their engineering quality and contemporary performance. The Dream’s overhead-cam 180-degree twin cylinder engine provided strong mid-range and reliable high-rev capability, making it ideal for the spirited riding styles that were beginning to…