Innehållsförteckning för December 2020 från Real Classic

My bikes need cleaning! All of those which are on the road, of coursealthough the ravages of the mighty Atlantic and my weedy attempts to protect motorcycle metal from their effects mean that even the off the road machines look pretty grim. So what? I hear you say. I hate cleaning bikes. And cars, although cars are easier due to a lack of visible oily and rusting crevices. My gloomy consideration of cleaning has been prompted by two machinesand , you can, unusuallysee both bikes in question in this issue. First off, the 250 Triumph which is the subject of this issue'Shed shenaniganis actually fixed and running well, not languishing in ignoble immobility on the bench. This is all part of the endlessly entertaining world of magazine deadlines, combined with…

  oasic. Set it tlien forget it wit durable engine, shaft drive and a cushioned ride. 'Many recognise the 90/6 for what it could be; says owner Bob Hardacker.'The process of adding performance bits and keeping the rest is pretty straightforward . Amazingly, the cost difference between the 905 and 90/6 wasn't much new, but it certainly is now: Bob's bright red 90/6 dates from the last year of production in 1976 and rates the best of this breed. Built with proven methods and experience , it 's a favourite among his slew of classic twins. There are few differences between the 90/6 and 90/S engines, yet key changes give the Sport a clear edge in power . Like all airheads, a forged crank with 70.5mm of stroke churns below, and…

With Norton's future now in the hands of Indian manufacturer TVS, the historic British marque seems set for a new and much more financially secure lease of life. In the short term the Atlas 650 twins, the Nomad and Ranger developed under previous owner Stuart Garner by the man who today remains the company's Head of Design, Simon Skinner, are certain to form the bedrock of Norton's future range of models under TVS ownership. But it's also equally certain that TVS will develop a range of singles bearing the Norton badge, with a special eye on its Indian home market. Indeed so, which makes it all the more timely to look back in the rear view mirror of history at the last time all three of these great British brands…

A little more than 21 year ago in May 1999, a glossy magazine called MotoRetro launched featuring retro and classic styled machines and a bit of exotica. The magazine featured some fine journalism from the likes of Alan Cathcart, Julian Ryder and Dave Minton, and was edited by Rowena Hoseason and Frank Westworth. It deserved to succeed but ended after only 18 issues. In a way, MotoRetro was before its time. The market for modern-type naked bikes was just reinventing itself with bikes like the Ducati Monster, Back then apart from the Kawasaki W650, Harleys and l:nfiekls~ very few retro bikes existed. Nowadays you only have to look at Triumph with an entire range, Ducati with its Scrambler series, Enfield, a multitude of Japanese offerings, the reinvented Chinese based brands…

My first real proper motorcycle was an AJSwhich probably explains a lot. I like AMC machines - real ones from AJS and Matchlessalthough Norton made a few decent machines in the AMC years too, he says, grudgingly. And although there have been very many dalliances along the path of the last half-century since that first Model 18 AJS (sobering but true) I have almost always boasted a noble product of Plumstead in whichever shed was The Shed at the time. Thoughts like these - and many more - floated through my increasingly smiley head as I chugged for the very first time around the local lanes aboard the machine you will be able to observe pictured nearby. How is this possible, why have I bought another, given that I already…

Before this magazine even existed, I wrote my first article about Douglas motorcycles. It was 2002 and RealClassihad just launched on line. The initial issue was a glimmer in our shared imagination, and the presses wouldn't roll for another 18 months. But I took my first ride on a bike of the marque that autumn, turning tight figure-eights around Newbury racecourse when a proud owner recklessly let me loose aboard his P&J. That quick spin seduced me, and my own first Douglas motorcycle graced the pages of RC03 in the spring of 2004. My fondness for the idiosyncratic machines of this marque didn't end there, and a second Douglas twin joined the stable a few years later. But my personal Douglas journey has been strictly postwar, with the horizontally opposed…

I'd had various encounters with Triumph triples over the years but had never actually owned one. My experience involved two engine rebuilds for friends and several hours setting carburettors. It's one thing to balance two carbs but triples come with all sorts of fun . From a mechanical perspective, the T150 engine is a good, solid powerplant but it has a few weaknesses; clutch, ignition or carburation which can, of course, all affect the running at the same time. Ownership of my first T150V started in 2003. Someone I was working with had a brother who'd been called up to fight in Iraq. He wanted to sell his P&J in case he didn't return, so I purchased his 1975 Trident. It started fine but ran very rough. The clutch was…

> WE WANT MORE STORIES about real life classic bikes. We like profiles of a single model or a comparison of two machines. Most magazine features are between 1 OOO and 2500 words. If your story is much longer then it's probably not for us. Shorter stories appear in the letters section. > TO SEE WHAT WE MEAN look at Paul's Panther piece in this issue or the Matchless 500 feature from last month . Real life experiences which share the ups and downs of long-term life with your bike. > DON'T WORRY about your writing, grammar or punctuation; we'll make sure that your article reads the right way. Just concentrate on telling a good story and we'll do the rest. > INCLUDE AS MUCH INFO as possible . Tell…

Moto Guzzi and BMW have a long history as European rivals. The 1970s Italian and German twins use a similar engineering layout, yet were developed very differently. An upscale road bike from inception, the BMW steadfastly advanced and evolved around a signature 180-degree opposed twin, direct drive transmission and shaft drive. Things had become tenuous for Moto Guzzi as the 1960s rolled. Needing to replace its glorious but greying horizontal single, prototypes of Moto Guzzi's new V7 were being tested by the time Beatlemania hit, emerging as part BMW ideology and Electra Glide style . As a tribute to the once shattered concern, BMW built more machines and (at least in the USA) tripled the import numbers, making them more popular. Guzzi's recovery was just as impressive, and a force…

In this article, we mention the service provided to Douglas owners by the marque club, the London Douglas MCC. With marques like Douglas, where there's no dedicated commercial specialist, an enthusiast organisation provides essential back-up to help keep old bikes on the road. The Douglas Club has a few vacancies on its committee at the moment, including the role of spares officer - ideal for an old bike enthusiast who's recently taken early retirement! So if you've time on your hands and the inclination to become more involved with classic motorcycles, then you might consider getting in touch with the club. No need to own a Douglas already- this would be a wonderful way to acquaint yourself with the amazing motorcycles of the marque ... See douglasmcc.co.uk…