Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2025 i The Classic MotorCycle

Few other Vintage-era British manufacturers offered as extensive or as varied a range of motorcycles in the late 1920s as Ariel, one of the pioneer brands in two-wheeled history, which was by then part of the Components Ltd group owned by the Sangster family. Charles Sangster had purchased Ariel in 1902, but it wasn’t until his son Jack – who’d duly prove to be one of the most astute management figures ever in British motorcycle industry annals – took over running the company after the First World War that the Birmingham-based marque really began to flourish. This especially came after Val Page joined it in 1925 from JAP as Chief Designer, then from 1926 onwards produced a flow of good-selling new models powered by Ariel engines of his own creation…

This year was the 39th West Kent Run, and in a ‘first’ for the event, the route of the eponymous main run almost exactly repeated that of two years ago. For those who were there, that occasion was memorable. It took place in August 2023, but became memorable for all the wrong reasons. It started from The Friars in time-honoured fashion on the Saturday. Riders headed across the Weald, following the lanes through long-established Kent villages to climb up to the first scheduled stop for refreshments at the village of Brenchley. As much of the entry gained the coffee break, the remains of an Atlantic storm also arrived. The unwelcome weather system proceeded to unleash copious quantities of rain, establishing conditions that continued relentlessly for the rest of the day.…

The vast majority of members know the jewel in the crown of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club (VMCC) is the library housing many historical photos, documents and magazines. When regular library helper David Giles was asked to sort out some of the images of the International Six Days Trial (ISDT) earlier this year, he soon realised that we were fast approaching the centennial of the 1925 event held in the UK and based around Southampton. As a result, collaborative work quickly took place between the Somerset, Dorset and West wilts sections of the VMCC to create an event to recognise the significance of this by following as closely as possible the middle section of the first day’s event in 1925. Starting at Barford Inn in Barford St Martin – regularly…

The last couple of weeks have mainly been about looking for and buying parts, and then waiting for them to arrive. If you caught the last column, you’ll know my ham-fistedness resulted in a broken clutch centre. Mercifully, a new one was available from the MZ suppliers I’m finding increasingly indispensable. This one came from Kultmopeds in Germany – a superb outfit, though even their usually speedy dispatch was delayed this time. Nearly two weeks passed before the new part landed on my doormat. While waiting, I decided to keep momentum by focusing on the rest of the drive system. I ordered a new chain cover and a pair of rubber gaiters – the cover had been cut at some stage, the original gaiters were long gone, and I also…

Cycling Some cyclists claim bicycles employed disc brakes before motorised vehicles, a claim many refute. ‘Claimed’ cycle disc brakes appeared in the late 1890s. Although some mechanisms looked a bit calliper-like, they were really pressing braking blocks onto the cycle’s tyres. The rim side brakes with calliper operation and blocks (similar basic principle to motorised vehicular designs) began appearing more often in the 1950s. Vehicular disc brakes England was a world leader in vehicular disc brake development from the 1890s, with Frederick Lanchester patenting his cable operated calliper disc brake on December 1, 1902. He then fitted them in small numbers to some of his cars from early 1902, probably the first instance of disc brakes fitted to a production car. Although engineers may have experimented with motorcycle disc brakes,…

Published in Motor Cycle of May 30, 1963, the event report which accompanied this picture went thus: “From one winter to the next, Conway clubmen move mountains and sweat blood in their efforts to lay on the Dragon Rally. But last weekend they took time off to put their feet up – at the Oxfordshire Sidecar Club’s tribute to them, an open-air weekend in the best Gwrych Castle spirit. “The sun shines on the just, they say; and the Oxford boys’ friendly thank you was rewarded with two days of unbroken, glorious summer. Some 500 sidecar outfits and solos arrived at the Chequers Caravan Park, delightfully situated on the Thamesside at Bablockhythe. “By Saturday afternoon a forest of brightly-coloured tents had sprung up around the gymkhana area. Kiddies played hide-and-seek…

Serial restorer Paul Cann claimed top prize at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics show, with his 1967 Kawasaki A7 Avenger, a first-year example of the 350cc two-stroke twin. Based on the preceding year’s 250cc Samurai, it boasted rotary disc valve induction, twin carbs, a five-speed gearbox and a near-100mph top speed. Paul explained that the main things he checks for when selecting a project, are that items like clocks and exhaust are there, as these are the hardest parts to find. He did well with this Avenger, as pretty much everything was present and correct when he acquired it from importer DK Motorcycles, who had brought it in from America. It had been returned to sparkling condition and well-deserved top honours were the reward for Mr Cann. Despite the 1960s Best…

In general terms, the small market town of Thame in South Oxfordshire is best known as one of the major locations used for the filming of long-running TV series Midsomer Murders, attracting many visitors for the walking tours showing the various featured locations. For motorcyclists, though, it is best known for the ‘Hawthorn Works,’ opened on December 2, 1960, by R F (Ralph) Seymour, specialising in tuning Velocettes and race preparation, as well as being a general motorcycle shop and MOT station. Situated at one end of the town for over 50 years, the shop served the local motorcycle community as well as attracting riders from all over the country, especially those interested in taking advantage of Ralph’s considerable skills as an engineer. Following Ralph’s passing away in 1994 and…

It’s fair to say, 2025 hasn’t been my favourite year, for a variety of reasons, but the result has been, I’ve not done as much riding as I’d have liked to. In fact, I didn’t even make it to Ireland in late August for the annual ‘National’ there, which I’ve been to every year for 15 years (Covid aside) but, unfortunately, this season, it didn’t happen. The annual Irish sojourn, sacrosanct in my calendar, has always afforded a few days in the saddle, where I can just ride my motorcycles, with no distractions. But this year, it proved impossible. Enter my good friend Rob Drury, who said, “Why not come up to Yorkshire? The roads are fabulous… I’ll arrange a route and places to stay.” Gratefully, I said, ‘Thank you’…

By the early 1960s, Britain was groaning under the weight of its own progress. Just a few short years after Prime Minister Harold Macmillan assured the British public we’d “never had it so good,” millions had taken him at his word, and to the roads. The end of petrol rationing, growing wages, and the dream of private transport for the working man had seen car ownership rocket. Where once cars had been the reserve of the well-to-do, they were now increasingly lining the kerbs outside post-war semis and blocks of flats. Between 1950 and 1961, the number of private cars on Britain’s roads increased from around 4,000,000 to 6,000,000. Great news for manufacturers and salesmen, less so for the nation’s towns and cities; our streets, many still laid out for…

As a project draws to a close, then there’s a time to take stock and see if the reasons for doing it have been fulfilled. In all honesty, this particular rebuild has taken over 40 years from the initial acquisition of the first parts… the frame and swinging arm. These came with the pre-unit 650 I bought in 1981 and were put to one side as useful for swaps. In the way of these things, other bits arrived, sometimes unannounced, sometimes actively sourced, but the pile of bits grew from swaps to project. There have been several false starts since 1981 with other things cropping up which caused delays. Eventually the idea of proving a massive bank balance wasn’t needed in order to enjoy some level of classic motorcycling and…

Mechanics show a winner Best club stand at the recent Classic and Motorcycle Mechanics show, held over the weekend of October 11/12, 20205, was the Suzuki Kettle Club, who really got into the spirit of things, as can be seen by the accompanying picture. The prize for the best of the clubs is voted for by their peers, so the orange agents of the Suzuki two-stroke model, obviously impressed sufficiently. Also impressing were guests Roger Marshall and Wayne Gardner, who were interviewed on stage at various points throughout the weekend, in front of a rapt, large audience every time. They gave an insight into their long friendship and rivalry, which dated back over 40 years, as teammates for Honda. There’s a show and auction report, starting on page 22. The…

This rather remarkable photograph was first published in the April 9, 1925, edition of The Motor Cycle, accompanying a piece written by ‘Melchizedek,’ the name coming from the bible and which can be taken to mean ‘king of righteousness’ in its origins. So perhaps our author was a religious man, though there’s no other reason to believe this, from what is written. The account is headlined as our piece here is, while there’s an accompanying subheading too; “The pleasures and the risks of a holiday jaunt in old Japan” is how that reads. Melchizedek begins with a bit of scene setting; “The Emperor’s birthday in Japan is also a public holiday; in fact the whole three days are given over to enjoyment. So I decided that this particular birthday of…

Top price in Bonhams’ sale at the Stafford show on October 12, was the ex-Alain de Cadenet and Kenneth Neve 1929 SS100 Brough Superior, which just squeaked ahead of the 1937 Vincent-HRD Series A Rapide, the prices being £184,000 and £181,700 respectively, including premium but without tax. The beautiful Brough was one of the stars of our April 2025 SS100 Stafford exhibition; after it was acquired in 1975 by ‘de Cad’ (known for his car racing, journalistic and broadcasting activities) from Neve – former president of the VSCC and ex-Brooklands Brough Superior racer – it was put into storage, basically, and so remained largely unused and unseen for 50 years. It is therefore remarkably original, with original frame, engine, gearbox and even petrol tank. Let’s hope it makes return to…

It is an oft-asked question, “Do you remember where you were or what you were doing when xyz?,” then just insert whatever event or situation you like into the end of the question. For instance, when 9/11 took place, I was on a train on the way back from a Honda launch in France, watching it all happen. The main reason for asking is that, in most cases, the answer involves a momentous global or personal event as above, which then has a direct bearing on a person’s life, because it affects them in some way or another, or causes them to remember some happening or event, like that particular model launch. So, if you ask Neil Rivers where he was on May 26, 1975, he will tell you in…

When the First World War started in 1914, the motorcycle was a relatively recent innovation, but in what was to be an increasingly mechanised conflict regarding weaponry, transport and such, it soon found its place. The horse had been the preferred method of ensuring place-to-place communication could be maintained by despatch riders, but it wasn’t long before the motorcycle offered an alternative, one that didn’t get spooked by gunfire or need feeding… Triumph and Douglas were the two biggest suppliers in that first global conflict, the 550cc Triumph Model H, with Sturmey-Archer three-speed gearbox, the one provided in most numbers; around 30,000 in total, while there were 20,000 of the two-speed fore-and-aft 350cc Douglas flat twins provided too. Many others supplied machines as well, notably P&M (later Panther) while the…

My first restoration guide was penned in 2011. With a very few exceptions, I have written one every month since then. Having run out of models of motorcycle that are reasonably easily found for restoration, it’s time to put the series back on the shelf in the shed. This finale is courtesy of the editor, a final column to look back and see how the restoration process has changed in the last 14 years. The most notable difference may well be restoration itself. In 2011, the main aim was to overcome the numerous challenges in returning a bike to factory spec. Legislation, environmental pressures and labour costs are among the many factors that have all served to make specialised tasks less easily accessible and more expensive. A more sensible target…