Classic Bike Guide

Classic Bike Guide is a down to earth, practical - and sometimes irreverent - magazine that gets right to the heart of the classic bike world. With a mixture of features, tests, reviews and event reports it is the title that has become a must for the active rider and restorer. Classic Bike Guide magazine - with the biggest and best readers adverts - FREE! Enjoy the digital edition - and save over 50% on the print susbcription price.

Patience makes the heart grow – oh, nonsense!

■ Scramble!

Happy New Year! DUCATI MH900e • On January 1, 2000, at 00.01am, as millions wondered if their computers would fail, 2000 eager collectors waited for confirmation that they’d been successful in buying the Mike Hilwood-inspired limited-edition Ducati. Alan recalls his time with the MH900e…

Classic Bike Guide

Classic news

Triumph T140 • The last evolution of Edward Turner’s twin-cylinder engine gives you everyday riding abilities, five speeds, modern(ish) performance and gorgeous looks. And you can now pick one of these 750s up for a song

Fancy a day out? • Ah, autumn, the season of mists and mellow fruitfulness and piles of soggy leaves on the apex of your favourite bend and electrical systems that have been absolutely fine all summer suddenly deciding they’ve had enough. Time to retire to the shed ‘for an hour’ – which turns out to be four after you drop that grommet in the gloom. Bike nights are mostly done for the year, but there are a bunch of shows and, let joy be unconfined, it is autojumble season. Time to compile a list and go for a rummage. We’ll see you out there!

Old bike mechanics Directory • Your guide to those who are willing to help us!

Products

Michelle Duff tribute: Making haste slowly • Alan Cathcart tells the story of Michael Duff, a genuinely nice racer who mixed it with Read, Ago, Ivy and Redman

Bein’ naughty on Nortons • It’s sunny, you’re in the woods, and there are a couple of off-road Nortons – what’s not to like?

Frank Westworth looks back at: BSA Gold Stars • Very few motorcycles command as much respect and admiration as BSA’s super-sporting Gold Star singles. Does reality really match the myth? Frank Westworth remembers riding a DBD32 350 and a DBD34 500. It was a difficult day…

Honda VFR750 • The VFR is almost universally acknowledged as one of the finest motorcycles ever made, with great handling, an amazing engine and stunning looks. If you are in the market for a mile-munching supersports tourer which is almost faultless, it’s hard to think of a better motorcycle. And they are cheaper than a used Chinese 125.

Norton Roadholder forks • We’ve all heard of them, but were they really that good? Or was it just clever marketing?

Fixin’ and bodgin’ • A little titivation and some repairs take more time than Matt thought…

Repairing a sprocket

Two-stroke decoke • Not every shed task needs to be difficult or complex. This month, we decoke curvy exhaust pipes in just a few minutes

Frank’s Famous Last Words • Choices, choices. Frank muses when a declining market refuses to decline fast enough for a bargain hunter…