The Suzuki RG500 is without doubt a classic bike. So why do people still cut them up for their engines? Launched alongside the Suzuki GSX-R 750 in 1985, I have no idea exactly how many bikes Suzuki sold, but it can’t have been many. Aside from the fact the fact production only ran for 3 […]
Classic replicas – Tributes or Fakes?
The definition of a replica is a copy or reproduction, often exact or by the same creator. And motorcycling is full of replica machines which may or may not live up to that standard. The Ducati Mike Hailwood replica from the late 70’s was a watered down lookalike, whilst Kawasaki’s Z1000R Eddie Lawson replica wasn’t […]
Harris Magnum One. Breaking Bad…
Dealing in motorcycles and breaking bikes for parts can be hard sometimes. Every now and then I get something I really want to keep, and this Harris Magnum One is a perfect example. I’ve only ever had one other Magnum over the years, which was a CB900F-powered example. Despite the fact it was dripping in […]
The Ace Cafe. King of biking venues or the joker in the pack?
I should love the Ace Cafe. It combines two of my biggest pleasures in life – motorcycles and food. A place that combines the two should be tick all my boxes. So why do I hate it? I’ll admit to having had one experience there that left a bad taste in my mouth, but even […]
Passing your motorcycle test back in the 1980s
With all the recent changes in the law to get a motorcycle license, I found myself revisiting my own test misery in a recent daydream. Back in the 1980s you did a slalom around some cones to get your certificate (Or Part One as the law called it). Then you were able to apply to […]
The beauty of the humble autojumble
While the internet may have revolutionised day-to-day buying and selling with monoliths like eBay and Amazon, you still can’t beat a good autojumble mooch to satisfy the need to buy motorcycle bits you never knew you needed. For years I’ve been attending autojumbles as both a buyer and a seller. I have to admit I […]
Meeting our heroes – Freddie Spencer
I was at school when the racing career of Freddie Spencer was peaking. By the time I exited the school gates in 1986 he was coming close to retiring from Grand Prix racing, although he’d compete in American Superbikes until the mid-1990s, as Fast Freddie started to lose the S from his nickname. Living close […]