1954 Triumph Speed Twin 1954 TRIUMPH SPEED TWIN BACKGROUND In a few short years, the 5T Speed Twin went from...
1939 BSA Silver Star 1939 BSA SILVER STAR BACKGROUND The brilliant engineer Val Page designed BSA’s new 500 single in...
1961 BSA Gold Star 1961 BSA GOLD STAR GETTING LONG IN THE TOOTH The Gold Star originally evolved out of the 1937 BSA Empire Star, but it took until after World War II to actually create the Gold Star, which launched in 1948. So it’s basic design was ancient by...
1969 Triumph Daytona 500 1969 TRIUMPH DAYTONA – WHAT’S IN A NAME? Triumph derived the name of this bike from...
1971 Rickman-Weslake 1971 Rickman-Weslake Background This 1971 Rickman-Weslake is typical of the Rickman dirt bikes running around in the 1960s...
1948 Velocette KSS 1948 VELOCETTE KSS BACKGROUND The Velocette KSS debuted in 1925 as an OHC (overhead cam) 350cc air-cooled single. Being OHC placed it at the cutting edge of engine technology at a time when most machines still used side-valve designs or pushrods. The name KSS breaks down to...
1955 Ariel Red Hunter 1955 ARIEL RED HUNTER BACKGROUND The 1930s were indeed the Golden Age for the British motorcycle...
1960 Triumph T100 Tiger “Bathtub” 1960 TRIUMPH T100 TIGER BATHTUB STYLING Bathtub styling was part of a brief flirtation with...
1955 Triumph T110 Tiger 1955 TRIUMPH T110 TIGER CONTINUALLY IMPROVES True to the British style at the time, steady, continuous improvements were applied to all their bikes. The 650cc T110 Tiger was their hottest bike in 1955 (the TR6 wouldn’t topple its top spot until 1956), so much attention was...
1952 Triumph T100 Tiger 1952 TRIUMPH T100 TIGER LEADS THE PACK At the end of World War II, civilian production...
1947 Triumph T100 Tiger 1947 TRIUMPH T100 TIGER LEADS THE PACK At the end of World War II, civilian production...
1957 Norton Dominator Dominator 88 – 500cc 1957 NORTON DOMINATOR BACKGROUND Norton designed the legendary “Featherbed Frame” for the single-cylinder Manx racer in 1950. In 1953 they dropped the Model 7’s 500 twin-cylinder engine into the Featherbed frame, and created a new bike, the Norton Dominator, in fact a whole...
1953 Triumph T100 Tiger 1953 TRIUMPH T100 TIGER LEADS THE PACK At the end of World War II, civilian production...
1950 Triumph T100 1950 TRIUMPH T100 TIGER LEADS THE PACK At the end of World War II, civilian production of...
1941 Matchless G3 1941 MATCHLESS G3 BACKGROUND Just prior to World War 2, Matchless was on a roll. Their middleweight singles were selling as fast as they could be built. In 1939, Matchless introduced the next evolution in their single-cylinder design, the 349cc Matchless G3. Just as production was ramping...
1948 Triumph T100 Tiger 1948 TRIUMPH T100 TIGER BACKGROUND Immediately after the end of World War II, Triumph quickly reverted...
1961 BSA Gold Star Clubman 1961 BSA GOLD STAR CLUBMAN While the BSA Gold Star was famous for its off-road...
1939 Triumph Tiger 100, first year for this hot new model. Note Rigid frame & girder front suspension. A TIGER IS BORN The Triumph Tiger was the natural evolution of the constant & relentless quest for more & more power. The <a href=”https://www.classic-british-motorcycles.com/triumph-speed-twin.html”>Triumph Speed Twin</a> had literally changed the motorcycle...
MATCHLESS G9 BACKGROUND Like everyone else in the British motorcycle industry at the time, when Triumph rocked the world with...
NORTON MANX BACKGROUND The Manx was developed in 1937, in both SOHC and DOHC form, to compete in and win...
VELOCETTE THRUXTON BACKGROUND By the 1960s, the motorcycle market had clearly shifted away from practical, economical commuters, and toward high-performance bikes with sporting aspirations. Triumph and Norton were killing in this market, and by the mid-60s, the Japanese were taking a major bite out if it for themselves. Velocette, never...
NORTON MODEL 7 BACKGROUND Following Triumph’s lead, Norton, along with nearly every other British motorcycle manufacturer, entered the parallel twin...
VELOCETTE KTT BACKGROUND Velocette built the KTT expressly for racing, hence the “KTT” designation. “K” for Kammer, which is German...
VINCENT COMET BACKGROUND Vincent was a very low-volume producer of premium motorcycles. During the entire span of the company’s existence (1928-1955) they barely made 11,000 bikes. The big V-twin Rapides and Black Shadows may have been the stars of the show, but the 499cc single-cylinder Comet was their biggest seller,...
BACKGROUND OF TRIUMPH 350 TWINS Triumph rocked the world with the introduction of their seminal 1938 5T Speed Twin. Designed...
2002 Royal Enfield Bullet 2002 ROYAL ENFIELD BULLET BACKGROUND Royal Enfield had been building sturdy, reliable motorcycles since the turn...
Yamaha’s Smart City Slicker: The 2021 XMAX Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links The compact and practical Yamaha XMAX returns for the new year with a number of exciting updates. Along with the Zuma 125, the XMAX is one of the most economical commuting options in the 2021...
The 2021 Honda Rebel 500: The Middle Child of the Rebel Family Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links...
Entry-level Rallying: The 2021 Honda CRF300L and CRF300L Rally Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links The CRF300L and...
Entry-level Scrambling: The Ducati Scrambler Sixty2 Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links The Scrambler Sixty2 is the smallest motorcycle in the 2021 Ducati line-up. In fact, it’s one of the smallest Ducati motorcycles to roll out of the Bologna factory in recent years. While it’s still an important...
The Newly Designed 2021 Honda CRF450RX is a Winner Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links Honda Motorcycles’ CRF450RX...
CRF450RWE Gets Fully Revamped for 2021 Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links Honda Motorcycles has given the CRF450RWE...
The 2021 CRF450RL: A Street Legal Motocrosser Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links Honda Motorcycles gave the CRF450R a full overhaul for 2021. It comes to the party with a new chassis, suspension, bodywork, and extensive engine work. Coming from the 2021 Honda lineup, the CRF450R comes with...
The 2021 CRF450RL: A Street Legal Motocrosser Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links The 2021 CRF450RL is the...
The 2021 Kawasaki KX450: Super-Class Motocross & Cross Country Agility & Power Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links...
The 2021 KTM 250 XC TPI: A New Technology That Makes Racing Even More Fun! Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links The KTM 250 XC TPI is the first of a new series of off-road competition motorcycles that use a new version of KTM’s 2018 introduction of Transfer...
The 2021 KTM 300 XC TPI: The Ultimate Balance Of Power & Weight Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos...
The 2021 KTM 350 EXC-F: Street Ready Powerhouse Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links The 2021 KTM 350...
The 2021 KTM 500 EXC-F is a Dual Sport Powerhouse Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links The KTM 500 EXC-F builds on the framework laid out by its little brother, the 350 EXC-F, which is also part of the new 2021 lineup. Namely, the bike is a dual-sport...
The 2021 KTM 250 SX: The Fastest In Its Class Contents Model Overview Specifications Features Photos Videos Links The KTM...