Classic Bike

Classic Bike helps and inspires enthusiasts to get more from their passion for classic motorcycles. The magazine shares their fascination with motorcycling’s heroic past while also helping them buy, fix and improve the bikes in their shed. Our main areas of content are: - Inspirational and entertaining reads that celebrate the glory of motorcycling, from riding stories that put the reader in the seat of history’s greatest bikes to incredible racing tales - Restoration stories and instructional features that inspire and help people get their tools out and sort out their old bike - In-depth technical features from the most expert and authoritative writers in motorcycling If you share our passion about classic motorcycles from the last century, you'll enjoy reading Classic Bike.

Welcome • OCTOBER 2024 ISSUE #537

CONTRIBUTORS IN THIS ISSUE

BIKES OF THE MANX • The Manx GP paddock is a treasure trove of special machines and people – we collared some standouts

MotoGP mopeds • World’s top GP riders wisely ditch 300bhp factory bikes for 1970s ’peds

Laying it on the line • Alan Seeley explains why attending the final round of the Straightliners Championship is the perfect way to enjoy some tyre-burning action on an autumnal Sunday

More dates for October

Parallel universe

Classic Bike

Show us yours • We love to see your acquisitions, regular rides and projects – keep ’em coming to the address above right

Kawasaki Z1 • The Z1’s reputation for inspiring awe and fear in equal measure made it a classic from birth. Fifty years on, has it matured into a good rider’s classic?

Gerald Davison • The former boss man at Honda UK has plenty to say about racing, the disastrous NR500, 5-Star service, the CBX1000 and why he loved Nortons. But where to begin?

More Speed, less haste • After more than 40 years in boxes, John Docherty’s Triumph Speed Twin is back on the road. Well, you don’t want to rush these things, do you…

JACK THE LAD • Jack Ahearn was an outstanding privateer who rubbed shoulders with the likes of Mike Hailwood in the 1950s and ’60s. The bolshy, outspoken Aussie also rubbed a lot of people up the wrong way on his potty-mouthed path to the top

Addicted to SMOKING • For 35 years Bruce Dunn has campaigned one of the purest race bikes ever created – the TZ250. He’s got through 23 of the feisty Yam strokers and won hundreds of club races. Here’s his love story…

How to keep a TZ250 in good fettle

My current love

The price of excellence: high maintenance

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BUYING + RIDING + FETTLING • Welcome to the sharp end of Classic Bike. Your hosts are spannering supremos Rick Parkington and Alan Seeley, along with market guru Gez Kane

Tales from the classic world Unearthing hidden treasure • Autojumbles are still vital for the classic bike community, even in this digital age, argues Rick

Imperial Fixes • Problems Rick cogitates with old on iron? your imperial Rick can problems help

At the workbench • This month, Rick has been reaping more rewards from his autojumbling jaunts, punching without lashing out at anyone and passing on advice on removing rust from tanks (against his natural instincts)

Metric Fixes • European and Japanese classic bikes sorted with Alan Seeley

At the workbench • This month, Alan has been getting baggy with brake fluid, keeping it pinned without the application of throttle and dealing with some very bright sparks in the electrics biz

A little bit of gentle persuasion • Time to put the hammer down on the Magnum build, as the freshly-rebuilt engine is refitted into the frame and things start to accelerate towards a finished motorcycle

on the startline next month...