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.

Startline

Contributors in this issue

Letters • Classic Bike, Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough, Cambs, PE2 6EA

Deafening days in the park

MAGAZINE NEEDS YOU… • Have you just bought a new project? Or have you finished a project, taken part in an event or just been for a ride? Do you have pictures of you or your friends from your biking past? Or can you identify the riders or a face in the crowd from the Startline image on page four? Please write and tell us

Fine form and function • Bobbing about on a scooter has long been a way of demonstrating one’s taste and style to the world – and surely none could do it better than this 1956 Moto Rumi Formichino

‘If I had £10,000…’ • Harry Metcalfe is a YouTube sensation with four million followers of his bike, car and farming channel. Here’s how the 67-year-old spends our imaginary £10k…

12 bikes you can buy • A soul-stirring selection – from an extraordinarily long-running Bantam to an exotic Japanese supersport 400. Gez Kane flags up some of the market highlights for spring

Yamaha XT500 • Yamaha’s proto-adventure bike celebrates its 50th birthday this year. Serial XT restorer and owner Mark Smith explains what to look out for

12 bikes that sold • Great value modern classics, quirky scooters, factory racers and stunning one-off specials – Gez Kane highlights some remarkable buys from the last few weeks

Kawasaki GPZ305 • Lower-capacity Japanese bikes and models from the ’80s are in demand. The GPZ ticks both boxes – yet is still an utter steal. Time to bag a bargain twin…

Jeff Smith, RIP • The two-time world motocross champion who dominated the sport in the ’60s has died

What’s new

Pip Higham passes • Remembering the famous drag racer and bike builder

James May’s cautionary tale

Flea hits Europe

Hartland Quay hillclimb • This tight, jaw-dropping coastal ascent attracts a diverse bunch of riders and cunningly constructed machines. Mark Graham competed in this season-opener and met this lot

Diary dates…

Rescued, revived & ridden • The classic bikes that you have found, restored or just taken for a ride

In your June issue 40 years of the VFR

Classic Bike

Masterpiece • Jim Hodges built this BSA Gold Star-powered Rickman Métisse using all of his considerable skill and experience. The result is the definition of special

Jim’s top three workshop essentials

Mark Williams • The legendary journalist explains how a love of motorcycles, music and parties led to him founding Bike magazine, working all over the world and spending four years in prison…

Super sharp • Few bikes brought the race track experience to the road as intensely as the Suzuki RGV250. Nearly four decades on, that’s still the case

MODEL HISTORY

Which to buy, what to pay…

Flat-out day at the seaside • First run in 1929, the North West 200 is one of the greatest – and fastest – road...