September - October 2017

Classic Racer

Where legends live on

Classic Racer2 min readAutomotive
Classic Racer Iconicmetal
Illustration by: Mick Ofield For this, the second in our ongoing series of line art drawings of great race bikes, we turn our attention to the 1963 G50 Metisse. This particular model was an iconic motorcycle simply because this was the G50 that was b
Classic Racer8 min read
Back To The Future
Words: Larry Carter Pictures: Bonnie Lane (SCOTLOAND TAKE THE SPOILS) Renowned for its all-action, fairing-banging style that pitched established professional riders (the ‘Pros’) against rising stars (the ‘Ams’) on identical RD350LCYamahas, with keys
Classic Racer4 min read
Readers Write
Star letter Sponsored by DUKE DUKE DUKE DUKE DUKE Dear CR A sunny morning practice at a very full Braddan Bridge in 1967, it was just like a race day, with everyone waiting for Mike and the Honda. Then that fantastic howl came fromQuarter Bridge to B
Classic Racer5 min readAutomotive
FIERCE The 2017 Irish Season So Far.
Words and pictures: Mark McCloskey The Irish Classic Road Racing season is at half distance, and what a terrific season it’s been so far. It started with theTandragee 100, the first road race of the 2017 season, and what a truly thrilling event it wa
Classic Racer1 min read
Mallory’s brilliant Bonanza
Words: Malc Wheeler Photographs: Barry Clay With all the elements for a great weekend of motorcycling nostalgia, the sun-kissed Mallory Bonanza ticked all the boxes for the large crowd of enthusiasts that made the journey to the friendly Midlands tra
Classic Racer14 min read
Assen 1964. The Best Ever.
Words: Frank Melling Pictures: Morton's Media Archive Agostini – 15 times world champion and racing on public roads? Mike Hailwood – able to win anything, in any conditions and against any opposition? Rossi – beating the toughest racers on the planet
Classic Racer2 min read
Classic Tt News
After a week of qualifying for the competitors the ClassicTT really comes to life on Friday, August 25 when the Paddock Carnival kicks off at theTT Grandstand, with eight-timeTT winner CharlieWilliams as MC. On stage behind the Grandstand, in a serie
Classic Racer8 min read
BREATHING LIFE Back Into CLARA
Words: Alan Turner Photographs: Main colour images Philip Tooth, remaining images from Ivan Rhodes and Alan Turner archive Initially, the cammyVelocette was anonymous. The bike came about as the result of a discussion between two of the company’s top
Classic Racer1 min read
Thanks To Generous IOMSPC Travellers
Collections on board sailings to the Isle of Man during the 2017TT Festival raised a record £19,465 for the Rob Vine Fund. Since the Steam Packet Company first instigated the collection, a total in excess of £255,000 has been donated to the fund, whi
Classic Racer2 min read
The Foxwell Supercharger
The unusual supercharger that Messrs Irving and Willis chose for their experiment was a product of Daniel Foxwell and Son of Cheadle, Manchester. The main interest for this long-established company was textile machinery and the Foxwell blowers appear
Classic Racer2 min read
Welcome
The past fewweeks have seenmeattend several meetings with some major players in the racing world . Youmay be surprised to hear not much of what was discussed centred around modern, flashy racing.What was the hot topic of conversation was how ‘modern’
Classic Racer7 min read
Mechanic Al Marvel
Words: Alan Cathcart Pictures: Kyoichi Nakamura The 500ccV8 Guzzi now incredibly scaled a mere 137kg with full streamlining. Spine frame comprised a 85mm diameter central tubular backbone with a twin-downtube duplex steel cradle frame supporting the
Classic Racer2 min readAutomotive
Bikers’ Classics Beat The Rain
For racing enthusiasts from across Europe, the first weekend in July means only one thing and all roads lead to Spa Francorchamps for the Bikers’ Classics, the three-day extravaganza that has evolved into one of Europe’s largest gatherings of classic
Classic Racer17 min read
The Beginnings Of A Wonderful Relationship
Words: Yorkshire Ferret Images: Joe Potts Archive Part two The early years of Bob McIntyre with Joe Potts Before we get too far into this article we feel that we should point out a couple of clarifications from the first part of the story, printed in
Classic Racer1 min read
Steve Spencer
Theman who finished third in the famous 1967 SeniorTT, riding a Steve Lancefield Norton, passed away in May 2017, just before the 50th anniversary of his superb achievement. Spencer’s effort is evenmore impressivewhen it is recognised that it was the
Classic Racer5 min read
Top Line-up For Classic Tt
Davies Motorsport, long-time supporter of the Classic TT, will once again field regular ridersWilliam Dunlop and Alan Oversby, who will be joined by risingTT circuit star DominicHerbertson, in contesting theBennetts Senior ClassicTT and Sure Junior C
Classic Racer4 min read
1975 Last Days Of The Four-strokes?
Words and photography: Jan Burgers To put some context to the following year,Teuvo (Tepi) Länsivuori left Yamaha and joined Barry Sheene in the Suzuki works team. The experienced Yamaha test rider Hideo Kanaya came back to Europe to support Giacomo A
Classic Racer2 min read
Classic Overload!
It’s just like buses I guess.Youwait for ages for a classic and three arrive at once!Which one do you choose? It’s not always easy. Being in the middle of what is turning out to be a record-breaking classic racing season there is always going to be t
Classic Racer8 min read
Pre-tt Classic 2017
Words: John Watterson Photos: Peter Faragher The 2017 Blackfords Pre-TT Classic produced a battle for overall supremacy between two stalwarts of the classic scene. Going into the Billown event, Yorkshire’s Bill Swallow led the way jointly with the lo

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