The Benelli Brigade
Deep in South Australia’s choice wine country, there lurks a secret Italian society… In 2011, the Benelli marque will be 100 years old, and there are few names that evoke such reverence in motorcycling as […]
Articles by Old Bike
The spring-frame 500cc Levis – What might have been
In Latin, Levis means light, and that’s the best way to describe the first motorcycle to bear the badge. It was designed by Bob Newey, a Norton employee prior to WW1, and young Bob had […]
1932 500cc Rudge works model – Something very special
Norm and Linda Maddock are lynch-pins of the historic motorcycling scene in New Zealand. At the annual Pukekohe races both Norm and Linda are to be seen rushing around all weekend, attending to myriad tasks. […]
A ‘Herd’ comes home – Ray Andrieux’s Vincent
At the speedway during the early seventies there was no shortage of colour and sparkle. In fact it’s remarkable what enthusiasts still recall, as if it were yesterday. The era of the sixties was a […]
Terry McDonald – Born to race
Forty years ago, a young life was snuffed out in an obscure race on the Greek island of Corfu. Terry McDonald’s short existence had come to an end, doing what he loved most, racing a […]
Roy East – A great all-rounder
Few Australians tried to make a living racing motocross in Europe in the 1960s – and even fewer succeeded. Among those who plied the tracks of England, France, Belgium, Germany, Holland and the Iron Curtain countries was Sydney’s Roy East. As Paul […]
Jack Young and the Mitchell JAP – A championship combination.
Twice World Speedway Champion Jack Ellis Young rose from humble beginnings to become the top rider in the most competitive branch of motorcycle sport. When his father’s ill health forced him to give up work, […]
Milano Taranto: Team Australia rides again
Beginning in 1937, The Milano-Taranto developed into a very prestigious open roads race, which came to an end after the tragic Mille Miglia car rally of 1957 claimed eleven lives. It was revived in 1985 […]
Moto Guzzi Falcone: Italian Stallion
The big Guzzi single is as Italian as cappuccino, and one of the most sought-after big singles in the Classic world. It can be a bit tricky, identifying a real Falcone, because although the model was […]
Yamaha XS-1: German roots, Japanese bred.
Aimed at the traditional British buyer, the XS-1 was a polyglot machine that remained in production for 13 years. Legend has it that the machine that became the Yamaha XS1 was nearly a Triumph. This […]