Ray Curtis: A born showman
Spectacular and successful throughout his long and varied career, Ray Curtis never had top machinery, but that didn’t stop him always putting on a show for the paying public. Story: Jim Scaysbrook • Photos: Dick […]
Articles by Old Bike
1911 Zenith Gradua – Unfair they cried!
Since the year dot, manufacturers have exploited success in competition, loudly proclaiming their latest victory in the endless race for sales. Yet one company took a reverse approach, crying foul to the extent that until […]
Bridgestone 175 DT: The mini twin
For a brief time in the ‘sixties, a nippy 175 twin gave plenty of 250s a hurry up. Story and photos: Jim Scaysbrook There’s an old saying; it’s not the size of the dog in […]
1971 Benelli 650S: From Pesaro with love
A Latin alternative to the Triumph Bonneville? It sounded like a good idea at the time… Story and photos: Jim Scaysbrook It’s fair to say that upon its release in 1969, the Benelli 650 (it […]
Ariel Square Four: The Squariel
Story and photos: Jim Scaysbrook The basic design spanned nearly 30 years of production, and the Ariel Square Four has legions of fans more than half a century after the last one was made. The […]
Moto Guzzi Airone 250: Birds of a feather
Moto Guzzi had a thing about birds. Their famous motif that adorns virtually every petrol tank features the eagle emblem of the Italian Air Force – a throwback to the flying skills of Carlo Guzzi, […]
24hr Reliability Trial – Eight decades of exceptional endurance
The rain eases a few minutes short of midnight but has already saturated the small knot of officials – their timesheets a sodden mess. A puff of wind does little to disperse the fog as […]
1956 Maico M250S Blizzard – Beguiling Blizzard
Once the Depression was past, the 1930s were good times for motorcycle manufacturers, particularly in Germany where the big three: BMW, Zundapp and DKW, poured out a wide variety of machines that bristled with innovative […]
Military Police Motorcycles: On active service
A pictorial history of motor cycles used by the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police (RACMP) Research, photographs and text: Sergeant Antony Buckingham. RACMP, Service Police investigator currently posted to The Australian Defence Force Investigative […]
Suitable Partners: Yamaha TMAX 560 and NMAX 155
Scooters have come a long way since the concept sprang from post-war surpluses and evolved into cheap, chic and convenient transport. That concept was soon ransacked by even cheaper cars, and scooters became decidedly uncool, […]
