1984 Yamaha RZ500: Short-lived sensation
“Hanging on the wall in my garage, I had this photo of Richard Scott on the RZ500 in the 1984 Castrol Six Hour Race. I looked at it every day for years and then I thought, I’ll have to find one […]
Articles by Old Bike
Eric Debenham: Bathurst Easter legend
Even above the hubbub of the combined racket coming from the pits and the racetrack, it was never difficult to find Eric Debenham. His constant guffaw rose above everything else, and yet, for a bloke […]
1973/74 Ducati 750 Super Sport – The dream machine that changed Ducati’s fortunes
Beauty, they say, is in the eye of the beholder, and who is there among us that does not behold the silver and green round-case Ducati 750 SS as the personification of motorcycling beauty? “Whenever […]
Tim Gibbes: Off-road trailblazer
The trail to England had been blazed comprehensively by aspiring Australian and New Zealand road racers and speedway riders since the mid 1920s, but the same was not the case for the relatively new (mainly […]
Triumph Rocket 3 – from cult classic to “awesome”
It’s been 16 years since Triumph sprang the awesome Rocket 3 on us. Since then 2200 units have been sold in Australia and the Rocket 3 has become a cult classic. Now there’s an all […]
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 […]
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 […]
