automotive photos
...motorbikes

The 1960s saw the rise to prominence of the British motorcycling industry. There had been a long gestation period through the great war and the fifties, culminating with the dominance of the 60s by marques such as Triumph, BSa and Norton. Unfortunately for them, the Japanese had been watching and learning, building tiny two-wheelers and honing their skills. By the early seventies, Honda introduced the CB750 and the end loomed large.

You kickstarted a BSA at your own peril as the kick-back could break your leg. Once underway, the handling was pure joy.

bsa

A MARQUE NO LONGER WITH US

Old BSAs are not just for display, but also make for interesting Sunday rides.

British bike enthusiasts though, have not flinched and continue to collect and refurbish relics of the past seen on these pages. Motorbikes such as these make up for a lack of power with a surfeit of character and charming simplicity. There's no fuel injection here and disc brakes are few and far between but you wouldn't turn down the opportunity to take a short run down a winding road.

The square four engine never caught on as a production icon but lay the groundwork for Honda racers in the eighties and Ducatis and Hondas in the 21st century.

ariel square four

GOING YOUR OWN ROAD

Don't take a chance purchasing one of these unless you are familiar with leaky carburetors and iffy electronics. While they are beautiful to behold, British bikes are reknown for their unreliability. Simplicity is the order of the day though. A magneto, a coil and some fuel and away you go. These motorcycles are light and eminently tossable.

Find yourself a nice, quiet country lane and you'll never forget the experience.

A delight to behold but a mechanics nightmare to repair, the square four was seldom copied and must have been expensive to produce.

ariel engine

THE SQUARE FOUR UP CLOSE

These downturned handlebars are a dead giveaway that you are looking at café racers. A British invention, café racers feature modified suspension, seating and riding position and the name was derived from informal racing between cafés in postwar England.

Prior to the resurgence of Triumph Motorcycles, The Norton Commandos of seventies vintage were the last of the British bikes to hold the line against the Japanese onslaught.

norton commando

THE COMEBACK KING

Vintage motorcycles are beautiful to look at but difficult to keep running. Luckily, spare parts are available through owners clubs that have access to parts in many major cities

Here are three icons of British motorcycling side-by-side. It's difficult to choose a winner but I would have gone with the Norton.

triumph & bsa

HARD TO CHOOSE

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