May - June 2018

Classic Racer

Where legends live on

Classic Racer4 min read
Readers Write
Dear CR The reference to Tom Kerby’s G50 Metisse (letter, cracking read, issue 190) reminded me of a day many, many years ago when a friend, who will be nameless for obvious reasons, asked if I and my good pal Tony Collison would accompany him to Rom
Classic Racer11 min read
Last Wave Of The Flag Lucas, Frame And The Beebee BSAs
Words: Peter Crawford Photographs: Syd Lucas/Steve Brown archives. Run a Google search on Malcolm Lucas and second place in the 1980 World F2 Championship will probably pop-up – a nice footnote, to a long career. But that would only be half of the st
Classic Racer1 min read
Have Your Say And Win Held Gear!
Here at Classic Racer towers we like to think that our magazine offers the best racing articles and motorcycle stories on the heroes of the past, the current classic racing scene and the iconic motorcycles that made history. But we realise that we’re
Classic Racer6 min readAutomotive
Harley’s 2-stroke star ONE YEAR WONDER
Words: Alan Cathcart Photographs: Stefano Gadda 72 x 60mm format means a torquey package with a wide spread of power, peaking at 10,500rpm with 89bhp on tap delivered in usable way Specially-developed parallel-twin two-stroke 488cc engine features
Classic Racer4 min read
Paddock Gossip
Compiled by Malc Wheeler The Sunday Ride Classic opened the European Endurance Legend Cup classic endurance racing series and was won by Team Road Runner, Nikko Bakker Suzuki GSX1100. Team riders Henk van der Mark and Dirk Brand completed 96 laps of
Classic Racer3 min read
Mike Hoskison: Upholding The Family Tradition
“My grandad used to build motorcycles in Digbeth, but in 1922 he went bankrupt, so when he started up in the scrap metal trade he couldn’t do it in his own name. As he was bankrupt he used his wife, Elsie Beebee’s name when he came to Birmingham. The
Classic Racer1 min read
The RR250
Aermacchi started work on a two-stroke 250 twin GP machine in 1971 using its Ala d’Oro 125 single as the basis.The air-cooled twin used a traditional piston port intake design. Renzo Pasolini was the factory’s rider, although gearbox and other teethi
Classic Racer2 min read
Welcome Call To Arms
Welcome to your latest edition of Classic Racer . I sincerely hope that you enjoy it. By now, you’ve probably noticed the Great Racing Motorcycles DVD on the cover of this magazine.This fine documentary from our friends at Duke shows 50 iconic ra
Classic Racer3 min read
In The Red Corner: Alistair Frame
“There was an interesting photo at Mallory Park on the front cover of a French magazine, of thisTartan red Beebees bike upside down at the hairpin, with Gary Green up in the air. I don’t know if that was the reason but I subsequently got the ride thr
Classic Racer3 min read
Star Letter
Dear CR Greetings from America. In the early Seventies I lived in your wonderful country as the son of an Air Force officer based at RAF Upper Heyford in Oxfordshire. As we were close to Silverstone I attended as many race meetings as I could at near
Classic Racer9 min readAutomotive
Dave Simmonds (and Kawasaki’s ‘red tank racers’)
Words: Bruce Cox. Photographs: From the Bruce Cox Collection, Motorcycle Weekly archives and Mortons Media Archive. Perhaps you have to go further back to the charismatic ‘naked’ US Championship superbikes of Eddie Lawson, David Aldana and Wayne Rain
Classic Racer2 min read
Former Glory
After a long, cold and wet British winter what could be better than a few days in the Florida sun; which is why an early season trip across the Atlantic has become the norm for Mrs W and I. And before anyone raises the subject of company expense acco
Classic Racer8 min read
Rainman
Words: Frank WeeinkPhotographs: Don Morley When Christian Sarron moved up to the 500cc class, he did so as the 1984 250cc World Champion, the fastest of a very competitive field of riders, with seven of them winning races. But it was Sarron who clinc
Classic Racer2 min read
THE KAWASAKI Red Tank Racers
The design of the Kawasaki KR-1 that took the 1969 World 125cc Championship aided by the riding talents of Dave Simmonds was a creation of Kawasaki Heavy Industry’s engineering department in Japan led by senior engineering manager Teruaki Yamada. Two
Classic Racer13 min read
Alan Carter’s Book Part Three
Words: Alan Carter Photos: Don Morley Our Kenny had purchased a rundown old pub with some land off Taylor Lane, Bradshaw, just south of Halifax. It had been empty for many years with only an old man living on the grounds in a ramshackle old caravan,
Classic Racer6 min read
Finding The Formula 750 Style
Words: Phillip Wain Photos: Mortons Media Archive Despite withdrawing from Grand Prix racing at the end of the 1967 season, Honda continued to build and develop motorcycles, their ground-breaking CB750 sending shockwaves across the world and more tha
Classic Racer3 min readAutomotive
War Of Attrition
Words and photographs: Jan & Hetty Burgers Right from the start of the race it was the two fast MVs that got away with seconds in hand over the chasing pack. Indeed, by the end of that first lap it was the Italian Gianfranco Bonera and our own Phil R
Classic Racer3 min read
The Honda Cr93
by Peter Parnham “I remember it clearly – the stillness and absolute lack of sound as the 40,000 people crowded into the natural amphitheatre that is Mallory Park held their collective breath.” I swear that a butterfly landing on a leaf would have
Classic Racer12 min read
Radar On The Roads TT Time
Words: Norm DeWittPhotography: Image of Radar today, Norm DeWitt. All others from Mortons Media Archive, except where stated Racing on the roads was an incredibly dangerous occupation, as at the previous year’s TT in 1978, Pat Hennen had his career e
Classic Racer2 min readAutomotive
Back On Track
Words: Graham Lawlor Pics: Russell Lee – www.sport-pics.co.uk The Easter holiday period saw most of the UK experiencing a prolonged deluge, so the CRMC’s chilly but largely dry weekend at Pembrey came as something of a relief as they began their 2018
Classic Racer4 min read
A Tribute To Luigi Taveri
Learning of the sad passing of LuigiTaveri, only one person sprang to mind to help pen a fitting tribute to the much admired former Honda star –Tommy Robb.Tommy admired Luigi long before he raced against him. All at Classic Racer send their sincer
Classic Racer2 min read
Sidecars To Star At Spa
For three days, over the weekend of Friday, June 29 to Sunday, July 1, the Spa Francorchamps circuit is the place to be to relive all the great races of the past. Sadly, it is two decades since the Ardennes track lost its motorcycle world championshi

Classic Racer

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