Can you remember Steve McQueen and his mate bombing around Germany, evading the Nazis on retro-as-you-like motorbikes" Do you remember old BSAs and AJSs with a nostalgic smile" I don?t. I?m too young. And I can remember many a conversation with my dad, and my old grandad, about the bikes they used to race when they were young men. They?d glow with pride as they?d show me pictures of their (then modern but now classics) race bikes from yesteryear; much to my disapproval. ?You mean you raced that"? I would scoff, unimpressed. ?Why didn?t you race a proper bike"? Little did I know that back in the day, particularly my grandad?s day, the relics in his black and white, dog-eared photos were considered pretty cutting edge. They were proper bikes.
But now we?re living in the 21st century, there?s a growing fraternity of people that would argue it?s not a proper bike unless it?s got double overhead cams, upside down forks and umpteen levels of traction control. That used to be me. Growing up, I was never one for classic bikes of any description. I was only ever interested in the latest and greatest.

Nostalgia

That was until I took my uncles old RD 400 for a spin. That?s when I decided I actually quite like the idea of riding classic bikes. Since then, I?ve ridden a few, and whilst most of them have been fairly rubbish, I?ve still enjoyed riding them. I thought to enjoy riding classic bikes, you had to have been around when they were new; I t...