Classic Bike Guide

Classic Bike Guide is a down to earth, practical - and sometimes irreverent - magazine that gets right to the heart of the classic bike world. With a mixture of features, tests, reviews and event reports it is the title that has become a must for the active rider and restorer. Classic Bike Guide magazine - with the biggest and best readers adverts - FREE! Enjoy the digital edition - and save over 50% on the print susbcription price.

Happy new year!

■ The BOLD world of BSA

Butler & Smith BMW R90S Superbike – 50 years since the battling Boxers • A Boxer engine and shaft drive have many advantages, but rarely in racing. The brace of BMW R90S that won Daytona in ’76 are BMW-fan heroes – here’s their story, and the technical details of how they made those bikes so successful.

Classic Bike Guide

Classic news

Where we’ve been Assen Classic GP Moped Mayhem • CBG reader Mike Jeffrey tells us of this fabulous find at the popular Classic GP at Assen each year. Thanks Mike, and Assen isn’t that far – you’ve got us thinking… perfect for an old bike jolly!

Flights of fancy – Honda CB400 Super Four and CB-1 • The earliest of these Hondas may be 36 years old, but they look great, offer modern practicality and reliability, with classic status, and the ability to work on them. We look at two of the finest…

Fancy a day out? • As the blizzards from Storm (Insert Latest Ridiculous Name Here) arrive and the January wind whistles through the gaps in the window frames, it is hard to believe that spring is on the way… we’ve only just drained the last of the Baileys. But there are plenty of shows! The Classic Dirt Bike Show in Telford is a bustling event, the Bristol Classic at Shepton Mallet is a highlight of the year, and the Scottish show in March has an entire hall devoted to classics and is well worth a look. The splendid VMCC Jumble in Cheddar at the end of March is another must. By the time South of England Classic Motorcycle Show arrives on March 29, all will be well…

Old bike mechanics Directory • Your guide to those who are willing to help us!

BSA C12 • Often the unloved ducklings of the BSA world, the C-series has its charms, especially the range-topping C12…

Frank Westworth looks back at: Laverda and Kawasaki 750 Twins • Few motorcycles improve with age, though our memories of them may do that. Frank Westworth revisits two bikes he dismissed in 1977 or so…

Kitting out for your British bike • If you are setting up a workshop from scratch or planning on organising an existing space, here are some suggestions about what you might find useful, in no particular order...

Welcome to Classic Bike Guide's British Bike Guide 2026

Suzuki GSX-8TT • Many of us have a modern classic for reliability, comfort, lights that work – and because we want to get where we’re going. CBG has tried plenty of 1960s-style bikes, so let’s move on a decade and have a look at the 1970s with Suzuki. The brand has harked back to the glory days of Pops Yoshimura with the new GSX-8TT… and it’s kindly loaned us one

Project Morini – coming together • Engine and frame are reunited and forks are dealt with – Oli is starting to find a bike among these parts…

Norton going on… • Much work has yielded little in the way of visible progress on my ES2 recently, so a few quick fixes were required

Removing a failed petrol tank liner • Reader Simon Trevor has put together this great feature about what he tried and how he succeeded in relining his BSA Rocket 3 tank. It’s a big job, but don’t be daunted…

Frank’s Famous Last Words • Frank’s rebuilding a Triumph. It’s not very fast. The rebuild, that is…