Classic Motorbikes

Classic Motorbikes celebrates the History of the motorbike with 150 of the finest two-wheeled machines ever built. All of the classics are here, illustrated in full colour, from pioneering roadsters to the sophisticated super-bikes of the 1980s. Experienced motorcycle tester and writer Roland Brown begins the adventure with glamorous fours from FN of Belgium and US firm Pierce, both produced in the 20th century's first decade.

These classics are followed by charismatic V-twins from the likes of Harley-Davidson and Indian, plus the influential Triumph Speed Twin. The post-war motorcycle scene saw British firms lead the way with machines including Ariel's Square Four and Vincent's mighty Rapide V-twin. In the USA Harley-Davidson introduced the stylish Sportster, while Italian firms Gilera and Guzzi contributed superb small-capacity singles.

British firms ruled the roads again in the 1960s, thanks to legendary bikes which included Triumph's Bonneville and BSA's Rocket Gold Star. But the Japanese were coming, spearheaded by refined twin-cylinder machines, such as Honda's 250cc CB72. The Super-bike decade of the 1970s started with Honda's ground-breaking CB750, hotly pursued by Kawasaki's mighty 903cc Z1 four and Harley's incomparable Super Glide.

The 1970s also produced memorable Italian chargers led by Ducati's 900SS, and ended with stunning six-cylinder powerhouses: the Honda CBX1000 and Kawasaki Z1300. There was no let-up during the 1980s, as Yamaha's RD350LC two-stroke and Honda's exotic CB1100R were unleashed. The great bikes kept coming, right up to the end of the decade, notably Suzuki's racy GSX-R750 and Honda's sublime RC30.

Motorcycle journalist Roland Brown has spent the last 25 years testing bikes ranging from early classics to the latest super-bikes and MotoGP racers. He was deputy editor of Bike magazine before turning freelance in 1989, and currently writes about motorcycles for a variety of publications including magazines in more than 20 countries. He raced bikes at international level, and has owned numerous classic bikes, some of which even worked! He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife lone and their four children. This is his tenth Book about motorcycles.