In the 1950s and '60s the British motorcycle industry was at its postwar peak, with its large-capacity high-performance bikes in strong demand all over the world. AJS/Matchless, BSA, Norton, Royal Enfield and Triumph were all making 100mph-plus big twins, with the king of them all, at least into the 1950s, being the mighty1000cc Vincents, while among the ton-up singles were the BSA Gold Star and the Velocette Venom and Thruxton. In this book veteran motorcycle writer Steve Wilson reviews the top-of-the-line bikes of all these manufacturers, first giving an introduction to the motorcycling scene in the period, with a particular look at the emergence of the Rockers, the black-leather too-fast-to-live-too-young-to-die bikers who developed a culture all their own, inspired indirectly by Marlon Brando behaving badly on his Triumph Thunderbird in the banned-in-Britain 1953 movie The Wild One. Then the motorcycle makers are dealt with alphabetically, with their big bikes described in detail and their performance, handling, strengths and weaknesses discussed. In addition to a wide selection of archive photographs, specially commissioned colour photography features examples of the outstanding bikes of the period: AMC/Matchless CSR 650 twins and their Norton Atlas-engined 'Hybrid' siblings, BSA A7SS 500, Gold Star singles, AIO Super Rocket and Rocket Gold Star 650 twins, Norton SS 500/600/650 twins, Velocette Venom and Thruxton 500, Royal Enfield Constellation 700 twin, Triumph pre-unit 500 and 650 twins and unit Bonneville 650, and finally the Vincent 1000 vee-twin.

Racing Line is the story of big-bike racing in Britain during the 1960s - when the British racing single reached its peak; when exciting racing unfolded at circuits across the land every summer; and when Britain took its last great generation of riding talent and engineering skill to the world.

A fascinating and nostalgic compilation of rider profiles written over a three year period, which originally appeared in Classic Motorcycle magazine, and is now accompanied by a new set of over 100 photographs. All of the riders featured became top achievers in their field, although, for some, it was their first interview. During the 1950s and 60s, scrambling especially drew huge crowds to meetings all across the country, and, thanks to TV coverage such as BBC Grandstand Trophy, and ITV’s World of Sport, many of the competitors featured in this book became household names. Each chapter includes the competition years of the riders, and also gives an overview of their careers, and conveys their enthusiasm for the sport.

Classic Motorcycles: The Art of Speed is a great ride through motorcycle history, with gorgeous photos of foreign and domestic bikes and bike specs.

'Wot No Bike' is a limited print run publication of the work of Paul Simonon (b.1955, London). Growing up in London in the 1960s and 70s he found himself part of the community of Bikers and Rockers that emerged from the shadow of post-war austerity and which lit the touch paper for the punk revolution within which Simonon came to prominence as bass

This book deals with the golden age of the British motorcycle, featuring 100 machines shown in over 200 photographs. It offers a chronological survey of British motorcycles from the pioneers of 1900 through to the end of the 20th century. It features all the famous marques, such as AJS, Brough, BSA, Douglas, Greeves, Norton, Panther, Royal Enfield, Rudge, Scott, Sunbeam, Triumph, Velocette, Vincent and Zenith. Each entry includes information about the history of the bike, with specification panels detailing years in production, engine type, bore and stroke, capacity, gearbox, brakes, transmission, power, weight and top speed. From the beginning of the 20th century, the British motorcycle rapidly gained in reliability and sophistication. It began as a plaything of the leisured classes, until the war forced it into a utilitarian role. When peace returned in the 1920s, it was poised to fill a demand for mass transport, ushering in a golden age. Divided into four sections - The Pioneers, Vintage Days, The Classic Era, and Endings and Beginnings - this book profiles 100 of the best-loved machines that shaped a century of motorcycle design. It includes all the famous marques, each one illustrated with identification photographs, making it a book every bike enthusiast will want to own.