Time Travel: A Biker’s Life in the 1970s
Human nature likes to revere the past as a lost utopia by selectively erasing the bad bits. It’s like those weirdos who live their lives as if it’s 1950, decorating Continue Reading
Underneath the Arches
It’s a funny thing, writing something for someone. I find that when you are visiting somewhere, an event, a place, with a view to reporting on it, you have a Continue Reading
The Naming of the Bike
Weird place names have always fascinated me. There are thousands throughout the world, such as Ecclefechan in Scotland, Puddledub not far from my previous home, and Pratt’s Bottom in England, Continue Reading
Devil’s Bridge, Kirkby Lonsdale
Sunday the 4th August dawned sunny. I rolled the Silver Fox from the garage and my son Anthony brought out his Burgman 400. Together we set off on the A65 Continue Reading
Incredible India
Our first impressions of India were good except for negotiating the single lane bridge immediately after the border that all traffic going in both directions needed to cross. Being India, Continue Reading
The Posh Boys’ Bike Club
I’ve always been pretty crap with names (but spectacularly good with faces) so if anyone had asked me a few years ago if I knew Steve Hallam, I wouldn’t have Continue Reading
Paddy’s Perspective
Which Way Now? It’s something to ponder: Where’s the Bike Industry going? Chasing a GP dream or embracing environmentalism? Are the marketing men leading, or are consumers demanding change? Is Continue Reading
Meet and greet the police (the painless way)
When PC Graham Pierce rang me to talk about writing a regular column in the Digest, I saw the appeal immediately. As laudable as his stated mission to cut down Continue Reading
Ask a policeman
I’d like to start by saying I’m not a writer, a reporter, or a journalist. I’m not highly educated and I possess very few literary skills, (thank goodness for smell Continue Reading
Funky Mopeds
There was a time, many years ago, when some of the contributors to this august journal had long hair, pimply faces and flares, when there existed a sub culture Continue Reading
The Ace Cafe, Café Racers, and Racing Aces – Book Review pt. 1
It is doubtful that there is anyone involved in the world of British motorcycling whose life is not touched directly or indirectly by the Ace Cafe. A visit here, an Continue Reading
The Ace Cafe, Café Racers, and Racing Aces – Book Review pt. 2
The world of the contemporary café racer in the United States is more properly addressed in Seate’s Café Racer: the Motorcycle (2008). For the past five or so years Seate Continue Reading
From the Editor ~ 177
As many of you will be aware, I tend to leave me editorial until the very last thing. This is partially to lend it a degree of immediacy in recognition Continue Reading
The Boy Biker – sees the light
A recent excursion led me down a path, which having emerged the other side unscathed, gave me a lot to think about, biking and otherwise. Last month I was Billy Continue Reading
Paul Sample: The Interview ‘Everyone chooses their own destiny; mine’s a bike’ – OGRI
Whitchurch is one of those places that encapsulates the essence of Englishness with all its half-timbered houses, red bricks and stone-built churches. It’s a theme I want to explore with Continue Reading
Portraits of the TT 2012
It had been 10 years since my first and last visit to the Isle of Man for the TT races, back in 2002 I had just changed jobs, as I Continue Reading
Riders’ Lives – John Rushworth
1. What was your first motorcycling experience? Picture the character known as Kilroy, Mr Chad in UK or Foo was here, from down under. There I was hands on the Continue Reading
Riders’ Lives – Nik Samson
1. What was your first motorcycling experience? Umm, think I was about 12. My uncle had a C50 (or 70 or 90, dunno) and he let me have a quick Continue Reading