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Get your summer sorted with April’s Classic Bike – a bumper issue jam-packed with a 45-page guide to all the festivals, races and shows for a truly memorable 2026. Alongside the comprehensive events listings, you’ll find fascinating features to inspire you to get up and get out there.

This 132-page issue also includes the regular ration of tales of adventure, experience and practicality. There’s a 38-year-old Suzuki DR750 single ridden to the Sahara and back; an interview with the Forrest Gump of classic motorcycling, Brian Slark; a buyer’s guide for Yamaha’s V-Max street hotrod; and a test of a 1959 BSA A10 Super Rocket.

Plus, of course, the usual insights, tips and restorations in the Workshop section, along with all the latest news and prices from the classic world. It’s all you need to get set for a great year ahead.

The April issue of Classic Bike is out now at newsagents, or why not subscribe today and enjoy your first 3 issues for just £5!

INTERVIEW

How did a working class London lad become mates with Bud Ekins and Steve McQueen, help start motocross in the USA and restore hundreds of bikes for the Barber Museum? Time for a lunch…

Words JOHN WESTLAKE Photography BRIAN SLARK ARCHIVE

Brian Slark has travelled through life like a bike-crazed Forrest Gump, doing extraordinary things, triggering ground-breaking movements and befriending astonishing people. During the course of our chat, he mentions a couple of mates (who turn out to be Bud Ekins and Steve McQueen), that he built the Commando which kicked off Norton’s American sales boom, and lets slip that he helped introduce motocross to the USA. The fact he was the restoration genius behind the Barber Motorcycle Museum (see our George Barber obituary in this issue) barely gets a look in.

Of course Brian, 86, doesn’t say any of this directly, partly because he’s a Brit from the era when modesty was beaten into you with a stick, and partly because he genuinely doesn’t recognise what an extraordinary life he’s led. He just chats away and only fills in the mind-blowing details when I press him. An example: “So who were these mates you travelled round the States with for three years?” I ask, interrupting his flow. “Oh, Jeff Smith and Dick Mann,” Brian says. As in, two-time world motocross world champion Jeff Smith and two-time AMA Grand National champion Dick Mann. It’s the same with all his anecdotes – dig deep enough and there’s a trove of pure gold.

This journey through British and American motorcycle life began soon after the end of World War II in South-East London. More precisely, it started while walking home from school. “I was accompanying a very attractive girl who I had my eye on,” says Brian. “Outside her house, I saw a brand new Matchless leaning against a wall. It was pinging and clicking and smelt of cutting oil. It was her dad’s, and she told me he got a new bike every night because he worked at the factory down the road [in Plumstead]. That was when I knew what job I wanted.”

From then on, Brian lived for bikes. “Me and my mates used to get a tram for a penny to Woolwich and then walk down to the [AMC] factory and watch as these beautiful bikes would pop out of an elevator onto the street. That’s how my love affair with bikes started.” Brian saved up and bought a 1937 Matchless 250. “I used to terrorise BSA 250s, only shifting gear when the valves were floating. I was such a yobbo. Then I got into trials, joined a local club and got a James with 4bhp, then a 1953 Matchless 350.

“But by then everyone was riding Greeves in trials, so I went to John Surtees’ shop and bought a Greeves Scottish 197 for £100. I did loads of trials on that, and at one we had to do a lap of Canada Heights as a special test.” Brian’s yobbo tendencies shone through and he got the fastest time of the day.

“After that, my friends coerced me into entering a scramble with my trials bike. I made some number boards out of cardboard, packed a thermos of tea into my knapsack and off I went. I loved it, and came fourth in my heat, then about 14th in the final, which wasn’t bad on trials gearing. Also, the poor little bike was bottoming out completely on the jumps. I loved it, though, and rode back grinning.”

By then he’d got a job in a dealership, but rode past the AMC factory every day and eventually plucked up the courage to go in and ask for a job. “While I was waiting for someone to see me, who should walk through the office but Hugh Viney, the captain of the British ISDT team? He looked at me, puffing on his pipe, and said: ‘Do you want to ride motorbikes, son?’ And obviously I said: ‘Yes sir, I do,’ and that was it – I’d got a job.

“I soon became a ‘runner up’, which was starting the bikes when they came off the line – you had to kick them over, make sure oil was circulating and the brakes worked. I did that for a while – still racing scrambles every weekend – and then one day the foreman told me to get on a bike and ride a couple of miles round the local streets with him on the pillion.

“Afterwards he said: ‘You’re a tester now’. And that was it – I’d got my dream job, testing about 10 bikes a day. And I got a bike to take home every night and at weekends. So I never owned a road motorcycle, because I always had a brand new one.

“This was 1958 and ’59, so I was testing the 650 twins – [Matchless] G12s, [AJS] Model 30s – and then the CS export ones with alloy mudguards and the Siamese pipe, and then I would be on the 250 lightweights – G2s – and the trials and motocross bikes and a lot of military bikes. These were all short production runs – we never did 100s, it was always 30 or 50. Sometimes we’d do 15 trials bikes.”

At weekends, meanwhile, Brian’s racing was improving. He’d converted the Greeves 197 to a 250, then started running it on methanol. “The problem was that every time I landed from a big jump, it would break the gearbox main shaft. I used to go to Colin Seeley [a Greeves dealer at the time] because he rode scrambles too, and traded it in for a Gold Star.

“I did pretty well on that, graduating to expert and making a little money. I was mid-pack, but never rode over my head – I never crashed. Maybe I should have gone faster, but it meant I was good at long distance – when I did the 100-mile scramble at Purbright I finished sixth, which doesn’t sound much, but everyone in front of me was a factory rider.”

Hugh Viney eventually spotted Brian’s combination of off-road skill and mechanical nous, and moved him to AMC’s competition shop across the street from the factory. “This is where they did the 7Rs and G50s, but I worked on one of three benches at the end doing the factory trials bikes, scramblers and ISDT bikes. It was great because another guy working with me was an ISDT rider, and if either of us made something special for the factory bikes, we’d make one for each of us too.

“The guys there also built me a really good 560 engine [from a 500] and I put it in my BSA frame, so I had a MaBSA – and it was fast.”

His friend Alan Fox – a factory Greeves rider – went to California and wrote to inform Brian that sun, surf and desert racing was the way ahead. “Then I got chatting to Bud Ekins, who used to come to the competition shop [he rode for Matchless before Triumph], and I’d loan him my MaBSA so he could ride some muddy events to prepare for ISDTs.

“At one party – I remember a big bottle of scotch was involved – Bud said: ‘Why don’t you come over to California and do some desert racing?’ After what Alan Fox had told me, I immediately sold my bike and my Thames van, got a visa and hopped on a plane.”

And so began Brian’s American odyssey. “One of my friends worked for the Greeves importer, and he found me a bike to ride at a race in Northern California – a hare scramble. The key thing here was that it was very muddy, so right up my street.

“It had a unique starting procedure – a guy came out and fired a shotgun in the air. I got a flying start and was in front of Dick Mann and all the top guys – coming from England, the mud was like home. But the bike cut out during a big river crossing and that was me out. The Greeves guys were impressed, though, so they gave me a Challenger to ride.”

Besides now being a factory rider, Brian was hanging out with the desert racing crowd. “Bud was the coolest guy in the world. Steve McQueen used to hang around with Bud, but he was a different kind of cool. If anybody had a camera, McQueen was there posing. But Bud was so nonchalant, and of course an incredible rider.

“He could get on any bike and win – he would win desert races by 20 minutes. And every day he would drink a fifth of scotch [ie, a bottle] and smoke incessantly, but I never saw him the worse for wear. He was a character and a good guy.”

Knowing Brian’s British background, Greeves’ American boss persuaded him to do the ISDT on the Isle of Man in 1965. This suited Brian, as his wife was pregnant with their first child and the couple wanted to be near family. But things didn’t work out.

For a start, the ISDT was a disaster. “The course had been laid out in the dry, but that year was the only time a hurricane hit the British Isles and the course became almost impossible. There were 43 finishers out of 300. Guys were up to their thighs in mud. I lasted until Thursday, when my ‘unbreakable’ front mudguard broke in half, so mud was continually fired into my face and eyes. I was out, done.”

Then there was family life. Once his daughter was born, Brian went back to work at AMC until halfway through the winter it hit him – he hated the British weather. “My wife and I thought: ‘Why aren’t we in Southern California?’ So we went back.”

Brian became BSA Western’s assistant service manager, fettling both Triumphs and BSAs for the distribution company. “I was also importing Cheney frames to make some extra money, selling kits for Triumph 500s and BSA 441 Victors. Then a guy called me and said his name was William Colquhoun. I had no idea who he was [the managing director of BSA], and he said he was with another bloke called Dennis Poore [the boss of Norton].

“They asked me to start a new Norton distribution centre in Los Angeles. I wasn’t sure, because I liked my job, so I went to a hotel in Los Angeles to meet them and they were so infectiously enthusiastic that I agreed to be the new service manager.”

And so, on January 1, 1969, another chapter of Brian’s life started. “I worked my butt off because we were a small team, but Poore was great. There have been a lot of bad things said about him, but he didn’t have to buy Norton – the only reason he did was that he was an enthusiast. He used to come over to see us and he was great – a very smart man. I liked him.

“And we were successful. I built a Commando for Cycle magazine for a superbike shoot-out – and when it won, we sold a ton of bikes. Then we took on AJS. At about that time, motocross was just getting going in the States and I was the guy who knew all about it – how to lay out the tracks and so on.

“I started mentoring a lot of kids, getting them into the sport and eventually ran the AJS motocross team, made up of these youngsters. Some of them went on to ride for Husqvarna and the factory teams.”

“So,” I interrupt, “you introduced motocross to the USA?” Naturally Brian denies it, kind of… “People say I started it all, but that’s not quite right. All I did was help it along because I knew all about scrambles.”

And with that, he’s on to his next moment of motorcycling influence – how we fix bikes. When Norton went pop, Brian hooked up with a mate who worked for Clymer, the US workshop manual company. “Until then, they’d always done line drawings of engines, which I thought were awful, so I suggested they took photos of a Commando engine as I stripped it. That went down well, so I started doing tear-downs of other bikes – big road bikes, motocross machines, everything. I did that for many years from my own workshop, while I dabbled in selling Norton parts.”

With the format of manuals sorted, Brian moved on to museums. “One day I was at a motorcycle show in LA and I met a guy called Dave Mungenast who rode ISDTs with Malcolm Smith [of On Any Sunday fame], who was a mate. Dave ended up with eight massive Honda car dealerships around St Louis and asked me to buy classic bikes for him – he was dabbling in selling them – so I did. But the problem was he never actually sold any, so it ended up being a bloody museum. That led to me being approached by George Barber in Birmingham, who asked me to help get his collection up to scratch. He said: ‘I want to build the best motorcycle museum in the world,’ and I believed him, so I moved to Birmingham in 1995 and I’ve been there ever since.”

Brian was part of a team of six full-time bike restorers, pumping out incredible bikes until a total of 2000 were in the collection. “These days I go in one day a week and I share an office with Pierre Terblanche [the ex-Ducati designer responsible for the 888, Supermono and more]. Pierre works for the museum’s technology centre and is fantastic.”

I’m aware our time is up, and we haven’t even touched on some of the extraordinary bikes he’s restored, so instead I wonder if he’s finally got his dream job. “I’m happy, sure,” he says. “But I was probably happiest in my 20s when I was riding motocross. We were just a bunch of young guys without a care in the world – no credit cards, no phones, nothing. Lots of us worked at AMC – plenty were in maintenance, which meant they could steal whatever parts we needed. Mike Duff [GP winner, later Michelle], Peter Pawson [top TT racer], Hugh Anderson [four-time world champion]... and loads of other road racers.”

I splutter, frustrated that we have no time to talk about yet more extraordinary names. Brian, of course, just carries on: “And California was great too because it was all so new, and there was the beach, and I’d go down to Bud’s house and McQueen and Malcolm [Smith] would be there and we’d chat for hours. I met some lovely people...”

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BUYING GUIDE

The Yamaha V-Max is big, brawny and in your face. Here’s how to buy a lusty example of the original power cruiser

Words: GEZ KANE Photography: BAUER ARCHIVE

Yamaha’s VMX1200 was in a class of one when it arrived in 1985. The V-Max was an exotic dohc V4 with 145bhp on tap (in unrestricted US-market form) but it was no sports bike. Aimed at Stateside drag-strip lovers, it was all about explosive acceleration.

To boost the power delivered by the engine, sourced from its Venture Royale super-tourer, Yamaha devised the V-Boost intake management system. Kicking in at 6000rpm, it allows each cylinder to be fed by a pair of carburettors on its inlet stroke, by cunning use of servo-operated butterfly valves.

The effect was breath-takingly dramatic. ‘When you whack open the throttle on this machine, things start happening immediately,’ gushed Cycle World. ‘At about 3000rpm, the V-Max lunges forward with more low-rpm power than is available on any bike previously offered to the public... Another quarter-second and you reach what would be called the powerband on any other motorcycle, but is more like some kind of hyper-thrust on the V-Max.’

Whether or not the drag-strip posture and brash style appeal to you, do yourself a favour and beg a ride on a well-sorted full power V-Max. This fabulous two-wheeled hot-rod just might open your mind.

If you come to the V-Max from a sports bike or conventional roadster, it might take your mind and body a few miles to acclimatise to the low seat, footrests set a little bit further forward than you might expect, and the slight stretch to the high-mounted handlebars. But stick with it.

Rumbling through town, the Max is surprisingly docile and pulls from nothing. But get out of town and you’ll discover the exhilarating side to the bike that got period testers frothing. Find a decent stretch of straight road, launch the V-Max at the horizon and the oomph of the torquey engine is like a shove in the back from an Olympic shot-putter.

Keep the throttle wound open like you’re launching at Santa Pod and the V-Boost system kicks in, letting the V4 unleash its mighty 145bhp peak. It’s a massively impressive experience – if a couple of high-speed drag-style runs on a Max don’t leave you grinning, nothing will.

Of course, it doesn’t really handle or stop well. The suspension is pretty basic too, but who cares? The V-Max is all about what it is, not what it isn’t. This is a fast, exciting feel-good brute of a motorcycle that turns heads and makes every ride an event.

THE BIG QUESTION

Do you really need a full power bike?

Of course. While there are probably many V-Max owners with ‘restricted’ European and Japanese-market bikes who are very happy with their machines, you can’t beat the full-power versions, according to ‘H’ (Henry Doyle) from V-Max specialists Exactrep.

“The first, US-market 1985 machines are all full power,” he reveals. “Later revisions to the exhaust robbed a bit of that; you probably wouldn’t notice the slight drop. But European and Japanese-market bikes are a different matter. Neither European or Japanese machines have the V-Boost system fitted, which knocks between 40 and 50bhp [at the crank] off top-end power. You’ll notice that.

“Euro-market bikes can be retro-fitted with V-Boost, but it can be a struggle to find all the parts you’ll need to do it these days. And Japanese-market bikes are further restricted with a different CDI unit and a speedometer speed limiter. You’re better off finding a V-Boost-equipped bike in the first place. Interestingly, though, US-market bikes have a lower final-drive ratio – for quicker acceleration – but swapping to the European specification final-drive box will give you an extra 10-15mph top speed.”

What to look for

Engine

On V-Boost-equipped full-power machines, you should hear a whirring sound when you turn on the ignition as the V-Boost servo self-tests. A clicking sound indicates that the fuel pump is filling the carb float bowls and should stop after a short while. Ensure the engine starts and runs easily, ticks over evenly and doesn’t smoke. If looked after, it’s a very robust and strong unit capable of high mileages without major work. It’s worth noting that the engine does run fairly hot.

Oil pump

Generally not a problem if a bike has always been warmed up thoroughly before hard use, although the O-ring on the oil pump can pop out causing oil pressure to drop. Start the engine and check the oil level in the sight glass. It should drop to around the ‘low’ level mark after about 20 seconds. If it doesn’t, the oil is probably not getting to the top end of the engine. It’s a relatively simple job to replace the O-ring, but it means removing the exhaust and sump.

Transmission

Get a road test to ensure all is well with second gear. Some early models suffered with dropping out of second under load, caused by the dogs rounding off and slipping out of engagement. Change into second and get the revs over 6000rpm (when the V-Boost activates) to check. Enquire when the oil in the shaft final drive was changed, too – it’s easy for it to become a blind spot. A decent rule of thumb for the V-Max is to carry out this task every other engine oil change.

Electrics

Check the charging, because regulator/rectifier issues are common on early machines. An improved reg/rec was fitted from 1998 and is a big improvement. Modern replacements are readily available, though.

Suspension

The weight and power of the V-Max overwhelms its fairly basic suspension, and it won’t have improved with years and miles. The larger-diameter 1993-on forks offer some improvement, but new progressive springs are a good idea too. Fitting a decent set of modern shocks will also help.

Brakes

Not really a match for the performance of that wonderful engine, despite the use of vented discs. Post-’92 bikes have better, four-piston front calipers and there are kits to upgrade to more modern calipers and discs on the market, too.

RESOURCES

Exactrep

The UK’s go-to V-Max specialist. Parts, upgrades, repairs and servicing. exactrep.com

Fowlers

Long-established Yamaha parts specialist lists plenty of V-Max parts. fowlersparts.co.uk

Brook Suspension

Rebuild service for V-Max forks and a wide selection of suspension parts for the model too. brooksuspension.co.uk

V-Max Forum

A wealth of online knowledge on V-Max matters. vmaxforum.net

Morley’s Muscle

US V-Max specialist. Tuning parts and useful how-to videos on their website. morleysmuscle.com

MODEL HISTORY

1985 The VMX1200 (immediately known as the V-Max) is launched – initially in the American market. Its radical hot-rod styling is coupled with a V-Boost-assisted 145bhp dohc V4 engine.

1986 Exhaust outlet modified, although power output remains the same. A detuned 104bhp version (without V-Boost) is introduced in the European market.

1987 No US-market models released due to surplus 1986 models remaining in stock.

1988 The V-Max returns to the US market with redesigned wheels and remains on sale in Europe.

1990 Digital electronic ignition is fitted.

1991 Quieter exhaust and revised cams on European bikes (95bhp but with slightly increased torque). The V-Max is officially introduced in the UK – though in restricted form.

1993 43mm forks fitted (up from 40mm). Improved, four-pot front brake calipers & larger 298mm discs.

1996 Cartridge-type oil filter fitted. UK models now full power.

1999 Gearchange segment redesigned to address issues with the earlier type failing. Redesigned oil pump O-ring and seating.

2000 No further significant upgrades to the V-Max until first-gen model is discontinued in the UK in 2004 and all markets in 2007.

2007 Last year of production for the 1198cc V-Max in all markets.

Which to buy, what to pay…

From the glory days of Triumph twins through the rise of Japanese performance stretchers like the Kawasaki Z1 and H2, American motorcycle tastes and culture have been in thrall to flat-out straight-line acceleration. And this is obvious in the V-Max’s mechanical DNA.

That’s why you really need a full power model. This means a US, Canadian, or 1996-on (frame number 2EN 042101 onwards) UK machine.

European-market models, without the V-Boost system fitted, can be converted to full power – but make sure you get proof that it’s been done properly (including taking it to 6000rpm and beyond on a test ride) before parting with your cash. Japanese-market models also come without V-Boost and are further electronically restricted to 180kph (around 112mph) and are probably best avoided.

The good news is that full-power bikes turn up for sale relatively frequently. What’s more, asking prices don’t seem to average any more than restricted bikes – and all versions of the drag strip refugee are more affordable now than in recent years.

Slightly scruffy machines in good running order crop up at anything over £2000, while a really tidy-looking bike might make around £4000. That’s not bad for a motorcycle that retains a lively cult following and still has the performance to make you gasp. There also seem to be a fair few bikes with remarkably low (claimed) mileage. That’s perhaps because quite a few are US imports that didn’t cover anything like typical UK bike annual mileage during their early years. Ask for verification on mileage claims, though.

Ideally, go for a 1993-on US-market bike or an unrestricted post-’95 UK model. That way you’ll get the (slightly) beefier 43mm forks and moderately improved front brakes. Buy on condition, verified mileage and confirmed full-power status, and enjoy one of motorcycling’s genuinely iconic machines for less than the price of an average Honda CB400 or a tatty Kawasaki Z1000.

PRICE GUIDE

• Mint £4000-5000

• Good £2500-3500

• Project £1000-2000

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EVENTS - JUNE

This year’s International Six Days Enduro – originally known as the International Six Days Trail – will be the 100th running of the historic event. We’ve dug these ISDT pictures from across the eras out of the archives – and you can retrace the 1926 event with the VMCC this June

Words MARK GRAHAM Photography LAT IMAGES, AUTOCAR, BAUER

1926, Great Britain

The first ISDT, held in Carlisle in 1913, was won by the British team. This is the Peak District in 1926, and the camara lies, because this climb is way steeper than it appears. The loose surface is giving BMW two-wheeler department director Rudolf Schleicher some grief as he goes for the tighter line instead of keeping more momentum up with a wider arc. One has to doff a tweed cap to any boss who dives into competition with his own wares in an international arena. Schleicher, who won a gold medal in 1926, was described in an account at the time as ‘an outstanding rider on many of the hills. Never looked worried.’ Given how tough that year’s ISDT was, that is surely some compliment.

1933, Wales

It might look a little pedestrian by the standards of some stages, but you can bet your sweet bippy these boys and girls are giving it the full do. This is 1933, when the ISDT was based in Wales but the ‘speed trial’ day was at Donington Park. This is the Hairpin (before it became ‘Old’), with the startline on the way back up Craner Curves towards Hollywood. This was the year before the Melbourne Loop was added; Redgate was a tight right-hander roughly in the middle of the current paddock, the track then sweeping past Redgate Lodge (where the gamekeeper lived) into Hollywood. Check out how many trees stand in that glorious parkland. Timber was not an issue. Well, it was if you barrelled into a mature Wellingtonia. The chaps in white overalls are the Trophy-winning German team.

1938, Wales

German team members give their machines a once-over after unloading at Southampton docks. Look at the rider on machine number 71 and the bloke standing next to him. The SS insignia of the Schutzstaffel is clear to see. The 1938 edition was again held at Llandrindod Wells, and anyone who has ever been trail riding in Wales will immediately register that this ISDT was a tough one. The British team prevailed, having also won the 1936 and 1937 events.

1961, Wales

Observed by nosy boys, the victorious Italian Trophy team prepare their neat, purposeful Moto Guzzi 250 Lodola Regolaritas (‘regolarita’ meaning regularity, as in regularity trial, ie ISDT). In another Welsh ISDT, the favourite Landrindod Wells is again the venue. Those factory Lodola Regolaritas were very handy machines, weighing in at 115kg wet and producing 17bhp at 7500rpm. The fact they’re not all in bits strewn over the ground, as many rivals would have been, tells you all you need to know about their dependability. Hollywood stuntman Bud Ekins (star of the fabled Great Escape jump) rode a Triumph 650 in this event, while Brit Alan Kimber entered on a Lambretta Rallymaster – essentially a scooter with knobblies.

1951, Italy

Olga Kevelos, from Birmingham, astride a Parilla in the 1951 ISDT at Varese in Italy. Kevelos began riding at 23 and entered the 1949 ISDT on a 350cc AJS. She rode to San Remo, Italy, on the Ajay and two days into the event broke a wrist and ankle in a crash. She rode back to Britain in two plaster casts. In the 1951 event she knocked out two teeth in a prang, and the CZ factory were so impressed with her grit and skill that they sent two machines to Britain for her. She was a regular Scottish Six Days Trial competitor and also drove Norton Manx-engined Formula 3 cars for Cyril Kieft and Rex McCandless. If that wasn’t enough of a list of achievements, she was also a contender on the TV quiz Mastermind in 1978, her specialist subject being Genghis Khan, ruler of the 13th century Mongol Empire. She died in 2009, aged 86.

1963, Czechoslovakia

Boris Dresvanikov, Eddie Crooks and CB Sharp paddle their CZ and Jawa machines in the event at Spindleruv Mlyn. The going is as heavy as it gets without being impassable. Star of the event was another doughty British woman rider, Mary Driver, who had to swim for her life when she slid off her 250 Greeves into a fast-flowing river. And yet she still managed a bronze medal award. German ace Sebastian Nachtmann, riding a trick 594cc BMW R69, scored perfect marks in the 11 special tests. The ’63 event was not thought especially taxing by Czech standards. One would hate to see any sections considered challenging…

1967, Poland

Tarmac special tests were rarely a problem for German ace Rolf Witthoeft. Here at Zakopane, Poland, in the 1967 event, he drifts his 100cc Hercules on knobblies on asphalt with the measured determination that made him a five-time German National Enduro Champion and a five-time European Enduro Champion. He also competed in road races, most memorably when he smoked his class at the famous Bremerhaven Dock races on cobbles. He simply took the knobblies off his factory Zundapp motocross machine, fitted race tyres and won. Nobody even saw which way he went.

1968, Italy

Lars Hansen works on his Husqvarna clutch in San Pellegrino, Italy. Fixing your own machine was a huge element of making it to the finish. If you could not twirl spanners to a high degree of efficiency, you were unlikely to make it through. Jury-rigging broken components was another valuable skill. American Bud Ekins would try to use one set of tyres for the whole six days, reckoning that if his knobblies wore down to the correct degree by day six he’d have more rubber on the road and get more grip on the later tarmac stages of the event. He won four gold medals and a silver across his ISDT career.

1974, Italy

The 1974 ISDT in Camerino, Italy, is still regarded as one of the toughest. In hot and bone-dry conditions, tyre wear became a huge problem. US rider Jim Hollander on a Rokon changed a total of nine tyres over the six days, the stoppages eventually costing him a gold medal. Pictured is British entrant Dave Thorpe riding a 250cc Ossa. The rugged conditions challenged riders and machines to the maximum, resulting in a record number of retirements – nearly half the field. Riding 200 miles a day over six days across all manner of terrain is hard enough; in broiling temperatures, it becomes dangerously difficult.

1977, Czechoslovakia

You know it’s a horrible section – the crowd lining the route and perching in trees tells the story. This is the 1977 event in Považská Bystrica, which at the time was in Czechoslovakia, but since 1993 has been in Slovakia. The Czechs had a reputation for hosting difficult ISDTs – and this, the 52nd edition, was torture. The routes were steep, boulder-strewn and mercilessly long, and the time requirements unfeasibly tight. Not only that, but the wily Czechs had been practising hard in their own back yard (unlawful, but a frequent occurrence), and the results were almost a foregone conclusion – Team Trophy: Czechoslovakia; Silver Vase: Czechoslovakia.

1980, France

The 55th and last ISDT in 1980 before it became the ISDE (International Six Days Enduro) was held in Brioude, in the Auvergne region of France’s Massif Central. British rider Alan Brick paddles his two-stroke SWM across one of the fast-flowing rivers in the valleys that characterise this area. Machines had become more reliable, but ISDT discipline was still verging on the inhumane. It’s worth noting that BMW won the unlimited ISDT classes in 1979 and 1980 with the R80 G/S, the grandfather of the modern adventure bike. Not that Alan would be wanting one of those to escort across a slimy river floor.

Relive the 1926 ISDT

Great Britain hosted four consecutive ISDTs from 1925-1928, and the VMCC is running centenary commemoration events for each. After last year’s successful first bash, the second in the series will be hosted by the North Staffordshire section and takes place on June 17 in Buxton, just like the original 1926 event. The Pavilion Gardens will provide the setting, with 100 bikes embarking on a full day riding sections of the original 600-mile Peak District route (although you’re unlikely to tackle that same hill as Rudolf Schleicher). What a glorious day out. northstaff.vmcc.net

June

Races, places & events for this summer

JUNE 6-7

5-7 Cantabria Tour, Northern Spain.
Organised by the guys who run the Piston Rally (see September), this is a shorter tour, open to younger classics up to 1995 and retro-styled bikes. mcpiston.com

6 Run What Ya Brung, Santa Pod Raceway, Podington, Wellingborough,
Northamptonshire. Is your Triumph really quicker than your mate’s BSA? This is the place to find out. rwyb.co.uk

6 Beaulieu Bikers’ Day, National Motor Museum, New Forest, Hampshire.
Motorcycles of all ages welcome. beaulieu.co.uk

6 Rufforth Autojumble, Rufforth Park, Rufforth, North Yorkshire.
rufforthautojumble.com

6 The Rutland Rattle, Ketton Scout Hall, Ketton, Rutland.
Tiddler run around the lanes of Rutland for under-250cc pre-80 machines. Great fun, but be warned – there’s over 4500ft of climbing on this year’s route. vmcc-slandp.co.uk

6-7 VMCC Banbury Run, The British Motor Museum, Gaydon, Warwickshire.
The world’s premier riding event for vintage machines. For this year, there’s an informal run – ‘The Cranbury Run’ which is open to post-vintage machines too – on the day before the main event. Give yourself time to check out the autojumble, too. banbury-run.co.uk

6-7 The Shetland Classic Motor Show and Tours, Clickimin Leisure Complex, Lerwick.
Classic bikes are a significant part of this biennial event. It’s a great excuse to see one of the most far-flung corners of the UK on a classic. Organised motorcycle runs on the Monday and Tuesday following the show. shetlandclassic motorshow.co.uk

6-7 Motofest Coventry, West Midlands.
Help celebrate the contribution of the city to the British motorcycle industry, with a dedicated motorcycle section. coventrymotofest.com

7 VJMC and Japanese Bike Bonanza, Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire.
sammymiller.co.uk

7 Northamptonshire Classic and Performance Motor Show, Deene Park, Corby, Northamptonshire.
A new venue for this combined classic car, bike and truck show. greatbritishmotorshows.com

7 Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire.
newarkautojumble.co.uk

8 BRIMBO Bike Meet Autojumble & Bike Show, Lophams Playing Field, Diss, Norfolk.
Initially founded for British bike fans, the club now welcomes all makes and nationalities of machines to their annual summer shindig. brimbo.co.uk

8 Newark Autojumble, Newark Showground, Nottinghamshire.
newarkaoutojumble.co.uk

10-14 Wheels and Waves Motorcycle Festival, Cité De l’Océan, Biarritz, France.
A jaw-dropping mix of bikes, surfing, skateboarding and madcap partying. Don’t miss the vintage enduro, hill climb and flat track racing. wheels-and-waves.com

13 Daventry Motorcycle Festival, Daventry town centre, Northamptonshire.
Now the biggest event in the town by far. Loads of classics in among the modern bikes and the VJMC usually put on a good display. daventrybikefest.co.uk

13-14 Sportsman Nationals, Santa Pod Raceway, Podington, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire.
The headline Nostalgia classes are the ones to watch for classic bike fans, but the whole weekend should be a blast. santapod.co.uk

13-14 British Historic Racing Championships, Pembrey Circuit, Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.
Rounds five and six as the championship head to Wales. britishhistoricracing.co.uk

14 Lake District Classic and Performance Motor Show, Hutton in the Forest, Penrith, Cumbria.
Classic bikes and cars mingle happily in a splendid setting. greatbritishmotorshow. com

14 Rickman Day, Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire.
Sammy and friends celebrate all things Rickman with the help of special guest Don Rickman. All Rickman-framed bikes welcome. sammymiller.co.uk

14 West Somerset Motorcycle Show and Autojumble, Minehead Barbarian Rugby Club, Minehead, Somerset.
Classic bikes as far as the eye can see, plus trade and autojumble stands galore. bikefest24.co.uk

17 VMCC 1926 ISDT Centenary Commemoration, The Pavilion Gardens, Buxton, Derbyshire.
Join the club celebrating the 100th anniversary of the 1926 event and tackle some of the original 600-mile route around the Peak District used back then. northstaff.vmcc. net/1926-ISDT-Centenary

18-21 Indian Riders Fest 26 Special Edition, Lipno and Vltavou, Czech Republic.
Mark Indian’s 125th anniversary with a road trip to this event. indianriderfest.eu

19-21 British Superbikes, Knockhill Circuit, Fife.
Round three of the series. britishsuperbike.com

19-29 The Great Malle Rally, GB and Ireland.
From the very southern tip to the very northern tip of the country, the 2500-mile route makes for a great ride. Plenty of classics will be tackling it. malle.com

20-21 Barry Sheene Classic, Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
Classic and modern bikes do battle at mainland Britain’s only real road circuit. It’s an amazing spectacle. oliversmount.com

20-21 The Great Yarmouth Wheels Festival, Yarmouth Seafront, Great Yarmouth.
Classic bikes and cars take over the seafront for the weekend – and admission is free. visitgreatyarmouth.co.uk

21 Father’s Day Classic Car and Motorcycle Show and Autojumble, Castle Howard near Malton, North Yorkshire.
Bikes and cars – trade and autojumble. Go on, treat your dad to a day out. classicshows.org

21 Father’s Day Motor Show and Autojumble, Ragley Hall, Alcester, Warwickshire.
A busy weekend for the Classic Shows crew. Usually around 50 or so classic bikes on show here. classicshows.org

21 Harley-Davidson Meet, Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum, Bashley, New Milton, Hampshire.
Awards for oldest bike ridden in and best in show. sammymiller.co.uk

25-28 Adventure Bike Rider Festival, Ragley Hall, Warwickshire.
This has rapidly become a huge event. Though its core theme is big adventure machines, there have been plenty of older classic trail and adventure bikes in attendance over the last few years. It’s a great weekend too, with riding, live music, good food and a proper festival vibe. Camping available – make a weekend of it. abrfestival.com

26-28 Dragstalgia, Santa Pod Raceway, Podington, Wellingborough, Northants.
A weekend dedicated to drag racing, hot rods, bikes and partying. Bike classes on the strip include Old School Stockers and a National Sprint Association historic bike shootout. You can run you own bike on the strip too – but you’ll have to get in quick. dragstalgia.co.uk

27-28 Longleat Motor Show Weekend, Longleat, Wiltshire.
Classic bikes and cars take over the lawns of the well-known stately home. Do watch out for the lions, though. greatbritishmotorshows.com

28 Romney Marsh Classic Bikejumble, Hamstreet, near Ashford, Kent.
This is one of the best autojumbles in the south – trust us. Cash spot prizes for best (pre-80) classic and best post-classic bikes too. elkpromotions.co.uk

28 Autojumble, Squires Café, Sherburn in Elmet, West Yorkshire.
A full English and an autojumble. What could be better? squires-café.com

28 VMCC Herefordshire On the Edge Run.
Hugely popular road run through the lanes of Herefordshire. Any bike over 25 years old is welcome to take part and you don’t even have to be a VMCC member to take part. herefordmidwalesvmcc. org

29 Cassington Bike Night, Cassington, Between Oxford and Witney, Oxfordshire.
One of the original, biggest and best bike nights. Often up to 10,000 attend, with hundreds of classics on show. Brighten up you Monday evening. cassingtonbikenight.wordpress.com

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