A miscellany of motor cycling musings, milestones and memorabilia

motorcyclingmemories.com is devoted to that most magnificent of obsessions, the motorcycle. At its heart is a constantly growing timeline, tracing the pre-history and history of motorcycles and motorcycling, backed up by a selection of historical reviews and essays which I hope you'll find informative. You'll also find a toothsome selection of touring yarns, technical stories, roadtests, letters, hints and tips, cartoons, even poems which have lain neglected for, in some cases, more than 100 years.

In my youth I was lucky enough to work on The Motor Cycle, known to generations of enthusiasts as the Blue 'Un, in its final incarnation as Motor Cycle Weekly. Reading ancient magazines and newspapers grew from a casual pastime into an obsession and one purpose of this site is to preserve the memory and spirit of the The Motor Cycle and its arch rival Motor Cycling (the Green 'Un) – magazines that were born almost as soon as the industry itself and flourished with it. Through their pages riders and designers over the past century speak to us directly; they have some wonderful tales to tell. Old newspapers and general interest magazines have also proved a fascinating source of motorcycling memorabilia. It's a quest that has taken me down some obscure byways and uncovered many tales worth preserving.

If you have any comments/additions/corrections I'll be happy to hear from you at motorcyclingmemories@googlemail.com

Enjoy!
Dave Richmond

Sometimes it's best to leave well alone. Having got the M21 through another MoT I had a go at adjusting the head bearings. Now she's off the road till I get hold of a new adjuster sleeve and top nut. Cross threaded... doh! Here's a list of some recent additions to the site.
25 December 2010: Hints and tips – More tips from over a century ago – and looking forward to achieving 50mph.
21 January 2011: Humour – Here's a yarn from 1928 that can only be described as barking mad.
30 March 2011: History – Scroll down for a 1909 roadtest of a Wilkinson Sword TAC in-line four... and find out why the tester helped turn his photographer's outfit upside down!
1 April 2011: Poetry – and of you scroll down to the bottom you'll find a warning about the perils of drink driving (and cows).
20 May: History – Ixion gets a plaque, so take his advice and hug your Teddy!
25 June: Hints and tips – No-one likes speed freaks, and they have always been with us...


Flying bike, pictured in Motor Cycling (the Green 'Un) in 1910. In those days the sky really was the limit.