Hold on tight, because if you like your vintage motorbikes and think modern machines lack a bit of character, you’re in for a treat with this picture selection.
It harks back to a time before the Japanese invasion and is a reminder of the rich motorcycle heritage of Wolverhampton and Britain generally. AJS, Ariel, Scott... they are names to resonate down the ages.
Today those of that special breed who prefer two wheels to four continue to enjoy the sensations and freedoms of motorcycle motoring which have always been an attraction, while benefiting from advances in technology and safety.
So take your seat and rev up for a trip down motorcycling memory lane.
- Missed our gallery from 1975? Take a look at all 63 pictures here.
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9. A two-wheeled treasure, buried under rubbish
When two antique dealers sorted through a pile of rubbish in 1972 they found underneath a 1928 Sunbeam 350cc - a Rolls-Royce among bikes. For enthusiasts Bob and Richard Johnson - Richard is shown trying the bike for size - it was the find of a lifetime. They ran the Treasure Chest antique business in Bearwood and found the bike after a man asked them to look through a garage. At first he was unwilling to sell, but after eight months let it go for £75, which was a bargain. Both Bob and Richard were members of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club. They discovered that the bike had been off the road since 1934 and were trying to trace its two previous owners. | Express & Star archive
10. Royal Enfield at the ready
Despite the evidence of the registration letters, this 3hp Royal Enfield dated from 1916. Mr J G Boulton, of Wombourne, was about to ride it in the sixth annual Oxford to Banbury run organised by the Vintage Motor Cycle Club in June 1954. | Express & Star archive
11. Started first time
Walter Edge astride his 1928 long-stroke Sunbeam outside his home in Lanesfield in January 1967. He travelled to and fro to work on this machine every day, and it always started first kick. He was the toolroom superintendent at motor pressings, John Thompson's, Ettingshall. Walter was a member of the Vintage Motor Cycle Club and his Sunbeam was still capable of drumming up to 70mph and would cheerfully roll on for 70 miles on just one gallon of petrol. | Express & Star archive
12. Great Scott
Premier award winner at the VMCC rally which started from the Fighting Cocks, Wolverhampton in May 1967 was this superb example of a 1912 Scott two-stroke, owned by John Lyall, of Bromsgrove. Shortly before he had turned down an offer of £1,000 for this machine. | Express & Star archive