British Motorcycles Of The 1960s And 70s

For the first half of the twentieth century, Great Britain led the world in motorcycle design and production, exporting its products to countries all over the globe. However, by 1960 this once-great industry had fallen into what was to be a terminal decline. During the 1960s and '70s Britain still manufactured a wide range of machines, but a combination of poor management, lack of investment, foreign competition (notably from Japan), and the arrival of the small, affordable car conspired to sound the death knell for most British motorcycles by the end of the 1970s. Mick Walker uses a host of colourful illustrations to explore the models produced by British companies and their foreign competitors, and explains what the industry did to fight its ultimate demise.

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.

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.

In the modern era, mass-produced motorcycles tend to be Japanese or Italian, with the ‘big four’ oriental manufacturers dominating the market. However, this wasn’t always the case. Until the 1950s, and even into the ’60s, British makers such as Scott, Rudge, BSA, Norton and Vincent ruled the roost. These legendary companies sold their bikes around the world, winning racing championships and setting speed records as they went. They, and many smaller British firms like them, are motorcycling’s founding companies. This is the story of those pioneering firms, whose engineers – many self-taught ­­– were fired by racing ambition, commercial rivalry, patriotic duty and, above all, a passion for innovation. Superbly illustrated with over 150 colour pictures, many previously unpublished, Classic British Motorcycles is a captivating and highly informative account of the men, machines, race meetings and world events that shaped the development of the motorcycle from its bicycle origins. Illustrtations: colour photographs throughout

A-Z Guide to British Motorcycles 1930-70 By C Ayton From the 1930Æs to the 1970Æs

Please note that many of the reprints found on internet websites are from 'bedroom sellers' at enticingly low prices by individuals that really have no idea what they are selling. Many are nothing more than poor quality, comb-bound photocopies that are scanned and published complete with greasy pages and thumbprints included. In addition, they are often advertised for the incorrect series and/or model years of motorcycles. Conversely, VelocePress.com has been publishing reprints of motorcycle and automobile manuals since 2003 and our publications have earned excellent reviews worldwide so you can be assured you are purchasing a quality product. 198 pages with more than 150 illustrations charts and diagrams, size 8.25 x 10.75 inches. A previously unpublished manual from the Floyd Clymer archives. This manual is a compilation of original factory publications that include the working principals, maintenance, repair, trouble-shooting and testing of Lucas electronic equipment as utilized by the major British motorcycle manufacturers including: A.J.S., B.S.A., Matchless, Norton, Royal Enfield and Triumph. The factory 'repair and service' publications included are as follows: Maintenance instructions for "Electric Lighting and Ignition equipment" and "Alternating Current Equipment" both of which are applicable to the 1950's (and earlier *) through 1960's machines, plus the "Motor Cycle Service Manual" for the 1970's and later models. The compilation of these three publications basically covers machines constructed from the early 50's up to the unfortunate demise of the British motorcycle industry in the late 70's. Component maintenance, repair and test data for both 6 volt, and 12 volt, singles, twins and triple cylinder machines are covered and include: Dynamo, Magneto (both face cam and ring cam) Distributor, Coil, Contact Breaker, Battery, Head Lamp, Tail Lamp, Horn, Alternator, Rectifier, Starter Motor, etc. There are also 10 pages of typical wiring diagrams. In addition, there are two motorcycle "Electric and Suspension Parts" catalogs included that cover 1960 through 1977 Lucas equipped motorcycles. While their primary intention was to provide appropriate Lucas part numbers by motorcycle manufacturer and model, they are of considerable importance during any restoration project, as they serve as a comprehensive parts interchange reference by comparing component part numbers utilized by the various motorcycle manufacturers. As can be expected from any factory publication, there is adequate detailed text and diagrams making this compilation an invaluable resource for owners and restorers of Lucas equipped motorcycles and we are pleased to be able to offer this reprint as a service to all Lucas equipped British motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide. * Owners of earlier models are directed to our publication "The Book of 1930's British Motorcycle Carburetters and Electrical Components" ISBN 9781588501837