Historic Motorcycle Reviews and Features | MCNews.com.au

The Vincent Black Lightning is the rarest of the rare – Motorcycle History

Phil Aynsley — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 01:10:38 +0000

Vincent Black Lightning Vincents have always been sought-after motorcycles, and probably the most desirable of them all are Black Lightnings. Only 31 were built by the factory in the period from 1948 to 1952. They were available to order race machines based on the Black Shadow top of the line road bike and featured such […]

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1957 MV Agusta 500/4 – The rarest MV Agusta

Phil Aynsley — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 01:35:27 +0000

1957 MV Agusta 500/4 This 1957 MV Agusta 500/4 is a rare beast indeed – one of only two thought to still exist (of four built). It is a part of the late Ubaldo Elli’s collection. While the the company’s famous 500/4 appeared in 1950 it wasn’t until 1956 that they achieved their first 500 […]

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Paloma 50 cc Moped offered charming simplicity

Phil Aynsley — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 02:01:16 +0000

Paloma 50 Moped With Phil Aynsley Paloma mopeds were originally manufactured by the French Humbolt company, beginning in 1953 and using Lavalette 49 cc two-stroke motors. Their first sports mopeds appeared in 1958 at the Paris Salon. The range later included models with capacities up to 123 cc and Rene Gillet motors. In 1970, after […]

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Ducati MH900e – The Mike Hailwood 900 Evoluzione

Phil Aynsley — Fri, 14 Mar 2025 03:20:39 +0000

Ducati MH900e – Mike Hailwood 900 Evoluzione With Phil Aynsley This motorcycle history feature takes us back to a New Year’s Day 25 years ago to take a look at the first motorcycle to be offered for sale directly by a major manufacturer via the internet – the Ducati MH900e (Mike Hailwood 900 Evoluzione). The bike […]

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1962 Aermacchi 250 Ala d’Oro DS – Motorcycle History

Phil Aynsley — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 23:45:57 +0000

1962 Aermacchi 250 Ala d’Oro DS With Phil Aynsley Aermacchi’s first four-stroke model was the 1956 175 cc Chimera. The OHV motor was soon used for competition in the form of the 1957 175 Ala d’Oro (Golden Wing). This produced 16 hp at 8000 rpm and went on to be the main competition to Morini’s […]

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80th Anniversary of Pitmans Motorcycles – A history of Australian motorcycle industry stalwart

Motorcycle News — Fri, 14 Feb 2025 03:21:34 +0000

Pitmans Motorcycles By Colin Gitsham Congratulations Pitmans Motorcycles on 80 years of consistent quality and passionate service to the motorcycling community of Australia, but in particular, South Australia. We locals here in South Australia know the name Pitmans Motorcycles well. However, older motorcyclists—myself included—recognise just how much this legendary family has contributed to our beloved […]

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Royal Enfield Flying Flea FF-C6 spied undergoing on road testing

Trev — Wed, 29 Jan 2025 13:40:09 +0000

Royal Enfield Flying Flea FF-C6 At EICMA last year, Royal Enfield unveiled Flying Flea, a new brand dedicated to its future electric motorcycles. With a long-standing legacy in the motorcycle industry, the company is now expanding into the electric segment, marking a significant step in its evolution. The first two models under the Flying Flea […]

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Irving Vincent P5 two-valve 1300 cc racer

Phil Aynsley — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 21:10:39 +0000

Irving Vincent 1300 Two-Valve Racer Here is a bike well known to Aussie race-goers, although possibly not as well recognised elsewhere – the Irving Vincent. Seen here in 1300 cc form at the 2016 Phillip Island Classic. The Horner brothers have built at least 18 of their machines (including sidecars) over the years to compete […]

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A brief history of Laverda twins before focussing on the final 750S Formula

Phil Aynsley — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 00:53:56 +0000

Laverda 750S Formula Laverda’s proud history basically came to an end with this final model – the 750S Formula, after which the company was acquired by Aprilia in 2000 – who in turn were bought by Piaggio four years later, and they have shown no interest in reviving the name. The parallel-twin’s engine design dates back to […]

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The F.B Mondial 1000 Piega – An interesting tale…

Phil Aynsley — Thu, 09 Jan 2025 03:16:26 +0000

Mondial 1000 Piega It is perhaps a little known fact that among the first competition bikes you see in Honda’s Collection Hall at Motegi is a 1956 F.B. Mondial 125 Bialbero. This has a very strong bearing on the bike we will look at in this column – a 2003 Mondial 1000 Piega. I have […]

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Moto Guzzi 500 Bialbero GP Racer

Phil Aynsley — Tue, 07 Jan 2025 22:43:50 +0000

Moto Guzzi 500 Bialbero GP Racer With Phil Aynsley The 1957 version of the 500 Bialbero (DOHC) GP racer was basically the same bike as its smaller 350cc sibling (link) apart from the bore/stroke and the use of a larger 50 mm carburettor. The extremely light weight of 100 kg meant that the motor’s 48 […]

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The Pantah that started it all – the Ducati 500SL Pantah

Phil Aynsley — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 23:33:16 +0000

Ducati 500SL Pantah With Phil Aynsley A few columns ago, I covered the final Pantah model – the 650SL; here, we will take a look at the first iteration. Dr Fabio Taglioni had originally drawn up plans for what would become the 500SL Pantah back in 1971, but the company’s management wasn’t interested and went […]

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Lambretta 48 Moped – Precursor to the Lambrettino

Phil Aynsley — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 03:55:21 +0000

Lambretta 48 Moped With Phil Aynsley Lambretta is very well known for its range of scooters but the company also made a highly successful range of mopeds as well. The 48 moped was produced over several series from 1955 until it was superseded by the 39 cc Lambrettino in 1966. The 48 used a 47.75 […]

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Ducati 650SL Pantah – Motorcycle History

Phil Aynsley — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 02:30:32 +0000

Ducati 650SL Pantah With Phil Aynsley Fabio Taglioni’s Pantah series of bikes were of great consequence – from their beginnings in 1977 through to when the basic engine design was replaced by the Superquadro motor that appeared in the 2011 Panigale. I’ll cover the initial models in a later column but for now I’ll take […]

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Vincent HRD Meteor 500 TT Single

Phil Aynsley — Sat, 28 Dec 2024 23:25:42 +0000

Vincent HRD Meteor 500 TT Replica With Phil Aynsley Although the name ‘Vincent’ is widely associated with 1000cc V-twin motorcycles, its early single-cylinder models are less well known. Philip Vincent actually started by buying the defunct HRD company (less the manufacturing space), from OK-Supreme in Birmingham after they acquired HRD for that company’s factory. HRD […]

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1978 Laverda 1200 Mirage – Motorcycle History

Phil Aynsley — Fri, 27 Dec 2024 23:04:48 +0000

1978 Laverda 1200 Mirage With Phil Aynsley In a previous column I looked at the prototype Laverda 1000C (link) that was first shown in 1971. Here I take a look at an unrestored 1978 1200 Mirage from about half way through the triple’s production life (which ended in 1986). Like the 1000 Jota, the Mirage […]

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The origins of Maserati Motorcycles – Motorcycle History

Phil Aynsley — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 01:07:11 +0000

Maserati Motorcycles With Phil Aynsley In 1952 Adolfo Orsi split up his company between his siblings with sister Ida taking control of FCAM which produced electrical components, notably spark plugs. The following year she bought the Italmoto company and rebranded their motorcycles as Maseratis. It wasn’t long however until newly designed Maseratis replaced the old […]

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Rumi’s first motorcycle – the 125 Turismo

Phil Aynsley — Sun, 22 Dec 2024 22:03:43 +0000

Rumi 125 Turismo With Phil Aynsley I have covered some of Rumi’s race bikes in previous columns (Rumi Formichino & Rumi’s Junior Racer) but here I thought we can look at its first motorcycle – the 125 Turismo of 1950. A brief recap: the company was originally established in the early 1900s to produce cast […]

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The Ducati 900SS powered Bimota DB4

Phil Aynsley — Thu, 05 Dec 2024 03:56:29 +0000

Bimota DB4 With Phil Aynsley After the company restructure forced upon Bimota after the disaster of the 500 cc V-due (see: Bimota 500 V-Due | The bike that brought down Bimota) they once again (after similar financial problems were averted by the DB1) turned to Ducati to power their next model – the 1999 DB4. […]

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Honda unveil new boosted V3 powerplant at EICMA

Trev — Tue, 05 Nov 2024 20:55:39 +0000

Honda talks boost! Honda has sprung a surprise overnight at EICMA with an all-new 75-degree V3 engine enhanced by an electric compressor showcased in what they call the ICE Concept bike. Unlike traditional turbos driven by exhaust gases, this compressor is powered by an electric motor and positioned directly in front of the airbox. This […]

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Shell Masters Series – Oran Park 1995 through the lens of Phil Aynsley

Phil Aynsley — Wed, 02 Oct 2024 20:49:40 +0000

Shell Masters Series Oran Park 1995 With Phil Aynsley Here is a collection of images from the 1995 Oran Park round of the Shell Masters Series – nostalgia, anyone? For more nostalgia check out Phil Aynsley’s galleries from Bathurst (link). Shell Masters Series Oran Park 1995 Race Results Mat Mladin – Team Kawasaki ZXR Kirk […]

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Moto Guzzi revived the P250 as the Airone in 1939

Phil Aynsley — Tue, 01 Oct 2024 22:54:16 +0000

Moto Guzzi Airone With Phil Aynsley Moto Guzzi is well known for its V-twins of course but go back a bit further and its horizontal singles were the company’s signature models. While the 500 cc bikes took most of the attention their smaller capacity machines also had a following. The 246cc Airone (Heron, a link […]

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The Australian-made Invincible JAP

Phil Aynsley — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 06:15:23 +0000

The Australian-made Invincible J.A.P. With Phil Aynsley An Australian motorcycle that was promoted as being “An All-British Achievement in Motorcycle Building”. Times have changed! The Turner Brothers dealership in Swanston St. Melbourne lost their Harley-Davidson agency in 1922 and were in need of a large capacity motorcycle to sell – enter the Invincible Jap. The […]

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The Honda CB900F Bol d’Or succeeded the CB750

Ian Falloon — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 00:09:15 +0000

Honda CB900F Bol d’Or With Ian Falloon While Honda initiated the revolution that saw the four-cylinder motorcycle predominate, by the mid-1970s, their single overhead camshaft CB750 was no longer king. In 1972 Kawasaki’s Z1 took over from Honda’s CB750, and soon Suzuki and Yamaha had double overhead camshaft fours. But these were all two-valve cylinder […]

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