Go Girder

Just lately we’ve been talking about vintage vehicles and the joy of riding pre-war motorcycles. In RC188, Ace Tester Miles gave us a crash course (not literally) in the fine art of living with a vintage bike, of getting to grips with hand-change gearboxes, flat tanks, manual lubrication and all that jazz.

Then last month Reg Eyre talked us though his stable of pioneer lightweights – which, if I’m being totally honest, look rather more like bicycles than motorbikes to me! Meanwhile Jacqueline PUB Bickerstaff has got her veteran Invicta ready to ride, so look out for an attractive miasma of two-stroke blue smoke tagging along behind her this summer.

All of the above come with a few disadvantages as Mr Miles outlined, not least that the exclusivity attached to a ‘proper’ vintage bike, built before 1931, means that these machines attract a price premium. Which is fine and dandy if you’re happy to pay and you specifically want to ride in the Banbury Run or other vintage-specific events. But I’m not a great one for mass-participation jamborees – you won’t find me in a lake with 2000 other outdoor swimmers either – so I’m not bothered about whether an