34 things to know before buying a classic motorcycle

Are you thinking of buying a classic motorcycle? Before you take the plunge, consider the advice of these folks who have been there, done that, spent a fortune and survived the wrath of The Better Half…

1. Do You Want To Ride it, or to spend more time showing it?

2. The Best Condition example always works out to be the cheapest in the long term

3. Ignore Marque Snobs and armchair experts

4. A Big Single is perfect for chuffing around the lanes at 50ish

5. A Late Triumph/Bsa or early Jap four is great for tearing along in reasonable safety at speed

6. Suss Out Spares availability cos it’s no use buying that Caledonia Purple Majestic if everything has to be made specially.

7. Learn The Art of riding without brakes and invest in a right leg strengthener!

8. Buy The First Bike you fancy – it’ll be a dog anyway, so get it over with.

9. Buy Another Bike To Use whilst the first is being fixed.

10. If You Buy A Bike In Bits, make sure you have boxes and boxes of the correct nuts and bolts, especially the special fasteners that hold the engine, gearbox, suspension and frame together

See the remaining 24 tips at Real Classics




1952 Bobby Hill – National Motorcycle Racing Champion

Cover: Bobby Hill, National Champion – We salute Bobby Hill as National Champion of the year. His impressive win of five Crowns in 1952 entitles him to that acclaim. At Richmond, at Dodge City, at Springfied, at Syracuse and at Indianapolis – on Indian or Norton – Bobby rode like a Champion and won like a Champion. A true sportsman, he is held in the highest regard by both his fellow competitors and the thousands of racing fans throughout the country…

Contents: Bobby Hill, National Champion; Czechoslovakian Trophy and Vase Teams take ISDT; Mercury Mid-Autumn Trial; Calif. Championships: TT at Riverside/ Ed Kretz Jr., Track Race at Bay Meadows to Bobby Hill; Road Test of the BMW R68; Leave it to the girls; Maudes trophy awarded to BSA; Record-Breakers – here is a review of the men and machines that were responsible for changes in the AMA records during 1952; The California Motorcycle-Hot Rod Safety Program; Ancell Ranch Run; The Amal Carburetor; more

1952 December Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com




1948 Burton Albrecht, Triumph takes Floyd Emde to win

Cover: Burton Albrecht, Triumph takes Floyd Emde to win Grand Final at opening of Carrell lighted half mile track, Gardena, Calif.

Contents: Montgomery 5 Mile Nat’l dirt track championship goes to Albrecht, H-D; Del Kuhn, Matchless wins Greenhorn Enduro; Canadian International Enduro; A Champion to the last – Ralph Hepburn; Lincoln Park Class “A” Night Speedway Races; Butte Trails Enduro – Dr. Ray Liebenberg edges out Julius Kroeger; Red Wing Reliability Trial / Claude Goulding; Yonkers Spring Run / John Cruchawka; Nick Pultorak wins Detroit Speedway opener; more

1948 June Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com




1947 Fair or Foul? Lamoreaux crashes Coleman and makes speedway history

Cover: Fair or Foul? Lamoreaux crashes Coleman and makes speedway history

…Lammy Lamoreaux and Pete Coleman tried to occupy the same groove, at the same time, and in the same spot. Lamoreaux came off and picked himself up in efflorescent disgust. The huge crowd again rose in eager anticipation of another fisticuff…

…It proved a calm before a tornado, however. In a later event, Lamoreaux and Coleman came together like a couple of meteors off their orbits, resulting in the beautiful cover shot of this issue, the product of the quick trigger finger of track photographer Eldon Campbell. A split second after the picture was snapped, the riders and machines took to the air like flying saucers. Coleman came off hard, but picked himself up little injured. Lamoreaux and his mount executed a 360 degree flat turn, with the National Champion still in the saddle and the motorcycle right side up. Lammy dismounted and rushed to meet Pete with fire in his eyes, and then followed a knuckle-derby that all but called out the riot squad. The emotionally pent up thousands in the stands rose to their feet and the roar must have been heard for a mile. Fortunately the spark that could have turned the stands inbto a battle arena was quenched by a quick-witted announcement by P.A. Bigsby, over the address-system, instructing the operator to put on the record “A feudin’-A fussin’-and A-fightin’.” The angry growls changed to belly laughs, and the crowd settled hapily to their seats…

Contents: Vard Hydraulic Forks review; The Isle of Man T.T. Championships; 12,000 adventurous miles on a BSA 15 cu. in. C-11; Sport Slants; Bench Racing; Club News; We lead with our chin; more

1947 August Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com




1947 Start of the Daytona Classic Motorcycle Racing

Cover: Start of the Daytona Classic. The first string get the go signal.

Contents: Johnny Spiegelhoff victorious in Daytona 200 Miler; Daytona Diary; Jack Horn captures Daytona Novice; The editor goes British; Bench Racing; Club News; more

1947 March Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1946 BSA B-32 motorcycle and Claude Goulding win 1946 Jack Pine

Cover: BSA B-32 – Father Jimmie Goulding congratulates son Claude on winning the 1946 Jack Pines…and that is the little BSA number that did the winning.

Contents: Sam Arena takes Dixon 10-Mile; On the racing front; The Norton line-up for 1947; California Speed Trials – Indian holds scalping spree 128.75 top speed at Rosamond; The Monson Hill Climb; New Triumph Line for 1947; more

1946 November Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1946 That Man again – yep, it’s Bruce Pearson

Cover: That Man again – yep, it’s Bruce Pearson, winner of the Main Event at the lancaster half-miler on April 7th. (That’s desert in the background, not poor photography.)

Contents: On the Racing front in April; Dutch Gal Miss Van der Weyden and her cycling problems; Alaska Hi-Way; More Motorcycles?; Motor Maids; AMA Sanction schedule; Dealer Roundup; more

1946 May Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



Chann, Tancrede and Crannell in action at Granite State Park, October 21, 1945

Cover: Jimmy Chann, Babe Tancrede and Carl Crannell in action at Granite State Park, October 21, 1945

Contents: Coleman Bandy grabs Trophy in Lone Star Enduro; Jimmy Braithwaite stars in Riverside Main TT Event; Jimmy Chann sets track record at Granite State Park Meet; On the Western Racing Front; Earl Robinson wins Turkey Run; Men & Maids of Motordom; Theory & Practice in Motor Balancing; more

1945 December Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1945 Texas Motorcycle Enduro Racing Trophy

Cover: Texas Trophy: This is the neat little mantle ornament for which the boys of the Lone Star State will compete in the Dallas Enduro, Nov. 25.

Contents: Pre-War Stars at Granite Park Meet; On the Western Racing Front – Sam Arena Sweeps Dixon, Kretz cops at Lakeside, Arena/Tulare, Stillo/San Rafael; Men and Maids of Motordom; Ralph Hepburn on Harley-Davidson 8-Valve wins last Dodge Race; ; more

1945 November Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1975 Big Bore Enduros! 5 motorcycle road tests

Cover: 450 Maico, 400 Husky, 400 Penton, 360 Bultaco, 340 Rokon

Contents: Motorcycle Tests: Big Bore Enduros! – Bultaco 360 Fromtera, Husqvarna 400WR, Maico 450, Penton 400 Mint, Rokon 340-RT; Features: How to ride enduros part 2; Buyer’s Guide – touring fairings; Cinderella Suzuki – turn your pumpkin into a charger; Daytona ’75; Back Disc brake for Honda 4 by Hallcraft; more

1975 June Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1974 Roger DeCoster on Suzuki TM400 – Exclusive Test!

Cover: Roger DeCoster on Suzuki TM400

Contents: Motorcycle Tests: Suzuki TM-400, 125 MXers – Can-Am, Honda & Yamaha, superbikes Kawasaki Z-1 vs. BMW R90/6; Features: Daytona Predictions; Suzuki 250 set-up for competition; Kawasaki F-11 hop-up; Catch the 8:45 Norton – drag races; new models from Harley-Davidson; How to ride dirt – braking for speed; Vegas the hard way – world’s biggest race; more

1974 March Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue – Suzuki available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1972 Yankee 500 Twin Road Test & Engine Color Cutaway

Cover: Yankee 500 Twin

Contents: Motorcycle Tests: BMW R-75, Yankee 500 Twin – test and engine color cutaway, Montesa Cappra 125 MX; Mini-Bike Test: Bonanza-Hodaka Mini; Who’s Joe Petrali; Touring Tips part 1, Itinerary; Custom Feature – Amen 450, TMT Special; Houston ’72 Nationals opener; How to: dirt prepping your bike…ISDT style; Reviewing the Grand Prix Scene; more

1972 May Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



February 1962 Motorcyclist Magazine Cover: Japan’s Fumio Ito astride a Yamaha

Cover: Japan’s Fumio Ito astride a Yamaha at USMC race at Florida speedway last year

Contents: Daytona Time – two big Florida races launch 1962 season; Brush Strokes of a 4-stroke – one man art show of Billy Al Bengston centered around his BSA Gold Star; Bob Fuller of NBC TV’s “Laramie” show; Triumph for 1962; Ducati 250 Monza/Diana Road Test; Meet the Motobi; Historical section from archives of Motorcyclist – Humiston, Excelsior, breaks a bunch of records; more

1962 February Motorcyclist Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



How to frame and display your vintage motorcycle ads

Hi, this is Roger from Dad’s Vintage Ads. In this video I show you how to build a simple frame and how to mount your vintage motorcycle ads to make a great decoration for your home, office, garage, workshop, basement, etc.

At my online store, www.DadsVintageAds.com we sell original, vintage, motorcycle advertisements, articles & road tests for framing, displaying, collecting, researching, or just for fun. They also make great gifts! Our products are the original ads, articles & road tests removed from the original, vintage motorcycle magazines.

Search the many thousands of vintage motorcycle ads, articles, road tests and back-issue motorcycle magazines at our store www.DadsVintageAds.com to find the perfect item for you or the motorcycle enthusiast in your life.

Also be sure to check out our vintage motorcycle magazine index at VintageCyclePrints.com which lists every single motorcycle magazine we have in stock by title and date. It’s updated almost daily and shows what’s in stock and what’s sold out. There are many titles to choose from including Cycle, Cycle World, Cycle Guide, Motorcyclist, Rider, Popular Cycling, Cycle Illustrated and many more.

Also be sure to join Dad’s Vintage Motorcycle Forum to discuss vintage motorcycle topics, post your motorcycle items for sale, or post a want ad for what you are looking for. It’s free and open for any motorcycle enthusiast to take advantage of.

Are you a member of facebook? Check out and click “Like” at our facebook page to interact with hundreds of other motorcycle riders and have access to hundreds of vintage ads, magazine covers, etc. posted in our photos section – and it’s growing all the time. Dad’s Vintage Ad’s Facebook

Also, please follow us on Twitter and our Blog, “Dad’s Cycle Mags” at the links below.

Dad’s Vintage Ad’s Twitter

Dad’s Cycle Mags Blog

Thank you for stopping by and thank you for your patronage!

Best Regards,
Roger

www.DadsVintageAds.com

1973 Yamaha TX-500 and Triumph T100R – Progress takes on tradition

Cover: Yamaha TX-500

Contents: Road Tests: Yamaha TX500 and Triumph T100R – new meets old, CZ 250 Enduro, Honda 125 Trials; Technical: Shock Absorbers – 12 brand comparison; Competition: 200 Miglia Shell di Imola; Notes from the Dallas National; Features: Basics – tune-up; Where angels fear to tread – between idle and Desperation City on a TZ350; more

1973 July Cycle Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue – Yamaha/Triumph available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1971 Suzuki Trailhopper Mini-Bike – this Fancy Dan is not an also-ran

Cover: Suzuki Trailhopper Mini-Bike

Contents: Mini-Bike Tests: Suzuki Trailhopper, Inter-Trend Kit-Kat, Heald VT-7 Trail Bronc, Action Vehicle Number One; Features: Dunecycle winning race team inside story; Le Grande Prix at Indian Dunes; Tecumse two-stroke for mini-bikes; Briggs and Stratton engine technical report; Tweak the “Teke” part 3; more

1971 July Mini-Bike Guide Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1971 Rupp Roadster 2 and Rupp Black Widow Mini-Bike Tests

Cover: Rupp Roadster 2 and Rupp Black Widow

Contents: Tests: Powell Phantom, Rupp Roadster 2 and Black Widow, Yamaha HT-1, Kawasaki Dyna-Mite, Bonanza MX-1310-TC; Features: Two for ’71 – new twists from Dayco and Horstman; Young Pat Evans; Tweaking the “Teke” – part 1 of a series – Tecumseh hop-up; more

1971 May Mini Bike Guide Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1970 Mini Bike Guide – Boss Midi-Bike, Dune-Cycle three-wheeler for trails!

Cover: Boss Midi-Bike, Dune-Cycle three-wheeler for trails!

Contents: Put a Road-eo in your life – new & easy fun from your mini-bike; Mini-Bike Tests: Three for the Trail – Allied Pacific’s Dune-Cycle, Yankee Boss, Arctic Cat SSSCat; Stellar Maxi Deluxe; Technical: Cam-Elot part two; Miscellany – the whole mini-bike scene; Little Horn Enduro; Thurgood Crumbpacker – loveable idiot performs again; more

1970 September Mini Bike Guide Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1974 Honda CB200 vs. Yamaha RD200 – comparison test

Cover: Honda CB200 vs. Yamaha RD200

Contents: Road Tests: 1974 Honda CB200 vs. Yamaha RD200 – comparison test, Harley-Davidson XL1000 Sportster, Bultaco Sherpa T; Technical: Braking the Works – what makes your bike slow; Features: The Desert: to have or have not – Life with the beady-eyed lizards and Ronald Reagan; more

1974 July Cycle Guide Motorcycle Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com



1967 Yamaha 100 Twin and some imagination

Cover: A sneak preview of what we have in store for all you custom cycle fans. Artist and designer, Tom Daniel, graphically illustrates what is possible with a Yamaha 100 Twin and some imagination.

Contents: Road Tests: One Track Bonneville – Triumph’s T120 Road Burner, Samurai Street/Scrambler – road testing Kawasaki’s warrior, Mach One – Ducati orbits a winner and we catch a ride, CL90 – we test Honda’s new scrambler; Show Bear – Mike Gerrity’s customized Yamaha Big Bear; Col. BSA Racer (Ret.) – Glen Ireland’s show dragster; Lawbreaker – show winning Triumph by Jerry Weeks; It’s a Happening! – best description of Bob Wingo’s Honda; Way Out – Porfy Castruita’s Harley-Davidson street custom is too much; Yamaha’s TD1B – third in the great bike series; Teaneck cycle show; Styling Guide – practical restyling ideas for custom fans; Technical: Amal’s Monobloc – a pictorial how-to on disassembly; Build a showbike – step by step to conclusion; Piston Rings are important; more

1967 August Cycle Guide Vol. 1, No. 6 Magazine Back-Issue available at www.dadsvintageads.com