News Archives - The Vintage Idiot

Older classics such as this 1963 Velocette won't be affected

Classic motorcycles built before 2001 appear to be outside proposed new emissions rules, but owners of more recent machines could face tougher restrictions on modifications and maintenance. The Department for…

Mike Hailwood Honda 350 1966 world championship winner

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Mike Hailwood’s World Championship Honda: £1 million motorcycle?

This is a very very special motorcycle. This is a 1966 Honda RC173, a 349cc four-cylinder Grand Prix motorcycle built specifically for Mike Hailwood, who then used it to win…

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Allen Millyard’s Maddest Machines Under the Hammer – Including Viper V10

Most of us, when faced with a spare engine and a bit of time, might think about a winter rebuild or perhaps a café racer project. Allen Millyard, on the…

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Banbury Run 2026: Best places to watch

Where can spectators watch this year’s Banbury Run, the premier road riding event run by the UK’s Vintage Motor Cycle Club? Top of the list for many people will be…

VMCC member Peter Hull riding his 1928 Scott Squirrel in the Carrowdore 100 parade last year.

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Vintage Motor Cycle Club celebrates 80th anniversary in 2026

The Vintage Motor Cycle Club of Great Britain (VMCC) will mark its 80th anniversary in 2026, celebrating eight decades of preserving, riding and understanding historic motorcycles. Founded in 1946, the…

Three generations of the Bell family take part in the Banbury Run

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Entries open for The Banbury Run 2026

The UK Vintage Motor Cycle Club’s premier road event returns to Gaydon Entries are now open for the 76th Banbury Run, which takes place at the British Motor Museum, Gaydon,…

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Classic motorcycle racing pioneer Rob Iannucci RIP

Robert ‘Rob’ Iannucci, one of the world’s most passionate and influential men when it came to racing classic motorcycles from the ‘golden age’ of racing – early-1950s to mid-1970s in…

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Stolen: Rare Riley motorcycle sold as ‘1970s Special’ at auction

One of only two surviving Riley motorcycles dating from 1904 has been stolen from the great-grandson of the man who designed it. The 1904 Riley 3.5 Hp Moto-Bi was stolen…

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Iconic Auction shows classic motorcycle prices ‘resetting’

One of the last big auctions of 2025 was the Iconic Auction on 9 November – what did we learn? Iconic boasted it was a success for classic cars, citing…

The new DVLA rules make it easier to register changes such as going electric. This is the French Ride Mercury project.

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DVLA updates classic motorcycle registration system

The DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) has unveiled a major update to some of its vehicle registration policies, making it significantly easier for enthusiasts to register repaired, restored and…

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Route 66 at 100: EagleRider’s Once-in-a-Century Ride

Some roads are just tarmac and paint. Others become legends. And then there’s Route 66 — the Mother Road. The highway that stitched America together, carried dustbowl migrants westward, birthed…

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All Routes Italy overtakes Ride 70s tours: 2026 dates

Remember Ride70s, the Italian company running a series of tours of spectacular regions of Italy on classic motorcycles? That business came to a halt last October but has now reinvented…

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Royal Enfield kicks off 2025 ‘JDM’ rides in Northants

The first 2025 Royal Enfield ‘Journey, Destination, Memories’ (JDM) event has been announced, with all riders welcome to join the opening ride at Cooperb Motorcycles in Northants on 3 July.…

National Motorcycle Museum is throwing its door open

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Insider Guide to National Motorcycle Museum Live 2025

If you love bikes, banter and a good rummage through an autojumble, then clear your diary: NMM Live 2025 is rolling into the National Motorcycle Museum, Solihull, on Saturday 25…

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Royal Enfield Returns to Wheels & Waves in Biarritz

Royal Enfield is back at Wheels & Waves in Biarritz this 11 to 15 June, bringing with it a new fleet of custom bikes, a racing chopper called Samurai and…

Yamaha racing motorcycle collection coming up for auction

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UK’s biggest collection of Yamaha racing bikes up for auction

Ah, Yamaha! The mere mention of the name conjures images of thrilling track days, ear-splitting two-stroke exhaust notes, and a history of racing dominance. And now one of the UK’s…

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Classic TT stars at 2025 Manx Grand Prix week

Some say the Manx Grand Prix week is more enjoyable than the regular Isle of Man TT races in June with fewer people and less traffic on the island. But…

Geoff Duke in the lead of the 1954 Dutch TT

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Shell’s Time Machine: Watch Geoff Duke win the 1954 Dutch TT

+VIDEO Geoff Duke was one of the most successful British motorcycle racers of all time, winning six world championships and six Isle of Man TT races during his racing career…

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Barber Vintage Festival beckons US classic motorcycle riders

UPDATED US classic motorcycle enthusiasts are gearing up for one of the events of the year: the Barber Vintage Festival, held over 11-13 October 2024 at Barber Motorsports Parkway in…

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Classics included in BMF’s Manifesto for Motorcycling

It’s general election year so expect plenty of politics, debate and lobbying – and motorcycling is on the agenda too. The British Motorcyclists’ Federation (BMF), in partnership with the National Motorcyclists…

Clearly a classic but what if this 1963 Velocette Venom was fitted with an electric powertrain?

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Govt launches survey on future of classic vehicles

How best to preserve classic vehicles for the future? Where to draw the line between a restoration and a ‘new build’ from parts? How to handle conversions to cleaner tech…

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Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride launches ‘Side by Side’ campaign

+VIDEO On Sunday 19 May 2024, The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) is coming to a city near you. The world’s largest charity event for classic and vintage motorcycle enthusiasts will…

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Ride70s opens bookings for 2024 Italy classic motorcycle tours

Where do you want to ride in Italy and on what classic motorcycle? That’s all you have to answer when booking with Ride70s which offers tours of different regions of…

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Tony East’s Isle of Man classic motorcycle collection for sale

Lifelong motorcycle enthusiast Tony East amassed a world class collection of classic motorcycles over the years which became a Collection open to the public at Kirk Michael on the Isle…

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‘Made at the Manx’ lap takes centre stage at Manx GP centennial

A ‘Made at the Manx’ lap will be part of the special events being held to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Manx Grand Prix on Saturday 26 August 2023.…

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Royal Enfield: Recreating its first 1901 motor-bicycle

How do you recreate a motorcycle first seen in 1901 when you have no surviving examples, no technical drawings and just a handful of period photos? Answer: A combination of…

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Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2023 sets new records

More than 100,000 riders, across 900 cities in 107 countries, took part in the 2023 Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride on 21 May. It was a record-breaking year, according to the organisers,…

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Kent man reunited with stolen Ariel after 27 years

A vintage motorcycle enthusiast has thanked Kent Police and others for reuniting him with his stolen motorcycle after 27 years. West Malling farmer Stephen Betts reported the theft of his 1949 Ariel Red…

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The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2023

‘Riding Dapper for a Cause’ – that’s The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride that’s now become an annual event across the world. This year’s event is on Sunday, 21 May 2023, sponsored…

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Charterhouse reaches 75% sale rate at March auction

Charterhouse Auctioneers says its classic and vintage bike auction on 30 March at the Haynes International Motor Museum was a great success with nearly 75% sold, with the total value reaching…

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No Congestion Charge for Historic Motorcycles in London

Classic motorcycles will NOT be subject to the London Congestion Charge, a point which has been clarified by Transport for London after the subject was raised by the National Motorcyclists…

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New emissions law targets post-2001 motorcycles – older classics escape

Mike Hailwood’s World Championship Honda: £1 million motorcycle?

Allen Millyard’s Maddest Machines Under the Hammer – Including Viper V10

Banbury Run 2026: Best places to watch

Vintage Motor Cycle Club celebrates 80th anniversary in 2026

Entries open for The Banbury Run 2026

Classic motorcycle racing pioneer Rob Iannucci RIP

Stolen: Rare Riley motorcycle sold as ‘1970s Special’ at auction

Iconic Auction shows classic motorcycle prices ‘resetting’

DVLA updates classic motorcycle registration system

Route 66 at 100: EagleRider’s Once-in-a-Century Ride

All Routes Italy overtakes Ride 70s tours: 2026 dates

Royal Enfield kicks off 2025 ‘JDM’ rides in Northants

Insider Guide to National Motorcycle Museum Live 2025

Royal Enfield Returns to Wheels & Waves in Biarritz

UK’s biggest collection of Yamaha racing bikes up for auction

Classic TT stars at 2025 Manx Grand Prix week

Shell’s Time Machine: Watch Geoff Duke win the 1954 Dutch TT

Barber Vintage Festival beckons US classic motorcycle riders

Classics included in BMF’s Manifesto for Motorcycling

Govt launches survey on future of classic vehicles

Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride launches ‘Side by Side’ campaign

Ride70s opens bookings for 2024 Italy classic motorcycle tours

Tony East’s Isle of Man classic motorcycle collection for sale

‘Made at the Manx’ lap takes centre stage at Manx GP centennial

Royal Enfield: Recreating its first 1901 motor-bicycle

Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2023 sets new records

Kent man reunited with stolen Ariel after 27 years

The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2023

Charterhouse reaches 75% sale rate at March auction

No Congestion Charge for Historic Motorcycles in London

Triumph’s new Bonneville T40: Half the cylinders, all the style?

Honda CB1000F: will the retro Fireblade match original CB900F?

The BSA Bantam 350 flies again

BMW R 12 S: Boxer with a Dash of Daytona

Purpose Built Moto’s Royal Enfield Bobber

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