1971 and 1980—with a little help from my friends.

I’ve made a start on 1936—there are already some good yarns on line—but there’s a long way to go. Regular readers will know that I’ve already leapt ahead to review 1969, simply because that’s the year I started riding (on a 1959 Ambassador-Villiers). Now, I’m pleased to say, two old mates have joined the fray. Pete, a drinking companion at some memorable rallies in the seventies, has contributed memories of some of the bikes he rode in 1971 when he was earning a crust in the bike trade. And John, my old boss on Motor Cycle Weekly, has chipped in with a review of 1980 when bike sales peaked and he was kept busy riding the cream of the crop. My thanks to them, I suggest you take a gander because they’ve done me proud.