The MSS and MSS500 are on-line and they are magnificent hunks of motor cycle. Look for them in 1949 and 1957. The Antwerp Demon story is in place too, complete with a surprising BSA connection; Jan Oliesagers (in the A-Z Galimaufry under ‘O’ for obviously) had two cool nicknames and earned them both. The King of the Belgians was certainly an admirer. And by good chance I came across not one, nor even two, but three gorgeous streamliners which you’ll find in 1938 and 1947.

Just uploaded to the 1911 features list: The Motor Cycling Club’s Boxing Day Run, which took 100 hardy souls from London to Exter and back. Uploading it even inspired me to get off my backside, still suffering from a Christmas surfeit, and go for a ride. It’s a great yarn, including personal reminiscences from the likes of Dreadnought builder and rider Oily Karslake who concluded: “Every man who has won a medal thoroughly deserves it.” I’ve also been adding lots of pics to Le Melange and to most years from 1910-23 as well as unearthing details of what happened to the The Shilovsky Gyrocar in 1912 and the 4.5-litre V-twin MSS in 1949. And the Gallimaufry, which has been sadly neglected, is about to gain a few words on the Demon of Antwerp (look under O for Olieslagers; yet another ripping yarn).

I’ve been busy sorting and posting illustrations in 1908-12 as well as more contemporary adverts, including a particularly interesting selection from 1912.

You don’t need a computer laden adventure bike to go mountaineering. Check out the 1912 features section for a lengthy touring yarn concerning two plucky chaps who took their single-speed, pedal assisted bikes on a tour of the Tyrol. It really is a smashing read.

Having uploaded a report on the 1904 London show I’ve added a se;ection of illustrations from the event and the first batch of the ads that accompanied the report. One of these includes a list of vehicles for sale that makes interesting reading.

Hardy rallyists braved blocked passes in Wales and bitter cold in the Eifel mountains to drink, tall tall tales, sing their hearts out and mourn missing friends. Motor Cycle staffers joined them at the Dragon and Elephant Rallies. Indians were reborn with plans for a range stretching from 50s to an ohc 1,200cc four. Kawasaki upped the ante with a 500 triple—and Honda changed everything with the awesome CB750. Take a look at 1969 for this and much more (including the ticket collector who was given an Ariel) then back up a year where two of the finest roadtesters on the planet reviewed a year’s worth of bikes from the mighty Rocket 3s to the cute Suzuki B100P. After which do pop back to 1904 for a show report and an essay on one of the hot topics of the day: were motor cycles better off with or without pedals? That’s a lot of new copy. I’m going for a lie down.

More pics have been upoloaded to the melange but variety being the spice of something other I’d been working on 1969. That’s the year I bought my first bike (a 1959 Ambassador) and the year the last Panther M120s and the first Honda CB750s rolled onto British roads. Would Agostini put a movie career ahead of bikes? Would Mike the Bike really retire? It was a busy year; a batch of stories and pics are on the page now with much more to come.

Nigh on 100 more pics have been added to the melange, including lots of Indians and Harleys , one and four-pot FNs and a dozen more Great War snaps. There are getting on for 400 images to gladden your eye. Looking up dates for captions led to updated entries on the (1901) California and (1902) Bradbury. Which in turn reminded me to take another look at the (1903) feature on George Wyman, who rode/carried/dragged his California across the USA. Well worth a read. (And while you’re in the 1903 features section do take a look at the story ‘Dogs: Shoot, hang or poison?’ It says does just what it says on the packet (prussic acid, in case you were wondering).

Just uploaded to 1905 you’ll find reports on roadraces in France, Belgium and Italy with some excellent pics of the top riders, notably the all-conquering Peugeot team. It seems our Continental chums even had races for touring machines, designed to imprive the durability of roadsters. And this was two years before the first TT. Who knew?

Yesterday was 11/11; the day after tomorrow is Armistice Day. So it seemed appropriate to upload the backlog of pics from the Great War to Le Melange. Young men with motor cycles from many nations, all of whom would have been happier riding their bikes to a pub with a well filled flapper bracket. Take a look, and join me in counting our blessings. Lots more pics have also been added to the first few years of the 20th century and as part of researching (ok googling) caption material I’ve come across some excellent coverage of continental races in 1905, including the Coupe Internationale which was a triumph (well, a Laurin & Klemen) for the Czechs. Or jump forward to 1922 and find out how to make your very own prop-powered trike.