Classic Bike May 2021

Welcome AN EVENTFUL TIME AHEAD IT’S A MASSIVE relief to finally reach a point where we can publish a 2021 Events Guide. Yes, it’s later than usual. Yes, it’s a bit thinner than our normal bumper calendar because we’re starting from May and not March. And yes, there are provisos, caveats and disclaimers attached to the listings because event organisers are still in a state of uncertainty about how the year might pan out. But at least the road map to classic bike events has opened up for the remainder of the year and I guess like many of you, I’ve been scanning the listings and picking out the key events I’d like to get to now we can get out and about. It’s got to be good news for…

IT’S A MASSIVE relief to finally reach a point where we can publish a 2021 Events Guide. Yes, it’s later than usual. Yes, it’s a bit thinner than our normal bumper calendar because we’re starting from May and not March. And yes, there are provisos, caveats and disclaimers attached to the listings because event organisers are still in a state of uncertainty about how the year might pan out. But at least the road map to classic bike events has opened up for the remainder of the year and I guess like many of you, I’ve been scanning the listings and picking out the key events I’d like to get to now we can get out and about. It’s got to be good news for all the events organisers out there who…

Murray Walker, who died on March 13 aged 97, lived a motorcyclist’s dream life. He was brought up rubbing shoulders with GP greats, raced in the heady days before many circuits had tarmac surfaces, won a gold medal at an International Six Day Trial, commentated at the TT for over a decade and became good friends with Mike Hailwood, Barry Sheene, Rex McCandless, Geoff Duke, Arthur Lampkin, John Surtees and dozens of other racing superstars. Murray’s enthusiasm, drive and generous-spirited character meant he surged through life accumulating extraordinary stories and making lifelong friends. When I interviewed him in 2019 for Classic Bike, we were meant to sit down for an hour over lunch. Four hours later, I was still spellbound by tales that flitted from watching John McGuinness achieve the first…

WAY WE WERE YOUR CLASSICS LETTERS OBITUARY Murray Walker 1923-2021 CB pays tribute to the lifelong lover of motorcycle sport – owner of an unmistakable voice loaded with passion and enthusiasm INTERVIEW: JOHN WESTLAKE PHOTOGRAPHY: MURRAY WALKER ARCHIVE, CHIPPY WOOD, BAUER ARCHIVE & GETTY IMAGES Murray Walker, who died on March 13 aged 97, lived a motorcyclist’s dream life. He was brought up rubbing shoulders with GP greats, raced in the heady days before many circuits had tarmac surfaces, won a gold medal at an International Six Day Trial, commentated at the TT for over a decade and became good friends with Mike Hailwood, Barry Sheene, Rex McCandless, Geoff Duke, Arthur Lampkin, John Surtees and dozens of other racing superstars. Murray’s enthusiasm, drive and generous-spirited character meant he surged through…

The 650cc Cyclone bought by rock’n’roll pioneer Buddy Holly in May 1958 must be the world’s most famous Ariel. And now it has a fitting home – on permanent display at the recentlyopened Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts, a $154 million complex dedicated to the music legend’s memory in his home city of Lubbock, Texas. The bike’s owner, local entrepreneur George McMahan, has donated it to the hall on long-term loan, having bought it with the express aim of returning it to Holly’s birthplace. McMahan’s determination is admirable, especially considering his historical association with the tragic rocker’s motorcycle. In the ’70s, the bike had been offered to McMahan, a Honda dealer at the time, for $1000 – but he could not raise the cash. Having become a successful property developer in…

SPECIAL That’ll be the day Buddy Holly’s old Ariel gets a fitting resting place in the ’50s star’s home town WORDS: MICK DUCKWORTH PHOTOGRAPHY: JIM COCKRELL & BUDDY HOLLY HALL The 650cc Cyclone bought by rock’n’roll pioneer Buddy Holly in May 1958 must be the world’s most famous Ariel. And now it has a fitting home – on permanent display at the recentlyopened Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts, a $154 million complex dedicated to the music legend’s memory in his home city of Lubbock, Texas. The bike’s owner, local entrepreneur George McMahan, has donated it to the hall on long-term loan, having bought it with the express aim of returning it to Holly’s birthplace. McMahan’s determination is admirable, especially considering his historical association with the tragic rocker’s motorcycle. In…