1962 CRUSADER £1500

This was one of the most popular British 250s. First seen in 1956, it took over from the Clipper; its over-square 70 x 64.5mm ‘unit construction’ engine differed from other British designs in having the valve gear on the left side, along with the primary drive, and was fitted into a simplified and tidier frame. This created a modern-looking bike that continued through various incarnations of Sports model right up to the L-plate café racer Continental GT. The Crusader range offered good handling and performance but had a reputation for engine blow-ups; is that justified?

“Not really,” says Allan. “Our uprated oil pump is worth fitting but these bikes were sold to 16-year-old café racer learners, so it’s no surprise they blew up, if they weren’t crashed first! But there’s no shortage of parts – they made so many of them. If you want a second-hand tank I’ve probably 100 upstairs, compared to just one for a Constellation. We’ve made most of the parts that are in short supply – like toolboxes and lids – but we’ve just sold the last mudguard from a batch we had made 20 years ago.”