SINGLED OUT FOR PRAISE
AFTER A VERY brief tenure with an annoyingly temperamental Bantam when I first started riding on the road at 16 years old, I swapped it for a C15 SS80 Sportsman. It turned out to be a delightfully reliable machine that not only looked way too cool back then, but also had a real bark to it that sounded like I’d always imagined a real motorcycle should sound. It was a ride-every-day bike that stoked a passion for motorcycling that still burns as strongly in me today – so it’s great to be able to feature not only the C15, but also some of the other unit-construction singles that highlight BSA’S development from that early 250. CB’S regular test rider, Gez Kane, has ridden five different models that encompass the story from the first production C15 of 1959, right through to the final B50 on the 1970s. Continuing the BSA theme, Kev Raymond has a timely story of an M20 that was used in the D-day offensive of June 1944 – and has remained within the same family since. Continuing the singles theme, but switching to Italian motorcycles, this month’s ‘Collector’ is a chap who restores bikes for the Ducati museum, then goes home to continue his work, restoring his own Ducati singles. Now that’s commitment. At the other end of the scale, this month’s ‘d’elegance’ is an exotic 500cc Grand Prix bike – a CZ V4! John Westlake also enjoyed a highly entertaining lunch with James Whitham, who regales us with tales of his racing career, as well as some deep thoughts about the Isle of Man TT races. Enjoy the issue.