The times they are a changin’

Since I first teetered onto the road as a 16-year-old paperboy with L-plates, I’ve never been without an old motorbike. Admittedly, my first one didn’t seem particularly old, as the cautious evolution of British motorbikes meant that designs had changed little in the early postwar years. Several similar bikes followed, and it came as a surprise to realise they were beginning to acquire something called classic status, which entitled me to join the Vintage Motor Cycle