It’s highly unlikely that the negative feedback on the TM400 didn’t get back to Japan, yet that didn’t prevent the Hamamatsu boys from launching a trail bike based heavily around the flawed concept that was the Cyclone. Sometime in 1970 the decision was made to launch a tamed version of the TM400 for use by the general public in response to Yamaha’s RT1 360 trail bike that had debuted that year. Suzuki was effectively one model year behind arch rivals Yamaha, having launched its very capable TS250 a year after Yamaha’s ground-breaking 250 DT1; therefore the resultant TS400 was always going to happen. Named the Suzuki TS400 Apache, the big two-stroke single would remain on the firm’s sales lists for just six years before being axed in the industry-wide response to two-strokes and environmental impact.
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The Missing Link?
Given the asymmetrical nature of motorcycle sidecar combinations, handling is always going to be a little interesting, and Mick Payne takes a closer look at how it can be improved.
Telford Gets More Classic Dirt!
The extrovert Bernie Schreiber, the American World Trials champion of 1979, and Bryan ‘Badger’ Goss, the 1970 British 500ccmotocross champion, are the exciting guests for the TelfordClassic Dirt Bike Show of 2020.
Suzuki TS400
Last month, Steve Cooper showed us that Suzuki’s TM400 dirt bike was something of a loose cannon and, ultimately, doomed to ignominy in the archives of motocross history. Now he tells us what happened next...
Royal Enfield Continental GT
There’s been no cover-up operation regarding the new twin-cylinder Royal Enfield machines, although a significant wait was forthcoming for those of us desperately eager to get our hands on one of the new 650cc models. Nigh on 18 months after the new offerings were due to hit the roads of the UK, Dave Manning finally gets to grips with a Continental GT.
Nine Years That Rocked The World
This year marks the diamond jubilee of Honda’s first appearance at the Isle of Man TT in 1959, and there hasn’t been a single year since without the successful participation of racing machines built by the Japanese factory. Pete Kelly continues his look back over the first nine eventful years, fromHonda’s first 125cc foray on to the Clypse course in 1959 until Mike Hailwood’s record-shattering TT victories in 1967.
Elegance out of the Bloc – the two stroke boxer that Zschopau built
Pete Kelly travels to Wales to view Andrew Powell’s outstanding MZ collection.
Empire of the Sun
Sun motorcycles were manufactured from 1911 until 1961, but their roots go back to the Victorian Birmingham brass foundry of James Parkes & Son. We delved into our archive to show some of the motorcycles, autocycles and scooters that proudly carried the Sun name.
Suzuki's Little Firecracker – The GT185
Following Suzuki’s sometimes puzzling marketing philosophy of the 1970s, Steve Cooper traces the birth and development of the GT185 two-stroke twin.
Salt of the Earth, These Motorcyclists!
Harry Stanistreet recalls a nightmare trip to the Elephant Rally with his young wife Lesley and a group of friends in 1970, when just about everything that could go wrong did go wrong – but the kindness of people they met along the way ensured that everything turned out all right in the end.
Silver Jubilee Year For Historic Police Motorcycle Group
Ian Kerr tells the story of a growing group that was set up for the owners of former police and other service motorcycles after a six-bike ride organised by a Royal Parks police officer in 1993.
