The Classic Factor|Specials motorbikes

The Specials section displays an array of bikes, of every shape and hue. By its very nature, it defies easy categorisation. These are machines which began life as a mere glimmer in their designers' eyes, expanded by degrees, and finally emerged in the fully-fledged forms we so love. As often as not, they are hybrid by design - not randomly thrown together, but rather woven, slotted and placed into an intricate unison which becomes more than the sum of its parts.

In the '50s and '60s, inventive engineering minds were finding new ways to mix and match the materials then on offer. Tritons, Norvins, Tribsas - these were exotic departures, based on the Triumphs, Nortons, Vincents and BSAs which exited the factory gates - but melded and welded into unique combinations of components. They took the concept of the 'bitsa' - bits of this, and bits of that - but elevated it into an alchemy which did, indeed, transform base metal into some sort of gold.

More recently, names such as Harris, Moto Martin, Rickman and Bimota have appeared on the scene - enterprising outfits which have taken the raw elements of the motorcycle and adapted them into new and exciting products. There is now a vast after-market array of accessories available to any rider who wishes to personalise his or her machine. All are rooted in the fertile imaginations of past masters of taking something which already exists, and turning it into some new expression of what is possible.

The Specials Bikes