Where did all those fabulous old bikes from the thirties, forties and fifties go when they were no longer the height of fashion? The Excelsiors, O.K. Supremes and the Nortons? Alan Puckett and Warren Penney, both dedicated classic bike fanatics, decided to try and find out. Many bikes of this era simply ended up on the scrapheap or in the junkyard. Others were put aside in sheds and ignored. A few were lucky from the beginning, remaining in the same loving hands for decades.
After a lengthy and painstaking search and endless interviews Puckett and Penney put together a selection of thirty immaculately restored bikes of the 1930-1960 period. Their past histories were certainly varied, often horrifying, but never boring. Some were left to rust and die, others were commandeered for a time by the army, and some were even dismantled and reassembled to appear again in the guise of another make altogether. All however have had the happy fate of being found by enthusiasts who have restored them to their former glory. This was not always easy as some manufacturers were no longer in business and parts were almost impossible to acquire, but perseverance brought results, as can be seen from the classic bikes represented in this book.
Alan Puckett is known worldwide as a master illustrator of motorcycles and this book only enhance that reputation. The individual approach he has brought to each drawing truly captures the mystique of these bikes and shows the skill of both the original manufacturer and the present restorer. Every illustration is matched with a selection of finely detailed colour photographs and complementary text.
