Editorial Peter Henshaw

Welcome to Vintage & Classic Motorcycle: Diary of 1000 Rides.

If you are already a member of the VMCC, you'll know that we offer over 1300 rides and events, all year round, all over the country. You'll know that these are put on by 85 local sections, staffed and run by volunteers who want to help you get the most enjoyment out of your old bike, whether it's a veteran from the 1900s, a solid British twin of the '50s or a fast Japanese 750. For you, the Diary of 1000 Rides is business as usual for the VMCC – it's all about being out, enjoying our bikes.

If you're not a VMCC member (yet...) then a big hello and welcome to the world of old motorcycles. Maybe you're thinking about buying an older bike for the first time, or adding a couple to your stable. This is where the VMCC comes in. In these pages you'll find reams of useful advice on buying your first classic bike, getting it on the road and where to buy spares. There's no lack of bikes to choose from either, as highlighted by our 1960-1990 overview. In these pages we also look at future classics, the bikes which are relatively cheap now, but could go up in value.

To give a flavour of what the VMCC is about, we've included features from Vintage & Classic Motorcycle, our monthly magazine which goes out to all VMCC members. Britain's biggest gathering of vintage bikes? Tick. Touring Cornwall on a Honda stepthrough or Peru by Norton? Two more ticks. Elsewhere in these pages we've got British and Japanese twins compared; Under £1000 bargains; trackdays with a difference; a Kawasaki Z1000 restoration; and how you could have a go on a vintage bike yourself.

For us – the VMCC – it's all about the riding, and that's why the heart of this bookazine is the Diary of 1000 Rides – runs, pub meets, autojumbles and events all over the UK. Come and join us.

Peter Henshaw Editor, Vintage & Classic Motorcycle