Many of the bikes featured in this book are classics from the heyday of motorbike manufacturing. Sadly a number of these famous names – such as Ariel, BSA, and Velocette – are consigned to the history books and the bikes themselves have become more and more of a collector's item. Many credit the demise of the British motorbike industry to the invasion of the Japanese manufacturers (Kawasaki, Suzuki, Honda and Yamaha) in the 1970s that changed the face of motorcycling in Britain as they established themselves as a global phenomenon but brands such as Royal Enfield, Norton and Triumph have survived into the 21st Century and now proudly cruise the country's roads alongside the likes of Harley-Davidson and BMW.