11/24/20 Update: Three months later, this bike is now up on Iconic Motorbike Auctions with a significantly lower reserve! It’s currently at our hangar at Santa Monica Airport, feel free to come on by and check it out. Good luck, and find it here with bidding up to $2,400 and the reserve not yet met here on Iconic Motorbike Auctions. …
1967 Norton Atlas 750
Named after the ICBM, the Norton Atlas was released in 1962, earning a so-so reputation before being replaced by the classic Commando. Built to appeal to American aesthetic preferences, it was initially only produced for export. The Atlas produced 55 horsepower, with plenty of torque available low in the rev range. Utilizing Norton’s famous Featherbed frame, the bike weighed about …
Never Ridden – 1969 American Eagle 405 Talon
Founded by Frank Hipkin in the mid ’60s, Sprite Motor Cycles (later known as Sprite Developments) as a small British off-road motorcycle company that built trials bikes and scramblers, usually as a kit. One of their bigger efforts was the 405 Talon, and it was exported to several countries under different names: the BVM 405 in Belgium, Alron 405 in …
1971 BSA Firebird Scrambler
BSA and Triumph released the new 1971 range to much fanfare…but journalists were underwhelmed. As Frank Westworth stated in a Bennetts review, “The press hated the brave, new, etc 1971 Beezers. They hated the style. They hated the colours. They hated the old engines, which is understandable, but most of all they hated the height.” 50 years later, no one’s …
In Canada – 1963 BSA Rocket Gold Star
Post Sale Update: sold for $19,500 after 12 bids on eBay in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada. One of BSA’s most legendary motorcycles, the Rocket Gold Star was a limited production special built in 1962 and 1963 that owes its existence to a British Dealer named Eddie Dow (who himself earned the nickname of “Mr. Gold Star”).
No Reserve In Belgium – 1958 Norton ES2
Post Sale Update: sold for $9,250 after 32 bids on eBay in Peer, Belgium. The ES2 was introduced in 1927 and was originally sold as a sports bike, though by the time production stopped in 1964, it wasn’t particularly competitive in the world of fast motorcycles. Still, an almost 40 year long production run is damned impressive, and this is …
1969 BSA Rocket 3
Post Sale Update: sold for $10,000 after 9 bids on eBay in Portland, Oregon. Specifically built for the US market (which wanted larger displacements and less vibrations), the 750cc triple motor in the BSA Rocket 3 was designed to extend the model line beyond 650 twins. BSA’s financials suffered with the production of this bike, but nearly 27,500 of the …
1980 Wasp MX Sidecar
There isn’t much information and I wish the pictures were bigger, but this listing is too interesting to pass up seeing as the seller states that this MX hack has lots of race history and was a “trophy winner at Pikes Peak.”
Impressive Extras – 1964 BSA Starlite
Post Sale Update: it had to be relisted a couple of times, but this Starlite sold for $2,000 after 2 bids on eBay in Calhan, Colorado. Known as the Beagle in the UK, this little 75cc BSA commuter was marketed as the Starlite in America.
1955 Royal Enfield Indian Woodsman
Between 1955 and 1960, Indians sold in the US were actually re-branded Royal Enfields. It was the idea of an English company called Brockhouse Engineering (you may remember that they created the adorable Corgi) who owned the Indian trademark at the time. They thought they could capitalize on the goodwill of the Indian brand by selling some Brit bikes, and …
1 Owner – 2005 Triumph Rocket III
Though Triumph has outdone themselves with the new Rocket III, the previous generation used to hold the title of largest displacement production motorcycle engine with a 2,294cc triple. The new one might be even bigger (2,458cc), but it starts at $21,900. This one’s about a third of the cost, it’s only had one owner, and it’s got a lot of …
1966 Cheney Triumph 500
Over on the auction site we’ve got a beautiful Cheney-framed Triumph that the seller describes as a “real race machine that could also win a beauty contest.”
39 Miles – 2017 Triumph Street Cup
Take a Street Twin, then add a dash of sport with clubman bars, a mini fly screen, matching seat cowl, and a model-specific grey/yellow paint scheme, and you’ve got what Triumph called the Street Cup.
1942 Excelsior Villiers Welbike
Post Sale Update: This Welbike sold for $12,433 after 33 bids on eBay in Seattle, Washington. At the request of the British government, Excelsior developed the Welbike, a tiny single seater that was designed to be dropped into combat situations via parachute-equipped containers. The goal was that it could be unpacked and ready to ride within 11 seconds.
Earl’s Court Show Bike in England – 1968 BSA Barracuda
In the world of British motorcycles, the highlight of debuts was the Earl’s Court show. That’s what makes this specific Barracuda special, as the seller claims that it was the bike that BSA brought out to show the world at the ’67 Earl’s Court motorcycle show. It’s had a “full ground-up restoration and is in amazing condition having been the …