From the seller of Monday’s Gold Star comes another classic BSA – the Rocket 3. The motor was a 750cc triple that was designed to extend the model line beyond 650 twins and it was specifically built for the US market (which wanted larger displacements and less vibrations). BSA’s financials suffered with the production of this bike, but nearly 27,500 …
Rare in the US – 1962 Ariel Arrow Super Sport
Bike-urious reader Dan Dutra (I’ve featured one of his beautiful Ariel’s in the past) has spent the last 6 months restoring an Ariel Arrow Super Sport (also known as the Golden Arrow). They were not designed for export to the US, so very few have made the journey across the Atlantic Ocean. It’s not perfect (there’s still a couple of …
1974 Norton Commando 850
1974 was a tough time for Norton Villiers Triumph – England’s government withdrew a subsidy early in the year, and that was just the beginning of their problems. The biggest issue was a sit in at Meriden, and it was one of the major reasons why by the end of the year the company had lost over 3 million pounds. …
1957 BSA Gold Star DBD34
Introduced in 1956, the DBD34 variant of the Gold Star is probably the most famous BSA ever built – MCN called it one of the 60 greatest bikes from 1955-2015. The “34” signified a 500cc motor (compared to the 350cc motor of other “32” Goldies), and the DBD was the ultimate expression of the name. This example further stands out …
Hybrid 750 – 1970 Triumph TR6R
Take a numbers matching TR6R and then slap a T140 head on it to make it a 750cc motor, and you’ve got the recipe for a non-oil in frame beauty with extra power. Purists can cry but those of you that just want a good looking classic rider have plenty to enjoy here.
1970 Velocette Venom Clubman
Built between 1955 and 1970, the Velocette Venom rose to fame in 1961 when a factory effort became the first motorcycle to average over 100 miles per hour over a 24 hour period. There were multiple Venom variants like the Thruxton, Scrambler, and Clubman – it was the last option that set the world record at Montlhéry, and today we’ve …
1969 Royal Enfield Interceptor
Restored between 2010 and 2012, this Interceptor is believed to be one of just 1,122 examples built before the Royal Enfield plant in England shut down in June of 1970. R-E recently announced that they’re bringing back the Interceptor as a 650 twin for next year. I was randomly chatting with a representative of Royal Enfield North America who told …
1962 Velocette Venom Endurance
Post Sale Update: This Venom Endurance sold for $9,875 after 27 bids on eBay. The last time I featured a Velocette Venom Endurance, Paul d’Orleans got right to the point:
Barry Weiss Build – 1973 Cheney Triumph Custom
In the past, the development of motorcycle engines progressed at a rate that markedly exceeded that of frames and suspension systems, resulting in a demand for trick, high-performance, aftermarket chassis and suspenders. Whether it was an inability to compensate for a powertrain’s oomph, an unnecessarily hefty weight, the stock frame offerings of the ‘60s gave backyard hobbyists, factory race departments, …
1972 BSA Thunderbolt
Post Listing Update: this Thunderbolt did not meet reserve despite 16 bids up to $2,950 on eBay. BSA is probably best known for the Lightning, but they also had a similarly-named touring complement known as the Thunderbolt.
1949 Triumph Speed Twin 5T
Post Listing Update: this Speed Twin did not meet reserve despite 14 bids up to $9,700 on eBay. Triumph introduced the 5T Speed Twin in 1938, and it immediately set the standard for other English manufacturers when it came to parallel twins. It was one of Edward Turner’s most notable designs, and it had a long production life – it …
New in Crate – 1977 Triumph Bonneville Silver Jubilee
Post Sale Update: This Silver Jubilee sold for $24,100 after 15 bids on eBay. To celebrate the 25th year of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Triumph built a limited edition of 2,400 Bonnevilles with silver/red/blue paint, a blue seat with red piping, some chrome, and decals on the sidecovers. Of the 2,400 bikes, 1,000 went to the US, 1,000 stayed home in …
“Royal Tracker” – 2014 Royal Enfield Continental GT Custom by MotoRelic
If you’re on Royal Enfield’s email list, this bike should look familiar. Back in late 2016/early 2017, R-E partnered with Sean Skinner of MotoRelic and Sasha Valentine of Cafe Racer XXX to crowdsource a Continental GT build. Over a four-month period they had the public vote on features like the style and color – the final request was a ‘white …
No Reserve – 1968 BSA 441 Shooting Star
Post Sale Update: This Shooting Star sold for $3,300 after 6 bids on Bring A Trailer. A Bike-urious reader that I trust is selling a BSA that he recently acquired from a private collection in which the bike resided for nearly 3 decades.
Ending Soon – 1970 Rickman Metisse Street Scrambler
Post Listing Update: This streetable Rickman did not meet reserve despite 11 bids up to $3,506. I’ve featured a couple of street-legal Rickman Metisses before, and I can’t get enough of them. Here’s another example that was set up to pound the pavement over 25 years ago, starting with an original Mark IV frame (#1280) and a BSA B44 motor. …