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 a lovely example of the breed thanks to a “museum quality restoration” in 2017.
1972 Saracen Trials 125
Saracen bikes were built from ’67 to ’75 – the latter years were under the care of David Brand, who bought the brand and attempted to put bigger engines in the frames (though these ended up being less useful for trials competition).
1974 Tyran 125 MX
Marketed as a British bike, the Tyran was actually built by Mitsubishi with designs from Ted Wassell, a name that may ring a bell if you were a MX nut in the 70s.
Rare Project – 1972 Cotton Cavalier
After Villiers went out of business, the motorcycle manufacturers that depended on their engines were forced to look elsewhere. The British firm of Cotton (out of Gloucester, England) decided to go with a Minarelli-built 170cc to power their trails bike for 1968.
Impressive Extras – 1964 BSA Starlite
3/4/21 Update: Six months later, it appears that this bike did not sell as the same photos are being used and the seller now notes that he’ll let it go with a slight discount but the extras won’t be included at that price. Find it for $1,500 just east of Colorado Springs, Colorado here on Facebook Marketplace. Post Sale Update: …
Mule Motorcycles Scrambler – 2006 Triumph Thruxton Custom
Post Listing Update: The seller lowered the BIN to $15,000 but that wasn’t enough to get any action. Built by Richard Pollock of Mule Motorcycles, this “one-off Triumph Scrambler special started life as a low-mileage Bonneville Thruxton with stock motor.” How do you think it ended up?
Rare Project – 1977 Greeves Griffon 250 MX
Post Sale Update: This Griffon sold for the opening bid of $2,500 in Missoula, Montana. Greeves introduced the Griffon MX bike in 1971…and it was greeted with a lot of excellent competition from excellent bikes like the Yamaha DT1, Bultaco Pursang, and Husky 250CR. Two years later, Honda would release the 250 Elsinore and blow everyone else away. But the …
1954 Vincent Rapide Series C
The baby brother to the legendary Black Shadow, the Vincent Rapide was sold from 1936-55 in 3 distinct ‘Series’. The final run was the Series C, which commenced in 1949. It offered the Rapide as a base model and the Black Shadow as the higher state of tune. The Rapide’s 998cc V-twin was good for 45 horsepower – the Black …
Custom Flat Tracker – 1947 AJS Model 18
Producing just 28 horsepower, the Model 18 was never designed to be quick, but it was easy to ride, comfortable up to about 60 miles per hour, and returned excellent gas mileage. Here’s one that sacrifices a little bit of comfort for a whole lot of style.
2 Miles – 1983 Hesketh V1000
By 1981, England was almost irrelevant in the international game of motorcycle production. So Thomas Alexander Fermor-Hesketh (how’s that for a name?), an actual Lord and Baron who had already started a racing team, decided to start his own motorcycle company. You can guess where he got the name from – enter the Hesketh V1000.
1970 Royal Enfield Interceptor
In addition to having the classiest name in motorcycling history, the Royal Enfield Interceptor featured a tuned version of RE’s biggest engine at the time. They were only sold in the US and Canada – as a ’70 model, this is a MkII model.
Restored – 1956 BSA Golden Flash
We recently saw a Golden Flash that had been turned into a scrambler – so here’s a concours restoration for you purists.
1937 Brough Superior SS80
Post Sale Update: This SS80 sold for $91,433 after 60 bids on eBay in San Diego, California. Called the Rolls Royce of bikes because of its impeccable finish, the SS80 (Super Sports) was named based on the founder’s assurances that the bike could hit 80mph, thanks to a nearly 1000cc engine.
1967 Velocette Venom Clubman
Post Sale Update: This Velocette sold for $15,655 after 15 bids on eBay in Trenton, New Jersey. Introduced in 1955, the Velocette Venom had a distinctive claim to fame – in 1961, a factory-prepped Venom Clubman was the first motorcycle to average over 100 MPH over the course of 24 hours. The challenge was completed at the 1.7 miles concrete …
AHRMA Scrambler -1958 BSA Golden Flash A10
Post Listing Update: This Golden Flash did not meet reserve with 8 bids up to $3,850 on eBay in Hillsboro, Oregon. Starting with a A10 Golden Flash engine and frame, this BSA was converted into a classic scrambles racer in England.