Post Listing Update: This Rixi did not meet reserve despite 40 bids up to $3,050 on eBay. The Turner Manufacturing Company was founded in 1859 under the name of Thomas Turner & Sons. They built a wide variety of products: cars, machine tools, aircraft landing systems, diesel engines, recovery winches, truck gearboxes…the list goes on. They also made light delivery …
Restored – 1965 BSA Lightning Rocket A65R
An evolution of the A65 Rocket, the Lightning Rocket was an upspec version with twin Amal carbs, high compression pistons, and an optional close ratio gearbox. Cosmetically, it had extra chrome and narrower fenders/fuel tank.
Desert Sled – 1956 Triumph Trophy TR6
Post Listing Update: This desert sled Triumph did not meet reserve despite 26 bids up to $8,600. Nowadays, “Desert Sled” is just a model name that’s been commercialized by Ducati, but back in the day the term was commonly associated with big British twins that had a few basic modifications – skid plate, knobbies, handlebars – to go through, rather …
Manx-ish – 1959 Norton ES2
Post Sale Update: This ES2 sold for $11,000 after 2 bids on eBay. Introduced in 1927, the Norton ES2 started as a sporting single but over its nearly 40 years of life technology (and other models) passed it by. Still, it apparently makes a nice platform for a Manx knockoff that you can enjoy for much cheaper than the original. …
1970 Triumph Bonneville T120R
Post Sale Update: This Bonnie sold for $13,100 after 72 bids on eBay. When people think of classic bikes, Triumph often comes to mind, and the silhouette of a Bonneville slowly takes shape. As people look back to the past with more and more nostalgia, memories of fouled spark plugs and endless kickstarts fade away as the values of certain …
Street Legal – 1967 Rickman Metisse
In 2013, this Metisse “underwent modifications to adapt a period appropriate headlamp and taillamp/stop lamp and horn set up to make it street legal”. Would you ever put it on pavement?
Genuine – 1969 Dunstall Norton Commando 750
Post Listing Update: This Commando did not get any interest at the BIN of $17,999. 12-21-2018 Update: Another two years later and this Dunstall is up for sale again. The last time it was offered on eBay, there was 48 bids up to $34,000 but the bike did not meet reserve! Now the seller’s willing to take a lot less…find …
1958 Ariel Cyclone
Post Listing Update: This Cyclone was relisted but bidding did not get above $8,880 with 16 bids on eBay. A couple of years ago, I featured Bike-urious reader Dan Dutra’s Ariel Cyclone in a video when he brought it out to the Quail Motorcycle Gathering. Well, after four years as a caretaker, Dan’s letting this Cyclone go so he can …
Yamaha XS650 Motor – 2003 Royal Enfield Bullet
Royal Enfield has just released two models powered by an all-new 650 twin motor, but the seller of this bike beat them to the punch. The title tells you what you need to know – this is a Royal Enfield that’s had a heart transplant. The seller says he “decided to change the motor to make it a reliable daily …
Fresh Build – “1969” Metisse Motorcycles Limited 750
Post Listing Update: This Metisse did not meet reserve despite 33 bids up to $15,850 on eBay. After Pat French passed away in 2007, his business partner Gerry Lisi continued the tradition of Rickman Metisse builds under the name “Metisse Motorcycles Limited“. In 2012, the company announced a “Mark 5” lineup, an attempt to cosmetically evolve the classic Rickman design. …
1974 Rickman Honda CR750
Post Listing Update: This Rickman Honda did not get any interest at the opening ask of $11,995. Apparently it’s Rickman week on Bike-urious. After the CR900 and Chantland-powered Metisse from a few days ago, here’s a CR750 (named for the Honda CB750 motor). The Rickman concept is well-summarized by the brothers themselves: “The Japanese produced very good engines, but they …
1963 Norton Electra
In the late 50’s and early 60’s, Norton produced a couple of smaller displacement bikes in the hopes of appealing to starting riders. They had the 250cc Jubilee and the 350cc Navigator, both of which were 4 stroke vertical twins. In 1963, at the request of the US importer Joe Berliner, they bumped the size of the Jubilee up to …
Chantland 750 Kit – 1970 Rickman Metisse MkIII
Post Sale Update: This Rickman Triumph sold for the BIN of $10,000 on eBay. From the seller of yesterday’s Rickman Kawasaki CR900, here’s another special Rickman that’s been stuffed with a bored-out motor. This time around it’s a Metisse with a Triumph 650 motor that’s packing a Chantland 750 kit.
Build By A British MX Champ – X-Axis’ Custom 1984 Honda CBX750
Billy MacKenzie first made a name for himself in the motorcycling world competing in various MX events before eventually going on to claim back-to-back MX1 British Championship titles in 2007 and 2008. The Edinburgh-born rider also represented the UK in the Motocross of Nations before MacKenzie announced he’d be hanging up his race leathers to focus on building custom motorcycles.
Restored – 1939 Triumph 3H
Post Listing Update: This Triumph got no interest at the opening ask of $25,000. 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 sold until 1966 with …