Founded in 1913, the Cotton Motor Company was impressively able to last until 1980 – during which they had a very confident motto: “The Motorcycle Masterpiece“
In England – 1983 CCW-Armstrong Rotax 250 GP
We’ve covered some of the fascinating early 80s Armstrong GP bikes before – our former contributor Tim Huber once explained that Armstrong was the first firm to bring carbon fiber frames/swingarms to the GP grid in 1984 with bikes like this. This was one of the privateer race machines and it’s one of two bikes bought by Svend Andersson to …
In Crate – 1974 Triumph Trident T150
My buddy David of Bullpen Cycles has an interesting find that needs a new home – a 50+ year-old Triumph that’s still in its original crate!
1954 Norton Manx Kit with KLR650 Engine
6-29-25 Update: Almost two years later, this “Norton” is back up for sale but the BIN price is almost half of what it used to be. Per the comments below, should we call it a Kaworton? A Norasaki? Or something else? Whatever you call it, you can find it in Eustis, Florida with a BIN of $6,400 or best offer …
Norcati Project in England
A small production company that was trying to create a limited run of Ducati-engined Norton hybrids is unfortuantely selling off their stock to someone who can hopefully keep things going. The main item is the featured bike, though there’s also an unfinished project, some stock Ducatis, and tools like welders, frame jigs, pipe benders, and more…including the UK trademark on …
1956 Triumph Thunderbird 6T
I have a friend of a certain age – ie, the age at which a man has raised his children past the “they’re going to die if you don’t pay attention to them all the damned time” stage – who, like many men of a certain age, has suddenly decided he is interested in motorcycling. Eager to support him, I …
1976 Triumph Bonneville T140
The ship was very much on fire when this bike was made. Triumph had gone through decades of bad finances and bad management. Labor disputes were affecting production. Quality was famously poor. And the machinery being produced was far from cutting edge. After all, 1976 was the year Kawasaki introduced the KZ1000. The Bonneville T140 was using an engine with …
1953 BSA Gold Star 500
One of BSA’s most famous bikes of all time was the legendary Gold Star – they were used for a variety of disciplines including road racing, trials, scramblers, dir track, hillclimbs…you name it, and that’s why the seller of this bike calls it “possibly the most versatile motorcycle ever built.” I like this particular example as this 72-year-old appears to …
In England – Supercharged Triumph Speed Triple RR
Here’s a bit of psycho exotica from the UK: a supercharged 230 horsepower (at the wheel) Triumph Speed Triple with just 250 miles on the clock. I’ve actually seen this bike racking up a few of those miles, about two years ago at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I have the good fortune of living in a tourist town just …
1973 Triumph X75 Hurricane
Post Listing Update: This Hurricane did not meet reserve despite 25 bids up to $37,100. Behold: a unicorn. Less than 1,200 of these were ever made. Designed specifically for the American market but inherently unable to succeed there, this bike is, in a way, an encapsulation of the weird and tumultuous period of British motorcycling history in which it was …
1969 BSA Rocket 3
If you’re thinking this bike looks a little like a Triumph Trident of the same era, that’s because they were basically the same machine; Triumph and BSA were, at the time, basically the same company.
1984 Norton Interpol 2
Norton used the “Interpol” name twice in their history: the first time was for a police bike based on the Commando, and the second time was for what you see here – a police bike built between 1984 and 1989 utilizng their twin rotor 588cc rotary engine. With that said, this bike has been customized (and as the seller puts …
Drixton Framed in Europe – 197x Honda CB350
Over at Iconic, we’re about to do some business with Oliver Lomas (the son of Jim Lomas, of JL Exhausts fame) to help distribute JollyMoto exhausts and during my reserach I found that they’ve also got some cool bikes for sale. Here’s a great example – a Drixton-framed Honda CB350!
“NorCeptor” – Norton Commando Frame with Honda Interceptor Engine
We’ve covered all sorts of hybrids over the years – Tritons, Norleys, even a “Grumph”. But here’s a first for me – a Norton frame stuffed with a Honda Interceptor V4 engine…
Modern Two Stroke – 2024 Langen 250
Right now, if you want a brand new two-stroke motorcycle in the US then your only bet is to go dirt biking. But in the UK, a company named Langen has brought two-strokes back to the road. Their limited (run of 100) creation is expensive, full of top-notch components, and unfortunately…not legal in the US. Still, here’s one of the …