Post Sale Update: sold for $24,200 after 14 bids on eBay In 1934, Phil Vincent debuted a new OHV motor that would go on to power multiple models built by the famous brand that bore his name. At first, the 499cc single was utilized in the Meteor and the Comet. Over the years the company would focus on the famous …
Electric Trike – 1963 Harding Motor Chair
Based out of Bath, England, RA Harding was one of the premier manufacturer of “invalid carriages.” They also developed some trikes with a variety of power options – hand-propelled, gasoline, or what we see here today: electric.
1970 Triumph T100C Bobber
Post Listing Update: This custom Triumph did not get any interest at the opening ask of $4,500. Offered by a Bike-urious reader, this Triumph was acquired as a chopper build that had been sitting in a woodshed for 32 years. He rescued it with a “frame-up restoration” 3 years ago, and in the process he turned it into a bobber.
1955 BSA B33
Post Sale Update: This B33 sold for $6,750 after 20 bids on eBay. Introduced in 1947, the B33 gets very little glory compared to BSA’s performance bikes like the Gold Star, but this is what got many Brits around for many years – production ended in 1960. The B33 was a sales success because it was reliable, and they’re still …
American Style in Britain – 1971 Norton Commando Hi-Rider
When “Easy Rider” exponentially increased the popularity of choppers around the world, it was inevitable that certain businesses would try to ride the way. What was surprising was that one of those companies was Norton, who created the “Hi-Rider” variant of the Commando to counteract the popularity of big Japanese motorcycles like the Honda CB750. It looked silly – in …
The Antithesis of Practical – The Story of a Norton Love Affair
View PostEx-Drag Racer – 1947 Ariel Red Hunter
Post Sale Update: This Ariel sold for $4,550 after 18 bids on eBay. The seller does such a good job telling the story of this bike that I almost feel silly trying to summarize it. In his words: In January of 1947 George Boskoff, a 20 year old gearhead from the South Bay area of Los Angeles, purchased this very …
Brit Speedway Racer – 1928 Douglas SW5
Douglas Motorcycles was a British marque founded in 1907 by brothers William and Edwin Douglas. The Bristol-based outfit was probably best known for its horizontally opposed twins, though it also had a reputation for producing some solid race machines and even dabbled in automobile manufacturing for a decade or so, resulting in the “Cyclecar”. Eventually a myriad of factors would …
Trackmaster Frame – 1967 Triumph Flat Tracker
This gorgeous Triumph has recently been refurbished – if I lived in a state that allowed it, I’d throw the front brake on, add some lights, and get this plated!
1963 Norley
Post Sale Update: After 11 bids on eBay, this “Norley” sold for $5,300. Combine a HD 1200 Sportster motor and a Norton Featherbed replica frame and you get a Harton. Wait, I got that backwards – it’s apparently actually called the Norley (or the Project Manxster, as it was dubbed in the pages of Cafe Racer magazine). This bike was …
Ending Soon – 1960s Ariel Leader
Post Sale Update: This Leader sold for $4,676 after just 3 bids on eBay. For good or bad, the Ariel Leader was appropriately named – it may have even been too far ahead of its time. It was never officially sold in the US, but a few examples from the 1958-1965 production run have made it across the ocean.
Classic Trials – 1977 Royal Enfield Bullet 350
Post Sale Update: Per the seller in the comments below, this Bullet sold for $3,000. Post Listing Update: Despite 39 bids on eBay up to $2,750, this Bullet did not meet reserve. It has since been relisted with a $3,500 Buy It Now here on eBay. You all seemed to enjoy the trials-prepped Matchless from earlier in this week, so …
Classic Trials – 1954 Matchless G3L
Post Listing Update: This Matchless did not meet reserve with 4 bids up to $3,350. Originally developed for the British military, the “L” version of Matchless’ G3 (L stood for Lightweight) ended up becoming one of the most popular motorcycles of the time because the Teledraulic forks were a significant improvement over the usual girder units. This example truly benefits …
135 Miles in England – 1989 Norton Commander
Just 253 examples of the Norton Commander were ever built, and this one stands out as it only has 135 miles. The Commander was offered in two variants: P52 was for police, and P53 was for civilians. You’d probably expect the police version to be the rarer of the two, but in this case you’d be wrong.
1961 Panther M100 Deluxe
Post Sale Update: This Panther sold for $10,000 after 33 bids on eBay. Introduced way back in 1932, the Panther Model 100 kept evolving until 1963, by which point the Model 120 had taken over. Both models featured the distinctive “Sloper” motor, named for the angle that is so evident at a side view. The 598cc single produced 23 horsepower, …