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, …
BSA-Powered – 1971 Cheney Victor MkIII
Post Sale Update: This Cheney Victor sold for $6,100 after 27 bids on eBay. One of the legends of off-road frame design, Eric Cheney started as one of Britain’s best MX riders. Unfortunately, he picked up a blood infection while racing in Algeria and it became so bad that he had to stop racing. That was good news for his …
1966 BSA A65S Spitfire Special MK2
Post Sale Update: This time, it sold! The price was $7,000 after 33 bids on eBay. 1-15-18 Update: This Spitfire is back up for sale and bidding is higher than it settled at last time. Now it’s up to $5,259 with the reserve not yet met here on eBay. Post Listing Update: This Spitfire did not meet reserve despite 24 …
Rare Non-Runner – 1956/7 Triumph Fips
We’ve accumulated quite a collection of bikes for sale over the years, so it’s always a pleasant surprise when I get to share something that I’ve never posted about before. Today’s example of such a feat is brought to you by reader Bob K, who sent me a link to a Triumph Fips. This is from the German Triumph, which …
Ending Soon – 1955 Triumph TRW
Post Sale Update – This TRW sold for $7,300 after 26 bids on eBay. Built for the British military to utilize in WWII, the TRW arrived a little late: by the time Triumph had released the final version (3rd) of the model, the Allies had already won the war! Despite that, Triumph was able to sell nearly 16,000 units – …
Rare Brit – 1965 Greeves TFS 250
Greeves Motorcycles was once a major player in the off-road competition scene, producing more than a dozen models over the course of its history. Though the British marque is best known for its decade of dominance in off-road competition from ’59 to ’69, Greeves also built some championship-winning road-racers. The historic brand is largely credited for changing many riders’ perceptions …
10 Boy Racers in Germany – Collection of AJS 7Rs
1-3-18 Update: Nearly a year later, Tim Huber has found that this collection is still for sale (but now the asking price has been reduced by over $200k). It’s now available on Hemmings for $530,000 or best offer. At this year’s Retromobile show in Paris, an incredible collection of 10 AJS 7R race bikes stood out among a sea of …
Trackmaster Build – 1952 Vincent Rapide
99 percent of the time, modifying a 1952 Vincent isn’t remotely acceptable. Enter: the elusive one percent. This motorcycle is ridiculously noteworthy for a multitude of reasons; its frame, its powerplant, its previous owner(s), its components and hand-built parts, the list goes on. What you’re looking at is a “Lightning-ized” Rapide V-Twin stuffed into a Trackmaster flat tracker frame, then …
Ending Soon – 1974 Norton Commando 850 Roadster
Post Listing Update: This Commando did not meet reserve despite 22 bids up to $7,500. Should have fixed that front brake! This Norton Commando 850 comes with lots of supplemental literature that make it a fun find – you’ll get the rider’s manual, service voucher booklet, instructional literature wallet, warranty card, world-wide distributor/dealer book, a tire manual from Avon, and …