As Erik Buell will tell you, starting a motorcycle company is no easy task. Even if you’re offering a solid product, getting marketing, a dealer network, and infrastructure set up can often make or break a company’s shot at success. The latter is essentially what happened to the short-lived motorcycles division of Petronas. Only 150 units (50 for racing, 100 …
Scrambled Brit – 1969 BSA 441 Victor Special
It’s hard to look at the 1969 BSA 441 Victor and not swoon over it at least a little bit. For its time, it was rugged-looking. The mid-scrambler pipe and polished aluminum tank with the front half partially adorned in a gloss yellow didn’t exactly hurt it in the looks department either. These bikes exude an old-school cool that wonderfully …
Rebuilt British Beauty – 1978 Rickman Triumph
Last time I featured a Rickman Triumph, I referred to it as a “Britmota” and even though this example isn’t a road machine, I feel the moniker still applies. This completely rebuilt example is sporting a NEW Rickman chassis wrapped around a 1978 Triumph 750 engine. The restoration process on this iconic British machine took an accumulative three years to …
Tricked Out – 2010 Triumph Street Triple
Modern Triumph three-cylinders are responsible for some of the most fun I’ve ever had on two-wheels. The powerband on these bikes is so usable and torquey, they really are a pleasure to ride. My biggest caveat with the Speed and Street Triple machines is their headlight assemblies, which is unfortunately a fairly defining aesthetic quality. So the redone front end …
Maintained By Sonny Angel – 1975 Norton Commando 850
This will be the second time in two months that I bring up Sonny Angel and his dealership, as they were responsible for the maintenance of this Commando for two and a half decades.
Triumph and Tribulations – Exploring the UK, Day 3
View PostUnrestored – 1963 Norton Atlas
The Norton Atlas was produced from 1962 to 1968 before being replaced by the iconic Commando. The Atlas’s 745cc air-cooled twin was married to a four-speed chain-drive transmission that resulted in 55hp at 6,500RPM. One of the biggest selling points for the Atlas was its Featherbed frame. Interestingly the Atlas was first produced for export only, having been designed to …
Drag Race Tribute – 1962 Triumph Pre-Unit Custom
While photos of this one-off ’62 Triumph custom more or less speak for themselves, the story behind this build is a rather interesting one. After going to school to receive his fine art degree, Karl Ardo – the person who built this Triumph- spent a number of years turning out hot rods of the four wheeled variety before changing his …
Factory Trials Bike – 1951 Norton 500T
Post Listing Update: Despite 45 bids up to $6,600, this 500T did not meet reserve. Don Morley called Norton’s 500T “the finest rigid trials machine to be produced by any factory.” This claim was supported by an ISDT Gold Medal in 1950, as well.
Funky Custom BSA D7 175 – The Navigator
This heavily modified BSA appropriately entitled “The Navigator” is one of the coolest one-off machines I’ve ever seen. The thing is just dripping with character and it possesses a wildly unique aesthetic with what appears to be an excellent fit and finish. While this example is undeniably pretty out there, it’s been masterfully executed and whether or not you like …
Triumph and Tribulations – Exploring the UK, Day 1 and 2
View PostLate Competition Scrambler – 1966 Matchless G85CS
The Plumstead, England-based Matchless Motorcycles had a decently long run of 67 years before finally closing its doors in 1966. Before shutting down however, one of its final moves would be producing (according to the seller) less than one hundred G85CS (or Competition Scramblers) in an effort to combat manufacturers like Husqvarna, Bultaco, CZ and Greeves, who had been dominating …
No Reserve Matching Triumphs – Bonneville T120R and Daytona T100R
A seller in Boulder, Colorado is letting go of his Bonneville and Daytona that have been painted to match each other. He’s selling both with no reserve so they will both be finding new homes.
Small Displacement British Classic – 1959 Norton Jubilee
Back in 1960, the U.K. introduced a new law limiting all new riders to piloting machines with a displacement of no more than 250cc (in addition to wearing L-plates). As a response to this change Norton began offering the Jubilee in 1958 (as a preemptive strategy) and it was the smallest engine the British manufacturer had ever produced. It was …
Possible Steal – 1967 Triumph T120TT
Post Sale Update: The bidding ended at $8,100, but as you can see from the comments below there’s some questions about this listing. In addition, the listing itself has been pulled off of eBay, so I wouldn’t factor this in if you’re trying to determine the value of a T120TT… Typically when I’ve seen or featured T120TTs in the past, …