BSA poured a lot of money and time and talent into the 500 CC class motocross program in the early 1960s that paid off in spades. The B 40 (introduced in 1962) sported a 343 CC single that competed and sold well. It was the English Army’s standard motorcycle until 1970.
Restored – 1951 Vincent Black Shadow Series C
The Black Shadow might just be the most famous motorcycle ever built, with an iconic history thanks to moments like Rollie Free’s bathing suit speed run on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Black Shadows were handmade, and less than 1,700 were built in total. In the words of Hunter S. Thompson, “If you rode the Black Shadow at top speed for …
Custom Paint – 1973 Norton Commando 750
After the debacle of the Combat engine, Norton was glad to move on into the MkV forms of the Roadster, Interstate, and Hi-Rider. In the process, they got rid of the Fastback. Commando fans will note that this paint livery is similar to what was on the 850 bikes – that’s because this roadster was recently repainted with the iconic …
1973 Triumph Trident T150V
Introduced in 1968 as a ‘69 model the BSA Rocket 3/Triumph Trident brought an entirely new concept to market with a three cylinder motor that was smooth and fast. The model was ‘badge engineered’ to allow both marquees to sell bikes to their loyal customers. Overall sales were good, not great with 27,480 produced in the seven year run.
Ariel Powered – 1959 Norton “Esquire”
2-27-17 Update: Nearly 2 years later, Tom W notes that this bike is back up for sale. Find it still in Bend, Oregon with bidding up to $6,000 and the reserve not yet met or a BIN of $15,000 (down from the original ask of $18,500) here on eBay. You’re probably familiar with the Triton, the pairing of a Triumph …
1965 BSA Bantam
It’s a well known story. The BSA Bantam, the Harley Davidson Hummer, the Russian Moskva and the Yamaha YA 1 were all copies of the German DKW given out as war reparations. I would really like to know how Japan (Yamaha) qualified for reparation from Germany, but that is a question for another time.
1956 Norton Manx 350
To say that Norton dominated the 350 and 500 class at Isle of Man TT for the 10 years immediately following WWII would be putting it mildly. Norton Manx singles had their way with the field time after time.
1969 Velocette Venom Clubman
Post Sale Update: This Venom Clubman sold for $12,000 after 18 bids on eBay. Introduced in 1955, the Venom set itself up to be an alternative to the British sporting twins that were starting to dominate the market. The Venom really came of age when a factory prepped bike became the first ever motorcycle to average 100 MPH over the …
1958 Norvin
First registered in the UK in 1958, this gorgeous hybrid features a customized Norton featherbed frame with a Vincent Rapide V-Twin engine. What a beauty.
1951 Indian Brave
Did you know that you have 11 choices to describe your personal relationship on Facebook? And that one of them is “It’s complicated”? I’d really like to give you a background and lineage on this Indian Brave but, well, it’s complicated. If anybody has a definitive history of the Indian Brave, I’d love to know. I’ll tell you what I …
Last Iron Barrel – 2008 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
Classic Motorworks is moving to Fort Worth, Texas, and it looks like the owner is using the move as an opportunity to sell some stuff. One of the things he’s getting rid of is the last 500cc iron barrel Bullet ever built. According to the seller, Classic Motorworks was the exclusive importer and distributor for Royal Enfield in the USA …
1946 Ariel Red Hunter 350
We recently featured one of these in December, so it is a little unusual to see another pop up on Craigslist. Maybe the owner got motivated after the recent auctions, as some of the older, collectible bikes were fetching serious money, especially the pre-war American twins. Alas, this is neither pre-war, a twin, or American, but that makes it more …
1971 Triumph T25
I find Triumph’s “Blazer” series of the T25 a tad confusing, as there’s a few versions with minor differences. Because this example does not have a handlebar brace, my guess would be that it’s the T25SS, or the regular Street Scrambler. It’s missing the distinctive original exhaust but this bike is being sold by a friend of mine that I …
1938 Velocette MSS
The 1930s were the absolutely the heyday of British singles. BSA, Triumph, Norton, Velocette, Sunbeam, Rudge, New Hudson, Excelsior, HRD, New Imperial and Royal Enfield all made 500 CC singles during the 1930s. No doubt one of the best of the lot was the Velocette MSS. Introduced in 1935 the MSS continued in the Velocette catalog until 1968 (None made …
1968 Triumph TR6C
The Triumph TR6 was introduced as a 1956 model 650 CC twin aimed squarely at the US market. Bud Ekins said he basically taught Steve McQueen to ride the fire roads of So Cal on a TR6, and there is no doubt that McQueen loved the bike. He owned several over the years. By 1968 the TR6 was unit construction …