After 20 years of dominating English motorcycling with their legendary singles it became obvious to Norton that they needed a twin to compete with Triumph and others. In 1948 Norton introduced the Model 7 which was essentially a twin mounted on a single frame. Not a good effort for Norton. They improved with the model 88, 99 and 650SS and …
The Oddball – 1969 Norton Commando S
Norton introduced the 750 Commando in 1968 known as the Fastback. In 1969 they introduced two more models, the R (Roadster) and the S (Street Scrambler). In the fullness of life, the Roadster would become the ‘standard’ Commando and the other two would go away. The 1969 Scrambler was produced for the American market and in direct response to the …
Not For Purists – 1974 Norton Commando 850 Mk2
Post Listing Update: This custom Commando did not meet reserve despite 27 bids up to $8,100. It’s been relisted a few times but bidding has never ended up higher. Here’s a Mk2 Commando that’s been fettled into a moderate custom – purists won’t like it, but YOU might!
Mild Custom – 1958 Ariel Square Four
By 1958 the Ariel Square Four was considered one of the premier motorcycles on earth. A huge powerplant, incredibly smooth, fast. Edward Turner (who would go on to design the Triumph Speed Twin) designed the twin crank 4 cylinder single head motor in the late 1920’s and sold it to Ariel who successfully brought it to market in 1936. It …
1955 Triumph Tiger T110
The Triumph T110 was introduced in 1954 as a replacement to the T100 which was so named because it’s top speed was in excess of 100 MPH. The T110 was the world’s fastest production motorcycle in 1955 and aimed squarely at the American market. In September of 1956 Johnny Allen set the motorcycle land speed record of 214.17 MPH on …
Built like a Sherman Tank! History of the BSA WM20
View PostSitting Since the 70s – 1947 Velocette MSS 500 Custom
The seller of this bike (same guy with the nifty Triumph flat tracker from yesterday) acquired it from this father upon the latter’s death nearly a decade ago. His dad used to race it in SoCal in the 50s on hill climbs, hare scramblers, flat tracks, and more – plus at one point it was street legal, to boot.
Classic Flat Tracker – 1946 Triumph Tiger 100
This Triumph flat tracker was campaigned in Southern California in the 50s by the seller’s father. Unfortunately, it has sat since 2001 and is worse for wear – do you think it’s worth saving?
1956 Triumph TRW500
I’ll be the first to admit, I am a sucker for a model or a designation that I don’t recognize. I’ve owned a couple of Triumphs, and I’d never seen the ‘TRW’ designation. So after an hour’s happy research I now know that is a military design, and I also know that the British Army bought almost none of the …
1964 BSA Lightning Rocket
In the mid 1960s BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) did not want to dominate the world. They did, however, want to dominate the US Market so brought the Lightning Rocket to our fair shores. The Lightning Rocket was essentially the same as the domestic Lightning, but was tuned to be faster and quicker. The 1964 BSA Lightning Rocket featured a 654 …
Ending Soon – 1973 Norton Commando 850 Tourer
Post Sale Update: As Cas V noted in the comments, this Commando sold for just $4,723 after 14 bids on eBay. A former personal mount of Bill Bibbiani (former head of the SoCal Norton Owners Club), this interesting Commando is well modified and setup for road tripping.
40+ Bike Collection
In Addison, Texas, a seller has come into possession of 40+ excellent motorcycles that were formerly “owned by a champion racer that has passed away recently.” Not all of them are on eBay yet, but this is a seller you’re going to want to keep tabs on for the next few weeks.
Restoration Project – 1975 Triumph T160
So everybody has room for one more project, right? Another “I’ll get that one right after the one I’m working on now” space. This 1975 Trident could be that bike. In 1975, the Triumph Trident was re-introduced as the T160 (formerly T150) and had some significant upgrades, most notably electric start. Big and fast, the Trident was a real player …
1970 Royal Enfield Interceptor
Post Sale Update: After 5 bids on eBay, this Interceptor sold for $9,851. 1970 was the end of the line for the Royal Enfield company. Originally an ammunition and small arms manufacturer they started making motorcycles in 1898 with a sourced motor and produced their own motor in 1901. They went broke then re chartered in 1910 as ‘The Royal …
1946 Triumph…Something
Post Sale Update: After 23 bids on eBay, this Doc custom sold for $2,876. That’s right – it’s time for another game of “what the heck is that?” courtesy of the late Dr. Robert Harms. At this point you’ve seen plenty of his builds and hopefully remember his story. If not, I’ll send you back to the Kneeslider for a …