Post Sale Update: This 16H did not meet reserve despite 10 bids on eBay up to $8,000. However, it was relisted twice and eventually sold for $7,700 after 6 bids. Between 1911 and 1954, Norton produced a series of bikes all around a 490cc side-valve engine. These bikes were referred to as the 16H – H stood for Home, as …
A Legend in Waiting – 1964 Triumph T120 Bonneville
By now, everybody is aware that Motorcyclist Magazine has named the Triumph Street Twin the 2016 Motorcycle of the Year (MOTY). Everybody knows that the boys from Hinckley have built the Street Twin to be a lineal copy of the T120. Back in the day when motorcycles had light switches Triumph powered motorcycles held the World Land Speed record from …
1971 BSA Lightning Cafe
Built by Danny Thompson of Triumphs on Broadway (website is incomplete), this Lightning has been turned into a cafe racer with a heavy candy flake paint job.
1936 Sunbeam Model 9
Harry Sucher (RIP) was an early member of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America and one of the most knowledgeable men out there on classic motorcycles – he wrote impressive histories on both Indian and Harley-Davidson. As you might expect from such a guy, he also had a great personal collection of motorcycles, one of which was this Sunbeam Model …
1973 Triumph Bonneville T140V
Post Listing Update: This T140V was relisted several times but bidding never got higher than $5,655. The second generation of the Bonneville is a cheaper alternative to the T120 generation – people love the classics! Despite the cheaper price nowadays, you’ll get a fifth gear in the transmission, bigger engine, and disc brake up front. Over the years the 140V …
1974 Norton Commando 850 Interstate
The Commando name actually spans 6 different models: the Roadster, Fastback, Hi-Rider, Production Racer, Interpol, and the Interstate. The Interstate is today’s featured bike, and you can probably guess from the name that it was designed to be a long distance tourer. The 828cc variant was released in 1973, adn the main difference from the base bike was the large …
Restored – 1968 BSA Spitfire MKIV Special
Post Listing Update: This Spitfire got no action at the opening bid of $8,500. 1968 was the last year of the “Mark” Spitfires, and just 1,291 of them were built. Improvements over the MkIII included Amal Concentric carbs and a twin leading shoe front brake. Here’s a beautifully restored example that features the Euro market (read: much better looking and …
1966 Norton Atlas Cafe Racer
Post Listing Update: This Atlas cafe did not meet reserve with 21 bids up to $6,000. It seems that my buddy Tom Wacker ruffled a few feathers with his last post about an Atlas, so I’m curious to see how y’all respond to this non-stock example. =)
1956 Ariel HT5 Replica
Between 1958 and 1964, the Ariel HT5 racked up 161 trial championship wins at both the UK and international levels. Finding original examples of the bike is no easy task, but even today there are companies that make replica frames. Throw in an Ariel 500cc engine and you can complete the rest – or you can just buy this one.
1965 Norton Atlas – Race Horse or Plow Horse?
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 …