Post-Listing Update: This Matchless G3 did not meet reserve at $4,250. Back when I interviewed Angus Dykman of Northeast Sportscar, he specifically called out a few of his bikes as ones that weren’t available for sale at the time. I found myself absolutely taken with one of the bikes in particular, so I’m surprised to see that this former Royal …
Couple of Ariel Square 4’s
The design for the Ariel Square 4 goes all the way back to 1931, soon after Edward Turner created the interesting new four-cylinder motorcycle engine formed from two OHC parallel twins. The design became known as the square four engine, and lent its name to this Ariel motorcycle.
1938 Norton 16H
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 in a domestic model. The 16C (Colonial) was introduced in ’21, and had more ground clearance for roads in poor condition.
Heavily Farkled – 1958 BSA Super Rocket
In the 50s, BSA was considered to be a manufacturer of reliable motorcycles, though general consensus was that they were falling behind in performance to Triumph and Norton. Birmingham Small Arms fought responded with the BSA Super Rocket, which has to be fast just based on the name, right?
Slippery Sam Replica – 1976 Triumph Trident 150V
Just a couple of days ago I featured a nifty custom Trident 150V, and I was stunned to find another in such a short timeframe: a production class racer based on the T150 Triumph Trident, “Slippery Sam” was bequeathed its unique name during the 1970 Bol d’Or 24 Hour Race when an oil pump failed, covering Percy Tait in black …
Off-Roader – 1951 Ariel Red Hunter
The Red Hunter was produced in varying displacements between 1932-1959. Over time, the bike evolved into a popular touring mount for the road – but this bike apparently never got the memo as it’s been turned into quite a unique off-roader.
2015 Triumph Thruxton Ace Special Edition
I used to always let the Thruxton slip under my radar, but as I’ve spent more and more of my time finding bikes for this site, I’ve come to appreciate how this bike looks. Here’s a limited edition twist on the Thruxton, the Ace Special Edition. Just 325 were brought to the US last month, and an extra $700 gets …
1951 Vincent Rapide
The baby brother to the legendary Black Shadow, the Vincent Rapide was sold from 1936-55 in 3 distinct ‘Series’. The final run was the Series C, which commenced in 1949. It offered the Rapide as a base model and the Black Shadow as the higher state of tune. Here’s one of the former in the very rare Chinese Red tinwork.
Special Body – 1974 Triumph Trident Cafe Racer
Post-Listing Update: This Tracy-bodied Triumph did not meet reserve as the 11 bids only got up to $5,105. In the Trident model line, the T150 was the odd man out. The ‘breadbox’ tank and other styling features did not resonate with buyers of the time, and nowadays the bikes are usually overshadowed by the T160 generation or any of the …
3200 Miles – 1974 Norton Commando 850
This 850 Commando (VIN: 850311646) has just 3,185 miles as it was put away for storage in 1985 after a mechanical issue (thread in the right hand exhaust was stripped). It’s recently had a ‘mild freshen up’ to fix the thread, replace the rims, spokes, forks, and handlebars (rust issues) and a reproduction seat. Here’s your chance for a low …
1938 Triumph Speed Twin 5T
A first year example of one of Edward Turner’s best known designs, this Triumph Speed Twin enjoyed a “no-expense spared” restoration some time ago and has since sat in display. Somebody get this beauty back on the road!
1 of 136 – 1971 Rickman Enfield Interceptor
In the early 70s, an aspiring Floyd Clymer (who owned the name of Indian Motorcycles at the time) thought that the 736cc engine from the Mark II Royal Enfield Interceptor was an absolute jewel, and he ordered 200 to use in an hybrid sport-tourer to be created as Indians. Unfortunately, Clymer passed away after only approximately 15 were created, leaving …
1972 Norton 750 Commando Combat
Norton Commando fans know that 1972 was a bad year for the motorcycle. The British firm introduced an upgraded engine, designated Combat. Unfortunately, the bearings would often self-destruct, rendering the engine useless.
1958 Ariel Cyclone
A 650cc high-compression variant of the Huntmaster, the Ariel Cyclone was a very rare bike. It seems that the list of documented Cyclones is 174 over two years of production. Ariel called it their “Super Sports Twin”, thanks to a 40 horsepower engine that was an option on the Huntmaster.
1981 Hesketh V1000
Post Listing Update: This Hesketh was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. By 1981, England was almost irrelevant in the international game of motorcycle production. So Thomas Alexander Fermor-Hesketh (how’s that for a name?), an actual Lord and Baron who had already started a racing team, decided to start his own motorcycle company. You can guess where he …