When Royal Enfield entered the US market a few years ago, they had an interesting side offering – complete kits to convert your motorcycle into a a cafe racer, scrambler, statesider, etc. They’ve since opened up a separate parts division called nfieldgear (how cute), where you can see some examples. Here’s an example of a Royal Enfield Bullet that got …
70s Inspired – Triumph Scrambler
I discovered Marin Speed Shop through an auction for a Ducati 1199 Superleggera that Zack B gave me a heads up about. When I was poking around their website, I discovered that they also produce some custom bikes. At the moment, they’ve only got one for sale – this 70s inspired Triumph Scrambler.
48 Cylinder Kawasaki
Alright, with a price of $840,000, this bike is arguably not actually for sale, so it might be borderline that I’m featuring it. With that said, there is a for sale listing, so enjoy this 4,200 cubic centimeter, 48 CYLINDER Kawasaki. Mind-boggling. Built by Simon Whitlock, this bike features 16 different engines from Kawasaki KH250s that have been reorganized into …
1975 Rickman Triumph
Post-Sale Update: This Rickman Triumph sold for an unknown best offer lower than $14,000. As you probably know, Rickman is famous for making incredible frames that you could stuff all kinds of engines into. This is a beautiful example (though try not to pay attention to the toe in the photo!) of a Rickman that was put together by Big …
1973 Tyran 125 MX
A short-lived enduro from the early 70s, the Tyran 125 MX were more 40% expensive the Japanese competition, but were slower and less reliable. As you might expect, not many people have heard of them since. The engine was a Sachs two-stroke 122cc unit that produced 18 horsepower to move a bike that weighed 190 pounds. For more on the …
1967 Cheney Triumph
One of the most challenging races in any discipline was the International Six Days Trial (ISDT – now known as the ISDE). An annual test of rider, machine, and durability, the ISDT is also known as the “Olympics of Motorcycling.” In 1968, ISDT changed up the rules to state that a rider had to use a machine of their own …
1975 Colorado Norton Works Commando
Post Sale Update: This CNW Commando sold for $18,999 after 7 bids on eBay. In the world of Norton Commandos, there’s very few modern legends that owners will trust to hop-up their bikes. Kenny Dreer and his VR880 is high up there, as is the firm of Colorado Norton Works, one of the best restorers out there. Here’s your chance …
1958 Royal Enfield Indian Tomahawk
The Royal Enfield Indian Tomahawk was a result of the odd marriage between (surprise) Royal Enfield and Indian. The Indian marque was owned by an English firm called Brockhouse Engineering, and during this time, they imported Royal Enfield bikes under the Indian name.
1964 Norton Atlas Cafe Racer
Named after the ICBM, the Norton Atlas was released in 1962, earning a so-so reputation before being replaced by the classic Commando. Built to appeal to American aesthetic preferences, it was initially only produced for export. Here’s an example that’s been turned into a cafe racer.
1957 Ariel Square Four
The Ariel Square Four design goes all the way back to 1931, soon after Edward Turner designed an 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.
1960 Norton Manx 40M
Post Listing Update: This Manx did not meet reserve despite 25 bids up to $29,100.29. Built for a whopping 15 years in long stroke and short stroke variants, the Norton Manx has a long, complicated history – which means that I defer you to The Vintagent to learn more. In recent times there has been a resurgence in its popularity …
1967 Triumph Rickman Metisse
After Thursday’s street-based Rickman Velocette, reader Steve F. shares what most people associate with the company- a Rickman Metisse. These popular bikes utilized a Rickman frame with (in this case), a Triumph engine. Just like a dog with no discernible breed, this bike was a mongrel of sorts – so they used the french translation (Metisse) to name it.
1951 Sunbeam S8
After WWII, as part of reparations, BMW gave up its designs of the BMW R75. Bikes like Chang Jiang and Ural used these designs, but England’s take was the Sunbeam S7. You can see the BMW influence when you look at a side profile, but Sunbeam wanted to differentiate themselves by utilizing a inline vertical twin instead of the German …
1969 Rickman Velocette
Post-Sale Update – After 31 bids on eBay, this Rickman Velocette sold for $25,000. Do two names in the motorcycle industry sound better together than Rickman Velocette? Probably, but at the moment I can’t think of any. Take one Rickman street frame and one 500cc Velocette Venom engine and you’ve got an absolute beauty of a bike that I want …
Nearly Finished – 1958 Ariel Square Four 1000
Post-Sale Update: This Square Four sold for $10,605 on eBay. The Ariel Square Four 1000 design goes all the way back to 1931, soon after Edward Turner designed an 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.