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1936 Zenith C5 Special

In England, Vintage by Abhi2 Comments

Not many people know about the old British motorcycle manufacturer, but let me pass along a story about their first motorcycle. Instead of a normal gearbox-based transmission, Zenith developed something called the “Gradua”, a variable pulley that could change the length of the drive belt. Competitors complained, so several racing clubs banned the bike. Zenith responded by including “BARRED” in …

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1927 Rudge-Whitworth Four Special

In England, Vintage by AbhiLeave a Comment

Founded in 1894 through the merger of two bicycle makers, Rudge-Whitworth moved into motorcycle production in 1911. They made a name for themselves with some technological innovations (such as the Multi gear system which allowed for 21 speeds) and some racing success. After starting with a 499cc single, their new model in 1924 was called the Four. But the name …

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Needs Some Work – 1973 Triumph Hurricane X-75

In England by Abhi1 Comment

The Triumph Hurricane X-75 represented a paradigm shift in motorcycling manufacturing, as it was the world’s first factory custom motorcycle. The brainchild of Craig Vetter (well known as a motorcycle designer and manufacturer of custom motorcycle fairings) and Don Brown (General Manager of BSA), the Hurricane was created when Brown called Vetter up on a secret project to create a …

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“Bike” Review – Morgan 3 Wheeler

In 3 Wheels, England, Reviews by Abhi6 Comments

First things first: If you’ve been reading Bike-urious for a while, you’ll know that this is my first vehicle review (and also the most I’ve used the word “first” in a sentence). I apologize in advance – this probably won’t be what you expect from a review, as I don’t have a big budget or fancy equipment. I just have …

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1975 Rickman Honda CR750

In England, Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

The Rickman brothers made a name for themselves by building incredible frames to put (usually) Triumph motors in, but in the 70s they also expanded to building frames for Japanese bikes like the Kawasaki Z1 and the Honda CB750. This is one of the latter, which can be summarized from a quote from the Rickman brothers themselves:

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2003 Royal Enfield Bullet Continental

In Cafe Racer, England by AbhiLeave a Comment

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 …

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70s Inspired – Triumph Scrambler

In Dual-Sport, England by Abhi1 Comment

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.

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48 Cylinder Kawasaki

In England, Japan, Standard by Abhi6 Comments

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 …

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1975 Rickman Triumph

In Cafe Racer, England by AbhiLeave a Comment

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 …

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1973 Tyran 125 MX

In England by AbhiLeave a Comment

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 …

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1967 Cheney Triumph

In England, Off-Road by Abhi3 Comments

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 …