Post-Sale Update: After 14 bids on eBay, this Norton 850 Commando John Player sold for $6,801.09. I know I just featured one of these bikes, but this Norton 850 Commando John Player is one of the nicer examples I’ve seen with an auction full of details and photos – and that’s always a winner.
2011 Bennche Megelli 250R
Reader Zack B comes through with another bike I never heard of – the Bennche Megelli 250R. Based on the name, you’d be excused for thinking this comes from Italy, but it’s actually an American ATV and UTV company that dabbled importing a Chinese-made motorcycle. While Bennche is a firm based out of Dallas, Texas, Megelli is a UK company …
BEAR – 1964 Norton Atlas 750 Racer
Professionally built by Les Cook as a ‘rolling advertisement’ for his Norton shop, this Norton Atlas 750 Racer competed in the AHRMA BEARS series. What’s a BEAR, you ask? It stands for British European American Racing Series, and it’s for “certain two-cylinder machines built up through 1968 and competing under Formula 750 specifications.”
1975 Norton Commando 850 John Player
So it’s not the legendary John Player race rep, but this beautiful Commando features original paint in the John Player livery. This specific example has about 13,000 miles and is in excellent original condition. It’s being offered by the second owner, who has detailed service records since new. Both the electric starter and kick starter work, and you’ll get the …
1967 Norton P-11
Post-Listing Update: Despite 18 bids on eBay, this Norton P-11 did not meet reserve at $11,600. Back when AMC owned Norton and Matchless, the latter sold a bike called the G85CS, which was competitive in European motocross. The US west coast distributor sold several but thought they were a little slow for the ‘scramble’ racing that was happening in America, …
1970 Norton Commando S
In 1969, the second year of production, Norton introduced the S model of its instant-classic Commando. Designed primarily for the United States, the S came with scrambler pipes and is one of the more collectible models of the breed. Check out Silodrome for a wonderful buying guide/summary on the Commando. This specific Norton Commando S (VIN: 132902) has just 6,102 …
1946 BSA B31
BSA’s first new model after WWII, the B31 was a single-cylinder four-stroke designed to be used as basic transport. The 17 horsepower engine was sufficient to get the bike up about 70 miles per hour. Normally a 348cc engine, this engine on this specific BSA B31 (VIN: XB31 8688L) supposedly has a 500cc top end and cams from a Gold …
1971 Norton Commando Hi-Rider
Post-Sale Update: After 37 bids on eBay, this Norton Commando Hi-Rider sold for just $4,700. Normally, bikes get better through a production run over the years. Ask most British motorcycle enthusiasts and they’d disagree with that statement as it applies to the Commando, specifically thanks to models like the Norton Commando Hi-Rider 750. The exact reason for why this bike …
British Racing Green – 1969 Matchless G80CS
Post Sale Update: After 17 bids on eBay, this Matchless G80CS sold for $10,000. The pinnacle of the G80 series (except for the super-rare Typhoon G80TCS), the Matchless G80CS was a “Competition Suspension” variant that was designed to race through the dirt – just remove the lights!
1973 Triumph Trident 750 T150V
In the early 60s, twins ruled the world. Triumph saw an opportunity for a 750cc triple that would have been a world-beater. However, the British firm couldn’t get the bike out until ’68, at which point Honda was just months away from releasing the instant classic CB750. Here’s a well maintained example of the Trident (which is a great name …
“The Rolls-Royce of Bikes” – 1936 Brough Superior SS80
Post Listing Update: 23 bids on eBay got the action up to $60,300, but that wasn’t enough to meet reserve. When Paul D’Orleans, the man behind The Vintagent, says that a Brough Superior is the most beautiful production motorcycle ever made, then I listen. And while he’s a fan of the ’28 SS100 model, this SS80 should still check all …
Failed Resto – 1961 Matchless G12
This Matchless G12 has just 159 miles after a beautiful restoration, however it has “developed an engine noise”. So for someone who’s comfortable working on these engines, you may get yourself an excellent deal on a beautiful classic British bike. And once you fix it, you’ll get yourself 35 horsepower to push around less than 400 pounds of bike. The …
1of 250 – 1999 Triumph Daytona 1200 SE
In the early 90s, most major motorcycle manufacturers entered a gentlemen’s agreement to cap horsepower at 125. Triumph decided that when they were going to bring the bikes back from the new plant in Hinckley, that the best way for them to get attention was to ignore said agreement. Enter the 147 horsepower Triumph Daytona 1200. A year after the …
600 Miles – 1971 Triumph Tiger Daytona 500
This classic Triumph has just 600 miles and looks great thanks to a sympathetic restoration. With that said, you’ll still need to take care of a couple of things like servicing the carb and replacing the tires before this Triumph adds to the tiny number on the odometer. Find this classic Triumph twin for sale in Saint Louis, Missouri with …
The Goldie I – 1960 BSA Gold Star
Post-Listing Update: This BSA Gold Star was removed from eBay, final sales price unknown. Now this is just plain cool. A 500cc version of the legendary BSA Gold Star, this period cafe racer is unlike anything I’ve seen in a while. This bike has spent plenty of time as ‘garage art’ so it will need a little bit of work …