When Edward Turner was moved from Ariel to become the General Manager and Chief Designer of Triumph, one of the sweeping changes he made was to update the naming of the 250, 350, and 500cc Mk.5 singles. There were other changes but the bikes got an actual name of “Tiger”, which a suffix hinting at the what the claimed top …
1948 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.
No Reserve – 1958 Yamaha YE-1 Project
Yamaha’s first motorcycle was the 1955 YA-1, and there’s plenty of information about that model out in the digital world. But I’ve been hard-pressed to find any real information on the YE-1, another motorcycle from Yamaha’s early history. Do you know anything about it?
1939 Vincent Series A Comet
In 1934, Phil Vincent debuted a new OHV motor that would go on to power multiple models built by the famous brand that bore his name. At first, the 499cc single was utilized in the Meteor and the Comet, though over the years the company would focus more on the famous Rapide and its V-Twin motor. here’s one of the …
1946 Nimbus Model C
The Nimbus motorcycle dates back to 1919, the result of a vacuum cleaner manufacturer that figured they could make some money by also building motorcycles. Though the two products may not share a lot conceptually, the original Nimbuses (Nimbi?) were quite technologically advanced with shaft drive, steel frames, and a telescopic front fork (a year before the BMW R12, though …
No Reserve – 1937 Norton Model 50
With a staggering 30 year production run (1933-1963), Norton’s Model 50 featured a 350cc single and would eventually get a Featherbed frame in 1959. The model was initially designed by Edgar Franks, who would also go on to create Norton’s oil bath primary chain case, Norton’s first telescopic forks, their famous aforementioned Featherbed frame, and even the legendary Manx model.
Needs Some Work – 1935 Triumph Model 3
After a “nut and bolt” restoration in 2012, this bike has been sitting – the seller uses my favorite phrase, “ran great when parked” and notes that it will now need the “usual recommissioning and put oil, gas, battery, test the brakes, adjust the primary, adjust the clutch, etc.” But in this case, it should be worth it!
1939 Peugeot P135 HL
Post Sale Update: This P135 sold for a BIN of $17,000 on eBay in Oceanside, California. In 1936, Peugeot introduced the P135 (350cc) as a lower-cost variant to their 350/500 “Grande Puissance” (“high power”) lineup, which was quite expensive to make, and therefore sell. A HL (Haute Luxe or High Luxury) option added extra chrome on the tank and tool …
1934 Harley-Davidson VLD
Post Sale Update: This VLD sold for $28,600 after 19 bids on eBay in Elkhorn, Wisconsin. When the stock market crashed in ’29, most American motorcycle manufacturing firms went out of business. H-D, of course, was one of the few that survived. With only a little bit of money to play with (thanks to Harley’s bottoming out of sales in …
1937 Brough Superior SS80
Post Sale Update: This SS80 sold for $91,433 after 60 bids on eBay in San Diego, California. Called the Rolls Royce of bikes because of its impeccable finish, the SS80 (Super Sports) was named based on the founder’s assurances that the bike could hit 80mph, thanks to a nearly 1000cc engine.
1939 Terrot BMA 100
Post Sale Update: This Terrot sold for $3,500 after 44 bids on eBay in Clinton, Ohio. In 1926, the French manufacturer Terrot introduced the “Bicyclette Moteur Auxiliaire”, or BMA. The model name was directly stolen from French regulations which defined a category of motorized bicycle that had to be less than 100cc, under 30kgs (~66 pounds), have pedals, and top …
1908 Bradley White Lightning
7-17-20 Update: Four years later, this Bradley is back up for sale. It doesn’t look like anything has changed, though the asking price has gone up by $25k. Find it for sale in Redondo Beach, California with a BIN of $300,000 or best offer here on eBay. Did the SS Lottery sail into your port? If so, you may be …
1928 BMW R52
Post Listing Update: This R52 sold for $24,100 after 30 bids on eBay, however it looks like the sale fell through as it was relisted and then pulled off of eBay “because the item is no longer available.” Designed to be a tourer, the BMW R52 featured a 486cc boxer twin that generated 12 horsepower. The three-speed transmission had just …
4 British motorcycles from the 1920-30s
A seller in Conifer, Colorado has 3 classic Rudges with a bonus Sunbeam Lion that he’s selling as a set after forty years of ownership.
1944 BSA M20 with B33 Motor
Post Listing Update: This BSA hybrid was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. It’d be hard for me to top this introductory line from the seller: “basically, this bike is what you’d get if an ovulating 1949 B33 had unprotected sex with a horny old 1944 M20 sometime in the late 80’s or early 90’s.” I’m highly amused …