10-20 Update: This BMW R63 is now up for sale on eBay, where bidding is up to $18,100 with the reserve not yet met. Find it here on eBay. The BMW R63 was one of the German firm’s first 750cc bikes – the R63 was the sport model compared to the touring R62. It introduced the concept of electric lighting …
1939 BMW R12
You guys seemed to enjoy the R35 from two days ago, so let’s go with another classic BMW – the R12, an incredibly popular bike in its day. In fact, almost 30,000 were made, 2/3 of which were civilian models (the rest built for the Wehrmacht), making this the most successful BMW until the R75/5 came along.
1948 BMW R35
By the time production had ended, the BMW R35 was the German firm’s most successful motorcycle in history. It was introduced in 1937 and was capable of about 100km/h (60mph).
1939 Zundapp K800
Zundapp had tremendous success in the 30s with the K series of bikes, the smallest of which was 200cc, and the largest of which was the Zundapp K800.
1936 Zenith C5 Special
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 …
1927 Rudge-Whitworth Four Special
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 …
1934 BMW R4
Post Sale Update: This R4 sold for $17,000 after 22 bids on eBay. As the 30s rolled around and Depression hit, BMW saw the need for a diminutive single-cylinder bike to offer alongside its twins. The sub 200cc R2 sold quite well, but the BMW R4 was an intermediate bike between the budget single and the bigger bikes. The R4 …
“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 …
1930 Indian Aristocrat Model 402
One of the best looking inline-4’s of all time, the Indian Model 402 was known as the “Aristocrat” due to its high level of sophistication at a time where most motorcycle buyers were looking for the cheapest options. Priced at a whopping $485 at the time, it is now a true collectible.
1944 BSA WM20
Post Sale Update: After being relisted, this WM20 sold for $6,500 with 41 bids. Built for 18 years, the BSA WM20 was initially considered a failure for military applications by the British, though small evolutions converted it into one of longest serving motorcycles for any military in the world. Over 125,000 of them were used in active service for World …
1922 Harley-Davidson JD Racer
By 1920, HD was the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer – with dealerships in 67 countries. One of their featured bikes at the time was the 1000cc Harley-Davidson JD, which became the first motorcycle to ever win a race with an average speed of over 100 mph in 1921, on a board track in Fresno, California.
1920 Harley-Davidson JD Racer
Post-Sale Update: This Harley-Davidson JD Racer sold for $17,100 on eBay. By 1920, HD was the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer – with dealerships in 67 countries. One of their featured bikes at the time was the 1000cc Harley-Davidson JD, which became the first motorcycle to ever win a race with an average speed of over 100 mph in 1921, on …
85 Years Young – 1939 Moto Guzzi Egretta
4-10 Update: This Guzzi is back up for sale here on eBay. When it comes to classic Guzzis, the Airone (produced for nearly two decades!) is usually the first bike that comes to mind. Airone translates to Heron, but that bike actually owes its existence the very rare Egret, the Moto Guzzi Egretta.
Production Racer – 1938 DKW SS 250
Post-Listing Update: Despite 20 bids on eBay topping out at $72,655, this DKW SS 250 failed to meet reserve. One of the most famous reverse-cylinder motorcycles of all time, the DKW SS 250 featured a “split-single” or “twingle” engine which had two pistons driven by a split con-rod. DKW used this technology in several bikes up to 500cc, but none …
1938 Triumph Tiger T90
Post-Listing Update: Despite 33 bids up to $16,100, this Triumph Tiger T90 did not meet reserve on eBay. Triumph has been around in various forms since 1885, but it really started to enjoy some success after being acquired in 1936 by the same man who owned Ariel. That year, the company was restructured, it started exporting bikes to the US, …