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, …
1935 Rudge Ulster
Built for 10 years (1929-1939), the Rudge Ulster was a British bike originally built as a racing prototype – so the production bike was pretty much a race replica. Advertised as “probably the fastest 500cc motorcycle in production”, the Ulster was one of the best bikes you could buy at the time.
1929 Majestic 350
Post Listing Update: this Majestic did not meet reserve despite 36 bids up to $60,000. With that said, a commenter below notes that the bike was later sold to the Barber Museum. Every once in a while, I stumble upon something truly incredible. This is one of those cases – the aptly-named Majestic 350. A shining example of Art-Deco styling, …
1929 Henderson Streamline KJ
One of the “Big 3” of American bikes in the early 1900s, Henderson was abruptly shut down in 1931, which is why most people now only remember Harley-Davidson and Indian. At the time, Henderson was producing the favored bikes of America’s police officers, though the company was bought up by Schwinn in the 1910s. The Henderson Streamline KJ was one …
1919 Indian Power Plus Sidecar
Post-Listing Update: Despite 16 bids up to $29,000, this Indian Power Plus Sidecar did not meet reserve. The Indian Power Plus was a successful roadster and canvas for racing bikes, especially with Erwin “Cannonball” Baker (after whom the Cannonball Run was named after). Today we’ve got an example that forgoes the racing pedigree and instead adds a sidecar.