Post Sale Update: This Cheney Victor sold for $6,100 after 27 bids on eBay.
One of the legends of off-road frame design, Eric Cheney started as one of Britain’s best MX riders. Unfortunately, he picked up a blood infection while racing in Algeria and it became so bad that he had to stop racing. That was good news for his competition, as he applied his skills to making better frames and suspension designs for everyone to enjoy. His list of successes is long, but my favorite story is that he ended up building a small run of Triumph powered bikes to compete in the ISDT because the British motorcycle industry was suffering and couldn’t support a national team in the late 60s/early 70s. In 1970 and 1971, Cheney won a manufacturer’s prize!
With regards to bikes built for the public, around that time Cheney supposedly acquired an ex-BSA competition motor, and he used it to develop the frame for what would be known as the Cheney Victor – a top notch nickel-plated frame with alloy tank, Ceriani forks, and Akront rims all wrapped around the 500cc motor from a BSA Victor. For more on Eric and what made him such a wizard, check out this story on Classic Dirt Bike Rider.
This example is claimed to have been hand built by Eric Cheney himself sometime between 1971-1973. The current owner took it up to Washington state from California and impressively, the bike had been raced until last season. Joe Kopp (AMA Pro Grand National Champion in 2000) also raced this at an AHRMA vintage MX race, as well. In addition to the usual Cheney features, this bike has Works Performance shocks, a Mikuni carb, and oddly enough, a CDI ignition, possibly from a Yamaha. The seller emphasizes that this has been raced, ridden, and well maintained – but it shows racing history so there’s going to be scratches and some stuff that needs to be addressed. With all that said, it’s race ready right now.
Find this Cheney Victor for sale in Spokane, Washington with bidding up to $3,550