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1995 Triumph Daytona Super III

In England, Sport by Abhi2 Comments

In the early 1990s, famed engine experts Cosworth assisted Triumph in their quest to build a faster version of the Daytona 900. It was a rare bird, as just 805 examples of the “Super III” were sold, 179 of which made it to the United States.

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Cheney Framed – 1967 BSA 441 Victor

In Custom, England, Off-Road by Abhi4 Comments

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 …

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#248 of 250 – 1998 Triumph Daytona 1200 SE

In England, Sport by Abhi4 Comments

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 …

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1974 Norton Commando John Player Special

In England, Sport by Abhi6 Comments

1-21-24 Update: Two years later, this bike is still up for sale and the asking price has dropped by $10k – find it in Greenwich, Connecticut with a BIN of $19,950 or best offer here on eBay. One of the most collectible Commandos was the John Player, a distinctive endurance-inspired Norton with unique bodywork surrounding a completely stock Mark 2A …

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1 of 89 – 1963 Greeves Starmaker 24ME

In England, Off-Road by AbhiLeave a Comment!

Sometimes a bike is rare because it’s limited production, and sometimes it’s rare because consumers weren’t particularly interested so sales were low. But the Starmaker is rare because Greeves – the company who made it – only made 89 as they didn’t think it would be successful. They weren’t wrong.

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1951 Vincent Black Shadow

In England, Sport by Abhi4 Comments

The Black Shadow might just be the most famous motorcycle ever built, with an iconic history thanks to moments like Rollie Free’s bathing suit speed run on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Black Shadows were handmade, and less than 1,700 were built in total. In the words of Hunter S. Thompson, “If you rode the Black Shadow at top speed for …

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Tickle Manx Norton

In England, Race by AbhiLeave a Comment!

In 1969, John Tickle acquired the rights to build Manx Nortons from Colin Seeley, and he immediately redesigned the frame and offered up 350cc, 500cc, and 650cc variants. Per Cyber Motorcycle, “some of these were very similar to the original Manx apart from the high-level exhaust and Tickle frame. Others bore only a remote resemblance to the originals with a …

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“NorStar” – 2004 Norton Manx Frame with BSA Goldstar Engine

In Custom, England, Sport by Abhi13 Comments

We’ve shared all kinds of hybrids with fun names here on Bike-urious beyond the usual “Triton” – Norvin (Norton frame, Vincent motor), Esquire (Norton frame, Ariel Square Four motor), a Narley (Norton/Harley) and even a Burton (Norton/Buell). But here’s a first on these pages – a combination of a Norton frame and BSA Gold Star engine called the NorStar.