June 20th, 2017 – Christchurch, England to Cardiff, Wales: ~120 miles Missed Day 3? June 19th, 2017 – London, England to Christchurch, England: ~120 miles Here’s the next day of our summer UK trip to tide you over in case I can’t get service during Saturday’s 24 hour race…
Bobbed Beezer – 1966 BSA A65
Bobbers have never really been my thing, but damn is this one cool chopped up bob-job. It captures, in the owners words, “The beauty and simplicity of thirties era motorcycle styling and design,” a statement I concur with, while at the same time boasting some updated amenities that allow for a more convenient owning/operating experience. This custom British scoot sports …
Beautifully Restored – 1952 Triumph Thunderbird 6T
This is almost certainly one of the most pristine 1952 Triumph 6T Thunderbird 650 in existence. Not only did this example take home an award from the Santa Barbara Concours d’Elegance and the Quail Motorcycle Gathering – where it won oldest bike on the ride – but it was also featured in the film ‘Why We Ride‘. On top of …
Nice Patina – 1968 Triumph Daytona T100R
Long before today’s ridiculously competent Triumph Daytona 675 machines, the iconic British manufacturer was offering a different Daytona Super Sport in the form of the T100R. This 1968 Daytona example isn’t going to take home any trophies at shows or contests anytime soon, but it nonetheless possesses a number of elements, including its half century of wear and tear that …
Certificate #1 – 1977 Triumph Bonneville Silver Jubilee
View PostPre-Unit Bobber – 1957 Triumph Tiger Custom
Post Sale Update: After 13 bids on eBay, this custom Tiger sold for $13,056. Built for The Horse magazine’s Amateur Chop Off, this build started as a one-owner Tiger T1100. It’s won a couple of awards and it got the builder an invite to Fuel Cleveland as well. It’s not perfect as the clutch needs to be adjusted and the …
1 of 150 and Brand New – 2005 Petronas FP1
As Erik Buell will tell you, starting a motorcycle company is no easy task. Even if you’re offering a solid product, getting marketing, a dealer network, and infrastructure set up can often make or break a company’s shot at success. The latter is essentially what happened to the short-lived motorcycles division of Petronas. Only 150 units (50 for racing, 100 …
Scrambled Brit – 1969 BSA 441 Victor Special
It’s hard to look at the 1969 BSA 441 Victor and not swoon over it at least a little bit. For its time, it was rugged-looking. The mid-scrambler pipe and polished aluminum tank with the front half partially adorned in a gloss yellow didn’t exactly hurt it in the looks department either. These bikes exude an old-school cool that wonderfully …
Rebuilt British Beauty – 1978 Rickman Triumph
Last time I featured a Rickman Triumph, I referred to it as a “Britmota” and even though this example isn’t a road machine, I feel the moniker still applies. This completely rebuilt example is sporting a NEW Rickman chassis wrapped around a 1978 Triumph 750 engine. The restoration process on this iconic British machine took an accumulative three years to …
Tricked Out – 2010 Triumph Street Triple
Modern Triumph three-cylinders are responsible for some of the most fun I’ve ever had on two-wheels. The powerband on these bikes is so usable and torquey, they really are a pleasure to ride. My biggest caveat with the Speed and Street Triple machines is their headlight assemblies, which is unfortunately a fairly defining aesthetic quality. So the redone front end …
Maintained By Sonny Angel – 1975 Norton Commando 850
This will be the second time in two months that I bring up Sonny Angel and his dealership, as they were responsible for the maintenance of this Commando for two and a half decades.
Triumph and Tribulations – Exploring the UK, Day 3
View PostUnrestored – 1963 Norton Atlas
The Norton Atlas was produced from 1962 to 1968 before being replaced by the iconic Commando. The Atlas’s 745cc air-cooled twin was married to a four-speed chain-drive transmission that resulted in 55hp at 6,500RPM. One of the biggest selling points for the Atlas was its Featherbed frame. Interestingly the Atlas was first produced for export only, having been designed to …
Drag Race Tribute – 1962 Triumph Pre-Unit Custom
While photos of this one-off ’62 Triumph custom more or less speak for themselves, the story behind this build is a rather interesting one. After going to school to receive his fine art degree, Karl Ardo – the person who built this Triumph- spent a number of years turning out hot rods of the four wheeled variety before changing his …
Factory Trials Bike – 1951 Norton 500T
Post Listing Update: Despite 45 bids up to $6,600, this 500T did not meet reserve. Don Morley called Norton’s 500T “the finest rigid trials machine to be produced by any factory.” This claim was supported by an ISDT Gold Medal in 1950, as well.