Post Sale Update: This streetable Metisee sold for $5,200 after 27 bids on eBay. The seller has had this bike since 1985 – he bought it because he needed “a fast, nimble ride to navigate the congested Silicon Valley traffic” he dealt with on his commute. He rebuilt it upon acquisition and rode it just about daily for four years, …
1972 Norton Commando Combat
The Norton Combat occupies a weird niche in the collectible motorcycle market. It is essentially a 1972 Roadster with a ‘specially tuned’ motor that broke with ugly frequency. They are valued at least as highly as the regular Commando and possibly more if the proper work has been done to the motor. The Combat engine had higher compression due to …
1967 BSA Thunderbolt
5-12 Update: Rob B notes that this bike is back up for sale with a hefty discount down to $3,300. Find it here on Craigslist. The baby sister of the Lightning, BSA’s Thunderbolt got the usual 650cc twin but it was paired with just one Amal carb compared to the two carbs of the faster Lightning. Known internally as the …
1 of 371 – 1983 Triumph TSX
Post Sale Update: This TSX sold for $4,050. Triumph went bankrupt in August of 1983, and right before they collapsed they tried a couple of Hail Marys to keep sales going. One of the attempts was the TSX – a T140 that had been restyled by their American division. 371 examples were built before the company went under, and 200 …
Lightning Motor – 1949 Vincent Rapide
Here’s a lovely pairing of a Rapide frame with a Black Shadow motor that’s been, as the seller puts it, “lightningized”. THe current owner acquired the bike in 1998 (from an owner that had it for 3 decades). After a bit of restoration and maintenance, it’s now ready for someone who wants to experience the joy of Vincent ownership at …
Ed’s Burton – Norton Dominator Frame with Buell X1 Motor
The usual suspect with a non-OEM motor in a Norton frame is Triumph, though occasionally I’ve featured Harley swaps like the “Narley“. Here’s one I haven’t seen before: a Buell X1 motor in a Norton Dominator frame. Together, they become the “Burton”.
1969 BSA 441 Victor
We have featured several BSA Victors over the years here. They are always a crowd favorite, and could serve as the poster-boy for the original “dual-sport” concept – take a race bike, add lights, a mirror and pretty it up a bit, and go!
1970 Rickman Triumph Metisse
Most of you know the story of brothers Don and Derek Rickman, who started out in the early 60’s building custom frames for British scrambles bikes and later road racers. Their frames were light and rigid, and they incorporated some innovations such as oil-in-frame, eccentric swingarm adjustment,and larger diameter telescopic forks. The frames were very popular with racers, enough so …
Ending Soon – One Owner 1967 Triumph Tiger T100C
The Edward Turner designed Speed Twin was released by Triumph in 1938 followed in 1939 by the Tiger 100. Both were 500 CC parallel twin machines, but the Tiger was lighter and faster. WWII intervened in Triumph’s production and the factory was bombed into rubble. Civilian production of the Tiger resumed in 1947. Though the Bonneville would outsell the T100 …
1971 Triumph T25T Trailblazer
Built for just two years the T25T (1970 and ‘71) was an attempt by the Triumph/BSA brain trust to capitalize on the scrambler craze. The styling was good with a unique exhaust setup but they had a reputation for heavy vibration and weak gearboxes. Whatever the reason they just didn’t sell very well which puts them squarely in today’s collectible …
1953 BSA B33
Post Sale Update: This B33 sold for $8,853.53 after 20 bids on eBay. I look at this and other classic British singles, and I know I see something that isn’t really there. Like a dream, or maybe an icon, that is honored in my mind. If not common Brit singles were at least routine when I started riding in the …
High Miles, Low Price – 1998 Triumph Daytona Super III
The photos are hopeless and it’s lacking a lot of information, but this is by FAR the cheapest asking price I’ve ever seen for a Super III: $1,300.
Rob North Frame – 1971 BSA Rocket 3 Racer
Post Listing Update: This bike was relisted a couple of times – the highest bidding ever got was up to $30,100 but that wasn’t enough to meet reserve. Rob North isn’t as well known as he probably should be, but aficionados of Brit bikes know him as the fabrication guru who Triumph went to for frames in the early 70s. …
1968 BSA B25 Starfire
Introduced in 1968, the BSA B25/Triumph TR25 was another ‘badge engineered’ entry from the brain trust at BSA/Triumph. The two models were mechanically the same with only trim and badging to differentiate between the two. The B25 Starfire was essentially a C15 wrapped in handsome new trim. Somewhat underpowered, somewhat ‘fiddly’ it was the quintessential English 250 CC single. Very …
1969 Triumph Trident
Post Sale Update: This Trident sold for $12,000 after 28 bids on eBay. I wrote up a Trident earlier this month, and under ordinary circumstances wouldn’t even consider doing another so soon. The compelling reasons for doing this one are: 1: It is the very rare early 1969 model, one of the first 200. 2: I know the collection this …