I’ve featured a few diesel-powered motorcycles on Bike-urious, but they are typically gas-powered bikes that have had a diesel conversion. Here’s a rare example that was fitted with a diesel engine from the factory – an experiment that Royal Enfield tried between 1993 and 2000. They called it the Taurus.
1983 Triumph TSX
A last ditch effort from Triumph to boost sales of the Bonneville, the TSX was basically a T140 that had been restyled by Triumph’s American division. Just 371 were built, 200 of which were exported to the United States. About 1/3 of the production run was in Midnight Black, the rest were like this example – Gypsy Red.
Zero Miles – 2006 Triumph Daytona 675
Introduced in 2006 as the successor to the four-cylinder Daytona 650, the three-cylinder Daytona 675 has been a favorite of riders and the press ever since it debuted. MCN summed it up with: “Silky, compact handling, allied to kick-ass engine power and a howling exhaust note, make the Triumph Daytona 675 a real winner on the road, or track.” Here’s …
Built by Dick Mann – 1960 BSA DBD34 Gold Star
In 1956, BSA released an updated version of the Gold Star. Known as the DBB34, it featured a new head, 38mm Amal carb, swept-back exhaust, and clip-on handlebars. That year, BSA won both the Clubmans Senior TT and Clubmans Junior TT races at the Isle of Man – but the Gold Star wasn’t just successful on pavement. BSA also created …
1995 Triumph Daytona Super III
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. Cosworth’s primary contribution was a new method of pressure sandcasting for the engine cases. …
1970 Triumph Bonneville T120R
Considered by many classic Triumph fans as the best year of the Bonneville, the 1970 was the last year before Triumph switched to the oil-in-frame design.
1972 Seeley Condor G50
Over on the auction site, I had the pleasure of writing up a motorcycle I had never encountered before. I love that kind of thing, and I figured there was a good chance some of you hadn’t heard of it before either so…come learn about the Condor that’s not a bike for the Swiss Army. Also known as the Golden …
1955 Vincent Black Knight
Designer Phil Vincent called this “a two-wheeled Bentley” – the Vincent Black Knight was built to be the ultimate sports tourer, a Black Rapide with ample bodywork to keep a rider protected from the elements.
1.1 Miles -2006 Triumph Bonneville “Live Fast” #29
4 years after Triumph’s 100th anniversary, the British fashion designer Paul Smith created 9 different T100 Bonnevilles, each with a custom paint job. Public response was strong enough that Triumph took two of the designs and created limited runs of 50 bikes each that were individually numbered on the tank. One was called “Multi-Union”, the other is what you see …
No Reserve – 1950 Indian Papoose
Post Sale Update: This Papoose sold for $4,800 on eBay. The Indian Papoose was a rebadged Brockhouse Corgi, itself a civilian version of the Excelsior Villiers Welbike – a single seat scooter designed to be dropped into combat situations via parachute-equipped containers, then unpacked and be ready to ride in less than 11 seconds.
1 of 250 – 1999 Triumph Daytona 1200 Special Edition
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 …
Land Speed Record Holder – 1971 Triumph Bonneville
The Triumph Bonneville got its name from the Bonneville Salt Flats – this example pays homage to its history as it earned the Production Pushrod 650cc motorcycle land speed record at Bonneville in 2018 with an average speed of 111.410 miles per hour.
Restored – 1968 Norton P11
Back when AMC owned Norton and Matchless, the latter sold a bike called the G85CS, which was competitive in European motocross. The US west coast distributor sold several but thought they were a little slow for the ‘scramble’ racing that was happening in America, before MX took off. After requesting that AMC put a more powerful Norton Atlas engine in …
1964 BSA Cyclone
The successor to their legendary Gold Star single, BSA’s Cyclone was also a 500cc – but it was a twin cylinder.
1955 Triumph TRW
Based on the Trophy, the TRW was a 500 twin specifically made for the British government as a military combat vehicle, the bike came with side-valves instead of the overhead valves found on other models of the era which made it more reliable and provided easier to fix in case of a failure.