A first year example of one of Edward Turner’s best known designs, this Triumph Speed Twin enjoyed a “no-expense spared” restoration some time ago and has since sat in display. Somebody get this beauty back on the road!
1925 Indian Scout
Post Sale Update: After 39 bids on eBay, this Scout sold for $27,600. In 1920, Indian introduced the Scout alongside the Powerplus to offer a smaller bike in its lineup. For nearly 30 years, the Scout continued on as one of Indian’s most celebrated bikes – some loyalists still think the 101 Scout of the late 20s was the best …
1913 Shaw Motorbike
Based out of Galesburg, Kansas, the Shaw Manufacturing Company produced engines to attach to bicycles to convert them to motorcycles, among other products.
Auction Preview – Bonhams Bond Street Sale
This Sunday, Bonhams is hosting the Bond Street Sale, where two classic British motorcycles will be on the block. Both are amazing and eye-wateringly expensive – it’s not every day when you see a bike that makes a Series C Black Shadow seem pedestrian.
1936 Velocette GTP
Post Listing Update: This GTP did not meet reserve despite 22 bids up to $6,526 on eBay. Velocette started out building motorcycles with two-stroke engines. The culmination of their two-stroker line was the Velocette GTP, a lightweight bike that was produced for 16 years.
1929 BMW R63
10-20 Update: This BMW R63 is now up for sale on eBay, where bidding is up to $18,100 with the reserve not yet met. Find it here on eBay. The BMW R63 was one of the German firm’s first 750cc bikes – the R63 was the sport model compared to the touring R62. It introduced the concept of electric lighting …
1939 BMW R12
You guys seemed to enjoy the R35 from two days ago, so let’s go with another classic BMW – the R12, an incredibly popular bike in its day. In fact, almost 30,000 were made, 2/3 of which were civilian models (the rest built for the Wehrmacht), making this the most successful BMW until the R75/5 came along.
1948 BMW R35
By the time production had ended, the BMW R35 was the German firm’s most successful motorcycle in history. It was introduced in 1937 and was capable of about 100km/h (60mph).
1939 Zundapp K800
Zundapp had tremendous success in the 30s with the K series of bikes, the smallest of which was 200cc, and the largest of which was the Zundapp K800.
1936 Zenith C5 Special
Not many people know about the old British motorcycle manufacturer, but let me pass along a story about their first motorcycle. Instead of a normal gearbox-based transmission, Zenith developed something called the “Gradua”, a variable pulley that could change the length of the drive belt. Competitors complained, so several racing clubs banned the bike. Zenith responded by including “BARRED” in …
1927 Rudge-Whitworth Four Special
Founded in 1894 through the merger of two bicycle makers, Rudge-Whitworth moved into motorcycle production in 1911. They made a name for themselves with some technological innovations (such as the Multi gear system which allowed for 21 speeds) and some racing success. After starting with a 499cc single, their new model in 1924 was called the Four. But the name …
1934 BMW R4
Post Sale Update: This R4 sold for $17,000 after 22 bids on eBay. As the 30s rolled around and Depression hit, BMW saw the need for a diminutive single-cylinder bike to offer alongside its twins. The sub 200cc R2 sold quite well, but the BMW R4 was an intermediate bike between the budget single and the bigger bikes. The R4 …
“The Rolls-Royce of Bikes” – 1936 Brough Superior SS80
Post Listing Update: 23 bids on eBay got the action up to $60,300, but that wasn’t enough to meet reserve. When Paul D’Orleans, the man behind The Vintagent, says that a Brough Superior is the most beautiful production motorcycle ever made, then I listen. And while he’s a fan of the ’28 SS100 model, this SS80 should still check all …
1930 Indian Aristocrat Model 402
One of the best looking inline-4’s of all time, the Indian Model 402 was known as the “Aristocrat” due to its high level of sophistication at a time where most motorcycle buyers were looking for the cheapest options. Priced at a whopping $485 at the time, it is now a true collectible.
1944 BSA WM20
Post Sale Update: After being relisted, this WM20 sold for $6,500 with 41 bids. Built for 18 years, the BSA WM20 was initially considered a failure for military applications by the British, though small evolutions converted it into one of longest serving motorcycles for any military in the world. Over 125,000 of them were used in active service for World …