Classic Motorcycles
67 posts
Over the ton and still going: 100+ years old Rudge and BSA
There’s something very appealing about motorcycles more than 100 years old. The century or ‘ton’ is a milestone in cricket, speed, and probably several other activities. There’s another threshold too:…
World’s biggest classic motorcycles auction: Mecum Las Vegas 2026
The world’s biggest auction of classic motorcycles is the Mecum Annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction. In 2026, more than 2,000 motorcycle of all types will cross the auction block…
Raw and Raucous: 1975 Ducati 900 Super Sport
Somewhere around the mid-1970s, Ducati fever overtook me and half of the motorcycle world. Paul Smart’s win at the ’72 Imola 200 had lit the fuse, and the factory’s road-going…
Scott Flying Squirrel: Two-Stroke Royalty
In the history of great British motorcycles, the Scott Flying Squirrel sits slightly apart — not aloof, just… different. While other marques of the 1920s boomed, barked and thumped their…
1970 Honda CB750: The Original Superbike Heads to Auction
There are few motorcycles that changed the course of motorcycling history quite like the Honda CB750. When it arrived in 1969, it wasn’t just another new model, it was a…
The Curious Case of the 1970 Indian Velocette Venom 500
In the twilight years of the British motorcycle industry, when storied marques were either folding or floundering, an American entrepreneur named Floyd Clymer attempted to write one last heroic chapter.…
1988 Yamaha XT500: Still Crated After All These Years
If you had to pick one motorcycle that set the template for the modern adventure bike, the Yamaha XT500 would be a strong contender. Built from 1975 until 1989, the…
Kawasaki GPz900R: Top Gun Legend That Changed Motorcycling
Some motorcycles are remembered for their technical brilliance. Others for their cultural impact. A select few, like Kawasaki’s GPz900R, manage both. It was the bike that rewrote the rulebook in…
Climbing Legends: 1928 Harley-Davidson FHAD Hillclimber
In the smoky, oil-rich atmosphere of 1920s American racing, the hillclimb was the gladiator arena of the motorcycle world. Stripped of niceties and bred for brute power and control, these…
Fancy a bit of Hollywood history? Bud Ekins’ Matchless G80S
If ever a motorbike could wear sunglasses and a leather jacket, this would be it. This 1952 Matchless G80S isn’t just a handsome slab of post-war British iron — it…
1928 BSA Sloper: A Jolly Green Giant is calling
There’s a certain quality and star status afforded classic motorcycles with girder forks. Partly it’s because many date from a ‘Golden Age’ of motorcycles when there were dozens of manufacturers…
Slice of Americana: 1918 Harley-Davidson Model F
Meet the 1918 Harley-Davidson Model F, a motorcycle that predates television, the BBC, and sliced bread — but still manages to look like it could roar into town and cause…
A Proper Motorcycle: The 1937 Vincent-HRD Rapide Series-A
Motorcycles are wonderful things. They allow you to enjoy the open road, go quite fast, and in some cases, terrify yourself. And if there’s one bike that does all three…
Honda NRX1800 Valkyrie Rune: Aye, the Druids have it
+VIDEO The Honda NRX1800 Valkyrie Rune, or as some people call it, mostly Druids, the Rune, is one of those motorcycles that makes you pause and wonder what on earth…
Six Of The Best: RC30 heads Charterhouse March auction
Here’s another of our Six Of The Best series, this time from the Charterhouse auction taking place at the Haynes Motor Museum on 13 March. Top of our list of…
1969 Vespa SS90: Speedy Gonzales Of Scooters
Right, let’s talk about something rather special. Not a Ferrari. Not a Spitfire. Not even a particularly well-engineered teapot. No, today, we’re delving into something with two wheels, an 88.5cc…
Six Of The Best: Classic Motorcycles at Bonhams’ Spring Stafford Sale 2025
Bonhams has announced an extraordinary lineup for its highly anticipated Spring Stafford Sale, set to take place on 26-27 April 2025, at the Staffordshire County Showground. Coinciding with the International…
Two-Wheel Time Capsule: Brand New 2005 Honda Fireblade
Let me introduce you to something that’s not just a motorcycle but an engineering masterpiece that could make the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. Yes,…
Suzuki GSX-R750: brilliant racer on the road (despite the nickname)
Whoever came up with the nickname ‘Gixxer’ for Suzuki’s stunning 1980s GSX-R750 was a moron. Dreadful name, bastardised slang, worthy only of the Daily Star on an off day. Ok,…
World record for Olympia Vincent at Bonhams £3.2m autumn auction
A new world record price was set at Bonhams’ Autumn Stafford Sale in October for a very famous motorcycle: the 1936 Olympia Motorcycle Show Vincent-HRD 998cc Series-A Rapide. The price?…
Six Of The Best: Bonhams Autumn Stafford sale
Here’s another of my personal Six Of The Best – this time from Bonhams Autumn Stafford Sale at the Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show on 12-13 October 2024. Top of the…
Six Of The Best: Charterhouse Auction October 2024
Here’s a new idea (from me): Six of The Best from an upcoming motorcycle auction. This time it’s the Charterhouse Classic & Vintage Motorcycle Auction on 3 October 2024 at…
Triumph’s very first ‘unit’ construction twin: the 1957 350cc ‘Twenty-One’
A seismic change in British motorcycle design happened in 1957: the introduction of ‘unit’ construction combining the engine, primary drive and gearbox in one case. The first Triumph twin to…
Moto Guzzi Spada Royale: The Luton Job
Back in the 1970s and early 80s, Luton dealer Coburn & Hughes was the UK agent for two Italian manufacturers, Ducati and Moto Guzzi. Two very different styles of motorcycle…
Bonhams Spring Sale touches 95% of lots sold
Bonhams Spring Stafford sale on 20-21 April at the International Classic MotorCycle Show reached a total value of £3m. There were 365 lots of collectors’ motorcycles, memorabilia, spares, and dismantled…
Grand Prix roadster: street legal 1962 Honda CR93 racer
Take a good look at this Honda coming up for auction with Charterhouse on 6 June. It’s a rare, and I mean very rare, Honda CR93 from 1962. How rare?…
Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride launches ‘Side by Side’ campaign
+VIDEO On Sunday 19 May 2024, The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride (DGR) is coming to a city near you. The world’s largest charity event for classic and vintage motorcycle enthusiasts will…
Will this 1972 750cc Ducati Imola racer top $1m?
The Big Question in the classic motorcycle auction world right now is: are we about to see a multi-million dollar motorcycle sale? One of only eight 750cc Ducati Imola Desmos…
National Motorcycle Museum Auction Hits 90% Sale Rate
Almost 90 percent of the classic motorcycles and scooters offered for sale at H&H Classics’ first motorcycle and scooter auction of 2024 were successfully hammered away on 27 March, for…
Zero completely updates its A1 S model for 2024
+ VIDEO & GALLERY The Model S is the original Zero electric motorcycle, the longest surviving in the Californian manufacturer’s range. And it continues into 2024 but as an all-new…
‘Special’ Brough Superior SS100 sells for £241,500
A very special 1938 Brough Superior SS100 sold for an incredible £241,500 at the Iconic Auction staged at the NEC Classic Motor Show, Birmingham on Sunday, 12 November 2023. The…
Mixed fortunes at Charterhouse October auction
What to make of the results from the Charterhouse auction of classic & vintage motorcycles on 26 October 2023? There were some good prices made, a number of bargains, but…
Triumph TR5: the original ‘Trophy’
Over the years, Triumph has bandied around the name ‘Trophy’ willy-nilly. Sometimes it’s attached to a trail bike but more often to a tourer – as recently as 2017 –…
Rare Mondials to appear at world’s biggest motorcycle auction
FB Mondial is one of those motorcycle manufacturers bathed in myth and legend, dominating grand prix racing during the early and mid 1950s. Created by a band of brothers named…
Brough Superior SS100 Pendine replica sells for $220,000
Top of the top ten results at the Mecum John Parham auction earlier this month was a 1927 Brough Superior SS100 Pendine Replica, said to be one of the finest…
BSA Bantam GPO: the Little Red Rooster
Mess with institutions at your peril and few have been messed around more than the UK Post Office. Established by King Charles II in 1660, the Royal Mail service was…
Nearly new JMC Norvin classic motorcycle up for auction
A new Norvin… is that even possible? A new Vincent 1,000cc vee-twin engine in a Norton Featherbed frame with modern cycle parts? Yes, and one is coming up for auction…
Fifty? No, just one shade of grey for Venhill cables
Specialist cable maker Venhill has added a new grey colour option to its motorcycle speedo and tacho cable range. The Surrey company says it’s a discreet alternative to black cables…
UK’s National Motorcycle Museum acquires surviving BSA Vetter triple
The sole surviving roadworthy BSA Vetter Rocket 3 – prototype of the Craig Vetter designed triple that became the Triumph X-75 Hurricane – will join the collection of classic motorcycles…
Entries open for next year’s Moto Giro d’Italia
Entries for the 2024 Moto Giro d’Italia are now open and anyone thinking of taking part is urged to register as soon as possible. For the 2023 event, the maximum…
Tony East’s Isle of Man classic motorcycle collection for sale
Lifelong motorcycle enthusiast Tony East amassed a world class collection of classic motorcycles over the years which became a Collection open to the public at Kirk Michael on the Isle…
R90S: the superbike that changed BMW motorcycles for ever
Up until the early 1970s, BMW motorcycles were known for their high quality of manufacture and finish… and also for being a tad dull. Yes, you could ride miles and…
Rare John Player Special Norton Commando in online auction
Live in-person sales aren’t the only way to bid at auctions. Car & Classic is a sales website mainly aimed at classic cars but it also has a large motorcycle…
Pioneer Run for pre-1915 motorcycles set for October
It’s astonishing to think that the youngest motorcycle taking part in this year’s Pioneer Run will be at least 107 years old – there may even be one that’s 126…
Nine classic motorcycles at fair prices in Penzance auction
Where can you find a bargain these days? Specifically, where are the classic motorcycles being sold at fair, not inflated prices? The answer, it appears, is an auction that’s a…
Is this 1987 Matchless G80 the ‘Great Pretender’?
If the heart of a motorcycle is its engine, then it’s hard to say with conviction that this 1987 Harris G80 really lives up to its Matchless name. However, it…
Private classic motorcycle collection auction in Penzance, Cornwall
Nine classic British motorbikes including Triumph, Norton, Zenith, Ariel and New Imperial come up for sale later this week at an Antiques & Interiors auction being held in Penzance, Cornwall…
Egli-Vincent with 1200cc Godet engine sells for £53k
An Egli-Vincent rebuilt in 2006 by Patrick Godet under licence from Fritz Egli using a new magnesium 1200cc Godet engine sold for £53,000 (+auction costs) at the Charterhouse Classic Motorcycle…
California Dreaming! Stunning BSA X-75 Hurricane up for sale
The early 1970s were a torrid time for the British motorcycle industry. Famous brand names had disappeared or were closing. Others were struggling with out of date motorcycles thanks to…
Historic Triumph Ricardo that changed engine design
A truly historic Triumph motorcycle is up for sale at the H&H classic motorcycle auction at the National Motorcycle Museum on Wednesday, 12 July. It’s a 1923 Triumph Ricardo –…
Lambretta GT200 raced in Isle of Man trials may fetch £20k plus
UPDATED 22 May 2024: OK, I’ll admit straightaway that I cannot see how the auctioneer’s estimate of £22,000 to £24,000 for this 1965 Lambretta GT200 scooter can possibly be right.…
Seventies Kawasaki Z makes an auction statement
If anyone needed proof of the rising values of 1970s Japanese motorcycles then here it is. A beautifully restored 1975 Kawasaki Z1-B sold on a public Car and Classic internet…
Three Nortons from ‘Norton George’ collection up for sale
Norton George… what a great name! Evocative and intriguing at the same time. And it rang a distant bell, though I’m still not sure from where. Probably my mate Miles…
Moto Guzzi’s military 500cc single Falcone
As well as its more famous vee-twins, Italian manufacturer Moto Guzzi also made a 500cc single cylinder motorcycle. One is coming up for sale at H&H’s classic scooter and motorcycle…
‘Time capsule’ 1958 BMW R50 on auction at National Motorcycle Museum
The speedometer reads 81,115 miles on this 1958 500cc BMW R50 but it hasn’t been ridden in a long while – possibly since 1997 looking at the final tax disc.…
Pre-WWI Douglas 350 for sale at Shuttleworth auction
The First World War from 1914 to 1918 was vile. It was the war that should have ended war, so bloody was it particularly across an area of northern France…
Elvis Presley’s Harley is in the building! OK, auction…
Who knew rock ‘n roll star Elvis Presley was into motorcycles? Just before his death in 1977 he bought a 1976 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide FLH Centennial special edition – and…
How much for that Suzuki in the crate?
Have classic motorcycle auctions gone crazy or is $20,000 a good price for a 1975 Suzuki TM250 dirt bike? Not just any old TM250 though. This one is brand new…
Brough Superior SS100 sells for £281,750 at Bonhams auction
A very special 1931 Brough Superior SS100 sold for an amazing £281,750 at Bonham’s Spring Stafford auction at the International Classic Motorcycle Show on 22 April 2023. The Brough Superior…
National Motorcycle Museum Live back for two days in October
The National Motorcycle Museum Live event will be back as a two-day event on 28-29 October 2023. Among the live on-stage appearances will be ‘Shed & Buried’ stars Henry Cole…
Charterhouse reaches 75% sale rate at March auction
Charterhouse Auctioneers says its classic and vintage bike auction on 30 March at the Haynes International Motor Museum was a great success with nearly 75% sold, with the total value reaching…
Mike Hailwood’s 1960 125 Ducati up for sale
Wow! A 1960 Ducati 125cc raced by a young Mike Hailwood is coming for sale at Bonham’s Spring Stafford sale at the International Classic Motorcycle Show on 22 April 2023.…
H&H achieves 84% sale rate at NEC classic motorcycle auction
Auctioneer H&H has released results of its sale of classic motorcycles and scooters at the National Motorcycle Museum on 29 March 2023. A total of 188 lots went under the…
Ducati 900SS: looks like it’s doing 90mph when standing still
Here’s an opportunity to snap up a Ducati 900SS at what appears to be a bargain price – on live auction with Bonham’s The Market. UPDATE: Sold for £2,875. It’s…
1936 Indian Four, rare survivor
A rare Indian Four motorcycle dating from 1936 will be coming up for sale at the next H&H Classics auction to be held at the National Motorcycle Museum on 29…
Million dollar motorcycle!
Almost $1 million for a classic motorcycle… seems incredible but it’s true. Back in January 2023, a 1908 Harley-Davidson ‘Strap Tank’ sold for $935,000 at the Mecum Las Vegas Motorcycle…
Brough SS100 outfit at Charterhouse Auction
Among the 85 motorcycles listed so far in the Charterhouse Classic & Vintage Motorcycle Auction at the Haynes Motor Museum on 30 March is an extraordinary 1936 Brough Superior SS100…