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Classic Motorcycles

71 posts
  • Japanese Classics

Bike Of The Week: Virtually Unused 1981 Yamaha XT500

  • 12 June 2026
  • Dave
A remarkably preserved 1981 Yamaha XT500, showing a scarcely believable 47 kilometres from new, is on the virtual auction block at Bonhams’ Online Summer Sale until 15 June with an…
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1937 BSA Y13 750cc V-twin
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  • British Classics

Bike Of The Week: BSA Y13, The V-Twin Birmingham Never Forgot

  • 31 May 2026
  • Dave
If you spot a V-twin wearing a BSA badge it’s almost certainly going to be a BSA Y13. Go and have a closer look – it’s a rare piece of…
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Moto Guzzi V50
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Ten Great Classic Motorcycles for under £5000

  • 25 May 2026
  • Dave
The days of stumbling across a Vincent for the price of a family hatchback are long gone. Prices for the most desirable classics have risen steadily over the last decade,…
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9 Matchless G80CS
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  • British Classics

Matchless G80CS: The Desert Sledgehammer

  • 12 April 2026
  • Dave
There are motorcycles that impress on paper, and then there are motorcycles that earn their reputation the hard way. Blood, dust, sweat and the sort of mechanical honesty that borders…
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  • European Classics

Bike Of The Week: 1965 ‘works’ MV Agusta 500 tops Bonhams Stafford auction

  • 2 April 2026
  • Dave
If you’re a fan of motorcycling history, it doesn’t get much bigger than this. A 1965 MV Agusta 500cc Grand Prix racing bike – formerly ridden by the legends Mike…
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11 BSA Empire Star
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  • British Classics

Bike Of The Week: 1937 BSA Empire Star, a pivotal classic but I missed it!

  • 31 March 2026
  • Dave
Kick, kick, kick… no, not a reluctant starter but me for not paying attention to this beautiful 1937 BSA Empire Star which came up for auction during H&H’s sale at…
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15 1912 Rudge Multi
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  • British Classics

Over the ton and still going: early Rudge and BSA

  • 1 March 2026
  • Dave
There’s something very appealing about motorcycles more than 100 years old. The century or ‘ton’ is a milestone in cricket speed, cricket and probably several other activities but especially age.…
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14 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead
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  • Classic Motorcycles

World’s biggest classic motorcycles auction: Mecum Las Vegas 2026

  • 31 December 2025
  • Dave
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…
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1975 Ducati 900SS
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  • European Classics

Bike Of The Week: 1975 Ducati 900 Super Sport: Raw and Raucous

  • 1 December 2025
  • Dave
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…
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1927 Scott Flying Squirrel — water-cooled ingenuity meets inter-war British sporting spirit. A rare survivor from one of motorcycling’s most innovative marques.
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  • British Classics

Bike Of The Week: Scott Flying Squirrel – Two-Stroke Royalty

  • 1 November 2025
  • Dave
In the history of great British motorcycles, the Scott Flying Squirrel sits slightly apart. While other marques of the 1920s boomed, barked and thumped their way along, the Scott arrived…
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11 1970 Honda CB750
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  • Japanese Classics

1970 Honda CB750: The Original Superbike Heads to Auction

  • 10 October 2025
  • Dave
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…
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12 1970 Indian Velocette Venom 500
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  • American Classics

The Curious Case of the 1970 Indian Velocette Venom 500

  • 15 September 2025
  • Dave
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.…
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1988 Yamaha XT500
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  • Japanese Classics

1988 Yamaha XT500: Still Crated After All These Years

  • 12 September 2025
  • Dave
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…
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Kawasaki GPz900R Top Gun replica
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  • Japanese Classics

Kawasaki GPz900R: Top Gun Legend That Changed Motorcycling

  • 21 August 2025
  • Dave
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…
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  • American Classics

Climbing Legends: 1928 Harley-Davidson FHAD Hillclimber

  • 30 July 2025
  • Dave
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…
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10 Bud Ekins Matchless G80S
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  • British Classics

Fancy a bit of Hollywood history? Bud Ekins’ Matchless G80S

  • 18 June 2025
  • Dave
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…
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1928 BSA sloper
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  • British Classics
  • Video

1928 BSA Sloper: A Jolly Green Giant is calling

  • 2 June 2025
  • Dave
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…
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  • American Classics

Slice of Americana: 1918 Harley-Davidson Model F

  • 16 April 2025
  • Dave
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…
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  • British Classics

A Proper Motorcycle: The 1937 Vincent-HRD Rapide Series-A

  • 19 March 2025
  • Dave
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…
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12 Honda NRX1800 Valkyrie Rune
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  • Japanese Classics
  • Video

Honda NRX1800 Valkyrie Rune: Aye, the Druids have it

  • 10 March 2025
  • Dave
+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…
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10 1988 Honda VFR750R RC30
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  • Classic Motorcycles
  • Japanese Classics

Six Of The Best: RC30 heads Charterhouse March auction

  • 8 February 2025
  • Dave
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…
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9 1969 Vespa scooter
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  • European Classics

1969 Vespa SS90: Speedy Gonzales Of Scooters

  • 31 January 2025
  • Dave
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…
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Six Of The Best: Classic Motorcycles at Bonhams’ Spring Stafford Sale 2025

  • 25 January 2025
  • Dave
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…
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19 Honda Fireblade brand new in a crate
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  • Japanese Classics

Two-Wheel Time Capsule: Brand New 2005 Honda Fireblade

  • 16 January 2025
  • Dave
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,…
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1990 Suzuki GSXR-750
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  • Japanese Classics

Suzuki GSX-R750: brilliant racer on the road (despite the nickname)

  • 3 January 2025
  • Dave
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,…
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13 1936 HRD-Vincent
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  • Classic Motorcycles

World record for Olympia Vincent at Bonhams £3.2m autumn auction

  • 18 October 2024
  • Dave
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?…
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6 1928 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sport
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Six Of The Best: Bonhams Autumn Stafford sale

  • 2 October 2024
  • Dave
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…
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Six Of The Best: Charterhouse Auction October 2024

  • 29 September 2024
  • Dave
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…
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20 1957 Triumph T21 350cc unit
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  • British Classics

Triumph’s very first ‘unit’ construction twin: the 1957 350cc ‘Twenty-One’

  • 8 August 2024
  • Dave
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…
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19 1980 Moto Guzzi Spada
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  • European Classics

Moto Guzzi Spada Royale: The Luton Job

  • 29 July 2024
  • Dave
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…
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1949 AJS 7R
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Bonhams Spring Sale touches 95% of lots sold

  • 20 May 2024
  • Dave
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…
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1962 Honda CR93 will be at Charterhouse auction in June
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  • Japanese Classics

Grand Prix roadster: street legal 1962 Honda CR93 racer

  • 14 May 2024
  • Dave
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?…
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  • European Classics

Will this 1972 750cc Ducati Imola racer top $1m?

  • 2 May 2024
  • Dave
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…
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  • Classic Motorcycles

National Motorcycle Museum Auction Hits 90% Sale Rate

  • 29 April 2024
  • Dave
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…
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Zero completely updates its A1 S model for 2024

  • 19 March 2024
  • Dave
+ 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…
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1938 Brough Superior SS100
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  • British Classics

‘Special’ Brough Superior SS100 sells for £241,500

  • 14 November 2023
  • Dave
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…
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Vincent Black Shadow
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Mixed fortunes at Charterhouse October auction

  • 12 November 2023
  • Dave
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…
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8 1952 Triumph Trophy TR5
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  • British Classics

Bike Of The Week: Triumph TR5, The original ‘Trophy’

  • 3 November 2023
  • Dave
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 –…
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8 1952 Mondial 125 Monoalbero GP in original unrestored condition, as raced by factory riders and privateers
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  • European Classics

Rare Mondials to appear at world’s biggest motorcycle auction

  • 26 October 2023
  • Dave
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…
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Brough Superior SS100 Pendine replica sells for $220,000

  • 22 September 2023
  • Dave
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…
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  • British Classics
  • Editor's Pick

BSA Bantam GPO: the Little Red Rooster

  • 15 September 2023
  • Dave
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…
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JMC Norvin
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Nearly new JMC Norvin classic motorcycle up for auction

  • 11 September 2023
  • Dave
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…
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BSA X-75 Hurricane
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  • British Classics

UK’s National Motorcycle Museum acquires surviving BSA Vetter triple

  • 25 August 2023
  • Dave
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…
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Moto Giro d'Italia
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Entries open for next year’s Moto Giro d’Italia

  • 22 August 2023
  • Dave
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…
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Jawa restoration
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  • European Classics

Watch a rusty old Jawa come back to life

  • 11 August 2023
  • Dave
US YouTube channel Rescue Story is restoring a 1960s Jawa motorcycle found in a dilapidated state. View the whole series here.
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11 BMW R90S
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  • European Classics

R90S: the superbike that changed BMW motorcycles for ever

  • 4 August 2023
  • Dave
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…
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Rare John Player Special Norton Commando in online auction

  • 31 July 2023
  • Dave
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…
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Pioneer Run
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Pioneer Run for pre-1915 motorcycles set for October

  • 31 July 2023
  • Dave
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…
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Nine classic motorcycles at fair prices in Penzance auction

  • 29 July 2023
  • Dave
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…
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Matchless G80
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Is this 1987 Matchless G80 the ‘Great Pretender’?

  • 24 July 2023
  • Dave
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…
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Penzance autcion
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Private classic motorcycle collection auction in Penzance, Cornwall

  • 17 July 2023
  • Dave
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…
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Egli-Vincent
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Egli-Vincent with 1200cc Godet engine sells for £53k

  • 16 July 2023
  • Dave
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…
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8 BSA X-75 Hurricane
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  • British Classics

California Dreaming! Stunning BSA X-75 Hurricane up for sale

  • 11 July 2023
  • Dave
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…
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1923 Triumph Ricardo
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Historic Triumph Ricardo that changed engine design

  • 10 July 2023
  • Dave
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 –…
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1965 Lambretta GT200
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  • European Classics

Lambretta GT200 raced in Isle of Man trials may fetch £20k plus

  • 5 July 2023
  • Dave
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.…
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13 1975 Kawasaki Z1-B
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  • Japanese Classics

Seventies Kawasaki Z makes an auction statement

  • 26 June 2023
  • Dave
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…
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Norton George
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Three Nortons from ‘Norton George’ collection up for sale

  • 11 June 2023
  • Dave
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…
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7 Moto Guzzi Falcone
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  • European Classics

Moto Guzzi’s military 500cc single Falcone

  • 9 June 2023
  • Dave
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…
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8 BMW R50
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  • European Classics

Bike Of The Week: ‘Time capsule’ 1958 BMW R50

  • 4 June 2023
  • Dave
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.…
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1913 Douglas 350
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  • British Classics

Pre-WWI Douglas 350 for sale at Shuttleworth auction

  • 31 May 2023
  • Dave
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…
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14 Elvis Harley-Davidson
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  • Classic Motorcycles

Elvis Presley’s Harley is in the building! OK, auction…

  • 10 May 2023
  • Dave
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…
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  • Japanese Classics

How much for that Suzuki in the crate?

  • 3 May 2023
  • Dave
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…
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  • British Classics

Brough Superior SS100 sells for £281,750 at Bonhams auction

  • 27 April 2023
  • Dave
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…
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  • Classic Motorcycles

National Motorcycle Museum Live back for two days in October

  • 27 April 2023
  • Dave
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…
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8 Mike Hailwood 125 Ducati
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  • European Classics

Mike Hailwood’s 1960 125 Ducati up for sale

  • 9 April 2023
  • Dave
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.…
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9 1938 AJS Silver Streak
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  • Classic Motorcycles

H&H achieves 84% sale rate at NEC classic motorcycle auction

  • 30 March 2023
  • Dave
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…
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  • European Classics

Ducati 900SS: looks like it’s doing 90mph when standing still

  • 20 February 2023
  • Dave
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…
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8 1936 Indian Four
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  • American Classics

Bike Of The Week: 1936 Indian Four, a rare survivor

  • 18 February 2023
  • Dave
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…
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1908 Harley-Davidson 'Strap Tank'
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  • American Classics

Million dollar motorcycle!

  • 15 February 2023
  • Dave
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…
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8 1936 Brough SS100 outfit
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  • British Classics

Brough SS100 outfit at Charterhouse Auction

  • 15 February 2023
  • Dave
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…
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1963 Velocette Venom
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  • British Classics

In praise of older motorcycles: The Velocette Venom

  • 15 February 2023
  • Dave
I absolutely love motorcycles and motorcycling. Not just the nuts & bolts of the machines but the riding, the experience, the camaraderie. It’s just so immersive and full-on fun. Over…
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