BSA Y13: The V-Twin Birmingham Never Forgot
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…
British Classics
18 posts
Matchless G80CS: The Desert Sledgehammer
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…
1937 BSA Empire Star, a pivotal classic but I missed it!
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…
Over the ton and still going: early 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, cricket and probably several other activities but especially age.…
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…
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…
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…
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…
‘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…
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 –…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
In praise of older motorcycles: The Velocette Venom
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…