British Classics Archives

Fast 500s with somewhere to put your socks: BSA DBD34 Gold Star and Matchless G80CS

BSA DBD34 'Goldie' in touring spec — BSA DBD34 ‘Goldie’ in touring spec

BSA DBD34 Touring — Touring spec Goldie had sensible handlebars

Matchless G80CS, an early 'Adventure Bike' — Matchless G80CS, an early ‘Adventure Bike’

The BSA DBD34 Gold Star and Matchless G80CS earned their reputations through competition. But these two examples show that a high-performance British 500 single could also make a surprisingly convincing…

British Classics

Bike Of The Week: 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

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…

British Classics

Bike Of The Week: 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…

British Classics

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.…

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

British Classics

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

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…

British Classics

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…

British Classics

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…

British Classics

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…

British Classics

‘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…

British Classics

Bike Of The Week: 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…

British Classics

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…

British Classics

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…

British Classics

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…

British Classics

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…

British Classics

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…

British Classics

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…