Classic Motorcycles Archives - The Vintage Idiot

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…

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Japanese Classics

Bike Of The Week: Virtually Unused 1981 Yamaha XT500

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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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…

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Classic Motorcycles

Ten Great Classic Motorcycles for under £5000

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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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…

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European Classics

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

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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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…

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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.…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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European Classics

Smoky Treasure: Charlie Sanby’s TT Ducati 750SS

Ducati’s 750SS is already one of the most mythical motorcycles of the 1970s —mgreen-framed, bevel-driven and built in the smallest of numbers. But when one turns up with proper Isle…

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European Classics

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

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…

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

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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Japanese Classics

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…

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British Classics

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.…

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Japanese Classics

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…

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Japanese Classics

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…

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American Classics

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…

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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…

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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…

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American Classics

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…

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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…

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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…

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Japanese Classics

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…

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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…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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Japanese Classics

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,…

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Japanese Classics

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,…

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British Classics

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?…

1928 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sport

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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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…

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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…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

1962 Honda CR93 will be at Charterhouse auction in June

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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?…

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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…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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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…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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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 –…

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

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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British Classics

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…

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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…

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British Classics

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…

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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…

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European Classics

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…

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European Classics

Watch a rusty old Jawa come back to life

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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European Classics

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…

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British Classics

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…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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British Classics

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…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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European Classics

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…

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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…

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British Classics

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 –…

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European Classics

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.…

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Japanese Classics

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…

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British Classics

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…

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European Classics

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…

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European Classics

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

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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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…

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American Classics

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…

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Japanese Classics

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…

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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…

Classic Motorcycles

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…

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European Classics

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.…

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Classic Motorcycles

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…

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European Classics

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…

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American Classics

Bike Of The Week: 1936 Indian Four, a 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…

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American Classics

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…

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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…

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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…