Hi All:
After finishing up my locost build (well, kinda; there is still little things to do), I'm getting bored. I'm thinking of restoring/hot
rodding (without screwing up the looks) an old British bike. Mostly, I'm looking for a cheap easy project that will be a little more nostagic
than my se7en.
So, what are the best British bikes for this project? So far, I've found Triumph and BSA. Are there other good candidates? Any particular model I
should look for?
I'm not really interested in speed because I've never ridden a bike. The English twins seem like an easy bike to learn on.
--Thanks, Chris
My personal favorites are the Triumph Bonneville (I've had four) and the Trident. If you can find a Hesketh - phone me!
really depends on how much you want to spend; ther is no end of British bikes, AJS, Ariel, Brough, BSA, Enfield, Excelsior, JAP, Matchless, Norton,
Rudge, Superior, Triumph, Velocette, Vincent to name just a few.
you'd be best look at the bigger brands, BSA, Triumph, Norton due to avaialbility of parts. I'd rather fance a large 500 single, BSA M31
type of thing.
You could add Norton, Vincent, Sunbeam, Ariel, Scott and many others to your list, but I doubt that any of them (Triumph & BSA included) would
meet your cheap and easy requirement
Cheers
Alex
my preference would be:--
BSA A10 (poss A7)
Triumph T120 Bonneville
Triumph Tiger 90
Triumph T100
Ray
My local bike shop sold one earlier this year with 700 miles on the clock for £7000. I know someone who has a 1950something Matchless in bits in their
shed but she is hanging onto it.
Thanks for the suggestions. I now have enough info to wee away a slow afternoon at work. From the quick search on eBay, it does look like Nortons are
out of my price range. I guess too few made it over to the US.
I'm looking at BSA singles now (Thanks for the lead). I should have said that I'm looking for a motorcycle that is in really rough
shape--something that would take 8 months or so to restore...
How is something like this?
--Chris
Build a Triton (Norton frame with a Triumph engine) - there are several companies who specialise in selling new and remanufactured parts so it's
kind of the vintage British bike version of a kit car.
Good ones look the absolute dogs doodahs and building one gives you the oportunity to put your stamp on a classic bike without screwing up up a
'proper' classic bike.
quote:
Originally posted by chrisf
Thanks for the suggestions. I now have enough info to wee away a slow afternoon at work. From the quick search on eBay, it does look like Nortons are out of my price range. I guess too few made it over to the US.
I'm looking at BSA singles now (Thanks for the lead). I should have said that I'm looking for a motorcycle that is in really rough shape--something that would take 8 months or so to restore...
How is something like this?
--Chris
Hi
I have a 500 unit triumph in a royal enfield crusader frame (hence trifield), a 350 unit triumph and a 350 Royal Enfield, all built for trials.
Royal Enfields are a good restoration project as parts are still made in India and are compatible with the old british stuff.
I have had lots of british singles - BSA AJS, Matchless, Ariel and all are easy restoration projects with tinware usually the hardest parts to find.
Strangely enough I find motorbikes a lot easy to work on than cars.
Best of Luck in finding a project.
I had this until earlier this year, 1932 ('33 model) BSA M33-11 600 OHV Deluxe 'Sloper' - these are picking up in value now, I sold it for £3,400, it's just gone to Belgium for £4,500 6 months on.
Piccy...
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Here's the Best British Bike! 
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Hi Coose:
Ins't that a Yamaha Xs650? Doesn't look very English! Is it just as good?
-_Chris
That's the nearest the Japs came to making a 'Blitish' bike
But it doesn't have a shiny gas tank! Those are good bikes though?
--Chris
That's a '72 XS-2, the predessor to the XS650. She's a good ord bus and built like a tank! Fitter than a 750 Bonnie but just as
heavy...
They're great fun, a lot cheaper than all of the interesting British stuff (you'll get a nice XS650 for under £1500 - even less where you
are as they were imported by the container-load!) and you can't tell that it's not British! I hillclimb mine (in a UK stylee - not your
strange American 'get to the top and throw it back down' type) and in the same day rode the XS, a '77 750 Bonnie and a 60's
Daytona and the only differences I could tell were that the XS was the fittest and the gear change on the Daytona was on wrong side and
upside-down!
I wouldn't rule one out - have a look here! It's an American site and you might just find something of
interest....
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