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| Very nice '74 Norton still in the hands of it's original owner and clearly marked "Not for sale." |
The 2011 Arizona motorcycle season kicked off Sunday with a very small Brit and Euro show and swap meet in North Phoenix. I'd been a couple or three years ago and saw some exceptional Bultacos road racers. This year the offerings were thin but there were still some nice bikes to be seen.
It seems like the cafe racer style/fad/next-great-thing is now beginning to replace the chopper fad with older riders. Sunday I saw more than one middle aged guy walking around with his new leather jacket festooned with checkerboard patterns, "59" patches, and Union Jacks. I suppose it's more plausible for riders to pretend to be cafe racers (or maybe they once were) rather than faux 1%ers.
Some pictures from the morning:
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| British elegance |
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| 1968 BSA 650 Spitfire MKIV |
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| '70 Wixom "batwing" fairing. Not as cool as it once was. |
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| Seemed a bit over priced considering things like torn fork boots and other details that would eat up time and money to make right. I'd have loved to bring the BSA home but even if it was half the asking amount it would have been too much for me. Why wasn't I born rich instead of handsome? |
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| Very pretty little Gilera single. Maybe early 1960s vintage. |
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| A clean motorcycle is a happy motorcycle and a happy motorcycle won't let you down. He may have been wiping my drool marks off the bike. |
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| Thinking back, I probably should have bought this bike Sunday, a running Triumph 650 Tiger for $1900. Oh well. |
I've noticed of late that anything that can be turned into a cafe racer or bobber is bringing higher prices, or at least the asking prices are higher. A month or so back I looked at a burned '66 Bonneville, no carbs, middle of the bike charred, wiring harness gone, dented pipes, and the guy wanted $1300 for it.
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| 1960s vintage Ducati. Not sure if it's a Diana or a Monza or an? Regardless, it would look nice in my living room. |
5 comments:
One of the big advantages that you have this time of year is the sunshine and the clean conditions. That, and your photography, make these bike look just great.
You really should have brought the Tiger or a Ducati home. Its hard to believe you have had the Vulcan for more than a year. If you aren't careful, you will start looking like me.
Thanks, Doug. It's nice to see some of the old British bikes. In fact, even though I love my V-Strom, I am wondering if some British wheels might satisfy a hunger I have been feeling lately for a stablemate.
Doug:
I have a friend who purchased a brand new Norton Commando 850 in 1973, and he still has it. It is like new, perhaps better than new.
I think I would have been tempted with the Tiger too
bob
Wet Coast Scootin
Spot on about the custom/chopper fad fading away and being replaced by cafe racer interest. I like this trend. At least cafe racers are usable bikes!
Beautiful bikes, my dad had a BSA 650, I going to show him these pictures. Arizona, you guys are so lucky with the weather, we've had nothing but snow. Great blog.
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