Sunbeam

British bike show is a triumph for organisers

by Nigel Baudains from https://guernseypress.com The heyday of the British motorcycle industry was on display at St James yesterday. People were queuing by the 10am opening to see about 90 machines spanning the period from 1911 to the present day. Alan Richmond, who organised the show on behalf of the St James Trust, is also chairman of The British Motor Cycle Club Guernsey. ‘I think British motorcycles appeal to the older man who probably had one in his youth,’ he said. ‘Naturally he will say that it was the best and there is a huge brand loyalty. ‘For the practical, you can strip them down to the last nut and bolt, whereas motorcycles today are computer-controlled and you dare not change a spark plug.’ Some of the bikes – nicknamed trailer queens – belonged to people who did not want to get them wet. Half an hour of riding and four hours of cleaning was no fun, he said. Vaccine centre volunteer Alan Boyd, 66, said visiting the show had reactivated his interest in motorcycles. ‘I had bikes from the age of 15 and I even managed to persuade my wife, Jo, to tour Europe with me on a [Honda] Goldwing,’ he said. ‘I sold it because I thought I was getting too old. I’m a Triumph fan. The early ones leaked oil and the electrics were always packing up. Every time you went out it was an adventure as you never knew whether you’d get back or not.’ Within a few minutes of the show opening, the hall was packed with motorcycle enthusiasts. Jackson Garage technician Wojtek Krzemien, 39, who came to Guernsey from Poland 13 years ago, was among them. ‘I just love motorbikes and I wanted to bring the boys to show them the story of motorcycling,’ […]

British bike show is a triumph for organisers Read More »

New Auction World Records Set at Successful Bonhams Motorcycles Winter Sale

from https://www.bonhams.com/press_release/31428/ The Winter Sale including The National Motorcycle Museum Reserve Collection – Bicester Heritage 11 – 12 Dec 2020 Bicester, Bicester Heritage Offered from the National Motorcycle Museum Collection,1936 Brough Superior 982cc SS100 Registration no. VD 6582 Frame no. M1/1661 Engine no. BS/X 1001 £3 MILLION TOTAL REALISED WITH 92 PER CENT SELL-THROUGH RATE 1936 Brough Superior 982C SS100 from the National Motorcycle Museum Reserve Collection, SOLD for £276,000 Two world auction records for a Sunbeam and Norton F1 motorcycle were set over the weekend at the successful Bonhams Motorcycles Winter Sale at Bicester Heritage, which realised more than £3 million and had an impressive sell-through rate of 92 per cent. A 1928 Sunbeam 493cc TT Model 90 Racing Motorcycle, which had raced at Pendine Sands, powered through its top estimate of £24,000 selling for £41,400, while a 21,188-mile 1990 Norton F1, the roadster inspired by the sporting partnership with John Player Special, made £40,250, both setting new world auction records. However, the name dominating the sale was Brough Superior, with no fewer than five examples featuring in the sale’s top ten, led by a highly original 1936 Brough Superior 982cc SS100, bearing the earliest engine number in a production model, which sold for £276,000. All three machines were offered direct from the National Motorcycle Museum’s Reserve Collection, an exclusive selection of 52 British motorcycles – and motorcycle-related cars – presented on the first day of the two-day sale. A brace of 1937 Brough Superiors offered from The Connoisseur Collection – comprising blue-chip examples from the estate of a late motorcycle enthusiast – also featured in the sale’s top ten, a 982cc SS80 and a 1,096cc 11-50hp which both exceeded their top pre-sale estimates selling for £73,600 and £71,300 respectively. The Connoisseur Collection also offered an example of one

New Auction World Records Set at Successful Bonhams Motorcycles Winter Sale Read More »

Scroll to Top