I've been as guilty as the next 'good intentions' collector of hauling boxes of rare motorcycle bits from home to home over the decades, intending to restore them when I had time. In truth, a lot of interesting motorcycles were preserved by pulling them to pieces, and are waiting for skilled hands to put them back together. One benefit from the serious uptick in the price of rare machines is it makes financial sense, at least, to give a machine a first-class restoration, even if it's missing parts or is an absolute wreck. Several 'kit' Brough Superiors and a Matchless V-4, plus the odd rough Vincent Series A single and some old GP racers in need of serious love are coming up for sale at the Bonhams Stafford sale Oct 17/18th.
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A former kit, now complete: a 1938 Vincent-HRD Series A Rapide, built from parts with a replica frame. Perhaps the last 'bargain' Series A twin? A repro frame hardly matters when you're hammering down the road...
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GH Tyrell-Smith's ex-Works 1932 TT Rudge 350, in need of some attention, but with solid gold provenance, as shown aviating over Ballagh bridge in the Isle of Man in 1932
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American Royalty; a 1910 Pierce 4 of 688cc, beautifully restored
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Speed Demon; a 1916 Henderson 4-cylinder, the 'Deusenberg of Motorcycles'. Take that, George!
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Your eyes do not deceive you; this bike is wrong, and gloriously weird. Part of a grand American tradition of stretching 4-cylinder motorcycles with two extras, just for good measure. The builder/provenance is unknown on this 1924 Excelsior-Henderson 6, but it took a lot of work to make it!
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1926 Brough Superior SS100 Alpine Grand Sports project. Yes please.
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All the parts, plus rare spares, needed to build up a Matchless Silver Hawk V4