[malky]

It makes sense.  Over here the finer bikes were and are playthings for the affluent. I'd still like to have a Sunbeam or a Panther to ride like I'd stolen it.

Out of all the bikes I've owned, the Panther is the one I wish I'd kept.

[Ice]

 Brother I hear you and have a couple regrets like that.
 I feel pretty strongly about my Enfield. Someday when the nurses are spoon feeding me strained peas I might give it to a worthy heir but I won't sell it. Ever.
Until then It's a keeper. 

[Rattlebattle]

Don't get me wrong, I love my C5; it's just that I don't see it as comparable to a classic Brit (or even a Redditch Bullet for that matter). I'm a member of a classic British bike club. In it there are several members who own Vincents, Velos, Indians (now those are nice), Nortons, Triumphs, Panthers, in fact most of the more common 4-stroke makes. A lot of them are used for rallies, including the Dragon Rally eg Vincent C series +chair and D series. Last year a friend led a group of us on a ride to Belgium. He was on a 1954 Triumph T110 that he uses regularly and other friends were on a BSA Super Rocket and a 750 Trident. We do get around. I've started using my Tiger 100 more now that I'm beginning to trust it. (I've had to right a lot of things that the "restorer" messed up but once fully sorted I would have no fear of riding it on the continent. I took my Norton 19S to Spain in 2003 two days after having a new valve guide put in and the dynamo sorted. Basically the old 50s singles will go on forever if the mag is ok. I wish I'd kept that; it had the a really long stroke and makes my C5 feel like a Jap bike in terms of lack of real stomp.

I get the impression it was mainly the twins that were exported to the USA, although I know that the Catalina was a USA only version of the Goldie. I doubt that there would have been much interest in the cooking singles that were commonplace over in the 50s and could be bought for nothing or very little in the late sixties and seventies.

Yes, I too like the concept of the RE and the Ural, though I wouldn't buy one of those myself. Apart from the Jawa 350 (which I would buy) they are the only bikes I can think of that are in current production and are "classic" types. Just stop pretending they're on a par with the original stuff, that's all. Re something like the F-B Plover, no they are not classics in my book either, but I like to see a nice restored one amongst the rows of Bonnevilles etc. They are quite rare. For me easily the best RE 250 was the Turbo Twin. All the Continental GT owners I knew had nothing but trouble with them. The Clipper/Crusader was ok but no better than a BSA. I don't know anyone who had an RE twin...can't think why.

[tooseevee]

Yes, the only problem is where do you get one with the brackets to fit a Bullet?

                     You make them.

[tooseevee]

Regardless of what you think of them re Enfield being the only enthusiasts bike left being built, do Urals not fall into the same category.

              Yes, and Chang Jiangs, too.

[malky]

              Yes, and Chang Jiangs, too.

Yes I have said before that I am "perversely attracted "to Chang Jiang ownership, but unfortunately there is a concept in the U.K. "that if it's rare it's valuable" without understanding that if it's no good it's another reason for being rare. I contacted a guy in the U.S. who supplies upgrades at a very reasonable cost, but there is no way I'm paying £4000/$6017 for a bucket of rust to go and spend more to make it acceptable.

[malky]

Yes, I too like the concept of the RE and the Ural, though I wouldn't buy one of those myself.

A new Ural outfit U.K. price is around £12000/$18058. Yes that is not a typo.
A reasonable R80/ R 100 BMW can be had for around £2500/$3761. Second hand sidecar £450/$677. Brush and a tin of olive drab paint and you can create your own ural.

[suitcasejefferson]

I didn't mean the Enfield had the same quality or value as the Velocette. But both  are tinkers bikes that demand a lot more from the rider than just jumping on and riding off, and not having to worry about something going wrong. I considered my '66 Bonneville an enthusiasts bike as well. It definitely earned that title while I owned it. Almost as much wrenching as riding. And you had to tickle the carbs, actually spilling gas on the ground. Not sure what Jay Leno thought was "not cool" about that. I guess most of today's riders want to keep their hands clean. Today that Triumph has likely become a collectors item. Wish I hadn't sold it.

I was thinking about British bikes, but I guess a Ural could also be considered an enthusiast's bike. It is an ancient design, very primitive, and requires a lot more attention than any newer Japanese bike. You have to make more of a commitment to ride one, if you intend to keep it going. And with both the Enfield and the Ural, you have to deal with substandard engine and braking performance, and poor handling (again compared to Japanese bikes) Pretty much any vintage bike could be considered an enthusiast's bike. Especially British, Italian, and Harley-Davidson. Even the very early Japanese bikes, especially the 2 strokes. My first street bike was an early '70s Suzuki GT380, and it was temperamental, fouled plugs like crazy, and had very poor fit and finish compared later Asian bikes. It was hard to start, and chains and cables didn't last very long. I had to remove and decarbonize the head and top of the pistons a couple of times.

As for vintage BMWs, I have no experience with them, but from everything I have heard and read, they were more reliable than new ones. But I still consider any real vintage bike an enthusiast's bike.

I also know a couple of people who were killed in motorcycle accidents, and more recently my former supervisor became paralyzed from the waist down when he went down in a corner on his new Goldwing, hit a guard rail, and broke his back. But I also know a lot of people who were killed in car accidents. I intend to ride for as long as I physically can, then get either a sidecar rig (probably a Ural) or even a Goldwing trike, if I absolutely have to. My kids have brought up the safety aspect of riding, especially since I started having medical problems, and I am not ignoring them. I realize I have a commitment to them. But they also understand my passion for riding, and I ride as safely as possible. I mostly stay on rural roads without too much traffic. Since my condition is deteriorating, and I see the possibility of not being able to ride in the future, it is even more important for me to ride as much as I can while I can.

[malky]

I would refer to the engineering and brakes as being of fashioned.

[malky]

And you had to tickle the carbs, actually spilling gas on the ground. Not sure what Jay Leno thought was "not cool" about about that.

I think you'll find that statement was Mr Leno's brand of humour.
Banter and humour being an importer part of biking culture.

[Otto_Ing]

I know someone whose bike catched a little fire on the carb. He got so panicked out that he droped the bike and run off. That caused the petrol from the tank to spill out, the whole thing catched fire and burned down to the bone. After that the bike was going to the scrapyard.

PS: it is was not me by the way

[malky]

I've often questioned the logic of having a carburetor that needs tickled, allowing neat fuel to run onto the mag. BSA twins had a "channel" which diverted the fuel away from danger.

[Craig McClure]

Trying to enclose a photo of a Norton Manx 500. Most of these still existing are being vintage raced. Not as complicated as the Velocette, but lovely none the less.
Also enclosing a photo of the factory replica racers that won the Isle of Man in the 250cc class in the mid 60's. a Spanish 2 Stroke - The BULTACO METRALLA. I owned one just like it in 1967, & have very fond memories of bump starts & racing everywhere I went. Know what that suede strip on the saddle is for?  Thing was so zippy, you really needed it to stay on.
Both crazy expensive these days. Didn't want to see 2 of my favorites neglected.

[malky]

You could always go for that once in a lifetime blowout and buy a Tonkin Tornado. They were £34000 / $50747 for the base model in 2013, but you'd die happy Still you could build a really fast Enfield and save a large wedge.

[ace.cafe]

You could always go for that once in a lifetime blowout and buy a Tonkin Tornado. They were £34000 / $50747 for the base model in 2013, but you'd die happy Still you could build a really fast Enfield and save a large wedge.

Or a Molnar Manx, or a TGE G50, etc. Very expensive replicas that are generally better than the original, but still have interchangeable parts with the original.

or, you could build a F.A.B. 500 (Fireball ASBO Bullet) which is able to match those bikes on the race track, for a whole lot less money, and just as fast. Finished 3rd in the season points standing in the 2015 British Historic Racing Championship Series. Plenty of Manxes and G50s in those races too.