Classic choices

What to choose?

There’s a common conception that all classic motorcycles are super expensive and, yes, some are. The price of certain marques and, more specifically, models, has escalated out of all comprehension in the last few years, but that doesn’t mean that there’s still not an awful lot of fun to be had for lesser outlay.

An example. I’m lucky enough to have access to some pretty desirable machinery, but a couple of weekends ago, I decided to take the family BSA Bantam (my uncle, my dad and my brother have all owned it at one time or another) out for a day. Now, I will admit it’s a nice Bantam – a 1967 D10 Sports, which is a two-stroke of 175cc, with four-speed ’box; earlier models only had 125 or 150cc and three gears – but it’s still at what most would consider the ‘lower end’ of classic motorcycling. But it’s a hoot to ride. I absolutely loved it; 120 miles of really good fun, keeping up with/in front of pals on much more glamorous, heavyweight machinery.

‘‘ Eve ry o ne who rode t he 1 927 Sunbeam M odel 9 was smitten, and the conversation then turned to: ‘Could I buy one?’

Then a couple of weeks later, I was at a superb event – the Kop Hill Climb, in Princes Risborough – where a friend had his 1927 Sunbeam Model 9. This is a 500cc overhead valve semi-sporting machine, presented in a lovely, weathered, patinated condition. Approximately half-adozen people (including me!) were afforded the opportunity to take it for a trundle round the perimeter track. What a lovely machine it is. Everyone who rode it was smitten, and so of course the conversation turned to: ‘Could I buy one?’ Well, any 1920s overhead valve model, particularly a Sunbeam flat-tanker (so the petrol tank is fitted between the two top rails of the frame; think a bicycle frame with two top rails and the petrol tank between them) is valuable, but there are cheaper alternatives; a 1927 Sunbeam, a 500cc side-valve model (at most, two-thirds the price of an ohv; so £10k v £15k, roughly, though the ohv is on the rise faster than the sv) is almost as/as lively as an ohv, while a slightly later ohv model is cheaper, too (again, approximately £10k) and the experience afforded is practically the same. Granted, it’s not cheap at all, but it’s about the same as five year old GS Beemer…