Your starter for...

… much less than ten. Buying something cool and classic needn’t see you into five figures. Mike Armitage investigates where to start when it comes to old knockers

£1500 est 1965 BSA Bantam »

One of the most copied engines ever is DKW’S RT125. The design was used by Harley-davidson, MZ and for the first Yamaha, the YA-1. But the most popular copy was the BSA Bantam. Launched in 1948 and costing sixty quid, around a quarter of a million examples of the dinky two-stroke were built. Simple, reliable and a doddle to spanner, it’s been the starter classic for yonks and is still the safe and easy way in. This bike is a D7, meaning 175cc, just over seven horses and 60mph down a steep hill. It’s not been Mot’d since 2010 but appears to be in restored nick.

£3000 est Raleigh Model 15

» Riding a vintage bike is hilarious, and nothing is as engaging: you get to tickle carbs, fiddle with the ignition, change gear by hand, pump oil manually, stick your feet down to stop, and experience every detail of the road. Estimated to fetch £3000-45000 this 1926 Raleigh has a 248cc sidevalve engine and three-speed Sturmey-archer gearbox. It was unearthed back in 1994 and lightly restored, but now needs recommissioning. Its ‘KM 7960’ registration number is no longer on the DVLA database either, so there’ll be some form-filling required.

£5000 est ’61 Honda M85 Juno

» Launched in 1960 the M80 Juno was Honda’s typically complex response to scooterism. Employing a 125cc opposed twin with a hydraulic gearbox, new bodywork moulding techniques and costing a fortune … it bombed. Evolving it into the boxier 169cc M85 didn’t help and after only being sold in Japan, the Juno was killed off in ’64. But lack of buyers means exclusivity today. Sourced from a Japanese collector this restored M85 has its original handbooks but needs registering. Estimate is £5200-7700, but there’s no reserve.

£1500 est Trident 900

» These days anything older than ten minutes is assumed a ‘modern classic’, but Hinckley Triumphs from the reborn firm’s early days warrant the status. Based around the Kawasaki GPZ, their three-cylinder engines were over-engineered, run forever and possess a wailing, droning, gritty character that modern triples have lost. Solid roadholding, too. This Trident’s estimate of £1500-2000 reflects rising values of early Hinckley models. However, it’s got a dubious aftermarket fairing and relocated rear winkers, probably to allow luggage. It is offered with no reserve.

£2500 est ’61 Norton Jubilee

» Yes, there’s attraction to Triumph and appeal to Ariel, but there’s something about a bike with Norton on the tank. And the Jubilee is the most affordable way to get one in your shed. Launched in 1958 in response to looming 250cc learner laws and named to celebrate 60 years of the brand, the 249cc parallel twin was their first unit construction (combined engine and gearbox) and the smallest Norton ever made. It was also unreliable. Thankfully this later bike will have the redesigned crank and gearbox that cured the breakdowns, and is the ‘Deluxe’ variant with the enclosed bathtub bodywork.

£3000 est 1968 Lambretta

» Riding a classic doesn’t have to mean plodding four-stroke single, black paint and a flat cap. Lambretta’s zinging SX150 Special makes 10bhp, does 60mph and is the bubbly way to get into classic motorbiking. Except this one really does deserves the ‘special’ tag… In preparation for the European Scooter Tour a couple of years ago (a trundle around Holland, Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia) it was fitted with a 225cc Rapido engine kit and five-speed, plus a long-range fuel tank, digital speedo and more. All the original parts are included…

£4000 est 1957 AJS Model 30

» You’ll pay seven-grand or more for a good Triumph Tiger 500cc twin, and more than that for a tidy Bonneville 650. Which makes the £4000-4500 estimate for this 598cc parallel-twin AJS look a bargain. Yes it only makes 33bhp but with less cranky dimensions than rivals the motor gives (relatively) soothing 60mph cruising, doesn’t break, is frugal with fuel and has the same gearbox as a Manx. Steering is sweet and handling is decent. This one has electronic ignition, a solid-state rectifier, and has been used on VMCC runs this year.

£3500 est c1972 MZ 250 racer

» Two-strokes were the reserve of mopeds until genius MZ engineer Walter Kaaden turned them into world-beaters with disc-valve induction and expansion chamber pipes. Suddenly MZS were the fastest thing on GP grids. This early 70s RE250 has a reversecylinder, liquid-cooled twin with 55bhp. It says Silvio Grassetti on the tank, but with a £3500-5500 estimate we don’t think it was the factory rider’s bike. A dash of recommissioning and it’ll tear-up trackdays. All these bikes are at the Bonhams Autumn Stafford Sale, 16 Oct. » See bonhams.com