Gaining traction

˃˃ The joy of ageing

Like most things, motorcycling, whether it’s modern or classic, has always gone in trends where something (a class, a make, a condition) is seemingly the flavour of the month, or several months, sometimes even in vogue for years.

In the classic world, we’re now in a situation where patina is king, with unrestored motorcycles fetching a premium over those which have been restored back to as-new – or better than new – condition. This desire for something to look like it has been used and has the scars to show for it and stories to tell, is not an altogether new trend for motorcycling, but it is one gaining traction.

In a recent auction there was a 1932 Brough-Superior 680cc V-twin, sold for just over £118,000. In the sale listing description, it said (and I paraphrase) something along the lines of: ‘Restored to an incredible non-restored condition’. Now, putting aside the oxymoronic element to that sentence, let’s just digest what it actually says. It is an acknowledgement that the motorcycle has been restored to look like it’s not been restored. But this story has another twist, as I just happens to have been at the sale a few years ago when this Brough was sold previously, and it genuinely was in its unrestored condition, or at least its condition for the last 50-odd years. Then, it was fitted with incorrect mudguards and

‘‘ All the g enuine patina h ad been destroyed in favour of pretend patina

other such auxiliaries, and had the look of a 1950s/60s restoration, ie, at a time when the bike wasn’t worth a right lot (though don’t ever think BrufSups, for example, were worth nothing. It was never thus) and had just been cobbled together to be kept going. So when it was sold again five or so years ago, it did have a lifetime of genuine patina, acquired over the years. But it seems this wasn’t the right type of patina, so it has been restored to look like it has the right sort of patina, thereby destroying all the genuine patina in favour of pretend patina. It’s all a bit mind-boggling. But then fashion generally is.