Last year, I visited the Haynes Motorcycle Museum in the U.K. in the car park were about 10 Brough Superiors from an owners group ride out in various states of condition, glad to see they are still being ridden!
I bought a restored '39 Knucklehead model E medium compression (only 214) produced. One year only shift 12N34. I paid 30 grand cash. I was 44 years young.
In response to your question: if I owned one of these bikes I’d probably ride it every weekend. An unbidden MC is a static display. Might as well get an oversized Franklin Mint display and save the million bucks. Ride it where people can see it, and the bike becomes a tribute to the people who invented the most perfect form of transportation ever.
I love the last comment about ride it or hide it. I regularly ride my 1976 Ducati V twin even in filthy wet British weather on country roads covered in mud and shit. OK, it's not worth half a million but it's a bike I bought to ride. The millionaire who may buy a very expensive bike will never have as much enjoyment as me as he masterbates over his glass cabinets full of expensive but essentially unusable status symbols.
I bought mine for $1999 in 73, new of course. Best street bike I’ve ever owned. Best dirt bike I’ve owned is my 72 Bultaco Pursang 125, perfect in every respect. I still have it.
Most expensive bike I ever bought was a 1995 Harley Electra Glide Ultra with a side car. After one week of the side car I separated the two, then sold the side car for $2000. Bought the bike for $15,500, in 1998, I'm getting old (75yo) so I'm down to riding a scooter! But it has 650cc, a 2011 Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive.
To be honest I would be a bit surprised if some of the f these bike didn’t come out of a neighbors collect. He at one time was president of the Vintage Motorcycle Assoc. Definitely not sure of the Associations true name. But they were the biggest and best authority here in the states. The guy lived like a recluse being in my neighborhood, but he had a least 50 vintage motorcycles stashed away in a detached garage. I was astounded when I got to peek inside. Bikes 3 deep, floor to ceiling all four walls a two rows in the middle of the floor. I got two Kawasaki, whoop whoop !
I'd put my classic bikes in a sealed glass case in the man cave. The glass enclosure would be airtight and filled with inert gas. No windows in the cave, so no degradation from the sunbeams!
Another fascinating video, Bart, thanks. I was a bit surprised that no Henderson or Wooler made the top ten, but what do I know about such things? For my money, the Vincent Black Shadow is the motorcycliest of all motorcycles, in appearance at least. And as far as auction prices exceeding "actual" value, whatever that means, I'm well familiar with it, being a musical instrument maker. Look at the prices of Stradivaris which cannot be distinguished in performance from violins costing a hundredth of their selling price. Cheers from rainy Vienna, Scott
Where would I store it? In a glass display case in my livingroom. Depending on the bike I'd have it set up so I could take it out to ride from time to time.
Listen, I get it. I have been through periods where I was making so much money that anything I wanted just seemed inexpensive. Everything is relative. $5.00 is a lot of money to a guy who only has $10.00, but $1000.00 is like a nickel to a guy who has a million. But when it comes to motorcycles, spending outrageous sums of money on them is just missing the point. The whole idea of it is the freedom, the open road, being one with the elements and getting back to basics. But no matter what the subject, if something exists there will soon arrive people that miss the point. If wanted it, I could afford a lot more expensive bike than I have. My truck cost 5 times more than my bike. That s because, with the bike, the whole purpose is for it to be as basic and simple as your back and your ass can stand...because it is about he road, the wind, the rain and whatever else modern life shields you from. It is about daily reminding yourself that you are just a man, while also reminding yourself that you are THE man who would have done fine if he were born at the time when everyone was still riding a horse.
Most expensive motorcycle iver bought was a 2004 harley sportster 1200 for 3000 dollars. That one was also the only bike ive totaled. But every other bike ive bought under 1000 or got in a trade.
Please say 'thousand', not 'Kay'. Not difficult to say and sounds much more professional. Maybe just me but, hate hearing ' Kay Jeez' instead of 'kilograms' too.
This video reminds me of a realization I had in my mid 20's: Rich people need to spend their money on SOMETHING. For investments of items that are rare but without a real practical use that would justify the high price, people really dependent upon the "Bigger Fool" theory. If worst came to worst, the practical value is relatively low, but you hope that there is a Bigger Fool out there who will buy it from you at a higher price than you paid.
Great video and some wonderful bikes. Just one correction is that George Brough didn’t die in the crash when following his injured friend to the hospital. He suffered serious injuries but after a long convalescence recovered. He did though rarely ride a bike as a solo machine again but mainly with a side car due to the lasting impact of the crash. In fact he often walked with a stick afterwards. Most famously you see George with a walking stick when seeing off Lawrence of Arabia outside the Brough Factory on his latest new SS100 in one of the iconic Lawrence photos 👍
Love this video! I love modern bikes but there isn’t one I can think of that even comes close to any of those Crockers in terms of looks. I could stare at any one of those all day, beautiful machines!
Now the early owners of these machines are long dead and the second wave of post-WWII bikers who collected and restored them are dying off it's good they're going into museums having long been obsolete for road use. That way future viewers can enjoy the mechanical history. Prices being wildly inflated merely reflect few bikes and gobs of wealthy collectors old enough to spend down their stash, but those guys keep the high end restorers in business so the more the better!
I've never understood this fascination with patina. Where others see patina I see rusty old bike (or car). Just restore it so we can see what the bike was like in its original state. I also don't care who has previously owned the bike (or car). For me, that doesn't change its value one bit. Its either a collectible bike or not.
Original paint is everything. On motorbikes, cars,... and vintage guitars. A refinished old classic Gibson or Fender looses 40-50% of its value if it is refinished.
@@sallhame That may be true but its not what I want in a vintage bike or car. I want it to look flawless, just like it was when new. I'll accept a reduced value to have it in original condition. Its not all about money. Maybe the next time that I want to sell a bike or car in poor condition I'll just just tell prospective buyers that its not in poor condition, its just patina!
The most expensive bike I've bought was a triumph speed triple 955i. It was stolen about three weeks into me having it. 5 years later I found it on craigslist for $800. Sad braap noises..
I would ride one if I owned it, but buying two Big Tanks would be expensive! Obviously I'd need two, so I could tell everyone not to worry, I was keeping one safe, when turned the other in a classic SolCal style old school chopper. PS. Fun fact, since you're a guitar guy....one of the key engineers Albert Crocker worked with, to make his bikes, was Paul Bigsby...the guy who invented the Tremelo
My inlaws lived next door to Mick Doohan, world champ Grand Prix racer. One day I went next door and saw he had all his championship winning bikes and a few others in his garage. I touch each one! Then I noticed there was no security system in the garage. As his manager said, who would steal them? You wouldn't be able to sell them or even show them off to your friends. Good point.
The Jack Ehret Vincent Black Lightning was very thoroughly restored from a mechanical perspective in 2015 by the late great Patrick Godet in Normandy.. What was significant was that none of the patina was cleaned off and none of the accumulated scars which the bike accumulated since it was used were removed or repaired. This was done at the specific request of the owner.
These bikes should be kept in giant cyogenic chambers for safekeeping and preservation..anyone interested in my 2006 bandit 1200 from the estate of Steve McQuinn??
I believe the Rollie Free Vincent is owner by a private collector in Nevada. And it may have traded hands for 1 million dollars. After I sold it it went to a collector in Texas who restored it to Salt Flat trim and it was show at Pebble Beach. I owned and rode it in street trim for about 30 years.
Overhere in the Uk many IF NOT most of the surviving VINCENTS are regularly ridden, and ridden HARD, Vincent engines have been transplanted into all sorts of frames, notably the Norton Featherbed, EGLI, and sundry specials for solo and sidecar racing. I believe there are companys making just about all the engine parts for customers all over the world, They have a very active Owners Cub too!!
Wish I could get my hands on a Vincent twin for a reasonable price, they are some of the prettiest engines ever built. There's a company manufacturing 1300cc versions, but they want obscene money for them
alot of these bikes will actually destroy themselves if not ridden. Use it for what its meant for. At least a sunday cruise around the block once a month.
It's great that you correctly identify highest "auction" prices. I recall that in the late 1990's, the T E Lawrence death Brough (but restored) went to a Saudi for over 4 million pounds (UK). Present worth that one. And the Rollie Free Lightning isn't completely offline. I had my photo taken with it at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours.
![[UA] Eternal Fire проти NAVI | EPL Season 20 Malta](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/chvlsDygrZM/mqdefault.jpg)
Last year, I visited the Haynes Motorcycle Museum in the U.K. in the car park were about 10 Brough Superiors from an owners group ride out in various states of condition, glad to see they are still being ridden!
If a Britten v1000 ever came up for auction I'd imagine it'd set a new record
If I owned a Crocker. I would name it Betty....
I'll see myself out..
I like it.
I bought a restored '39 Knucklehead model E medium compression (only 214) produced. One year only shift 12N34. I paid 30 grand cash. I was 44 years young.
In response to your question: if I owned one of these bikes I’d probably ride it every weekend. An unbidden MC is a static display. Might as well get an oversized Franklin Mint display and save the million bucks. Ride it where people can see it, and the bike becomes a tribute to the people who invented the most perfect form of transportation ever.
I love the last comment about ride it or hide it. I regularly ride my 1976 Ducati V twin even in filthy wet British weather on country roads covered in mud and shit. OK, it's not worth half a million but it's a bike I bought to ride. The millionaire who may buy a very expensive bike will never have as much enjoyment as me as he masterbates over his glass cabinets full of expensive but essentially unusable status symbols.
Your videos are so nice. I watched an auction where a beautiful '73 Z1 sold for 50 Grand
I bought mine for $1999 in 73, new of course. Best street bike I’ve ever owned. Best dirt bike I’ve owned is my 72 Bultaco Pursang 125, perfect in every respect. I still have it.
Most expensive bike I ever bought was a 1995 Harley Electra Glide Ultra with a side car. After one week of the side car I separated the two, then sold the side car for $2000. Bought the bike for $15,500, in 1998, I'm getting old (75yo) so I'm down to riding a scooter! But it has 650cc, a 2011 Suzuki Burgman 650 Executive.
Bergman is on my list when I can't climb aboard the 1150 GS anymore.
I get the impression that Crockers were the Arches of their era.
Really glad you stuck with this tells me alot thank you.
Clapton, lovely. 👌🏻 🎸
When you visit motorcycle shows everybody is 50yrs old plus. The people who want to own these bikes will vanish in the next 20 odd yrs.
To be honest I would be a bit surprised if some of the f these bike didn’t come out of a neighbors collect. He at one time was president of the Vintage Motorcycle Assoc. Definitely not sure of the Associations true name. But they were the biggest and best authority here in the states. The guy lived like a recluse being in my neighborhood, but he had a least 50 vintage motorcycles stashed away in a detached garage. I was astounded when I got to peek inside. Bikes 3 deep, floor to ceiling all four walls a two rows in the middle of the floor.
I got two Kawasaki, whoop whoop !
I'd put my classic bikes in a sealed glass case in the man cave. The glass enclosure would be airtight and filled with inert gas. No windows in the cave, so no degradation from the sunbeams!
Lawrence from Arabia died in a motorcycle accident with a Brough Superior. This bikes were custom made to the clients desire.
I just bought 1978 HD Shovelhead survivor for 13k USD. Definitely my most expensive buy
Another fascinating video, Bart, thanks. I was a bit surprised that no Henderson or Wooler made the top ten, but what do I know about such things? For my money, the Vincent Black Shadow is the motorcycliest of all motorcycles, in appearance at least. And as far as auction prices exceeding "actual" value, whatever that means, I'm well familiar with it, being a musical instrument maker. Look at the prices of Stradivaris which cannot be distinguished in performance from violins costing a hundredth of their selling price.
Cheers from rainy Vienna, Scott
Where would I store it? In a glass display case in my livingroom.
Depending on the bike I'd have it set up so I could take it out to ride from time to time.
Listen, I get it. I have been through periods where I was making so much money that anything I wanted just seemed inexpensive. Everything is relative. $5.00 is a lot of money to a guy who only has $10.00, but $1000.00 is like a nickel to a guy who has a million.
But when it comes to motorcycles, spending outrageous sums of money on them is just missing the point. The whole idea of it is the freedom, the open road, being one with the elements and getting back to basics. But no matter what the subject, if something exists there will soon arrive people that miss the point.
If wanted it, I could afford a lot more expensive bike than I have. My truck cost 5 times more than my bike. That s because, with the bike, the whole purpose is for it to be as basic and simple as your back and your ass can stand...because it is about he road, the wind, the rain and whatever else modern life shields you from. It is about daily reminding yourself that you are just a man, while also reminding yourself that you are THE man who would have done fine if he were born at the time when everyone was still riding a horse.
1:20 Eric Clapton, see you in heaven
Ride on!
Very interesting and enjoyable vid 👍🏴
Most expensive motorcycle iver bought was a 2004 harley sportster 1200 for 3000 dollars. That one was also the only bike ive totaled. But every other bike ive bought under 1000 or got in a trade.
Bart the TE Loreance bike was once valued at 1 000 000 dollars
I believe Lawrence owned a total of seven Broughs. It is thought three still exist.
I'm surprised there were none of Britten's bikes in this list
‘Light years’ is a term relating to distance and not time. Nice video though.
Crocker
Oh yes
Play Classical Gas and then you know you can play acoustic guitar. :)
You have got to ride them or they loose their soul?.
Please say 'thousand', not 'Kay'. Not difficult to say and sounds much more professional. Maybe just me but, hate hearing ' Kay Jeez' instead of 'kilograms' too.
not just you.....
And Fewer - not less - also for god's sake
basicaly the first 5 mins was a guitar addvert,big fail!.
Rollie Free's Vincent black lightning sold for 1.1 mil in 2010. Do not think it was an auction but yea.
(The one that set the speed record.)
This video reminds me of a realization I had in my mid 20's: Rich people need to spend their money on SOMETHING. For investments of items that are rare but without a real practical use that would justify the high price, people really dependent upon the "Bigger Fool" theory. If worst came to worst, the practical value is relatively low, but you hope that there is a Bigger Fool out there who will buy it from you at a higher price than you paid.
Great video and some wonderful bikes.
Just one correction is that George Brough didn’t die in the crash when following his injured friend to the hospital. He suffered serious injuries but after a long convalescence recovered. He did though rarely ride a bike as a solo machine again but mainly with a side car due to the lasting impact of the crash. In fact he often walked with a stick afterwards. Most famously you see George with a walking stick when seeing off Lawrence of Arabia outside the Brough Factory on his latest new SS100 in one of the iconic Lawrence photos 👍
As someone who loves older bikes, this is my favorite list so far 👍
Love this video! I love modern bikes but there isn’t one I can think of that even comes close to any of those Crockers in terms of looks. I could stare at any one of those all day, beautiful machines!
Crocker made very limited Numbers but they could beat the competition just like HDR / Vincent..
Love the Crocker "Big Tank" for everyday but the Lightning for weekends.
I feel like if you have the money to buy one of these your living room is probably big a nice enough to keep it in.
Most expensive is the 1075 GT750. But with a resotration under my belt of an RD350, it's close.
Now the early owners of these machines are long dead and the second wave of post-WWII bikers who collected and restored them are dying off it's good they're going into museums having long been obsolete for road use. That way future viewers can enjoy the mechanical history. Prices being wildly inflated merely reflect few bikes and gobs of wealthy collectors old enough to spend down their stash, but those guys keep the high end restorers in business so the more the better!
Great video brother! Many, many thanks!
I've never understood this fascination with patina. Where others see patina I see rusty old bike (or car). Just restore it so we can see what the bike was like in its original state. I also don't care who has previously owned the bike (or car). For me, that doesn't change its value one bit. Its either a collectible bike or not.
OPINIONS LIKE ARSEHOLES
EVERY ONES GOT ONE
Original paint is everything. On motorbikes, cars,... and vintage guitars. A refinished old classic Gibson or Fender looses 40-50% of its value if it is refinished.
@@sallhame That may be true but its not what I want in a vintage bike or car. I want it to look flawless, just like it was when new. I'll accept a reduced value to have it in original condition. Its not all about money. Maybe the next time that I want to sell a bike or car in poor condition I'll just just tell prospective buyers that its not in poor condition, its just patina!
Shouldn't Britton V twin 1000cc be on this list and the Vincent Black Shadow??????????
The most expensive bike I've bought was a triumph speed triple 955i. It was stolen about three weeks into me having it. 5 years later I found it on craigslist for $800. Sad braap noises..
I would ride one if I owned it, but buying two Big Tanks would be expensive!
Obviously I'd need two, so I could tell everyone not to worry, I was keeping one safe, when turned the other in a classic SolCal style old school chopper.
PS. Fun fact, since you're a guitar guy....one of the key engineers Albert Crocker worked with, to make his bikes, was Paul Bigsby...the guy who invented the Tremelo
My inlaws lived next door to Mick Doohan, world champ Grand Prix racer. One day I went next door and saw he had all his championship winning bikes and a few others in his garage. I touch each one! Then I noticed there was no security system in the garage. As his manager said, who would steal them? You wouldn't be able to sell them or even show them off to your friends. Good point.
The Jack Ehret Vincent Black Lightning was very thoroughly restored from a mechanical perspective in 2015 by the late great Patrick Godet in Normandy.. What was significant was that none of the patina was cleaned off and none of the accumulated scars which the bike accumulated since it was used were removed or repaired. This was done at the specific request of the owner.
These bikes should be kept in giant cyogenic chambers for safekeeping and preservation..anyone interested in my 2006 bandit 1200 from the estate of Steve McQuinn??
I believe the Rollie Free Vincent is owner by a private collector in Nevada. And it may have traded hands for 1 million dollars.
After I sold it it went to a collector in Texas who restored it to Salt Flat trim and it was show at Pebble Beach. I owned and rode it in street trim for about 30 years.
Overhere in the Uk many IF NOT most of the surviving VINCENTS are regularly ridden, and ridden HARD, Vincent engines have been transplanted into all sorts of frames, notably the Norton Featherbed, EGLI, and sundry specials for solo and sidecar racing. I believe there are companys making just about all the engine parts for customers all over the world, They have a very active Owners Cub too!!
Wish I could get my hands on a Vincent twin for a reasonable price, they are some of the prettiest engines ever built. There's a company manufacturing 1300cc versions, but they want obscene money for them
alot of these bikes will actually destroy themselves if not ridden. Use it for what its meant for. At least a sunday cruise around the block once a month.
I play a Bob Weir Alverez and a tricked out BC Rich
Fluump no way glad to see youre still around
Great idea for a video!
Love the 🎸 💙
It's great that you correctly identify highest "auction" prices. I recall that in the late 1990's, the T E Lawrence death Brough (but restored) went to a Saudi for over 4 million pounds (UK). Present worth that one. And the Rollie Free Lightning isn't completely offline. I had my photo taken with it at the 2009 Pebble Beach Concours.
Man, those Crocker bikes are gorgeous. They look like they could be a bobber form the 60's but they're a production bike from the 30's. Nuts.
in the Venn diagram of me winning the lottery and bucket list stuff, a Crocker is right in the middle
Wonder if any of T E Lawrence's Broughs have ever come up for sale? Or an ex Ago MV?
Store it....He never rides it... He just rubs it with a diaper.
Ridden for god's sake
I want to see a Brudeli 654L again. Havent seen one for sale for years