Its not exactly top priority at the moment but it keeps crossing my mind. I've long had a hankering for a classic Brit. Never owned one so not a nostalgia trip or trying to relive my youth and I wouldn't want an indoor collectors piece, therefore it would have to be a usable classic that works and can actually be ridden properly. So reasonably reliable, not too obscure or precious and absurdly expensive and with good spares supply. Performance irrelevant as long as its enjoyable to ride. 650 Triumph and BSA twins and featherbed Nortons are probably out because they're just too expensive now. 500 twins much more affordable and I've always liked the pretty little green BSA A7. Always fancied a BSA B33 too but very rarely see one. Plenty of B31s but if I had a single it would need to be a 500. Love Ariel twins and the older singles too. Matchless G9 is another option. Always reckoned to be one of the sweetest usable runners and they are pretty. So what affordable (5 K-ish or under) classic Brit would people buy if they were actually going to ride it?
Anything for sale at 5K or under will be a project requiring a load of work doing. Even an ordinary runabout in average usable condition is heading for 10K these days. Here's a suggestion: consider a Royal Enfield (Redditch, not India). Bullets were practical without being too desirable, hence affordable. Or a Matchless/AJS 500 single, ordinary one not Trials.
The best Brit bike I owned that was reliable and fun to ride was a 77 or 78 Triumph Bonnieville. My '75 (which I thought was a 73) Trident was a better bike, but the starter was weak, switch gear so so and so I guess Triumph improved their systems in the intervening five years. The Bonnie took me from San Diego where I bought it on an impulse to Colorado without missing a beat. I don't know what they fetch but £5K should get you a good one based on what I remember seeing at the Stafford bike show last year EDIT Watch out for the suicide gearbox with the shift on the right on early bikes - I hardly ever rode a Triumph Trophy I bought because it was a pain.
You'll not go far wrong with a triumph twin, I'm currently on my third. A BSA B40 350 might be worth looking at, it's a 350 single. Steve
Don’t know a great deal about them really but what about an LE Velocette? I think you can find them quite cheaply still. A bit different maybe?
https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https://www.ebay.co.uk/ulk/itm/263583137566 T140V. last of right gearchange. Bought identical bike new in 74 after passing test. Fitted low bars next weekend.
I'd go for the unbustable BSA M20 with its wonderful side valve. It's tick over is so slow you'd think it's stopped between beats
Yes there are, and from the glowing descriptions you would think they are all wonderful. But with 40 or 50 year old machines, even the nice ones will inevitably require a good deal of fixing up. With the ratty ones, you are in for a lot of work and many £000s. You would be very lucky indeed to find one genuinely ready to use without any fettling needed. Caveat emptor.
