Seen one vintage motorcycle, you’ve seen them all, right?
Oh, that’s hilarious.
It’s pure delusion.
Because a vintage motorcycle is a wonderful thing.
It’s unique.
It’s individual.
Old motorbikes have character.
They have a soul.
And old motorbikes are devastatingly beautiful…
You’ve already heard me ranting about the amazing motorcycle museum right down at the bottom of New Zealand.
I’ve shared some of my favorite old motorbikes from that museum on Twitter.
But I thought it was high time I brought them all together in one place.
So here they are … one perfect vintage motorcycle after another.
20 Stunning Old Motorbikes You Just Have to Fall in Love With
🖤 1. Brough Superiors (yes, FIVE of ’em!)
Let’s start with the highlight of the whole museum…
5 Brough Superiors from the 1930s, parked up in a gleaming row.
No wonder they were known as the Rolls Royce of motorcycles.
🖤 2. Brough Superior, 1936, complete with sidecar
If you hadn’t overdosed on Broughs, here’s another taste.
A shiny black Brough Superior with a sidecar.
Perfect if you need to climb in there on the leather seat and faint in comfort.
I was certainly thinking about it.
🖤 3. Ariel 1932
How gorgeous is this – but can it STILL be dripping oil 86 years later?
(Love the glass plates under many of the bikes – a good idea for when you bring your bike indoors!)
🖤 4. Norton 1929
OK, you probably wouldn’t get far on a tank this size.
But who cares?
While you’re waiting for backup gas, you could pass the time by honking that cool looking horn.
🖤 5. Thor 1916, 1000cc, V Twin
Never mind supermodels, this vintage motorcycle is even prettier than the guy from the Thor movies.
WAY prettier, in fact.
🖤 6. AJS 1931, 498cc, V Twin
Chrome tanks get me every time!
The whole thing looks like a beautiful science experiment, somehow, doesn’t it?
Sigh…
🖤 7. Velocette Venom Clubman, 1959
Now THAT’S a fishtail pipe!!!
Are you kidding me!?
🖤 8. Henderson, 1913
Doesn’t get much more old school than this, does it?
White wall tyres, and is that a gas headlamp??
🖤 9. Matchless Silver Hawk, 1935
That big silver “M” reminds me of a superhero costume.
It’s larger than life. And check the suspension under the seat!
🖤 10. A selection of Indians from the 1930s onwards
Interesting to see the evolution of the styles here, isn’t it?
And all those different colors after the classic Indian red…
🖤 11. Laverda 1974, 750cc
The lines of this one are so 70s, aren’t they!
And the tank is signed by Mr Laverda himself, for the shameless groupies who like that sort of thing.
(No, no, not me of course)…
🖤 12. Flying Merkel 1912, 980cc V Twin
You can time travel just by looking at this gorgeous thing!
Just think…no-one had even DREAMED of the internet then!
🖤 13. Vincent Black Shadow 2007, 1000
This Vincent was put together from parts in 2007.
Is that the coolest garage project ever?
Imagine how often you’d have to call in sick to work while you tinkered with it!
🖤 14. Harley Davidson Peashooter, 1928
Unusual color, huh!
And with those low-down bars, you’d pretty much have to lie down to ride this one!
🖤 15. Ariel 1929, 557cc
Check out those looooong fishtails, and the metal gear shift on the tank.
Wow.
🖤 16. Benelli SEI 1974, 750cc
Another beautiful 70s flashback.
So finely built with that beautiful casting.
And a 6 into 6!!!! Whaaatttt?
🖤 17. Moto Guzzi 1938, Ardetta 250cc
What a stunner, and check out the GUZZI wording on the pipe – looks like it was cast that way.
Unbelievable.
🖤 18. BSA Lightning, 1963
The lines on this one are just ridiculous, aren’t they!
The side covers are huge and beautiful, and there’s even a little piping on the seat.
Is this a perfect vintage motorcycle, or what?
🖤 19. Norton 1938, 600cc
Chrome and black and all-over perfection!
🖤 20. Raleigh 1924 with sidecar
Note the wicker picnic basket and teeny teeny pipes!
You can just imagine this bike parked up on a quiet country road…
Unpack that bubbly!
So that’s not a bad collection of old motorbikes, really, is it?
Which gorgeous vintage motorcycle do you wish was in YOUR garage…?
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