Which classic V-twin would you buy?

Ahh, the classic V-twin; simple, strong, it’s a template for the ages. For many people, Harley-Davidson’s Sportster defines the classic V-twin motorcycle, and has come to be the essence of motorcycling for many riders, and none more so than the classic Sportsters of the 1960s. Other makers have used the V-twin, and very successfully, too. Moto Guzzi entered the V-twin arena with the 704cc V7 in 1966, and likewise Ducati with the 748cc GT750 in 1971 (although often referred to as an “L” twin). So the question is, if you could buy just one, which would it be?

Read more about the motorcycles we've polled here by clicking the links below:
- 1968 Harley-Davidson XLCH Sportster
- 1967 Moto Guzzi V7: Dennis Gage on Two Wheels
- Ducati GT750: The Bike that set Ducati's course 

Which British Twin would you buy?

When Triumph introduced the Bonneville 650 back in 1959, it set a new standard for a sporting British Twin and for the next 12 years was the symbol of British motorcycle might. BSA followed suit in 1962 when it introduced the unit construction A65 650 Star twin, the forerunner of BSA’s go-faster Rocket, Lightning, Hornet and others. Not to be outdone, Norton introduced the 750 Atlas the same year, hoping to trump its rivals in cubic capacity. The Atlas ultimately led to the iconic Commando of 1969-1975. All three spawned a generation of great British sport bikes. So the question is, if you could buy just one, which would it be?

Riding into work on a brand new 2010 Royal Enfield Bullet Classic C5 500cc fuel-injected single.

The bike was picked up on Nov. 10, 2010 at Crossroads Powersports in Kansas City, Mo., and will spend two weeks with the editors at Motorcycle Classics. An article on our impressions of the bike will appear in a future issue of Motorcycle Classics so stay tuned!

Which 750 Four would you buy?

When Honda launched the immortal CB750 Four back in 1969, it was so far ahead of the curve it took the rest of Japan’s Big Four years to catch up. First up was Suzuki with the GS750 in 1977, followed by Kawasaki with the KZ750 in 1980. Yamaha took even longer to join the party, announcing its first inline 750 four, the Seca, in 1981, 12 years after Honda’s CB750 came out. So the question is, if you were buying one today, which would it be? Click the link and vote now!  

  
Prepared by Bud Ekins for The Great Escape, these circa-1940 Harley-Davidson sidecars will be auctioned at Bonhams' November 13, 2010, sale at the Peterson Automotive Museum.

Auction house Bonhams & Butterfields will be offering up a unique selection of motorcycles, cars and memorabilia from the collection of famed stuntman and Triumph dealer Bud Ekins at the Peterson Automotive Museum on Saturday, Nov. 13, 2010. This should be an interesting sale, offering up items like a five-page letter from actor Steve McQueen, a lathe and a bandsaw used by Ekins and striped by Von Dutch, and this pair of sidecars prepared by Ekins and used in The Great Escape, starring Steve McQueen.

Ekins, who died in 2007 at the age of 77, was famous for being McQueen’s double in The Great Escape; it was Ekins who made the famous jump over the wire fence, not McQueen. And while best known as McQueen’s stuntman double, Ekins was an accomplished rider whose racing career included competing in seven International Six Days Trial (ISDT) events in the 1960s, winning four gold medals and one silver — all on Triumph motorcycles.

In 1964, Ekins, his brother Dave, Cliff Coleman, John Steen and McQueen led the international competition in the ISDT in Germany before McQueen suffered a crash and then Ekins broke his leg. After retiring from the movies, Ekins went on to be one of the country’s leading collectors of vintage and rare motorcycles. At one time, his collection numbered over 150 motorcycles and was considered to be the most valuable in the country.

A full listing of items to be auctioned from Ekins’ collection is posted on the Bonhams & Butterfield website. – Richard Backus