Vintage Motorcycle

The first motorcycles were developed in the late 1800s and had primitive and dangerous designs, but since then motorcycle technology has certainly come a long way. Today motorcycles are the preferred mode of transportation for millions of people all over the world. It's time to pay homage to the old school. Here are 15 incredible vintage motorcycles. N Did you have any idea that BMW reaches back to the 1920s? Manufacturer was building engines for the German Air Force in World War one, but when the Treaty of Versailles was signed and the German Air Force was temporarily banned from building new aircraft, BMW was forced to diversify to stay afloat. As a result a team at BMW manufactured their R32 motorcycle in 1923 just in time for the Roaring 20s. BMW's flat twin boxer design made it to the shaft final drive became the blueprint for their future motorcycles. That design is still used on plenty of the manufacturers automobiles today. The R32 is built with a 494 cc motor that gave the bike a top speed of 60 miles an hour and helped the rider make a quick escape when the feds rated their speakeasy. By today'standards the BMW R32 almost looks more T N For those of us who may not be able to afford a Rolls Royce, the next entry on our list may be the next best t Doved the Rolls Royce of motorcycles, the 1937 Brough Superior SS 100 came with a guarantee from the company founder George Brough that the motorcycle could break the 100 mile per hour mark. The bike set a new standard for both speed and horsepower with its new and improved 990 cc air cooled 50 degree v-twin engine. At the time anyt But the Brough Superior SS 100 really broke the mold with 48 horsepower. It was the world's first superbike and made a huge splash when it first roared onto the scene. It was so popular in fact that Te Lawrence, also known as the real Lawrence of Arabia, owned eight of them. If it's good enough for a The bike was also custom made to fit the specific needs of the driver, with every detailed tweak even down to the shape of the handlebars. The bike was lightweight to give it superior handling too, but despite the size it was a powerhouse nonetheless. N There were some fast bikes out there, but in 1950 the Vincent Black Shadow became the fastest, with a top speed of 125 miles per hour. Even surpassing the superfast SS 100. The Black Shadow was able to crack the code with its beastly 55 horsepower or 998 cc v-twin engine. And if it looks and sounds familiar, you're right because it's been forever immortalized in Hunter S. Thompson's fever dream that is fear and loat The author famously wrote, if you rode the Black Shadow at top speed for any length of time, you would almost certainly die. That's why there's not many life members of the Vincent Black Shadow Society. And w And if you were a motorcycle aficionado or just a plain speed freak back in the 50s, then getting your hands on the Black Shadow was at the top of your to-do list. And its record for being the world's fastest bike wasn't broken for over two decades. N 1955 Moto Gutsi v8 You may not realize it at first glance, but the 1955 Moto Gutsi v8 packed quite the punch for somet Moto Gutsi is a prominent Italian racing bike manufacturer in the 1950s. They made this little guy for they may not be household names today, but at that time they were the cream of the crop, so it's easy to imagine how efficient the Moto Gutsi v8 is. The front of the chassis is almost shaped And w But who needs brakes when all you want to do is go fast? Despite the Moto Gutsi v8's faults, however, it still managed to race for three seasons, and is still known as one of the greatest Grand Prix motorcycles of all time. And it also just looks flat out cool. N 1957 Harley-Davidson Sportster No list of motorcycles is worth one salt if it doesn't mention good old Harley-Davidson. It's the one manufacturer that just about everyone in the world can name, but they have certainly earned their reputation over the decades. The Harley-Davidson Sportster came on the scene in 1957, and it'still in production today. It came with a 45-degree V-Twin engine that gave it a top speed of 100 miles per hour, but it was a smaller body that helped give the Sportster its lasting appeal. It was easier and more comfortable to ride for people with smaller frames, and it was especially ahead with the women who became pioneers in racing. And the iconic shape of the handlebars gives the rider that lazy lean-back look The Sportster may not have been the fastest motorcycle of the day, but it certainly made Harley-Davidson an American staple of quality engineering and ingenuity. N 1962 Norton Max The 1950s and 60s were the heydays of the Grand Prix, but top-notch motorcycles were often unaffordable and less accessible for a lot of the teams. That's where the 1962 Norton Max enters the fray. It quickly rose to prominence being used by some of the top racers of the day, and today it is the quintessential British racer. The design was so popular, in fact, that many independent manufacturers continued to imitate it, and who could blame them? It has an incredibly sleek look with a long body that sits nice and low to the ground. It came with a 500cc single-cylinder engine with 60 horsepower and went up to 142 miles an hour. T And the best part is, if you have the cash, you can still score one of these speedsters around 50 grand if you do some digging online. N 1969 Honda CB750 Despite the tragedy suffered in Japan during World War II, the land of the rising sun was able to become an engineering and auto giant. And the 1969 Honda CB750 was the manufacturer's first big The onset of the CB750 essentially dethroned the British and their monopoly on motorcycles by creating the four-cylinder bikes that still dominate the market. Often referred to as the Universal Japanese Motorcycle, or UJM for short, the CB750 was also one of the founding bikes in what is now considered superbike racing. The Japanese bike was quickly introduced to the US markets and cost about $1,000 less than what most riders were used to shelling out at the time. And w Overall, it is a gorgeous bike and it'still a common sight on today'streets. It helped to usher in a new era of motorcycle engineering and manufacturing, and the industry is still feeling the ripple effect almost 60 years later. N 1969 Honda Z50A Monkey Bike The same year Honda released their game-changing CB750, they also released the Z50A, more commonly known as the Monkey Bike. The Monkey Bike was originally made to be ridden by c Honda decided to produce even more of the tiny motorcycles and s It was small, light, and could fit just about everywhere, so even if you're not a serious rider, you could easily get into t But was it going to be winning any Grand Prix? Of course not, but the tiny bike still found its way to the racetrack and ended up becoming the ve The Monkey Bike was also made famous by John Lennon, who was often photographed riding the bike with N 1974 Ducati 750SS If you remember your old Economy 101 class, they said that scarcity creates demand, w The 750SS was based off the wing 750cc racer the Imola 200 and only around 401 were ever made. Also known as the Green Frame, the 750SS was a round case, bevel driven Desmo produced generally for street use. But it did have some famous wins on the racetrack by famed racer Paul Smart. If you bought t It even made it to the Art of Motorcycle exhibit in the Guggenheim Muse It's a small bike with a unique design that truly makes it not only one of a kind, but one of the most recognizable motorcycles ever made. And if you do ever managed to find one, just bike the bullet and buy it. N 1980 BMW R80 GS Anyone out there up for a good adventure should look no further than the 1980 BMW R80 GS. When manufacturing began, BMW not only created a new bike category, but a new movement in the world of motorcycles. They created the Adventure Bike, a motorcycle that can go just about anywhere and do just about anyt The GS also brought back BMW from the brink of financial ruin. It's a popular choice from anyone traveling across states, countries, or even just down the paddocks at the track. It even had a starring role in Ewan McGregor's television series Long Way Around. T But even when other manufacturers began to follow suit, there was still no comparison. To t N 1992 Honda CBR 900RR Fireblade There was a time when super bikes were all about power, the only thing that mattered was going as fast as h There's much more to a good bike than speed, right? Well, that's what the folks at Honda decided, so in 1992 they released their CBR 900, more commonly known as the Fireblade. The Fireblade was a sport bike that had a handle on, well, handling, as well as speed and power. It was more practical for the road, rather than razor sharp bikes that were being produced at the time. But it changed everyt Honda went for balance and no one part would outs It had a wider chassis, but also with a slightly larger fuel capacity, 893 cc liquid cooled 16 valve inline four-cylinder engine, and a top speed of 167 miles an hour. Yes, the Fireblade was better suited for the track, but it wasn't crazy to see it winding through the streets and weaving in and out of traffic, going too fast for any local law enforcement to catch it. Don't get any ideas though. N 1994 Ducati 916 Ducati is without a doubt one of the biggest names in the world of motorcycles, so when they released the 916 model in 1994, the ears of enthusiasts and racers everywhere immediately perked up. W Everyone wanted in on the action, and w But part of what makes the 916 so incredible is that it wasn't just for the racers with money. Some of its more popular competitors would cost about 27 grand, but everyday people could score the 916 for about half that price. The short stroke engine churned out about 100 horsepower, and the bike could reach a top speed of 160 miles per hour. But it's the style of the bike that captured everyone's attention, w The 1994 aesthetic did pave the way for the more flowing lines that you can see just about anywhere today, and w It is a tough one to beat. N The year was 1945, World War II was thankfully coming to a close, so American manufacturers were more than ready to get their assembly lines ready for the civilian markets again, and return to some sort of normalcy. So at the tail end of the war, the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in America, Indian, brought the Indian C But even before the s And while it may look more And w The speed limits back then were just 35 miles an hour, w The Indian C W N Arturo Magni was a famous Italian engineer who designed the 1968 MV Augusta 861 Magni with It was a real family affair, but any racing aficionado can recognize the Magni name on the side of the bike and respect both royalty and the legacy. But Arturo formed a partners But the 861 Magni in particular was built off of the already fast Augusta 750S, but they modified it by giving it a newly designed frame and overhauled engine with new And so yes, it went fast, but perhaps more importantly, it looked good too. T N Steve McQueen'suave anti-hero personas dubbed Even The Excelsior Super X is one of the most important pre-World War II American motorcycles in It was originally mass produced with a 740 cc V twin engine. When it was first released, competitors But the 750 cc class is still the backbone of today's American flat track racing world. The look and design are pretty minimal. It's a small racer with no front brake or fender, no provisions for any lighting, and a race-tuned engine that runs on alcohol. The Super X was the first 45 cubic inch motorcycle in America, and the 45 cubic inch racing class was created just one year after the Super X's introduction. It was a game changer to say the least. It's meant to go as fast as possible down the track or in the dirt, and it was not uncommon to see Steve McQueen riding t And watch our ve Sit back, relax, and binge watch all of our best ve