140's Harley-Davidson EL knucklehead motor with iconic “knuckle” rocker-box covers The vintage Harley FL Knuckleheads and Panheads are particularly popular with antique Harley riders, along with other FL models from the 1940’s, 50’s and 60’s. In the United States, it comes as no surprise that Harleys and Indians are the most common antique motorcycles, with Harley in the lead with a wide margin. 1916 Catalog Cover for Indian Motorcycles. No matter how much bike design evolves, there will always be a market for those classic styles. Interestingly, a lot of the new models are falling back on the retro look of the old bikes. Stay tuned for Part 2: What to Expect for a deeper look at the unique maintenance quirks that come with antique motorcycles. The expectation that you’d have to maintain your bike yourself was par for the course, particularly with models from wartime eras.īecause of the less complicated engineering, the bikes let in more particulate and require more flushing and cleaning than the tight, closed design of many modern motorcycles. With a simpler design and frames that were mostly open, older bikes were meant to be worked on by the owner. Thinking of pop culture, in the movie I, Robot, Will Smith forgoes the futuristic self-driving cars in favor of a good old-fashioned motorcycle (albeit an ultra-rare 2004 MV Augusta F4-SPR 750). It’s a refreshing change of pace to get on an old-school machine that looks and sounds how a motorcycle should. They’ve got character and charm and are completely unapologetic about it.Īs newer motorcycles become more and more embroiled in technology, particularly with EV on the horizon, they often feel more computer than bike. Harley-Davidson ad from the Wausau Daily Herald Wausau, Wisconsin What makes an antique motorcycle so different from a new model? Raw sensory delight Who are the people with antiques in their garage?Īccording to a 2010 survey from the AMCA, the average owner is between 40 to 75 years of age, and most of them still have the same motorcycle they’ve had for 40 years.įor a lot of these guys or gals, their motorcycles hold sentimental value. Throughout the UK and Australia, the term “Veteran” denotes motorcycles from 1915 and earlier, whereas in the United States, bikes from 1923 and earlier fall under “Century”. The term “classic” is actually quite a broad one, however it’s generally presumed that a classic motorcycle is one from the 1970s that has that timeless look. However, more often than not, bikes from the 1980’s are considered “vintage” and not “antique” due to their distinct look, and the fact that most of their owners would prefer not to think of the ‘80s as antiquated. Thilo Parg / Wikimedia Commons ( License: CC BY-SA 3.0)" 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo on display at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, Birmingham Alabama USA. What’s crazy is that means anything older than 1988 (at the time of writing this!) is technically an antique. Motorcycles older than 35 years are considered antique. Making the distinction between antique, vintage and classic motorcycles And most of all, we’re going to explore why they have such timeless appeal that has lasted, and will last, for generations. In Part 1 of our Antique Motorcycle Series, we’re diving into what makes a motorcycle “antique”, why these bikes are so special, and who are the people that own, curate and care for them. The look, the noise, the riding freedom that comes with these bikes is undeniable. The appeal of antique motorcycles is one that will be everlasting.
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