Tag Archives: historic motorcycle

FOR SALE: 1913 Rex-JAP Brampton Special

100 Years Later, Still Kicking It

There aren’t a whole lot of petrol-powered vehicles that can withstand a 107-year journey and still live to tell the tale. This 1913 Rex-JAP Brampton Special sure did. In a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you could own this hyper-rare motorcycle and bring it home to take care of so it can hopefully see another 50-100 years in its lifetime.

Rex-JAP produced motorcycles for a very short window of time between 1912 to 1916 by the Rex firm. They specialized in building V-twin JAP engines into their preexisting Rex-Acme motorcycles.

This Rex-JAP is speculated to have lived a second life as a modified race bike featuring a 680cc V-Trin JAP engine married to a three-speed hub. Riding wasn’t anything like it is today, so if you could imagine pumping your oil by hand with – quite literally – a hand-operated oil pump, this is it.

This motorcycle is finished in dark forest green with gold pinstriping on the tank. Apparently, the tank, the rear stand, and a handful of other small parts were refinished and repainted by the current seller after being acquired in 2012.

2017 Zero motorcycles have increased range

The motorcycle comes with all receipts for refinishing and paintwork, signage, and a California bill of sale. Although there are only 2 hours left in the auction of this motorcycle on bringatrailer.com, I thought it was still an important piece of forgotten history worth sharing with our readers.

In the event, you are indeed interested in picking this time-capsule up, there are just over two hours left on the auction as I write this, and current bids are sitting at $9200 USD.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Replica of first Harley-Davidson in historic sale

A replica of the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle ever made is being offered in a sale of historic motorcycles through Heroes Motors in Los Angeles.

The genuine first Harley sits in a glass case in the Harley museum in Milwaukee and would cost millions.Historic Harley

This replica of the 1905 model is a comparatively cheap $US120,000 (about $A180,000).

It was made in the mid-1990s by a group of artisans who ensured it was technically correct.

They included such details as the early engine’s case studs, and the thread and pitch of various fittings.

The engine has never been started but was planned to be fully operable.Historic Harley

Cosmoline has been applied to the internals to protect the finishes from the expected long-term storage in a collection or museum.

The bike is one of several historic models being offered by the prestige LA motor showroom.

Historic trike

Another is a 120-year-old De Dion-Bouton tricycle built by Jules-Albert de Dion who won the world’s first motor race, in 1894, run over a distance of 122km from Paris to Rouen. He was actually the only entrant!

This original 1900 De Dion-Bouton tricycle showing VIN 157 and engine No. 15568 comes from Sweden, where it is the oldest street-legal registered bike.

It features a 2.75hp motor, correct and original mechanical details and will set you back a whopping $US145,000 (about $A218,000).

1904 IndianHistoric Indian

Heroes Motors also have a 1904 Indian Hedstrom Camelback for sale at $US90,000 (about $A135,500).

It is essentially the same bike that Oscar Hedstrom built to show George Hendee as the first prototype for the fledgling Hendee Manufacturing Company in 1901.

This clean, black example of the early Indian models features the famed “Hedstrom Improved Carburetor” on the 260cc single-cylinder motor that serves as a stressed member of the cycle’s frame.

The direct-drive chain Indian used from the start was more reliable than the tensioned leather belts of other cycles.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com