Empty your wallet

[JimF4M1s (Deceased)]

Honda? His reference to Honda was just relating the high cost of their RC-213. Maybe you should have read up on it before you jumped to a conclusion. Powering this motorcycle is a 230hp in-line-four motor sourced from BMW

The designer, Massimo Tamburini has quite a pedigree, also designed two of the most desirable motorcycles ever. The Ducati 916 and the MV Agusta F4.

Though not my style of riding, I can surely appreciate it's design. It hurts my back to just look at that ride. I'm a cruiser with a Harley Ultra Classic.

Take a look at this article.

Tamburini T12 Massimo – the million-dollar motorcycle

Information

Warning: This is a relatively older thread This discussion is older than 360 days. Some information contained in it may no longer be current.

[Gil Boyd]

Jim,
That would have to have a very special linked chain for that engine and for me to ride it, I'm in your camp mate............ Harley Military MT350 all day for me at the older age group and a gun box in case I may ever need it at the rear.
I remained on a powerful bike once when the chain snapped at 65mph, it was the most enlightening time in my whole life trying to weave the handles from right to left as I slew to a halt. On inspection the chain had literally welded itself to the rear sprocket........................always wary now of fast bikes and slack chains!!

[bigduke6]

The designer, Massimo Tamburini has quite a pedigree, also designed two of the most desirable motorcycles ever. The Ducati 916 and the MV Agusta F4.

The 916 and 748 are in my opinion the nicest bikes ever produced, When I was working for Chevron there was a 748 in a local bike shop, hefty price tag at the time as it wasn't that old, £16,000.00 ............. very tempted at the time too, I even had the money but decided against it, but not all was lost I bought the Suzuki GSXR 750 Slingshot he had instead for a 5th of the price..... it was a lovely example and in red and white, not a common colour scheme at the time as the tank was nearly all red and the fairing with white and black dividing lines........ I was very lucky one time, I'd joined a ship up in Scotland and could keep the bike on board for the two weeks, on my time off did some routine maintenance and adjusted the chain as it was looking a bit limp.

On the Journey home the bike just didn't seem right at the back end, average speed was 70-80 Mph, the rain started to come at me Horizontal and then my lights started to play up as I only had full beam and no dip....... after getting blinded a few times by Truck Wa...rs, I decided to pull in and see what was wrong, couldn't find anything and the lights seemed to fix themselves so took it down an A road at a gentle 30mph, then a sudden increase in revs and no power.........the chain had snapped..........It played on my mind some time after that, the bike received new sprockets and a high priced chain and replaced the oiler. It was the end of any lengthy motorway journeys for me.

Thats one good thing about the one below you can't go too fast as you know you can't stop fast....

[Gil Boyd]

Geoff,
Had one of them, whats it worth today? I suppose its what people will pay for them. Sold mine for £150 a lot of years back, lovely bike though!!

[GeeRam]

Thats one good thing about the one below you can't go too fast as you know you can't stop fast....

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../lbpiBYr-1.jpg

Excellent, nothing wrong with classic bikes.......with milk bottle tops for brakes...

You need to go back another decade or so in design, and add girder forks and rigid frame into the 'fun' mix

[bigduke6]

[quote=GeeRam;440903]You need to go back another decade or so in design, and add girder forks and rigid frame into the 'fun' mix[/quote

Along with the Matchless WD G3L, which is slowly going back together., whilst looking for bits for it I always came across cheap BSA M20 bits, I have a late war BSA M20 frame and a set of war time crank cases, also picked up a rear frame for this a few months back ...... (the girder forks are a bit on the expensive side if you can find them and don't fancy the New ones from India).

The rear frame has the side car lug, which at first I thought was post war (post war had two lugs) the single lug was for an RAF contract during the war, approx only 700 made. I picked it up west side of London, the guy was building up an M21...... as we got talking he noted my interest was WD bikes but he showed me his collection of Brit bikes......... I was gobsmacked, he must have had over £250,000.00 worth of bikes in his other shed.......all shiny and new.

After that it was another train Journey to the East side of London, to pick up a hard tail G3L frame....... the G3L frame was to build up a repro WD bike as I have a lot of bits which have accumulated after buying boxes of bits but only require one part etc, although I do fancy a G3L trials bike so not sure on that yet..........

[GeeRam]

Along with the Matchless WD G3L, which is slowly going back together., whilst looking for bits for it I always came across cheap BSA M20 bits, I have a late war BSA M20 frame and a set of war time crank cases, also picked up a rear frame for this a few months back ...... (the girder forks are a bit on the expensive side if you can find them and don't fancy the New ones from India).

The rear frame has the side car lug, which at first I thought was post war (post war had two lugs) the single lug was for an RAF contract during the war, approx only 700 made. I picked it up west side of London, the guy was building up an M21...... as we got talking he noted my interest was WD bikes but he showed me his collection of Brit bikes......... I was gobsmacked, he must have had over £250,000.00 worth of bikes in his other shed.......all shiny and new.

I live in outer West London and used to have a 1940 built BSA WDM20, so may know of him?
Sold my WDM20 back in 2001, still miss it, but had great fun with it and used it for a lot of veterans events as well, including 1st Airborne Recce Association reunions when dear old Chalky White was still alive, who had been the 1st AB Recce Don R at Arnhem and was probably the last person to escape from the bridge area back to Oosterbeek, albeit a somewhat hazardous journey by m/c.

[bigduke6]

I live in outer West London and used to have a 1940 built BSA WDM20, so may know of him?
Sold my WDM20 back in 2001, still miss it, but had great fun with it and used it for a lot of veterans events as well, including 1st Airborne Recce Association reunions when dear old Chalky White was still alive, who had been the 1st AB Recce Don R at Arnhem and was probably the last person to escape from the bridge area back to Oosterbeek, albeit a somewhat hazardous journey by m/c.

The Guy was an Indian gent., his interest was 60-70's Civilian Brit Bikes, he collected rare editions or one offs, he had at one time cornered the market for a particular Enfield Continental Gt....... ,
He parked them in groups, as rode all of them too, but they were museum quality.

At the time I didn't know the true value of the rear frame I was picking up, as it was a best offer deal........ and as I thought a post war one. I have to thank Ron Pier for the relevant info regarding the RAF contract BSA M20's etc.

[Gil Boyd]

Geoff,
That is odd, as I too have an Indian gent who buys all things British, motobikes and including SMLE's because he says they are so easily fixable.
Recently a neighbour a farmer sold off all his tractors and Combines via a major farm seller, bid cards internet bidding etc.
The only pieces the Indians wanted was the non computerised Combine Harvesters as they could repair them easier in India by hand....................amazing and very proactive of them. They were bidding against each other on line and at the actual auction, needless to say the Combine went for more than the book had it down for!