EXIF Picks: Classic Iron from Bonhams’ 2023 Autumn Stafford Sale

We say it time and time again, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more impressive assortment of rare motorcycles and parts than at Bonhams’ Stafford sale—made even more exciting by the fact that they’re for sale. Beyond the irreplaceable competition cycles from Europe’s most storied marques, you’ll find an assortment of rare project bikes, vintage race gear and incredibly rare parts. Where else would you shop for a Scott fuel tank, a frame section from a Vincent Black Shadow or forks from a four-cylinder Henderson?

Bonhams’ 2023 Autumn Stafford Sale takes place October 14-15 at the Staffordshire County Showground in the U.K., with 480 lots going to the highest bidder. Picking favorites is tough among such company, but here are just a few of the classic bikes that caught our attention.

1979 Ducati 864 cc Mike Hailwood Replica Mike Hailwood is without a doubt one of the most talented and grittiest riders in the history of motorcycle road racing. Dubbed ‘Mike the Bike’ for his ability to podium on a machine of just about any capacity, Hailwood’s record is highlighted by 76 Grand Prix victories, 14 Isle of Man TT wins and four consecutive world championships—not to mention a third place ride in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a GT40.

In 1978, a struggling Ducati found its poster child in Hailwood after a stunning come-from-behind win in the F1 class at the Isle of Man. Aged 38, and largely out of the limelight for 11 years, Hailwood wasn’t considered a serious threat to the full might of the Honda works team. Nonetheless, Hailwood rode his ex-works Ducati 900 SS to victory in the F1 class before retiring for good in 1979.

Recognizing the miracle bestowed on them, Ducati quickly launched a special Mike Hailwood Replica version of the 900 SS to capitalize on the hype. The model offered mostly cosmetic enhancements over the standard SS, most notably the full fairing finished in red and green with a select few of Hailwood’s sponsorship decals. The brakes were upgraded to Brembos, lighter wheels were sourced from Campagnolo and a fiberglass race-replica tank concealed a street-legal steel fuel reservoir.

Hailwood Replicas are around, Ducati sold roughly 6,000 examples, but it’s the sequence number that makes Lot 440 special. Stamped 900010, this Hailwood Replica is not only one of the unique and desirable first 200 units built, but it was the 10th off the line, and likely one of the first to be sold to a customer.

Boasting a well-documented history, its original engine and the desirable early sequence number, this Mike Hailwood Replica Ducati is expected to bring between £14,000 and £18,000. ($17,075-$21,954)

Norton-Vincent 998 cc ‘Norvin’ Special Sometimes the best bike isn’t one that comes from a single manufacturer, and if you were on a budget in the 1950s and ’60s, a competitive machine could be had if you were a bit resourceful. Combining the best components from several manufacturers led to the creation of numerous hybrid specials in that era, but the Norton ‘featherbed’ frame was almost always a common denominator.

Rex and Cromie McCandless developed the featherbed frame for Norton to replace the old ‘garden gate’ plunger frame for their race bikes, and the first frames were track tested in 1949. The frames were expensive and required a great deal of skilled labor to build, but the final product would soon be regarded as the best handling chassis available. So superior was the new frame over the outgoing model, that racer Harold Daniell remarked that it was like “riding on a featherbed” compared to riding the “garden gate.”

So it comes as no surprise that all manner of engines were fit in the Norton chassis over the following two decades, and the hybrid motorcycles were aptly named Triton (Triumph-Norton), Norbsa (Norton-BSA) and even Norvin (Norton-Vincent).

Lot 476 is a fine example of a Norton-Vincent hybrid that was constructed with the engine from a Series-D Black Knight. The same mill used in the Rapide, the 998 cc V-twin was good for 45 bhp at 5,750 rpm, and looks quite handsome in the Norton chassis.

Unfortunately, there’s no mention of when the bike was first assembled, and we only know that the restoration was completed in 2005 by John Mossey Restorations. If the bike does have period history, it would certainly be worth knowing, as the Norvin is a particularly attractive piece, even without its exhaust. Bonhams estimates that this Norvin special will bring £16,000 to £20,000. ($19,515-$24,394)

1959 Norton Manx Wearing a crude livery, and weathered significantly from over 40 years of barn storage, this assemblage of Norton parts isn’t likely to make many highlight reels from Bonhams’ Stafford Sale. While the bike has some minor prestige connecting it to Dan Shorey, the appeal for us is all visual—the sort of presence you could design a room around.

What you’re looking at here started life as a 1959 Norton 350 cc Manx, which was originally delivered to British privateer Dan Shorey. The bike went through several owners after Shorey sold it in ’63, and is said to have been raced by Keith Smith and John Pounder in the early 1970s.

Along the way, the Manx was repowered with a 497 cc twin from a Norton Dominator 88, fit with the upgraded 500 SS cylinder head—making theoretical output somewhere in the neighborhood of 36 bhp. The transmission and rear hub have also been swapped to standard Dominator equipment as well.

While this Norton Manx bears little resemblance today to the bike that was delivered to Shorey more than 60 years ago, it remains a fascinating look into the lifespan of privateer race machines during road racing’s golden era. £7,500 to £9,500 ($9,150-$11,590) is a pretty price to pay for the new cornerstone of your mancave, but let’s chalk it up as an investment.

1979 Bimota 1,015 cc KB1 The construction of hybrid race bikes wouldn’t remain an at-home, torch-and-hammer, sort of affair forever, and by the 1970s, a few specialist firms had established themselves as premier chassis builders for the hottest bike engines. Born of necessity in the mid-’70s, Italian Bimota would become one of the most well-known chassis manufacturers for high-output Japanese powerplants.

Three friends, Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri, and Massimo Tamburini, worked together in HVAC to fund their love of motorcycles. Tamburini did some racing on the side, and it’s said that he suffered a wreck at Misano Circuit in 1972 on his Honda 750, prompting him to design a completely new chassis for the bike. Setting a precedent for Bimota, Tamburini’s completed 750 was over 100 pounds lighter than stock, and was dubbed the HB1.

Bimota’s subsequent designs far exceeded Japan’s lagging chassis technology, making the most out of high-output multi-cylinders like Suzuki’s GS 750s and 1,000s, Yamaha’s TZ 350 and FZ 750 and Kawasaki’s 900 Z1 and several other Zs. The company had many successes in road racing, before succumbing to financial difficulties in the late ’90s. The revived Bimota, as we know it today, has several wild models in the stable that utilize hub-centric steering, and is 49% owned by Kawasaki.

Lot 428 is a 1979 Bimota KB1, and is a fascinating example of early Bimota tubular spaceframe design. One of 827 built, this KB1 is powered by the mighty air-cooled Kawasaki Z1000 four-cylinder. Producing 84 hp, and weighing 419 pounds dry, the KB1 would show the taillights to any stock Z1000, as it’s nearly 100 pounds lighter, and would do 138 mph flat out. Bonhams’ estimate for this particular Bimota KB1 is between £12,000 and £15,000. ($14,636-$18,296)

1957 Ariel 499 cc HS5 The HS5 is not one of Ariel’s most noteworthy models—it’s certainly no Square Four or Red Hunter—and was not a commercial success for the company. Late to the party in swing-arm technology, Ariel’s dirt-friendly models couldn’t match the success of Triumph or BSA and were dropped completely by 1959. But viewing the HS5 through a modern lens, I can’t imagine a more thrilling day on the dirt.

Built in utilitarian fashion, there’s truly nothing frivolous about the HS5. It’s nothing more than a basic seat, tank and some rudimentary suspension. Power came by way of a 499 cc single, a true thumper, exhaling through a seemingly unbaffled single swept exhaust. Imagine the decibels…

Marketed towards the discerning weekend warrior, the majority of Ariel’s HS5 production would be sent to the states, where the riding scene was booming. This particular Ariel was, in fact, sold new in California.

While there’s more than a decade between them, I can’t help but picture some Steve McQueen, On Any Sunday, type of hooning around on this Ariel—an honest look at what the early world of off-road riding was like. But considering the rarity of this machine, and the requisite £7,000 to £10,000 ($8,538-$12,197) auction estimate, this Ariel HS5’s last day in the dirt is behind it. [Bonhams]

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This Upcycled BMW R80 bobber is a real-life Tonka toy

If the thought of Firestone tires on a custom motorcycle makes your blood boil, avert your eyes now. Johnny Nguyen hasn’t just fitted his 1978 BMW R80 bobber with Firestones—he’s gone the whole hog, and fitted military-spec Firestone tractor tires. It’s turned the R80 into a real-life two-wheeled Tonka toy, and although it’s nowhere near practical, it sure makes us smile.

Johnny runs Upcycle Motor Garage, which recently relocated from California to Austin, Texas. Most of Upcycle’s builds have been café racers—but Johnny was inspired to take this project in a radically different direction.

“One of my first ‘idol’ bikes was a white airhead bobber, built by Mark Van Der Kwaak, that was featured on Bike EXIF,” he explains. “I kept a photo of it as my wallpaper on my laptop for years. This build was my take on the proportions of the wide airhead engine, paired with the long frame of a hard-tailed bobber.”

The concept called for a rigid frame, a springer front end, and the chunkiest tires possible. Johnny started with the 16” Firestone tractor tires and used them to set the tone for the rest of the build.

The only thing left of the original BMW R80 frame is the neck and parts of the down tubes; everything else was fabricated from scratch. This allowed the engine to be repositioned too, so that the engine sump now sits flush with the bottom frame rails.

The front tire is mounted on a dished 16” Harley-Davidson wheel, which is straddled by a TC Bros. springer front end and brake setup. The rear rim is from Excel, re-spoked by the team at Buchanan’s Spoke and Rim. Believe it or not, the new rear rim and tire are much wider than the factory items, so the rear wheel had to be offset to clear the driveshaft.

Borrowing an idea from his friends at Sosa Metalworks, Johnny ran the rear brake rod through the rear frame triangle. Up front, custom split handlebars are bolted directly to the billet aluminum top yoke, sporting Kustom Tech levers and ODI Vans x Cult grips. A triangular headlight lights the way, mounted upside-down on a custom bracket.

A 1.25 gal fuel tank sits on the new frame backbone by way of custom mounts. Johnny says that fuel stops occur often, but this bobber sure looks good with a tank barely as wide as its airbox. Just in front of the tank is a tiny Motogadget speedo, wedged vertically into the headstock.

The 797.5 cc air-cooled lump sits proudly inside the custom frame with a handmade two-into-one exhaust and a Werkes USA muffler. Johnny rewired the bike around a Motogadget control unit and relocated the horn, regulator, and coils into the engine cover. An Antigravity Lithium-ion battery and the ignition switch are housed in an aluminum box, hidden behind the transmission.

Like the bike that inspired it, this BMW R80 bobber wears a saddle-style seat for one. Tires this big are sure to help slightly with cushioning—but at the end of the day this is a hardtail, so the seat is mounted on a small shock absorber. The bike’s custom taillight uses a small bulb (found at Home Depot) that’s been retrofitted with high-powered LEDs.

Johnny made the BMW’s myriad brass bushings and fittings on his small workshop lathe, then turned his attention to the color scheme. “The paint was sprayed in-house with a few different shades of green,” he says. “I’m a big Harry Potter fan, so I call it my Slytherin bike.”

The finished product has a long, low, and agricultural look that we adore, with hand-finished details aplenty. While we think Draco Malfoy would be far too scared to ride this, we’d give it a go—preferably in the dirt.

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Bush-built: A Honda NX650 Dominator adventure build from Australia

Adventure riders know that the more your motorcycle falls over, the less you worry about your motorcycle falling over. It’s an essential philosophy if you plan to take your bike into the rough stuff. And it’s the reason that the fuel tank on this Honda NX650 Dominator is full of dings.

The Dominator belongs to Tristan Dewey, a film and television composer and sound engineer based in Bend Of Islands, a rural area just outside Melbourne, Australia. He’s been an avid reader of Bike EXIF for eight years now and figured it was time to build a custom scrambler of his own. But Tristan’s Dominator is no show pony—he’s built it as a bonafide adventure bike.

“It was inspired by my childhood pet goat, ‘Rumba,’ that would climb the un-climbable,” Tristan tells us. “I built it for my local hills—designed to be jumped, bumped, dropped, and often buried in mud.”

“The aesthetic was influenced by the old dented Honda 175 fuel tank, gifted by friend, Evan Lordan. It gives the rider permission to drop the bike in difficult terrain and enjoy the moment while adding another story to the bike’s history.”

Without a workshop or shed at his disposal, Tristan started the build on the back of an old Bedford RL truck. He had limited tools at his disposal, yet he managed to do everything on the 1996-model Honda NX650 Dominator himself, outsourcing only the lacing of the new rims. “It’s been a rough and ready journey with lots of mods along the way,” he quips.

The work started with a full tear-down so that everything could be cleaned up and powder-coated before being reassembled. Tristan rebuilt the motor with a new Wiseco piston, while Electrosil in Greensborough honed the cylinder.

Tristan also installed a Magura hydraulic clutch and a Mikuni TM-42 Carb. There’s no airbox—instead, Tristan alternates between a ‘regular’ pod filter and an oiled foam filter, depending on how gnarly the conditions are. Lower down you’ll find an upgraded oil cooler, courtesy of Sutton Cycleworks in Arizona.

The stainless steel headers are Tristan’s handiwork too, and terminate in a Supertrapp muffler. “It was my first attempt at welding stainless with a very basic TIG welder,” he says. “Far from perfect, but true to the nature of this bush-built bike.”

Despite the rough-hewn nature of the bike, it sports several tidy mods. Tristan rewired the bike around a Motogadget controller, then stashed the important bits in a hinged electronics tray that sits under the seat. The regulator/rectifier is mounted further back, with extended bolts that hold a removable license plate bracket.

Stashed inside the under-seat box is the bike’s new CDI and a Lithium-ion battery. There’s LED lighting all around, with custom-made brackets keeping the headlight and front turn signals in place. The cockpit sports Magura handlebars, a Motogadget speedo and switches, and Oxford heated grips for those late-afternoon rides home.

Up front, you’ll also find a pair of burly hand guards with fold-out mirrors, and an aluminum fender that Tristan rolled on a small (and cheap) English wheel. The waterproof canvas tool roll that sits above the headlight carries “every tool needed to repair the bike out in the bush.” A Rotopax fuel cell mounts to a custom bracket out back, so that Tristan doesn’t have to cut his adventure jaunts short.

Other upgrades include new brake discs, Pivot Pegz foot pegs, and an oil filler cap with a built-in temperature gauge. Jeremy at John Titman Racing laced the stock hubs to new Excel rims with heavy-duty spokes, while Tristan swapped the original shock out for a Honda XR600 unit.

The fuel tank is adorned with new reproduction Honda badges, and the custom seat is upholstered in kangaroo leather. But there’s no paint job as such—instead, Tristan’s been riding it hard, dressing the fuel tank in more scars than it came with.

“It’s been dropped and bits have snapped off,” he says. “But it’s always made it home from every road and roadless journey it’s been on.”

Tristan thanks Jas at Jax Garage for the electrical advice, Modern Motorcycle Sydney for their fast parts delivery, Siri Hayes for her photography tips, and Nick Venn for introducing him to Bike EXIF in the first place.

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First look: The new BMW R1300GS finally breaks cover

It’s been over a year since BMW Motorrad first hinted that a bigger version of its uber-popluar GS adventure bike was on its way. Now we finally have a proper look at the BMW R1300GS… and we’re not sure how we feel about it.

The adventure bike market’s been in full arms race mode for quite some time now, with major OEMs incrementally increasing engine capacity in a bid to stay on top. The outgoing R1250GS model squeezes a very respectable 136 hp and 143 Nm from its 1,254 cc boxer motor. But the market demands more.

The new BMW R1300GS has its engine capacity bumped to exactly 1,300 cc, now good for 145 hp at 7,750 rpm and 149 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The liquid-cooled motor is an all-new design, with the transmission now mounted under the engine, and an updated version of BMW’s ‘ShiftCam’ technology that varies valve timing on the intake side.

All this comes without a weight penalty. On the contrary, the R1300GS has actually shed 12 kilos [26.5 lbs], giving it a new curb weight of 237 kg [522.5 lbs]. The more compact engine is partly responsible, but so is the bike’s new chassis design.

BMW has once again employed their quirky Telelever front suspension design, and their traditional Paralever shaft-drive rear swingarm design, but both have been upgraded (they’re now called ‘EVO Telelever’ and ‘EVO Paralever). The front end uses a sheet metal shell-type frame made from steel, mated to a die-cast aluminum rear frame.

The GS still sports a 19F/17R wheel set, and 190/200 mm of travel front and rear, but the suspension now uses an updated version of the brand’s electronic DSA (Dynamic Suspension Adjustment) system. If you’re not familiar with it, DSA adjusts the front and rear damping on the fly—but the new system also adjusts the spring rate dynamically, based on road conditions, riding style, and whatever rider mode has been selected.

Optional extras include an adaptive ride-height adjustment system, and a ‘sports suspension’ package that adds 20 mm of travel at each end.

The rest of the new bike’s specs read like any flagship BMW. There’s a TFT display with a plethora of electronic riding aids and switchable modes, cruise control with a built-in radar system, collision and blind spot warning systems, a keyless ignition, and a Lithium-ion battery.

But the biggest talking point is the BMW R1300GS’s bold new look. No-one has ever accused the big GS of being svelte—but while this new iteration is still big-boned, it appears to be more streamlined than before. The redesigned plastics lack the muscular lines of the outgoing model, making for a smoothed-out design that looks bulbous from the front, forward-heavy from the side, and tapered towards the rear.

One major change is the R1300GS’s new X-shaped headlight. It’s a full-LED system, with different bits acting as daytime running lights, low beams, and high beams. Although the unit looks tiny, BMW promises that the new headlight “illuminates the road with a hitherto unrivalled clarity.”

It’s a radical departure from the blocky asymmetrical headlight design that the GS has sported for almost two decades. Does it look horrible? Not quite. Will it upset purists? Most likely.

The rest of the bike bears a few traditional GS hallmarks. The front beak is a familiar design, as are the silver panels that flank the fuel tank and the two-piece seat. The boxer motor is noticeably chunkier, and wears fewer cooling fins.

Your color choices are white, BMW’s awesome ‘Triple Black’ option, a ‘GS Trophy’ version that uses the marque’s signature blue, red, and white livery, and an ‘Option 719 Tramuntana’ version that uses metallic green paint and adds a host of machined parts. As usual, there’s an extensive category of aftermarket parts too.

The overall look of the new BMW R1300GS is sure to be polarizing. On the one hand, BMW were likely under pressure to break away from the chunky GS aesthetic that had become ubiquitous. On the other hand, the R1300GS feels like it’s trying so hard to be different, that it’s lost some of its magic.

The redesign also follows hot on the heels of the BMW F900GS’s striking new look, and comes days after BMW Motorrad announced that long-time head of design, Edgar Heinrich, is handing over the reins. Alexander Buckan will officially take over as Head of BMW Motorrad Design on the 1st of January, 2024, but he’s been at BMW since 2003.

In that time, he’s penned the BMW F800GS, G450X, R1200GS LC and R1200GS Adventure LC, and he’s most recently worked on the BMW CE04 and CE02 electric scooters.

He’s also the designer behind the redesign of the R1300GS, which begs the question: is this indicative of where BMW’s motorcycle design is heading? Only time will tell.

Source: BMW Motorrad

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7 Tips for Making Cool Motorcycle Travel Videos

We might be biased, but riding a motorcycle is one of the best ways to get around, especially if you’re looking to make a name for yourself online. They invite a certain amount of adventure with their sleek appearance and fast travel times. Research shows that motorcycles generally travel 10 percent faster than passenger cars. They are also more efficient and can travel up to twice as far on a single gallon of fuel, which will help you explore more areas for less money.

Source: Sergey Nemirovsky/Shutterstock.com

Traveling on your motorcycle will produce all kinds of content for your new social media channel. You can create webisodes documenting everywhere you go. That’s why the internet is full of influencers who love to post about motorcycles. You can also monetize your channel to earn money every time someone watches one of your videos. If you’re wondering how to start a motovlog to become the next big social media star, use these travel filmmaking tips to squeeze as much excitement out of your motorcycle videos.

1. Find Your Niche

The internet is full of aspiring influencers, many of whom don’t know how to distinguish themselves from the competition. If you want to break in and find a reliable audience for your content, you need to do something to stand out within the motorcycle travel community. It could be your vibrant personality or a unique way of exploring the destinations you want to visit. Adding supplemental information, graphics, or humor will also help you get people’s attention.

• Use Multiple Angles

The camera is the viewer’s window into your experiences on the road, so focus it on the most interesting parts of your trip. Mix up the angles to give yourself more options in the editing room. The most common approach is to attach a GoPro or action camera to your helmet, but that will get boring after a while.

People will want to see your face! Make plenty of pit stops, so you can break up your routine. You can record yourself using a tripod or propping the camera against a stable surface. Talk to other riders and the locals to bring other voices into the conversation. 

• Research Your Destination

The places you visit should feature prominently in your videos. It lets people see places they may never get to explore in person. Research the destination to plan out your video, so you know where to go when you arrive. Point out any notable landmarks or routes that will be of interest to your viewers. This will help you build a narrative around the journey, so it doesn’t feel like you’re making it up as you go along.

You also need to make sure you have everything you need to get there and back – unless you want to turn your vacation video into a nightmare. Bring the essential safety gear, a map of the area, camping equipment if you want to keep your expenses down, and enough money to cover your expenses on the road.

Source: kasarp studio/Shutterstock.com

• Add Narration and Dialogue

People won’t want to watch your videos if there’s no one in them. Beautiful shots of the local scenery are important, but your viewers will have a much stronger connection to you and your content if they feel like they have a relationship with you. Be the star of your channel to make the experience more personal and relatable.

You can talk to the camera when traveling solo to add narration, but bringing someone else along will add more characters to the mix. Use motorcycle helmet communication to talk to your companions in real-time without taking your hands off the handlebars. It connects automatically when in range, so you don’t have to worry about resetting the device. You can cut back and forth between each rider throughout the conversation, just like they do in the movies. Find motorcycle helmet speakers that produce clear audio, so your camera can pick up the sound.

• Capture the Good (and Bad)

You might feel the urge to only show the best parts of your trip, but adding some conflict will make the story more engaging. You can use your mistakes to help other people avoid the same pitfalls. The journey is often just as interesting as the destination. Social media is all about being authentic. Show your true colors, including the ups and downs, to make sure your content doesn’t come off as overly rehearsed.

Source: Lukas Gojda/Shutterstock.com

• Keep It Moving

If you’re new to filmmaking, one of the worst things you can do is linger on the same shot for too long, especially when releasing content online. People tend to have short attention spans, so limit each shot to just 10 seconds or less. The cuts should feel natural and not too rushed. Trust your instincts when making edits to avoid being too precise with your footage. Use a compelling image right out of the gate to hold the audience’s attention. 

• Cut It Short

The entire video should be no longer than five minutes. That should be more than enough time to tell a complete story with a beginning, middle, and end. If you want to show more of your trip, break it up into a series of smaller videos, like chapters in a book.

You won’t become an online sensation overnight. It takes hard work and a good eye for filmmaking to craft quality content. Consider hiring a professional to make your videos pop online and post consistently to steadily grow your following over time. If you play the long game, all those adventures are bound to pay off.

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