My Dumb First Attempts
Okay so last month I got this wild idea to hunt for the rarest motorcycle ever. Started by googling “rare bikes” like an idiot. Just got flooded with Harley listings and overpriced Ducatis. Total waste of time.
Then I remembered that dusty motorcycle forum account I made back in 2017. Logged in and posted “hey where find rare bikes??” Got roasted so hard. One guy straight up said I sounded like a toddler asking for candy.
Actually Learning Stuff
Swallowed my pride and lurked properly. Turned out:
- Auctions aren’t magic – those fancy TV auction houses? They mostly flip common stuff with shiny paint
- Mechanics are goldmines – the old dude fixing Vincents three towns over? Yeah he knew five collectors with barn finds
- Facebook groups are weirdly specific – joined “Pre-1960 British Racing Motorcycle Hunters” and suddenly had leads
Changed tactics. Started calling repair shops instead of dealerships. Told every motorcycle buddy about my quest. Even my barber ended up giving me tips after his cousin’s friend’s garage story.
The Weird Journey
Chased leads like crazy:
- Drove four hours to see a “perfect original 1953 BSA” that was actually three scrap frames
- Got ghosted by some collector after he realized I wasn’t a billionaire
- Almost got scammed by a guy in Poland selling “Churchill’s personal bike” (lol)
Nearly quit when I found a mint 1950 Velocette… only to watch it sell for crazy money before I could blink. Felt like losing the Super Bowl.
How It Actually Worked
Finally scored by doing this garbage:
- Stalked obituaries – creepy but true, found two bikes through estate sales
- Went analog – printed flyers at local parts stores offering “finder’s fees”
- Got stupid specific – asked for “unrestored pre-1955 singles with frame numbers between 1000-2000”
Took eight months but found a 1949 Norton rotting behind some Iowa farmer’s tractor. Ugly as sin but all original parts. Paid way too much but whatever. Now she’s hanging in my garage leaking oil like a champ.
Moral? Forget quick tips. It’s just annoying legwork and bothering strangers until you want to scream. But damn does that rusty metal feel good.