With the very short notice about this auction and having already promised Mrs McS and Junior that we would attend the Pukekohe Swap Meet it took a bit of scouting around to find somebody that went and who was also able to provide prices of the things that we are all curious about the bikes. The prices indicated are the hammer price so would still have to have the Buyers Premium and GST to be added, however even with these the total price was still cheap (well I think so). So here we are –
Lot 829 1949 Norton ES2 A bit late for us but still worth mentioning. A good buy at $5200.00 + BP.
Lot 827 1928 Norton. Even though it had been modified with the saddle petrol tank and 4 speed foot change gearbox it was a steal at $4800.00 + BP. Where can you buy a vintage Norton even in bits for this price. And if the buyer had the smarts and bid on Lot 853 then that purchase would have given him (or her) the Sturmey Archer hand change gearbox that probably came out of the bike originally.
Lot 828 Norton V Twin Special (fitted with a Royal Enfield engine) sold for $1200.00. Somebody was lucky.
Lot 836 V Twin Special fitted with a Howard rotary hoe v twin stationary engine. Not an uncommon engine for a period special (click here to see one that was built and ridden) however at 810cc and with the crankcases in cast iron as well as the cylinder heads and barrels they were not lightweights. As a slow revving engine (about 2500 rpm max) with bronze main bearings it wasnt going to be fast but if you wanted to dig your own path cross country then nothing would hold you back. The history of Howard is very interesting with Cliff (actually Arthur Clifford) Howard being responsible for many agricultural machines including the Howard Hauler a 3 wheel delivery truck, The DH22 tractor, Platypus track type crawler, the Howard 2000 and Kelpie, both small type garden mini tractors as well as the infamous single and twin cylinder rotary hoes. And what has this got to do with Barnstormers? Well in the What If department had Clifford ever thought a motorcycle with his engine? Would have been interesting and as the v twin engine appeared in the early 1930s he would had been continuing the work that many earlier Australian Barnstormers had started. Read more about Cliff here. And this bike sold for $1150.00 + BP.
And for those of you wondering, Mrs McS was unsuccessful at the Pukekohe Swap Meet in swapping me for something more to her taste. Nobody wanted me. Oh well some people dont know quality when they see it.