Looks like an estate is going under the gavel up in Massachusetts and there just happens to be about 50 vintage motorcycles among the items up for bid. J Wood and Company is auctioning off the Barr Ashcraft estate and according to their web site, the motorcycles include: “Over 50, Ariel, AJS, BSA, BMW, Ducati, Honda, Moto-Guzzi, Laverda, Matchless, Norton, Royal Enfield, Suzuki, Triumph, Velocette, Yamaha, British motorcycles are prevalent.” There are some basket cases, too.
When you want an old motorcycle and you’re looking for collections of this sort they always seem to be somewhere you’re not or you hear about them too late. Well, here’s your chance to get your hands on a few of these. From the photos, these old bikes don’t appear to be running, at least most of them appear that way, but most, or at least many, appear to be relatively complete. It’s a nice start for a restoration project where a lot of the work is cleanup, refinishing and the inevitable engine rebuild. Those project bikes where half the bike is missing never seem to make it out of the garage except in a few rare cases, while these kinds of finds are more likely to see the road again.
If you’re up in the Springfield, Massachusetts area or you could be there July 6th and 7th, you might want to check this out.
Link: J Wood and Company