Classic British motorbike engines - your top 3?

[vlc]

...as in those legendry engine makers who were as famous for their engines as some were for their bikes - who'd you say were the top 3 most famous.

for me, i'd say -

villiers, j.a.p, sturmey-archer

so wot say would your top 3 be?

[Wacky Racer]

BSA 500cc Gold star single..

1968 Triumph Bonneville unit construction twin...

1000cc Vincent (1955)

[vlc]

Wacky Racer said:

BSA 500cc Gold star single.. 1968 Triumph Bonneville unit construction twin... 1000cc Vincent (1955)

i read online that Vincent maybe returning to the market the way the former 2 brit marques have - tho horribly made state-side

also, i just realised that, retrospectivly, those few makers of twined modern bike engines into larger car-like powerplants, could be considered, maybe classics, in future, as due to their uniqueness.
[ps- i'm talking about companies that join-up 2 bike engines into 1]

[freddytin]

Vincent V Twin

Ariel Square 4

Enfield 500 Single ( Real One )

Never owned a Vincent, maybe one day , but I would be torn between that and a Hesketh.

[catso]

Agree on the Vincent & BSA, but my favourite is;



Manx Norton 500

[waynsworldmode] One day that shall be mine, oh yes..... [/waynesworldmode]

[bimsb6]

the new vincent has a honda twin engine sp2 i think ,but the american manufacturer has no right to the name in the uk so it wont be coming here .
that story is a couple of years old now so not sure if they are even still
in business .
gone a bit off thread so to bring it back .
vincent 1000
norton commando
silk 700

[Desmo]

Vincent 1000, Manx Norton, Triumph Triple (The hinckley one) Yes it's a classic even though it's recent.The most reliable british bike engine ever and in my opinion one of the nicest sounding bikes on the road.
Biased! me?
well yeah, ok, I've got a 95 Speed Triple, love it.

[tycho]

Desmo said:

Vincent 1000, Manx Norton, Triumph Triple (The hinckley one) Yes it's a classic even though it's recent.The most reliable british bike engine ever and in my opinion one of the nicest sounding bikes on the road. Biased! me? well yeah, ok, I've got a 95 Speed Triple, love it.

What ^^^ said about the Triple... and I'm biased as I have a 95 triple too!

[vlc]

bimsb6 said:

the new vincent has a honda twin engine sp2 i think ,but the american manufacturer has no right to the name in the uk so it wont be coming here . that story is a couple of years old now so not sure if they are even still in business .

well i'm surprised it was possible to make an sell a vincent bike anywhere without the owners permission, surely theres some international copyright law prevent some foriegn dipsh1t from nicking a british marque to be built outside britain.
for i personally hope they did go bust, as i wouldnt buy a harley davidson if were made in say ireland or china - yuck