They say everything is better in the modern era, but we disagree. When it comes to motorcycles, vintage is better, as highlighted by the many amazing vintage motorcycles available to buy.
Narrowing those down to a list of ten or so was not easy. However, based on their looks and performance, we think we’ve done a great job at doing so. This list contains ten of the very best vintage motorcycles that money can buy right now.
Yamaha XSR900 GP
We are starting with something a little different. The Yamaha XSR900 GP is actually a modern motorcycle but also a heritage one that pays homage to the Grand Prix era of the 1980s and the 1990s.
As such, it has a distinctly retro design, and you would be forgiven for thinking that this really is a classic motorcycle at first glance. Power comes from an 890 cc CP3 engine that produces 117 horsepower and 68.6 lb-ft of torque.
Vincent Black Shadow
Few classic motorcycles have forged as legendary a reputation as the insane 1949 Vincent Black Shadow. At the time, it was arguably the best motorcycle ever made, and in its frames is a massive 998 cc V-twin engine producing 55 horsepower.
The Black Shadow was rapid in a straight line, able to reach up to 125 mph, faster than rival bikes such as the Series B Rapide, which could reach 110 mph. The Black Shadow is one of the defining motorcycles of the 20th century.
1965 Honda CB450
Honda has produced its fair share of motorcycles over the years, which is what put the company on the map. In the 1960s, it introduced the exceptional Honda CB450, a bike that quickly became known as the “Black Bomber.”
With its twin-cylinder engine, the CB450 reached a top speed of 100 mph and covered the one-kilometer trial distance in just 30 seconds. At the time, this was a quick time. Sadly, the bike was only in production for three years.
1994 Ducati 916
Now for something a bit more modern: the excellent 1994 Ducati 916. By the early 1990s, Ducati was a very well-respected company determined to incorporate its racing knowledge into its road-going products.
This led to bikes such as the Desmoquattro engine, which made its debut in 1986 and eventually evolved into the engine in the 916. This gorgeous machine produced 114 horsepower and 67 lb-ft of torque and weighed just 249 lbs. Initially conceived as just a racing bike, demand for it was so high that Ducati had to make a road-legal version.
1949 Harley-Davidson Hydra Glide Panhead
It is sometimes easy to forget just how long Harley-Davidson has been in the game. The 1949 Hydra Glide Panhead, simply one of the best-looking motorcycles American manufacturers have built, highlights this to perfection.
It’s a gorgeous machine with its bucket saddle, exposed frame, and hard-tail rear end. But the star is that massive V-twin engine, a 1,213 cc motor producing 55 horsepower and 62 lb-ft of torque. At the time, this bike set the standard for cruisers.
1959 Velocette Venom
While several names spring to mind when we think of British Cafe Racers, like the Norton Manx or Triumph Thruxton, one has flown under the radar. That is, the Velocette Venom, launched in 1956, which characterized cafe racing in the late 1950s and early 1960s.
The Venom was a beefier version of the 350 cc Viper, with a new 499 cc engine between the frame and a new rear swing-arm and telescopic forks. Velocette continued to upgrade the bike into the 1960s, adding new brakes, a higher compression ratio, and a racing transmission.
1978 Yamaha SR400
Yamaha has produced some fantastic motorcycles over the years, with one of its finest being the SR400. Making its debut in 1978, this single-cylinder kick-starter bike had a 24-year production run before it underwent a revamp in 2002.
The SR400 boasted a 399 cc engine, and today, the SR400 still has an engine based on that from the 1970s. It’s more subtle than some of the other machines on this list, but it’s a superb machine that highlights why Japanese motorcycles are so good.
1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport
It was probably obvious multiple Ducatis would make it onto this list. There was no way we couldn’t include the 1974 Ducati 750 Super Sport, one of the best-looking sports bikes of the 1970s, derived from the regular 750 Sport of 1973.
The 750 Super Sport boasts a full race fairing, 20-liter fuel tank, Marzocchi front forks, and 18-inch wheels. Power comes from a raw 746 cc L-twin engine that produces 70 horsepower and 52.8 lb-ft of torque. Ducati made just 401 examples, and they are worth up to $400,000 in 2024.
2000 MV Agusta F4 Serie Oro
The MV Agusta F4 saved the legendary Italian manufacturer in the late 1990s during its most troubled period. Ferrari lent a hand with the project, even recruiting some of its F1 engineers to make the bike as good as possible.
They certainly achieved that, with the bike launching as the F4 Serie Oro. Power came from an exceptional 749.5 cc inline-four engine, producing 126 horsepower and 54.5 lb-ft of torque. When launched at the EICMA in 1997, all 300 examples were pre-bought based on that single prototype example. It was a massive success, and it saved MV Agusta from extinction.
1969 Honda CB750
The simple but beautiful Honda CB750 is probably one of the most recognizable Japanese motorcycles and its most famous. Many call it the world’s first superbike, and its four-cylinder 736.4 cc engine produces 67 horsepower, which gives credence to that claim.
At the time, this was a remarkable amount of power from a motorcycle, and it showed Honda had adopted a “go big or go home” mentality not seen from them before. It also really looked like the part, with clean lines, a sleek gas tank, and some of the best proportions of any motorcycle before or since.
