Metisse Desert Racer
If Steve McQueen’s legendary Metisse didn’t make the list, it wouldn’t be the top 80 motorcycles ever produced! In 2009, Metisse built a limited edition of 300 Desert Racer replicas, each costing £13,999. The classic sequence from ‘The Great Escape’ is one that we all remember fondly, but McQueen’s love of race cars, motorcycles, and desert racing was a big part of his life.
Metisse Desert Racer
BSA Gold Star
The Gold Star was introduced in 1938 by BSA, Birmingham Small Arms Company, and came in two variants: 350cc and 500cc, both with a single-cylinder, four-stroke engine, making them the fastest bikes available in the 1950s. Each machine was meticulously handcrafted, allowing for performance adjustments to the owner’s specifications. The BSA Gold Star, like most machines, was updated over time, starting with the M24 model, which featured an alloy 496cc engine, Electron alloy gearbox, and a light tube frame, and ending with the final model in 1956, which featured clip-on handlebars, a finned alloy engine, chrome-plated fuel tank, Amal carburetor, and swept-back exhaust. In 1956, the DBD34 dominated the Isle of Man Clubmans TT, and it was produced until 1963.
BSA Gold Star