What constitutes a vintage motorbike? - Carole Nash (2024)

FAQs

What qualifies as a vintage motorcycle? ›

Definition of Vintage Motorcycle

A vintage motorcycle is generally defined as one that was manufactured before 1930. These motorbikes have been around for a long time and are often highly sought after for their unique designs and performance.

What is a vintage motorbike? Generally, the age of a motorbike is usually used to determine whether the bike is vintage or not. In our opinion, a vintage motorbike is a motorbike that's over 30 years old.

According the Antique Motorcycle Club of America, an antique motorcycle is one that is 35 years or older.

Most agree that 30 years old is classic. Antique: Antique is the only one of these three terms that has a "real" definition. The Antique Motorcycle Club of America defines them as at least 35 years old.

But what exactly qualifies a bike as vintage? There's no universally agreed-upon time frame. But generally, vintage bikes are considered to be bicycles manufactured between the late 19th century and the early 1990s. They possess a distinct allure that sets them apart from the modern ones.

If your bike is designed after the post-World War II motorcycles, is at least 25 years old and is engineered with high quality construction, it is considered to be a classic. If your motorcycle is heavily customized and old, then it's a vintage. If it's more than 35 years old, it's definitely an antique.

Antique. The antique category is pretty much the simplest and the most straightforward. If your bike is 35 years old or older, it's considered 'antique'. Some states allow motorcycles to be registered as antiques after no more than 20 years.

The term “classic motorcycles” covers a pretty huge period of time. While there's plenty of exceptions, for our purposes, we're considering a classic to mean a bike released between 20 and 60 years ago.

A used touring motorcycle, for example, will usually last for about 100,000 miles. A used sport bike, in contrast, will usually last for about 50,000 miles. When figuring out the lifespan of a used motorcycle, it's important to consider the predicted amount of time for that particular type and model.

What is retro motorcycle? ›

What Is A Retro Motorbike? Most of the retro models you can buy today started life as a naked bike which has been modified to look more traditional, but without sacrificing all the modern tech and riding experience you would expect from a new bike.

That actually varies depending on several factors. In general, a bike that was manufactured more than 20 years ago is considered old. Of course, for some models, being at least 20 years old makes them vintage. By definition, those that are 35 years old or older are considered antiques.

Classic, vintage or antique motorcycles are generally at least 25 years old and look the way they were intended to when first manufactured or built. Depending on the insurer, classic bikes as new as 20 years old can be considered vintage, but this isn't always the case.

Some older bikes have a date on the headtube. If this sticker is worn or removed there should be a VIN on the headtube. The tenth digit on 17 digit VINs tells you the year.

When is a motorcycle a classic? Classic, vintage or antique motorcycles are generally at least 25 years old and look the way they were intended to when first manufactured or built. Depending on the insurer, classic bikes as new as 20 years old can be considered vintage, but this isn't always the case.

The generally agreed-upon terms (although this can vary by the insurance carrier) are: Classic Motorcycles: bikes that are 20 years or older. Vintage Motorcycles: bikes that are 25 years or older.

The term vintage motorcycle comes from the Historic Racing Motorcycle Association, which has given various designations by types of a race. So motorcycles that are older than the year of construction 1975 are referred to as vintage bikes – this includes all H-D engines that have already been produced in '75.