This weekend's selection of motorcycles ranges from very modern to very classic. The boutique-built 2026 Langen Lightspeed leads the charge, followed by a classic Ducati 750 GT and an immaculately restored vintage AJS.
The 2026 Langen Lightspeed
The British boutique motorcycle manufacturer Langen has just revealed the production-ready version of the bike they first teased two years ago, and it's a stunner. Producing 185 horsepower and limited to 185 units, the Langen Lightspeed is a small-batch neo-retro roadster with the sort of parts spec and finishes that you'd expect from a top-shelf custom bike.
At the heart of the Lightspeed lies a 1,190 cc liquid-cooled, 72-degree V-twin engine, good for 185 hp at 10,600 rpm and 138 Nm of torque at 8,200 rpm. It's packaged in a handcrafted steel trellis frame with a matching swingarm. It's pure mechanical art—from the way the main frame and swingarm's trellises follow the same pattern, to how the twin Öhlins shocks run perfectly in line with both.
Equally delicious are the Lightspeed's forged and CNC-machined aluminum wheels. They utilize HEL Performance brake calipers developed specifically for Langen, while the discs are from EBC. The front forks are also from Öhlins, and the suspension is adjustable at both ends.
The Langen Lightspeed also features a full complement of carbon fiber body parts, including a 19-liter [5-gallon] fuel tank. The production prototype is finished in a timeless black, silver, and gold combination, but each client will have their pick of paint and trim options. They also have the opportunity to travel to the Langen facility in the town of Wigan, England, where each Lightspeed is assembled.
The real magic is in the Lightspeed's finer details. The continuous interplay between gloss carbon fiber and painted surfaces is clever, and machined parts like the twin taillight housing and the exhaust end caps are exquisite. Modern considerations include a TFT dash in a CNC-machined housing, with amenities like ABS, traction control, wheelie control, and launch control baked in.
All this will set you back the tidy amount of £44,400 [about $58,763]. A £1,000 deposit gets you a spot in the queue, with deliveries expected from midway through next year. [Source]
Auction: 1974 Ducati 750 GT
Bonhams' winter sale kicks off in a couple of weeks, with the usual cavalcade of vintage and rare machines. Among them is this wonderfully restored 1974 Ducati 750 GT, with a paltry 2,032 miles on the clock.
Originally released in 1971 and designed by the legendary Fabio Taglioni, the 750 GT was the Italian firm's first-ever road-going L-twin. Its now-iconic 748 cc 'round case' bevel-drive engine went on to become a Ducati hallmark, proving itself on the race track and the street.
This particular 750 GT has only had three owners since new—including the current owner's father, who had a habit of constantly tweaking it, but never riding it. His ongoing renovation culminated in a full engine rebuild by a specialist in Wakefield, England, before he sadly passed away.
The current owner sold most of his father's machines after his death, but kept the Ducati to complete the restoration in his honor. After 40-or-so years of being parked, local companies East Restorations and Made in Italy Motorcycles brought the 750 GT back to life with a full factory-spec restoration. Complete with a new seat, paint, and Conti silencers, the bike was then drained of fluids and stored—professionally, this time.
Sadly, the family can no longer hold onto the 750 GT, so it's on the block with Bonhams, who expect it to fetch between £13,000 and £15,000 [about $17,206 to $19,852].
1956 AJS 16MS 350 by Sabotage Motorcycles
Any workshop will tell you: restoring a vintage motorcycle is far harder than customizing one. The older the bike, the rarer original parts are for it—and the harder it is to find suitable reference material.
These were the challenges facing Australia's Sabotage Motorcycles when a client rolled in his grandfather's old 1956 AJS 16MS 350. Armed with a stack of faded photographs, he wanted the tired AJS restored to concours-level condition, and he wanted it to be rideable and reliable. Shop boss Andy Dorr was eager to oblige—however daunting the task may have been.
Sabotage began by stripping the AJS down to its nuts and bolts, and documenting every last part using their in-house archiving system. The work was meticulous—any bit of hardware that could be restored was, while anything that needed to be replaced was sourced from Classic Bike Spares. Still, Sabotage ended up fabricating most of the bike's replacement parts itself.
The work encompassed everything from machining Whitworth-thread fasteners in-house, to painstakingly refurbishing the original Smiths speedo. The frame was painted, rather than powder-coated, in order to match the original gloss finish, while new English-made rims and spokes were matched to period-correct Avon tires.
Sabotage restored the wiring loom rather than building a new one from scratch, but did make one key modification to the bike by dropping a big-bore kit in during the engine rebuild. One ludicrous highlight included an eight-month quest to source a replacement pinion gear.
With all these struggles overcome, Sabotage finished the vintage AJS off with gold-leaf artwork that perfectly mimics the original design. They also added the client's grandfather's name as a homage to both man and machine.
The restoration is remarkable, but so is the bike's provenance. It's the bike with which the owner's grandad took him on rides through the English countryside—including trips to the Goodwood Festival of Speed and other events. It left him stranded on his first solo ride, and it survived being shipped across the ocean and dissected by Australian customs.
Now, thanks to Sabotage, it's ready to make a whole new set of memories with the next generation. [Source]
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