In each edition of Unique Cars Magazine our former editor and resident two wheel lover Guy Allen takes a look at what’s happening in the Unique Bikes world.
1913 Indian Hedstrom
SOLD: $30,000 – March 2026 – Donington Auctions
Flush with the success of the single-cylinder range (from 1901) Indian launched its first 38.61ci (633cc) V-twin. This appeared in 1907, the twin engine strongly derived from the single. For 1908 it gained mechanical inlet valves. The twin’s rear cylinder continued to form part of the frame until 1909 when Indian adopted a Harley-Davidson style loop frame
The Springfield Company’s first ‘Big Twin’ debuted that same year displacing 61ci (988cc). In 1911 Indian broke new ground yet again with its ohv four-valves-per-cylinder racers. The firm achieved its famous 1, 2, 3 finish at the Isle of Man TT that same year, a remarkable achievement.
The Big Twin was updated for 1913, now with Indian’s innovative, leaf-sprung, swinging-arm frame. Four models were catalogued; a single-speed single and twin, and a two-speed single and twin. Most were the regular basic model with a single speed and hand-operated, as well as foot-operated, clutch.
These final Hedstrom Indians were extremely successful and by 1913 Indian was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world with production nearing 32,000.
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1965 Royal Enfield Continental GT
SOLD: $6500 – March 2026 – Donington Auctions
First introduced at the end of 1964, the Royal Enfield Continental GT occupies a distinctive niche in British motorcycling history.
Conceived as a factory “clubman” machine, it represented the café-racer ethos – low bars, rear-set pegs, sporting exhaust, and lean silhouette – in a small-capacity production motorcycle. Crucially, the GT was marketed as a complete package. Instead of asking customers to bolt on clip-ons and rear-sets themselves, Royal Enfield provided a cohesive design with a distinctive tank, seat and control layout. This approach foreshadowed later factory café racers.
Royal Enfield’s reputation was forged with robust singles like the Bullet and the Crusader series but sales slumped during 1964. In an effort to appeal to younger riders they introduced a sporting two-stroke 250cc Turbo Twin, followed by the 250 four-stroke Continental GT for 1965.
Powering the Continental GT was a 248cc air-cooled, four-stroke, single-cylinder engine with overhead valves operated by pushrods. The alloy-headed engine produced 20 horsepower at 7500rpm.
