There's a big list of things about British motorcycles that makes them appealing to those of us who like them.
To begin with, they're not for everybody.
Something about the imperfection and flaws. Even though we have to tinker with them, and any unusual noise has us pulling to the side of the road to check for loose bits, they have what we like to call "a certain charm" that doesn't exist in modern motorcycles, even those of British origin.
There's a great deal of satisfaction to be gained when you successfully bring one back from the dead, or experience years of riding pleasure due to the fact that you know how to take care of them properly.
And they're unrivalled in the way they look. The Japanese makers can copy them very well when they want to, but we all know they're copies, and even though most of them are better bikes in terms of long-term reliability, they never sold in enough quantity to keep them on the market for long. Yet people keep buying and restoring old British bikes.
I'll leave it to someone else to elaborate on that, and to address the issue of the way British bikes sound and handle, both of which are significant factors.
<edit>
Gawd! Why do newspaper people always get it
SO WRONG?
The 120 motorcycles on display inside the British hangar had names like Spitfire Scrambler, T2055 Tiger Cub and 850 Commando. There was a Black Shadow from 1921 and a '49 "Barn Job."
I remember once reading an article from a newspaper in Medford, Oregon talking about an Oregon based vintage racer who owned a "Darton Banks" motorcycle. I puzzled over that name for awhile, then realized the reporter was having a bit of trouble transcribing what they had on their interview tape.
