Motorcycles, explained in cars

Buying an old sports car is not for the faint of heart. The act of sitting down to contemplate the entire internet is much like finding yourself in a two thousand year old cave with a crusty old knight, and being asked to select which of the hundreds of cups in front of you happens to be the Holy Grail. Choose poorly, and a grisly, desiccated fate will surely await.

And I can say this with some confidence, not just because I have visited that cave of truth many times, but because I know you have too. Our recent subscriber survey showed that over half of Ti subscribers currently own at least two aged sporting classics.

That daunting crusade then: first you have to find the right example; cue much traipsing round the country. Or in some cases, globe. Then you have to navigate the price-peril spectrum of whoever or whatever happens to be selling it. Is it at a main dealer, independent, shady private punter or online auction?