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1963 BMW R69S

In Germany, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post-Listing Update: This R69S was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. From a 1962 review in Cycle World: “Whatever the BMW’s merits in a contest of speed, it is still the smoothest, best finished, quietest and cleanest motorcycle it has ever been our pleasure to ride. To be honest, we think that anyone who would worry much over …

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Sandcast Beauty – 1969 Honda CB750 K0

In Japan, Standard by Abhi1 Comment

In hindsight, the Honda CB750 was a tremendous sales success, but when Soichiro Honda introduced the bike, he utilized cheap/rough sandcast molds for the engine before it was clear that there would be enough demand to justify buying expensive metal molds. The first 7,414 bikes are known as sandcast CB750s for that reason, and they’re worth quite a bit more.

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In Belgium – 1967 MZ Trophy ES250/2

In Germany, Standard by Abhi1 Comment

Nicknamed the TV Lamp due to the headlight (or the Iron Pig due to the generally ugly looks), the MZ Trophy ES was a quick seller in East Germany due to a lack of competition and a focus on practicality. 1967 brought the ES 250/2, which is what you see in front of you. Cheaper than the 250cc competition, these …

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1962 Laverda 60

In Italy, Scooter, Small Displacement by AbhiLeave a Comment

Did you know that Laverda made scooters? I sure didn’t. In 1959, Italy changed their highway code, allowing for riders without licenses to finally use ‘mopeds’ without pedals, as long as they were limited to 40 km/h. Laverda immediately started building a 4-stroke scooter with a 49cc engine.

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Ultimate Door Prize – 1975 BMW R90S

In Germany, Sport by Abhi1 Comment

Post-Sale Update: This R90S sold for $9,500. Every year, the BMW Motorcycle Owners of America (an excellent organization, if I do say so myself) has a giant rally. Each year they give out an increasing amount of door prizes, and the big winner(s) can even get motorcycles. Back in 2005, the Rally gave away a new K1200S with custom paint …