By 1973 Kawasaki decided that another warmed over trails bike wouldn’t cut it with the American dirt market. They brought a very limited (250 made) F11M to the market which was based roughly on their existing F11 and proved to be very fast and a good competitor. In ‘74 they brought out the F11 250 which had lights and could …
1969 Honda CL90
The ‘69 Honda CL90 was essentially an S90 that was ‘scramblerized’ to take advantage of America’s lust for off road motorcycles. In Honda terms that meant wide, braced handlebars, a ‘high rise’ exhaust with burn shield, increased height, ribbed tires and improved fender clearance front and rear. The rear clearance was more than adequate but I can tell you that …
SR250 Engine – 1987 Yamaha TW200
Notice anything peculiar about this TW? See how the tank says TW250? Well, Yamaha never made a TW250 – but the builder of this oddball did. It features an engine swap from a Yamaha SR250, which doesn’t just bump up power to 20hp, it also gives a more powerful alternator and electric start.
Start of a Legend – 1981 BMW R80G/S
Hindsight has shown that the introduction of the GS model line was one of the best things BMW did for their Motorrad business. But at the press launch in 1980, journalists (and the public) shared a general sentiment of “what’s the point of a large, heavy dual-purpose bike?” Modern cynics still have the same complaint as the bike seems to …
Well Modded – 2000 Suzuki DRZ400E
A street legal dual sport, this DRZ400E (E for electric start) has been well modified for a nice combination of power and suspension at a reasonable price.
Rare Project – 1973 Yankee Z500
Post Sale Update: This Z500 sold for $4,202 after 12 bids on eBay. The Yankee Z500 was the brainchild of John Taylor, the American importer for OSSA and Bultaco. He thought American dirt bikes should be able to compete with Europe’s best offerings, so he created Yankee Motor Company. He started his quest just by importing OSSAs, then threw OSSA …
1978 Yamaha GT80F
The first bike of many a young rider, the Yamaha GT80 was one of the many small trail bikes offered by the Japanese.
Custom Scrambler – Royal Enfield 500
There’s not enough information in this listing, which is disappointing because there’s a lot of potential for cool this Royal Enfield scrambler could be.
1969 Honda CL90
In the mid 1960’s America went completely crazy for dirt motorcycles and those that looked like they might be dirt capable. The CL designation from Honda meant Scrambler, and that was a higher rear fender, braced handlebars and a high mounted exhaust. The CL 90 was a full brother to the legendary S 90 and aimed at entry level riders. …
First Ride – 2017 BMW RnineT Scrambler
View Post1966 Triumph T100 SC
In the mid 1960’s America went mad for dirt motorcycles. Husky, Maico, Bultaco dominated the racing, but a huge market fraction was devoted to ‘Scrambler’ type motorcycles that could be licensed on the street but ridden on the dirt. Enter the Triumph T100 SC. Most of the competition was either a dirt racer with lights or a road bike with …
Ready for Baja – 2006 Honda CRF450X
Looks like somebody went nuts with the JCR Speed Shop catalog, leading to a bike that can conquer pretty much any race you’d ever want to tackle in the United States. Oh, and it’s street legal.
Dual Sport Conversion – 2009 Kawasaki ER-6n
Finding a ER-6n in the US is already difficult considering how poorly they sold. But if you really want to stand out, here’s one that’s been converted into a dual-sport. The builder’s goal was to make the bike look OEM, and he hasn’t done a bad job with it. Would you ride it?
Out of Slumber – 1968 Norton 750 Ranger
Back when desert racing was the sport of kings in the southwestern United States, Rob Blair (Norton’s California distributor) shoehorned a 750cc Atlas engine into a Matchless 85CS frame. When Norton found out about it, it became “Project 11”, which was dubbed P11 when Norton officially released it in 1967. A year later the model was slightly modified to become …
1970 BSA Firebird
Post Sale Update: After 15 bids on eBay, this Firebird sold for $5,000. The BSA Firebird was one of the best motorcycles from Birmingham Small Arms company, built just before the bike division went belly up in 1973. When the Firebird debuted in 1968, it was sold as a dual-sport, but models from 1970 on were ‘street scramblers’, which became …