At the dawn of the 1980s, a myriad of manufacturers were experimenting with producing a competitive four-stroke motocrosser, though dethroning the mighty two-stroke was a major uphill battle. Quite a few marques put their faith in Rotax, who had then recently debuted an impressive 498cc four-stroke single. Seeing the potential of the half-liter thumper, KTM worked out a deal with …
1990 Honda Transalp XL600V
Following the release of the R80GS by BMW and the birth of one of the greatest races of all time (the Paris Dakar), manufacturers started to add a new kind of bike to their product range. These new “adventure” bikes were road legal adaptations of off road racing motorcycles used primarily for the P-D. During the 80’s, Honda won the …
Wacky Kwacky – 1995 Kawasaki KLR250
In 1984, Kawasaki debuted a pair of new dual-sport models that quickly proved to be major hits with the motorcycling world. The larger of the models was the KLR600, which was bumped up to 650ccs, where it remains to this day as one of Kawa’s best-selling models, and (as of 2015) the best-selling dual-sport period. The smaller of the two …
Baby Sidecar Crosser – 1995 Rokon Scout
The history of the Rokon Company is riddled with rumors and falsehoods involving a particularly clever gas station attendant and a few hunting trips to Kenya that never actually happened. In a nutshell, the real story is that the original machine was invented by one Charlie Fehn in Southern California. Fehn’s bike, dubbed the Trail-Breaker, boasted two particularly nifty features, …
Bevel Drive Single – 1965 Ducati 160 Monza Junior
Brothers Joseph and Michael Berliner played a highly influential role in the motorcycle industry for several decades starting in the 1950s. Their company, the Berliner Motor Corporation, was the US distributor for a number of European marques such as Norton, Moto Guzzi, Zundapp, and Ducati. With the American moto market being one of the world’s biggest purchasers of bikes, the …
Vance & Hines Supersport Replica – 1992 Yamaha FZR 600
In 1992, Yamaha offered 600 examples of a limited edition replica of their Vance & Hines AMA Supersport bike. This is #505, and it’s nicest example I’ve seen offered of a model that rarely comes up for sale.
Unexpected Road Racer – 1998 Honda CR500
7-7-18 Update: Tim H notes that this bike is back up for sale with a serious discount – the asking price has been reduced from $4,500 to $3,200. It looks like someone bought the bike from Brian last year and is now looking to let it go themselves. Find it Glenview, Illinois for $3,200 here on Craigslist. Built by Brian …
Kitted Cub – 1966 Honda C100 with Roadster Kit
While Honda found success with its small step-through models in most markets, the Japanese marque struggled to sell scooters in the same numbers in the US. Honda looked to change this with the introduction of what it called the “Custom Group”, consisting of four different add-on kits (the Roadster, Rally, Boss, and Student) designed to make little runners like the …
No Title – 1986 Honda GB400TT Cafe
Never sold in the US, the GB400 was imported by the seller from Japan with the intention of “doing a cafe build”. Thankfully, his priorities have changed and this bike is still stock.
162 Horsepower “Dirt” Bike – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Custom
It’s in Finland and it makes very little sense, so I don’t expect any one of you to buy this. But, it IS for sale and it’s good for a laugh, so I feel like I have to share it!
1989 Honda Transalp XL600V
In 2012, this Transalp was rebuilt to a high standard and then lightly enjoyed. But the seller already owns two other TAs, so this mostly sits as a garage queen. Go get it dirty!
1976 Yamaha RD400
In 1976, Yamaha made the RD350 a little bigger with a displacement bump up to 399cc. Thanks to 44 horsepower, the hooligan motorcycle du jour was capable of hitting the ton with a top speed of 105 miles per hour. Most people know the 400 simply for being an easier to ride upgrade over the 350, but it was also …
1991 BMW K75S
Those of you that have read some of my older travel reports probably know that I have a soft spot for the BMW K75. It’s not a particularly exciting motorcycle but I’m biased because a K75C showed naive young me what motorcycle touring was all about after 4 years and 75,000 miles with only one issue (which was my fault). …
First Year in North America – 2003 Honda Ruckus
Post Sale Update: this Ruckus sold for $1,151 after 13 bids on Goodwill. The Honda Ruckus is a very unique modern scooter which combines distinctive styling, a CVT transmission, and excellent fuel economy (114 mpg) to become a popular in-town runabout. Here’s an example with just 660 miles that’s been donated to a Goodwill, so you can feel good about …
KLR650-B – 1990 Kawasaki Tengai
Did you know that Kawasaki actually made three versions of the original KLR? The “A” model is the one everyone is used to, but there were two alternates that occasionally come up for sale. This is the “B” model, better known as the Tengai.