Post Sale Update: This RC51 sold for $10,000 after 49 bids on eBay. Honda’s iconic RC51 was built in two versions – the SP1 and the SP2 (the latter was introduced in 2002). The SP2 was an accumulation of what Honda learned in World Superbike racing – it gained two horsepower and lost some weight in the process, as well. …
Restored SD900 – 1977 Ducati Darmah 900
After the 860GT flopped, Ducati released the sport touring Darmah SD900 – and it was much more successful from a commercial standpoint. Plus it just looks much better, even if that’s a subjective observation. Here’s an example that’s been restored to the impressive standards of Austin Vintage Cycle.
Sitting Since 1983 – 1975 Kawasaki Z1 900
Post Sale Update: This Z1 sold for $12,001.69 after a whopping 114 bids on eBay. Prices for Z1s have been steadily increasing, which is why I’m no longer surprised when I see bidding approaching $10k for a one-owner example that hasn’t been registered in over 30 years.
1984 Yamaha RZ350 Kenny Roberts
Here is a 1984 Yamaha RZ350. One of the last two-strokes available in the US (other than pure dirt bikes). Yamaha put out a special Kenny Roberts Edition, with the bumblebee paint scheme and Kenny’s signature on the bikini fairing. Cycle World rated this a “Perfect 10” on the fun scale in their review of 1984. The stock RZ350 made …
Still New – 2000 MV Agusta F4 Serie Oro
The seller calls this a 2003, but the limited edition F4 Serie Oro was only offered in 2000 – so that’s what I’m going to call this. Either way, this is already a rare model, but this is on a whole another level as it has never been started or registered. Heck, the battery and mirrors have apparently never been …
1974 Laverda 750 SFC
Laverda’s most famous motorcycle, the 750 SFC was basically a street-legal race bike – the C stood for “Competizione”. Here’s a restored example that was originally sold in the US market.
Freddie Spencer Tribute – 1985 Honda NS250R
Fast Freddie Spencer won the 1982 Belgian and San Marino Grand Prixs with Honda’s first liquid-cooled two-stroke three-cylinder engine. That iconic bike provided the inspiration for this NS250R – which is a little weird considering Freddie won a 250cc championship in ’85, and that might have been bike for source material.
The Oddball – 1969 Norton Commando S
Norton introduced the 750 Commando in 1968 known as the Fastback. In 1969 they introduced two more models, the R (Roadster) and the S (Street Scrambler). In the fullness of life, the Roadster would become the ‘standard’ Commando and the other two would go away. The 1969 Scrambler was produced for the American market and in direct response to the …
Not For Purists – 1974 Norton Commando 850 Mk2
Post Listing Update: This custom Commando did not meet reserve despite 27 bids up to $8,100. It’s been relisted a few times but bidding has never ended up higher. Here’s a Mk2 Commando that’s been fettled into a moderate custom – purists won’t like it, but YOU might!
Austrian Engineering, Italian Style: 2002 Aprilia RSV Mille
Aprilia has a long history of racing with small displacement bikes. They made their first foray into the Superbike ranks with the RSV 1000 in 1998. The engine was built by Austrian firm Rotax, who have built engines for several other bike companies, including BMW, Buell, and KTM. The RSV engine was a 60 degree V-twin, 998cc, putting out a …
Rare in the US – 1996 Yamaha TRX850
As it was never officially sold in the US, Yamaha’s TRX850 is a bike that I’ve never heard of before. But with MCN calling it (in hindsight) “the best-kept secreting in motorcycling” and a “forgotten gem,” this bike is definitely worth a closer look. The oversimplified idea was that this was a “Ducati with Japanese reliability.“
Street Legal – Kawasaki ZX-10 Street Tracker
Many examples of Kawasaki’s literbike Ninja have been converted into streetfighters after they get dumped or wrecked…but here’s the first one I’ve seen that’s been converted into a street tracker! This looks like a very fun way to get into a lot of trouble.
1977 BMW R100S
Post Sale Update: After 26 bids on eBay, this R100S sold for $10,600. If I was shopping for a classic BMW right now, I’d look for a R100S over the iconic R90S just because of how expensive the latter has become. Here’s a beautiful example of the 100S that probably won’t be cheap either, thanks to a restoration that the …
Number 2 – 1984 Kawasaki Ninja 900 GPZ900R
The GPZ900R was Kawasaki’s first Ninja – the beginning of a long line of iconic motorcycles. If I remember correctly, serial number 1 is currently in Kawasaki’s museum at their US headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California. According to this seller, serial number 2 is now up for sale…
1964 BSA Lightning Rocket
In the mid 1960s BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) did not want to dominate the world. They did, however, want to dominate the US Market so brought the Lightning Rocket to our fair shores. The Lightning Rocket was essentially the same as the domestic Lightning, but was tuned to be faster and quicker. The 1964 BSA Lightning Rocket featured a 654 …