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804 Miles – 2005 Honda RC51

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

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. …

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Restored SD900 – 1977 Ducati Darmah 900

In Italy, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

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.

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1984 Yamaha RZ350 Kenny Roberts

In Japan, Sport by Ted CloughLeave a Comment

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 …

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Still New – 2000 MV Agusta F4 Serie Oro

In Italy, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

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 …

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Freddie Spencer Tribute – 1985 Honda NS250R

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

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.

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The Oddball – 1969 Norton Commando S

In England, Sport by Tom WackerLeave a Comment

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 …

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Rare in the US – 1996 Yamaha TRX850

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

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.“

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1977 BMW R100S

In Germany, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

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 …

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1964 BSA Lightning Rocket

In England, Sport by Tom WackerLeave a Comment

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 …