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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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1956 Ariel Square Four Mk II

In England, Standard by Abhi2 Comments

The Ariel Square Four design goes all the way back to 1931, soon after Edward Turner designed an interesting new four-cylinder motorcycle engine formed from two OHC parallel twins. The design became known as the square four engine, and lent its name to this Ariel motorcycle.

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1991 Suzuki GSF400

In Japan, Standard by Abhi1 Comment

Americans typically think of the Bandit as a 600 or 1,200, but Suzuki also made them in 250 and 400 variants – the latter of which was exported to the US for only a couple of years. The 400 was introduced in 1989, by ’91 it had optional variable valve timing and a “Limited” version came with different cosmetics and …

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1965 Yamaha YDS3

In Japan, Standard by Abhi1 Comment

The predecessor of the RD series, the Yamaha YDS3 was notable for many reasons. First and foremost, it was simply an excellent bike that could run rings on bikes with twice its displacement. In addition, it introduced Yamaha’s Autolube system, eliminating the need for mixing oil with gas in two-stroke bikes.

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1960 Parilla Olimpia

In Italy, Standard by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post-Listing Update: This Olimpia did not meet reserve with 6 bids up to $3,250. The touring version of the Ramjet, the Olimpia was available with either a 2-stroke or 4-stroke engine that you could buy for $369. First, a quick detour on the Ramjet (known as the Slughi outside of the US). Look at it! The enclosed bodywork could be …

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1977 Honda CB400F

In Standard by AbhiLeave a Comment

More of an evolution rather than a revolution, the Honda CB400F has one of the most distinctive exhaust systems ever produced – known by some as the “waterfall pipes”. Though it wasn’t as fast as its competition, this little four cylinder was smoother, quieter, and gave better gas mileage.

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1968 Yezdi Ideal Jawa 353

In Standard by Abhi1 Comment

Founded in 1960, Ideal Jawa (also known as Yezdi) was an Indian motorcycle company that built licensed copies of Jawa and CZ bikes. Their slogan was “Forever bike, forever value”. This is a 250cc Type 353, also called the ‘A’ Type.

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1935 Velocette MSS

In England, Standard by Abhi1 Comment

A tiny British manufacturer, Velocette was a family-owned firmed that was well-known for creating high quality bikes. With 3 decades of successful international racing experience, and (still-standing) record for a single-cylinder bike running 24 hours at 100 miles per hour, they brought many technical innovations to the world, including a swingarm rear suspension with hydraulic dampers. One of their more …

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1975 Suzuki RE5

In Japan, Standard by Abhi1 Comment

Suzuki called the RE5 the future of motorcycling, thanks to its innovative rotary engine and distinctive styling. This is the ’75 model, which had more interesting design characteristics like the ‘tin can’ instrument cluster. The ’76 (and final model) was a little neutered in an attempt to make the bike more conventional.