In 1990 (soon after the fall of the Berlin wall), MZ was privatized. The new owners realized that they needed a four-stroke motor if they were going to sell bikes in Europe and the US, so they called up Rotax and got themselves a 494cc single. Then, they designed a family of bikes around it, like the Silver Star retro …
In France – 1967 MV Agusta 4C6 #001
View Post1984 Suzuki GS1100GK
In 1980, Honda updated the naked Gold Wing and called it the GL1100. That year, they also changed what the GW would be about forever by creating a full dress tourer variant called the Interstate – you got a full fairing, saddlebags, and a removable trunk right off the dealer floor. Other manufacturers scrambled to keep up. Suzuki ended up …
Gentleman’s Tourer – 1985 Moto Guzzi California II
Moto Guzzi is a proud Italian company that has been making motorcycles for close to 100 years. Prior to WWII, they were primarily small-displacement singles and twins, and they have a long history of success in racing, with 14 World GP Championships and 11 TT wins. At the end of the 1960’s, they produced their first transverse twin that powered …
One Owner, 170k Miles – 2005 Honda VFR800
Honda’s VFR lineup has typically enjoyed a reputation of being good sport-touring bikes for those who want to cover lots of miles in a day but do it with a some agility. This bike is a monument to that stereotype as the original owner put 170,000 miles on it since he bought it new. The owner was a Honda mechanic …
Unexpected Custom – Ducati ST4S
Thanks to extensive work by Fast by Ferracci, this Ducati ST4S puts out 140 horsepower at the rear wheel, 30 more than the stock bike. The FbF kit includes a new crank, billet titanium rods, pistons, lightweight flywheel, slipper clutch, and cylinders. The kit was apparently worth $10k, which explains why the seller says that the total work cost $15k.
1967 BSA Thunderbolt
5-12 Update: Rob B notes that this bike is back up for sale with a hefty discount down to $3,300. Find it here on Craigslist. The baby sister of the Lightning, BSA’s Thunderbolt got the usual 650cc twin but it was paired with just one Amal carb compared to the two carbs of the faster Lightning. Known internally as the …
5 Classics in North Carolina
A seller in Asheville, North Carolina is letting go of 5 bikes that tell me he’s got a similar taste in motorcycles to most of you. Act fast, though, because the auctions are ending in just a few hours! All but the Laverda have met reserve so they’re getting new owners. In the seller’s words, “I am selling a number …
1984 Moto Guzzi SP1000 with Sidecar and Trailer
A few weeks ago, I featured a modern Harley with a sidecar and trailer, and the general consensus (understandably) was that you’d be better off with a truck. While that might be true, I still find these combinations interesting – triply so when it’s a classic Italian, the sidecar allows the bike to lean, and everything is painted to match!
Early Model – 1977 BMW R100RS
The BMW R100RS arguably launched the idea of the sport touring motorcycle, but I don’t feature many non-limited edition examples just because they’re fairly common place. But did you know that the earliest examples of the legendary model were all silver/blue with blue pinstriping and blue anodized calipers? Or as some of you may remember it – this was the …
1979 Yamaha XS1100 Special
By 1981 I was riding almost exclusively in the dirt. My love of long distance touring hadn’t raised it’s head yet, but my need for speed was well established. I had sold my Z1000 and bought a snowmobile in 1980, when I got a great deal on a 1980 XS1100 Special. The guy said the bike scared him to death …
Bring The Family – 2006 Harley with Sidecar and Trailer
Thanks to a 2-person Hannigan sidecar and a Little Guy camper, this Harley is ready to carry 4 people and all of their stuff – or just two people that want to sleep with their bike. I’m trying to remember the last time I saw this amount of weight added to a motorcycle.
Pacific Coast – 1989 Honda PC800
It has been close to 30 years since the PC 800 was released, it is still a distinctive look. Though completely plastic wrapped bikes are more common now, this was really the first. It didn’t sell particularly well, but there was a definite subset of riders that was attracted to the bike. Under all that plastic was a really straight …
1983 Benelli Sei 900
Post Sale Update: This Sei sold for $10,785 after 30 bids on eBay. Earlier this week, I featured a 50-mile example of the world’s first production six-cylinder bike, but the asking price was $21,000. Here’s an example that’s got a few more miles (10K), but it’ll hopefully sell for quite a bit less.
Ending Soon – 1974 BMW R60/6 Tourer
Post Listing Update: Despite 41 bids up to $3,100 on eBay, this /6 did not meet reserve. Between 1974 and 1976, BMW offered the “slash 6” generation of the boxer twin. The smallest was the R60/6, with a 599cc motor that produced 40 horsepower and 36 pound-feet of torque. That might not make it the most suitable option for a …