In the early 70s, John Taylor of Schenectady, New York started building the Yankee Z500, an American dual-sport designed to compete with the best bikes coming out of Europe. Yankee Motor Company started by importing machines from OSSA, the Spanish off-road powerhouse, and then moved to modifying OSSA engines in their own custom frames. Eventually, they combined two OSSA 250cc …
800 Miles – 2005 Honda CBR600RR
Back when the 600cc Supersport class dominated showroom floors, updates came every couple of years in the form of trickle down parts from the 1000cc class and the latest developments from racing. Two years after its introduction, the 2005 Honda CBR 600RR got the same treatment. The face remained familiar, showing a clear lineage to the RC211V. But underneath, it …
Video Intermission – Bike-urious does 1000 Miles in 24 Hours
It’s been a while since we’ve created a video for you to enjoy, so I’m excited to share this tale of Nathan trying to join the Iron Butt Association. I’m a big fan of the IBA, and I challenged Nathan to complete their entrance ride: 1000 miles in 24 hours. He was feeling pretty cocky about it, so I made …
Cycle Garden Restoration – 1973 Moto Guzzi Eldorado Police
Post Sale Update: This Eldo sold for $9,000 after 15 bids on eBay in Centerport, New York. The seller of this bike used to work at Cycle Garden, and while he was there he restored this ex-police bike. “Through the years I collected all the original parts to restore it to its Police original. Some parts were replaced since this …
Gear Review – Shoei GT-Air II
The new Shoei GT Air 2 is an all-rounder, full-faced sport-touring helmet with some nifty integrated tech capability. Essentially it’s a lot like a non-modular version of the Neotec 2 with a little more X-14 influence. Shoei took what the public liked about the GT Air 1 and ran with it.
Mule Motorcycles Street Tracker – 1984 Harley-Davidson XR1000
Post Listing Update: This Mule Harley did not meet reserve despite 79 bids up to $19,650 on eBay in Aliso Viejo, California. Richard Pollock is the man behind Mule Motorcycles, and he was called when the owner of this XR1000 had an accident and wanted to bring his Harley back to life. The XR1000 is one of Harley’s cooler bikes, …
“Isabella the Cafe Dancer” – 1972 BMW R75/5
Post Sale Update: Isabella sold for $4,150 after 30 bids on eBay in Glastonbury, Connecticut. Named “Isabella”, this slash 5 served its original owner for over 20,000 miles before it was put away in storage. The current owner rebuilt it in 2-year process that included a cafe racer conversion.
2013 EBR 1190RS Carbon Edition
Post Listing Update: This EBR did not get any interest at the BIN of $19,000. It’s no secret that I am leading the EBR train. Erik’s brainchild, the EBR 1190RS, is the best sportbike America has to offer and I cannot wait to own one. Early models were built to meet AMA homologation requirements, and the quality is reflected both …
Video Intermission – Fast Eddie: A Short Film About A Lifelong Passion
Ed Fisher is enshrined in the AMA Hall of Fame, where they describe him as a “racer, tuner, dealer and life-long motorcycle enthusiast.” He’s also the subject of a fascinating new short film. May we all get to enjoy motorcycles for as long as Fast Eddie!
2007 BMW R1200S
BMWs R1200S never gets as much time in the limelight as the GS model. Personally, I can’t wait to ride an HP2, but every flavor has their advantages. In 2007, new pistons brought the boxer engine to 122hp and 89hp, a 22hp increase over the R1200GS. Additionally, weight was reduced 29 lbs over the previous R1100S. Optional Ohlins suspension offered …
Video Intermission – Donut Media’s History of Harley-Davidson
Donut Media makes some of the best videos on YouTube, but they usually focus on four-wheelers. They have a weekly series called Up to Speed, which chronics the history of different cars and drivers. But this week’s all about motorcycles – specifically Harley-Davidson.
Restored – 1977 Ducati 900SS
Post Listing Update: This 900SS did not meet reserve despite 25 bids up to $19,100 on eBay in Deerfield, Illinois. A sportier evolution of the 860GT, the 900SS was designed to remind riders of the iconic 750SS. Though they’re now appreciating in value, the model was originally in the shadow of the Mike Hailwood Replica so it wasn’t as commercially …
Rothmans Replica – 1988 Honda VFR400R
Post Listing Update: This VFR did not meet reserve despite 64 bids up to $4,650 on eBay in Raleigh, North Carolina. In 1987, Honda updated the VFR400 to the NC24 generation – it was Honda’s first bike to use the Pro-Arm single-side swingarm that became a Honda staple in the 90s.
Video Intermission – A Tour of Kawasaki’s Motorcycle Museum in Japan
Here’s a recent tour of Kawasaki’s motorcycle museum in their home country, which is amusingly called the Kawasaki Good Times World.
JDM Monkey – 1972 Honda Z50Z K1
Post Listing Update: This Monkey did not meet reserve despite 48 bids up to $6,200 on eBay in Chicago, Illinois. While Honda’s newest miniMOTO is called a Monkey, the model was always previously called the Mini Trail in the US. The “Monkey” on this tank lets you know that is a JDM model, which means it also has a removable …