Someone in San Diego has a collection of 15 bikes he’s selling “in an effort to purchase some prewar motorcycles [he] have my eye on.” As the above photo implies, most are special Hondas, though there’s a Harley-Davidson, Yamaha, and a couple of BMWs and Ducatis sprinkled in for good measure.
1996 Bimota SB6R
The Italians are good at many crafts, but coachbuilding is their thing. It doesn’t matter the engine, it just feels better draped in an Italian frame and body. The Bimota SB6R takes Suzuki’s monster GSXR-1100 engine and gives it Italian touches like a polished frame and carbon fiber accents. Paioli suspension and Brembo brakes keep the rubber on the road, …
Guess That Bike – Unknown Minibike Edition
Reader Beryl B reached out to me with a Guess That Bike conundrum that I did not know the answer to. Can you do better than I did?
Restored – 1965 BSA Lightning Rocket A65R
An evolution of the A65 Rocket, the Lightning Rocket was an upspec version with twin Amal carbs, high compression pistons, and an optional close ratio gearbox. Cosmetically, it had extra chrome and narrower fenders/fuel tank.
1995 Yamaha FZR1000
1995 was the final year of FZR1000 production before it was replaced by the parts-bin special Thunderace. The new model didn’t help that Honda was eating everyone’s lunch in the 1,000cc sportbike market with their 900RR Fireblade – it would take Yamaha until 1998 to reclaim the crown with the R1. Still, no one’s buying a mid’90s sportbike nowadays to …
1990 Honda RC30
Post Listing Update: This RC30 did not meet reserve despite 55 bids up to $27,100. A popular vote in the ongoing “prettiest bikes of all time” poll, the RC30 was built as a homologation special so that Honda could take on the World Superbike Championship. Between 1987 and 1990, 4,782 examples were produced, 316 of which were originally sold in …
Restored – 1981 Ducati Darmah SSD
View PostYamaha’s Yard Built Program — Deus Milan’s “D-Side” XV950 Sidecar
Built by Deus Ex Machina’s Milan shop, this bike was commissioned as the third project — and first sidecar build — in Yamaha’s increasingly prestigious Yard Built program. Based on the Tuning Fork Company’s XV950, this project, entitled “D-Side”, began when Fillipo Bassoli, CEO of Deus Ex Machina Italy, was traveling for work in Spain and stumbled across what he …
Hagerty Feature – 1978 Kawasaki Z1-R
Post Listing Update: This Z1-R did not get any interest at the asking price of $19,800. In a 1978 review of the Z1-R, Cycle Guide described it as such: “The bike has enough raw horsepower to be truly impressive on the straights, but the first rule of handling for a 90hp motorcycle is to give it a 90hp chassis, and …
Guess That Bike Revealed – Engine For Sale Edition
Post Listing Update: This Combinette did not meet reserve despite 18 bids up to $5,800 on eBay. Commenter dnaj was the first to (easily) identify that this motor belongs to a Zündapp Super Sport Combinette, which were built between 1962 and 1966. This specific example has been restored and it’s currently available for purchase on eBay!
2018 BMW HP4 Race
Post Listing Update: This HP4 Race did not meet reserve with 10 bids up to $37,500 on Bring a Trailer. The “HP” initials have become quite significant with BMW Motorrad over the last few years. They simply stand for High Performance, and they graced a few impressive models like the HP2 Enduro/MegaMoto/Sport. The designation was brought back for an track-only …
1968 Honda CL125A
Post Sale Update: This CL125A sold for $1,875 after 50 bids on eBay. Introduced in 1967, the CL125A Scrambler featured the smallest overhead cam four-stroke twin that Honda ever built.
Guess That Bike – Engine For Sale Edition
Here’s a fun motor. Do you know what it belongs to? I’ll only leave this guessing game open for a day, because this bike is actually for sale right now…
No Reserve – 2014 Ducati 1199 Superleggera
Post Sale Update: This Superleggera sold for $32,600 after 81 bids on eBay. In 2014, Ducati released an ultra-exclusive (500 produced) upgrade to the already impressive Panigale R. They called it the 1199 Superleggera, and the Italian firm claimed this bike had the best power-to-weight ratio of any production motorcycle ever when it was released.
One Owner – 2004 KTM 625 SXC
In their review of the 625 SXC, Dirt Bike magazine called it “a great, big beast that makes even a Honda 650R seem small.” The XR650R was much more popular, however, and that’s why the big KTM is now a relatively rare find – especially a one-owner bike with just 1,400 miles after a decade and a half of use.