Built for Born Free 5, Steel Shoe is the result of Chopperdaves’s “obsession with the movie On Any Sunday.” As he calls it, this is “Turbo Madness. Lots of power, real suspension. RACE SHIT for the street.” It won 2nd place in the Invited Builder class. Now it’s being raffled off with 325 tickets at $100 each.
April Fools 2019 in Motorcycling
It’s April Fools Day, which means there’s going to be a couple of fake news stories that are good for a laugh or a cringe. In alphabetical order, here’s everything I could find in terms of April Fools stories this year from our favorite brands in US motorcycling:
Gear Review – REV’IT! Ridge GTX Jacket and Globe GTX Pants
Before Vy and I took off to Costa Rica for New Year’s – I swear I’ll finish the rest of that story once all the press launches die down – ADV Pulse asked if would review some of the newest technical adventure riding gear from REV’IT – the Ridge GTX jacket and Globe GTX pants (GTX reflects the usage of …
1975 Honda CB400F
Post Sale Update: This CB400F sold for $6,000 after 31 bids on eBay. An evolution rather than a revolution, the Honda CB400F is blessed with one of the most beautiful production exhaust systems ever created – known by some as the “waterfall pipes”. It’s so iconic that Honda has brought the style back for the new CB650F! Though it wasn’t …
“Wooden Horse” – Custom Wooden Motorcycle with Suzuki GS250 Engine
According to the seller, this is “the first street legal wooden motorcycle in the United States.” Morgan Motor Company would be proud.
1981 Moto Guzzi V50 Monza
Post Sale Update: This Monza sold for $6,328 after 35 bids on eBay. When Moto Guzzi first released the V50 in the late 70s, they were met with a tepid response from an American market that preferred bigger bikes and expected smaller bikes to be cheaper. To help the model stand out, Guzzi released a sportier version in 1980 called …
1 of 25 – 1985 Can-Am 350 Trials
Bombardier Recreational Products created their motorcycle division (Can-Am) in 1973, but by 1980 they had decided that their resources were better spent in snowmobiles and jet skis. As detailed by Canned Ham, a deal was struck in which CCM/Armstrong took over production and Can-Am sold the machines. During this time, Can-Am experimented with some new models and they expanded into …
Upgraded – 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750
Post Listing Update: This Gixxer 750 was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Though the model debuted in 1985, Suzuki’s legendary Gixxer line did not make its way to the US until 1986. The changes were minor – better headlights, a revised belly pan, and 25mm longer swingarm, but Americans were probably too busy drooling over the first …
1986 Yamaha SRX600
The Yamaha SRX600 is a cult classic, but it started as a commercial flop. In the US, it sold for just one year, and it was during a time when American riders valued power above everything else. A relatively light weight bike with a 41 horsepower motor just didn’t cut it – but for riders who can appreciate the styling, …
Auction Preview – Mach IV Motors April 2019
Based out of Appleton, Wisconsin, Mach IV Motors says that they are “here for all your Kawasaki NOS parts and classic bike needs”, though they have plenty of other vintage machinery in their inventory. Said inventory is about to get significantly smaller, as they’ve partnered with O’Brien Auctioneers to sell 180 motorcycles on April 13th, 2019. Internet bidding has already …
Join Me – “Electric Revolution” Exhibit Opening at the Petersen
Almost exactly a year after the debut of Paul d’Orleans’ Custom Revolution exhibit at the Petersen, he’s back for Revolution 2: Electric Boogaloo. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. According to the Petersen, Custom Revolution was the world’s first exhibit that’s focused on “alternative motorcycle customization”. Electric Revolution continues Paul’s pioneering guest curation ways as it is “the world’s first exhibition …
No Reserve – 1983 Kawasaki KZ1000R2 ELR
Post Sale Update: This ELR sold for $20,100 after 46 bids on eBay. A limited edition tribute to Eddie Lawson, just 750 examples of the Kawasaki KZ1000R ELR (Eddie Lawson Replica) were built between 1982 and 1983. With the exception of subpar rear shocks, the press and the public loved this bike and how aggressively it was set up.
Export Model – 1967 Honda P50
Post Sale Update: This P50 sold for $2,200 after 47 bids on eBay. Honda has an extensive history with small displacement scooters and mopeds, but the P50 stands out as it was the last time the firm utilized a motor-wheel design (in which the drivetrain is all housed within the hub of the drive wheel). Most motor-wheel designs across the …
Original Owner – 2009 Suzuki Hayabusa
Post Sale Update: This Hayabusa sold for $4,955 after 28 bids on eBay. I don’t feature many Hayabusas, but I recently discussed the model in a “Performance Steals” themed Smart Money in the current issue of Motorcyclist, and it got me thinking about how nice they can be. Normally, modified Hayabusas are either lowered show bikes or lengthened drag racers …
1996 Aprilia RS250 Chesterfield
If you’ve had your heart set on a Aprilia RS250, the ultimate expression of the model might just be the Max Biaggi replica Chesterfield Edition. One of the best-handling bikes ever made, the RS250 was the result of Aprilia working some chassis magic around a tweaked engine from a Suzuki RGV250.