A couple of years ago, Kawasaki started to produce content to be shared during televised Supercross races. They call it the Science of Supercross. I call it a great way to advertise. As you probably have noticed, the 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship has started up again – the 4th race of the season happens on Saturday in Phoenix …
Magazine Feature – 1978 Honda CB400A Hawk Hondamatic
In 1976, Honda debuted the “Hondamatic” transmission on their popular CB750. It was designed to help bring in new riders who may have been intimidated by the requirement of using a clutch, but Honda quickly figured out that newbies may not necessarily want to start on the big 750. So two years later, the Hondamatic transmision found its way to …
135 Miles in England – 1989 Norton Commander
Just 253 examples of the Norton Commander were ever built, and this one stands out as it only has 135 miles. The Commander was offered in two variants: P52 was for police, and P53 was for civilians. You’d probably expect the police version to be the rarer of the two, but in this case you’d be wrong.
World Record Sale Price – 1951 Vincent Black Lightning
View Post1961 Panther M100 Deluxe
Post Sale Update: This Panther sold for $10,000 after 33 bids on eBay. Introduced way back in 1932, the Panther Model 100 kept evolving until 1963, by which point the Model 120 had taken over. Both models featured the distinctive “Sloper” motor, named for the angle that is so evident at a side view. The 598cc single produced 23 horsepower, …
Video Intermission – Harry’s Garage – Collection of Dakar Winners
One of the founders of Evo Magazine, Harry Metcalfe now runs a YouTube channel simply called “Harry’s Garage” in which he walks you through special vehicles, many of which he owns himself. Like any good petrolhead, he’s got a soft spot for motorcycles in addition to cars, and in this 23-minute long video he shares his collection of 6 bikes …
Video Intermission – Slayground II
Jeremy McGrath has added a dirt half pipe at his ranch in San Diego, and he had Axell Hodges (also known as “Slay”) come by to have some fun.
Van Tech Racer – 1969 Yamaha AS1C
Post Sale Update: This Van Tech sold for $6,300 after 22 bids on eBay. Van Tech was one of America’s first dirt bike manufacturers, though the company did not build complete bikes. Instead, the brain child of Bill Van Tichelt built frames for small-displacement Japanese motors like the Honda S90, Kawi 100/120, and Bridgestone 90/100. There were two main advantages …
BSA-Powered – 1971 Cheney Victor MkIII
Post Sale Update: This Cheney Victor sold for $6,100 after 27 bids on eBay. One of the legends of off-road frame design, Eric Cheney started as one of Britain’s best MX riders. Unfortunately, he picked up a blood infection while racing in Algeria and it became so bad that he had to stop racing. That was good news for his …
Restored as a 916 – 2000 Ducati 748
Named the Yellow Peril, this Ducati 748 was restored after a hard life of 20k+ miles. The engine was seized, so the owner had the motor built up as a 916. Per the seller, it’s been “restored mechanically and cosmetically to rider condition,” and the bike has covered less than 200 miles since the work was done.
SR400 Build – 2010 Deus Ex Machina Grievous Angel
Post Listing Update: This Deus build did not meet reserve despite 60 bids up to $8,600 on eBay. In addition to a multitude of one-off customs, Deus has some ‘signature’ builds for specific models that anyone can call up and order. The signature build for Yamaha’s SR400/500 is the Grievous Angel, amusingly adorned in what Deus calls “Henry Ford pink” …
70, 80, or 90 – 3 Small Displacement Original Enduros
David N has pointed out to me that the seller of last week’s Rupp Black Widow replica has a few small displacement enduros that he’s getting rid of as well.
Auction Preview – Mecum Las Vegas 2018
View PostVideo Intermission – Dakar 2018 – Best of Bikes
The 2018 Dakar is over and KTM took their 18th win in a row thanks to Matthias Walkner’s excellent riding – and his ability to navigate correctly. A few of the top guys crashed out, but one of the most significant moments of the entire race was back in Stage 10. At the beginning of the stage, the top seven …
Restored with No Reserve – 1966 Kawasaki B8
Post Sale Update: This B8 sold for $5,100 after 22 bids on eBay. The Kawasaki B8 was based on the Meihatsu B7, which used Kawasaki engines. The B8 line of motorcycles, also known as the BN125 Eliminators, were produced from 62-65 and were the first to be entirely manufactured by Kawasaki.