It wasn’t a race, but we finally got to tackle our first long ride – Los Angeles to Barstow to Vegas.
Video Intermission – Allen Millyard’s V-Twin Hondas
Allen Millyard has built all kinds of cool things in the past, like a motorcycle powered by the V-10 engine from a Dodge Viper, a V-12 made up of two Kawasaki KZ1300 powerplants, or the Flying Millyard, a bike with a 5,000cc V-Twin using two cylinders from a Pratt and Whitney 1340 radial engine. But my favorite contraption out of …
Needs Some Work – 1968 Yamaha YA6
The YA6 was the first Yamaha to feature “Autolube” oil injection, which led to a Safety & Engineering award from Auto & Motor Sport magazine. The Autolube concept was incredibly successful and was a mainstay of Yamaha’s line for years. The YA6? Not so much, it’s a rare find nowadays.
Video Intermission – Enjoying The Snow
Feel bad because there’s a ton of snow outside and you can’t enjoy your bike? Well, you can either move out to Los Angeles with me (where the weather is currently 81 degrees, no big deal) or you can bundle up like Chris McMahan and say, ‘screw it.’
Homologation Special – 1992 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R K2
Post-Listing Update: This Ninja was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. The “K” model of the ZX-7R, built between 91-92, was a homologation special built in limited numbers (500 examples) so Kawi could go racing in AMA Superbike. 142 examples were exported to the US, with an asking price that was nearly twice what Kawasaki charged for the …
Moto Giro Racer – 1966 Ducati Monza 250
Starting with a square-fendered Monza 250 he acquired in 2007, this seller converted a stock bike into a Moto Giro competitor. While I don’t enjoy the overall aesthetic package, it looks like the seller did a good job upgrading the mechanics of this bike for competition.
1975 Honda CB750 Cafe Racer
Right now, Sildorome is asking what the best UJM is. A whole bunch of the answers are the CB750, which isn’t surprising considering what a sales success it was. Because there are plenty of examples to work with, many builders turn to the big CB when they want to build a custom. Here’s an example that I generally dig, except …
Final Edition – 1998 Ducati Supersport 900FE
To mark the end of its badass Supersport line, Ducati released a one-year run of 800 bikes around the world. They called it the Final Edition, painted it silver, and threw on a couple of goodies like 41mm FCR carbs and Ohlins rear shock. 300 of the 800 examples made it over the US – here’s number 15.
Do You Believe? 1948 Norton ES2
If you believe the seller, this Norton has competed in the Isle of Man TT and was ‘clocked’ doing 110 miles per hour on a downhill during the race. More recently, it placed 2nd in the Classic category at the Garage Brewed Moto Show in Cincinnati.
Satyricon – 1964 Triumph Chopper
Post Sale Update: 1 bid at $9,500 was enough to sell this bike on eBay. Built by Paul Ponkow of Bones Legacy, Satyricon is a rigid chopper powered by a Triumph T120R engine – and I’m featuring it pretty much just for the exhaust.
Homemade Wall of Death!
Normally I feature bikes for sale, but today I get to feature something you can ride your bike in – if you have the guts. Also known as a silodrome, the ‘wall of death’ was a famous carnival sideshow where riders would circle the interior of a cylinder, pressed against the edge thanks to friction and gravity. The seller says …
Christmas Special – 1986 Honda Z50
Considered by some as the ultimate Honda Z50, the “Christmas Special” was a limited edition – you can probably guess what time of year it was released. Honda gave two examples to each of their top dealers, though they typically called it the “Chrome Edition” seeing as nearly every part on the bike (even the frame!) was chromed. This example …
Meet A Reader – John Foster
John Foster is a man who knows what he wants – and what he wants are vintage motocross bikes. A member of the Low-T-Race Team, John currently maintains a fleet of about 65 classic MXers with a passion for 4 specific marques: Husqvarna, Maico, CZ, and OSSA. The best part? When he’s not out getting air, he’s sharing his work …
Misleading Cosmetics – 1937 Harley-Davidson Servicar
Post-Sale Update: This Servicar sold for $20,000 after 45 bids on eBay. When I first saw this listing, I assumed this Servicar hadn’t run since about 1938. Thankfully, my assumption was wrong – this thing works just fine!
Video Intermission – Oops
In September 2013, Michael Henao decided to ignore a flash flood warning in Colorado, and it resulted in a video worth looking (and laughing at). On one hand, I feel bad for him. On the other hand, what was he thinking? Hindsight is 20/20 so it’s easy for me to say this was foolish, but at least it resulted in …