The Yamaha XT500 has become a cult classic and I never see them for sale for cheap anymore. Here’s an example with 5,781 miles for less than $2K. It’s not cosmetically perfect but this bike might be worth a lot more with some new bodywork…
Hot Rod /2 – 1966 BMW R69S with 1040cc motor
Post-Listing Update: This Hot Rod was relisted a few times before finally being pulled off eBay. The highest bidding ever got to was $15,500. Based on a R69S chassis, this interesting custom has the engine from a ’73 R75/5 that’s received a Siebenrock Big Bore Kit.
1973 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport Racer
Here’s a lovely Moto Guzzi V7 Sport that’s been turned into a racebike that hit 160 miles per hour in the process of placing 2nd at “the 1997 Daytona classic series.” Modifications include a 980cc engine from Scola Racing, Keihin CR carbs, 38mm Marzocchi magnesium forks, a straight cut gearbox, and more!
MotoBe XLX – 1983 Harley-Davidson Sportster Custom
Built by Walt Siegl, this 60ci Sportster has been converted into the MotoBe XLX, a bike with completely handcrafted bodywork and some upgrades like Progressive springs and Magura controls. This was a commissioned bike where Walt “tried to make a small cafe bike that was a visual marriage of the British and Italian styles.”
1972 BSA B50 Racer
The BSA B50 featured a 34 horsepower, 499cc four-stroke single that was actually the last large unit-construction engine that BSA sold. Multiple versions of the bike were offered – a ‘street scrambler’, MX variant, trail version, you name it. But here’s a B50 that’s been turned into a ‘vintage cafe racer’ with an engine worked over by E&V Engineering, Works …
916 Powered – Custom Ducati Cafe Racer
Here’s an interesting custom build with “a nod to the classic cafe racer period of the early to mid 1970s.” Built around a modified Verlicchi frame and a 916 motor (with dry clutch, natch), it was completed last month and is now ready for another 3,500 miles before it’ll need a service.
“Hot KLR” – 1995 Kawasaki KLR650 Supermoto
Post-Sale Update: This KLR sold for $4,200 after 12 bids on eBay. If you take the seller’s story at face value, it seems that some employees at White Brothers Exhaust decided to get a little crazy and build a tricked-out supermoto based on the KLR. After Vance & Hines bought White Brothers, this project stalled, so the seller picked it …
Movie Heros – 5 Honda CBs
Here are five different Honda CBs that were all used in the upcoming comedy, Joe Dirt 2: Beautiful Loser. I have no idea if they’re all used in an important race, or just props for a chase, or…who knows. It’s a little odd that they’re trying to sell the bikes before the movie has even come out, but here’s your …
Video Intermission – Gunbus 410
I’m on a weird kick for giant motorcycles at the moment, so I think it’s time we take a moment to remember the Gunbus 410 – named for the cubic inches of displacement from that monstrous V-Twin engine. For those of you that prefer to think of displacement in liters, that equates to 6.7L (like what Ford is using for …
Meet a Reader – Barry Baxter
Like a surprising amount of Bike-urious readers, Barry Baxter is an accomplished pilot, with all kinds of licenses and tickets (commercial, instrument, multiengine, helicopter, aerobatics, and instructor). He’s flown over 100 different types of aircraft and has over 4,000 hours of flying time. I don’t know what it is about pilots and motorcycles, but they sure do seem to go …
1982 Bimota HB2
The successor of the uber-limited HB1 (one of which just sold at Bonhams Grand Palais for $72,103), the Bimota HB2 replicated the formula of Honda engine inside a Bimota frame. This time Bimota used the engine from the CB900F, and produced a much more reasonable number of examples – 193 of them.
1977 Husqvarna 390CR
Introduced in ’77, the 390CR was (according to Cycle magazine) “a no-compromise, expert-level motocrosser” that can “double as an enduro mount, woods play-bike or desert racer.” They summarized it as “probably the most versatile dirt bike to ever be produced by Husqvarna.” Granted, that was almost four decades ago, but here’s an example of what used to be Husky’s finest.
Nice Price – 1999 Excelsior Henderson Super X
In the early 1900s, Excelsior and Henderson were two of America’s best motorcycle manufacturers. Excelsior produced the first motorcycle to official hit 100 miles per hour, while Henderson was producing the favored bikes of America’s police officers. There’s a reason for the similarities – the companies were both bought up by Schwinn in the 1910s, and were shut down in …
1975 Kawasaki Z1
Before Honda released the instant classic CB750, Kawasaki was also working on a a four-cylinder, 750cc sportbike – except Kawi thought it was going to be first to market. They were thus shocked when Honda released the CB750, forcing them to go back to the drawing board until they could bump up displacement to 903cc. When Kawi was developing the …
Harley-Davidson XR750 Hillclimber
Built by Reiser’s Cycles, this Harley-Davidson XR750 has been converted into a hillclimber thanks to a fresh motor that’s been converted to run on fuel injected nitrometh and a custom frame and front end. If you’re the kind of crazy person who rides these things, please drop me a line – I want to hear from you!