Post Listing Update: This collection did not get any action at the asking price of $180,000. 1942 was a tough year for all motorcycle manufacturers due to World War II, but it was particularly harsh for Indian – they shut down civilian production in February to focus on bikes for the military. Just four models were made available: Junior Scout, …
SF Police – 1979 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Police Special
Post Sale Update: This ex-Police Harley sold for $12,600 after 13 bids on eBay. Claimed to be the former ride of the Chief of SFPD’s Motor Unit, this Police Electra Glide is being offered by the third owner.
First Year Race Legend – 1970 Harley-Davidson XR750
For decades, Harley’s XR750 was the machine to beat. From 1972 to 2008, the XR was responsible for taking home 29 out of the 37 possible AMA Grand National Championships, leading to some referring to the machine as the “most successful race bike of all time”. The XR750 was also famously Evel Knievel’s go-to choice when performing jumps/stunts. Before it …
1957 White Shooting Star 250
White International was an American company that imported bikes from overseas and rebranded them under their own name, similar to what Sears, Montgomery Ward, and later, Harley-Davidson did. In this case, the bikes being re-branded were Hungarian-built Csepel/Pannonias.
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 …
Ner-A-Project – 1922 Ner-A-Car Barn Find
Post Sale Update: This Ner-A-Car sold for $20,100.01 after 18 bids on eBay. Designed by Carl Neracher in 1918, the Ner-A-Car was sold as a cheap automobile alternative. Approximately 10,000 were built and sold in the US, and another 6,500 were built and sold in England under license. The step-through design and bodywork kept riders clean, allowing them to wear …
Unexpected Motor – 1986 Porsche 928S Powered Trike
Porsche has gotten involved in motorcycle engine design before – they were brought on to help develop the Revolution motor for Harley-Davidson’s V-Rod back in 2002. That liquid-cooled motor developed a very non-Harley number of 120 horsepower, and that might be what inspired the creator of this crazy build to build a trike around a different Porsche motor – the …
Impressive Clone – 1971 Rupp Black Widow
Rupp Industries was based in Mansfield, Ohio, and for nearly 20 years they were able to compete with Honda and other Japanese manufacturers for a share of the lucrative mini bike market. Their top-of-the-line competition bike was the Black Widow, which was based on the Roadster/2. This example is also based on the Roadster, because it’s unfortunately only a replica.
Harley Trunk – 1939 GouldCar
Post Listing Update: This GouldCar did not meet reserve with 14 bids up to $1,025. James Goulding founded the Goulding Sidecar Manufacturing Company in Australia but he debuted his offerings in the US in the year 1920 with a 12,000-mile journey around America with one of his sidecars attached to a 1917 Harley-Davidson Model J. He made a lot of …
Unexpected Flat Tracker – 1956 Indian Woodsman/Tomahawk
Between 1955 and 1960, Indians sold in the US were actually re-branded Royal Enfields. It was the idea of an English company called Brockhouse Engineering (you may remember that they created the adorable Corgi) who owned the Indian trademark at the time. They thought they could capitalize on the goodwill of the Indian brand by selling some Brit bikes, and …
Hooligan Tracker – 1993 Harley-Davidson Sportster 1200
Racing components aren’t cheap, nor is race tuning, track fees, or any of the other myriad expenses involved in amateur competition. Buying a used pre-built race machine can be a great way to save a lot of money when getting into racing, so long as it’s in good shape and has been well cared for. Here we have a 1993 …
Modern Board Tracker – Derringer Cycle
Back in 2011, Adrian Van Anz introduced the world to the Derringer Cycle, a hip, 49cc, board-track style scoot capable of reaching 35mph and traversing up to 300 miles on a 1.8 gallon tank. Van Anz says the DC was a product born out of him “trying to come up with something that filled the gap between my Schwinn and …
Mono-Body “Midi-Bike” – 1970 Muskin El Gato
The Muskin El Gato is one funky little scoot. Muskin Corp was aiming to nab a piece of the then-increasingly lucrative small-displacement trail bike market. The company’s strategy was to create a truly unique machine that would stand out from the crowd of other mini offerings and regardless of Muskin’s success, it’s hard to deny the efficacy of said strategy. …
Ride for Kids Raffle – Honda CB1100 Custom
12-25-2017 Update: Merry Christmas. The seller has withdrawn this bike from sale as “the builder says he is bummed that I am selling it so cheap.” 12-24-2017 Update: Back in July I told you about this CB1100 that was being raffled off to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The 75-year old winner of the raffle says he’s happier on …
Alternate Laverda Project – 1971 American Eagle Renegade 150
Post Listing Update: The BIN was lowered to $999 but that still wasn’t enough to entice anyone to pick up this rare Laverda project. As you’ll note in the comments, however, afterwards one of John McCormack’s sons bought this American Eagle! I’ve featured a few American Eagle models in the past – the brand was John McCormack’s attempt at importing …