A drag bike straight from the factory, the Harley-Davidson VRXSE was an in-house bike created by the Custom Vehicle Operations (CVO) department of H-D. With a skilled rider, one could knock-out ETs between under 10 seconds right from the dealership. According to Kevin Duke from Motorcycle.com, when this bike was released it was the quickest accelerating production vehicle ever built. …
Cafe Rebuild – 1966 Harley-Davidson 250 Sprint H
The Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Sprint 250 was a solid little runner with agile handling. It was generally a fun little bike that the Italians thought made for a great commuter (at a claimed 45-55 mpg). When the Sprint first made its way to US shores, it supposedly made 18 hp at 6,750rpm with an 8.5:1 compression ratio. Multiple versions of the …
Unrestored – 1948 Indian Chief
Post Listing Update: Despite 43 bids up to $20,200, this Chief did not meet reserve. In 1947, Indian sold 12,000 Chiefs. The next year, Indian only built 3,000 of them as they were shifting production to smaller bikes like the Arrow. The relative rarity makes the ’48 Chief special, but this example is even more interesting as it’s had just …
Restored – 1974 Rokon Trailbreaker 2WD
Post Listing Update: After being relisted, this Trailbreaker still could not meet reserve despite 34 bids up to $3,050. Founded about 50 years ago, Rokon has become synonymous with two-wheel-drive motorcycles that are able to go anywhere. Initially designed as a motorcycle/tractor, the Trailbreaker lives up to its name with incredibly low gearing that enables riders to climb up steep …
Resto-Mini – 1970 Rupp Scrambler
The story of Rupp Manufacturing (or Industries) is a fascinating one with a history spanning almost two decades. They produced a vast range of motorized on and off-road toys and even managed to hold its own for a while against Japan’s stranglehold on the industry once the Z50 Mini Trail debuted. The company was founded in Mansfield, Ohio in 1959 …
#69 – 1999 Excelsior-Henderson Super X
If you like Excelsior-Henderson but you don’t have the coin to buy the entire brand, maybe I can interest you in this early production example of the Super X, an attempt to bring the company back in the late 90s.
Q-Tec Quad Conversion – 2015 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail Classic
In a small town in Belgium called Dilsen-Stokkem, Sandy Poglavec created a Harley shop called Poechy’s Classics. After 20 years of customizing bikes with an automotive specialist named Erick, both gentlemen decided to start a company called Q-Tec Engineering to develop trikes (and even quads) on the Softail platform. Here’s one of the rare quad builds, which does not require …
Ending Soon – 1965 Harley-Davidson FLH
Post Sale Update: This Panhead sold for $21,077.77 after 26 bids on eBay. 1965 marked the last year of the Panhead motor and the first year of the Electra Glide (electric start). It was also the year that this beautiful FLH was built, which means it is one of just 6,900 examples. This bike still looks great thanks to a …
New In Crate – 1992 Harley-Davidson FXDB Daytona
10-13-2017 Update: Almost a year later (again), this bike is back up for sale with another discount. You can now find it with a BIN of $15,900 or best offer here on eBay. 12-8-2016 Update: Over a year later, this bike is back up for sale for $20,000 or best offer here on eBay. 3-24 Update: Reader Jim R notes …
Early American – 1911 Yale Single
Post Listing Update: This Yale did not meet reserve despite 48 bids up to $25,368.13 (BIN was $36,500). 10-12-17 Update: This bike did not sell on Craigslist so now it’s up on eBay and we can see what the market thinks of it. Bidding is currently up to $24,100 with the reserve not yet met here on eBay. 10-12-17 Bonus …
2WD – 1971 Pak-Jak 3 Wheel Scooter
Post Sale Update: After 13 bids on eBay, this Pak-Jak sold for $2,949. Built by the Right Way Manufacturing Corporation of Owen, Wisconsin, the Pak-Jak was an in-line 3 wheel trail bike that was advertised as an all-terrain climber of hills. From what I’ve been able to find online, approximately 125 examples were built before the company went bankrupt. Here’s …
Original Paint – 1913 Flying Merkel
Post Listing Update: Despite a hefty 128 bids up to $89,999, this Flying Merkel did not meet reserve. Built between 1911 and 1915, the Flying Merkel is one of the most iconic American motorcycles of all time. The brand actually started back in 1902 as a bicycle builder, but a year later the founder (Joseph Merkel) started slapping single-cylinder motors …
“The Wrench” – 1980 Harley-Davidson Shovelhead Custom
Long before modern electronics were found inside motorcycles, it was just the rider, the bike, and a couple of wrenches. I’ve never been a huge fan of what I like to call “Gimmick Builds”, but this custom shovelhead gets a pass as far as I’m concerned. The build quality and attention to detail on this one-off Harley are nothing short …
Needs Some Work – 1971 Speedway Silver Shadow
Post Listing Update: This Silver Shadow did not get any interest at the opening ask of $3,000. For many minibike collectors, the Silver Shadow is as good as it gets. Speedway called it the world’s fastest mini-cycle thanks to a 12.5 horsepower Sachs 2-stroke motor and a weight of just 147 pounds. It’s also incredibly rare – I’ve seen estimates …
Diesel Power – 2009 Kawasaki M1030M1
Post Listing Update: The seller lowered the asking price to $14,000 from the original $30k but that still wasn’t enough to attract any attention. KLR fans, take a close look at that motor. If it looks different than what you’re used to, it’s because this is a diesel-powered Kawasaki built by Hayes Diversified Technologies for the US Marine Corps. Hayes …