Indian introduced the Scout in 1920 and the run continued until WWII. It would be one of Indian’s best selling models of all time and some consider the second generation Scout (1928-31) the best motorcycle made by Indian. The first generation Scout was somewhat underpowered but by the second generation the motor and handling had improved which led to legendary …
Jay LaRossa’s Own Ride – 1970 Honda CL450
Post Listing Update: This CL “sold” for $7,100 after 31 bids on eBay but the sale did not go through. It’s not often we ordinary mortals get a shot to buy a famous builders personal ride, and it’s even less common that it’s an unusual custom. Jay LaRossa built this bike for himself as therapy from his second bout with …
2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200
Post Listing Update: This XR1200 got not interest at the BIN of $6,899. Ask a sport bike rider what their favorite Harley is and there’s a good chance their answer will be “none of them.” But for those in the know, the XR1200 was an unexpected joy from Milwaukee, the land of big twins and relaxed riding styles. Clearly drawing …
Ending Soon – 197x Chaparral T95
In the 70s, snowmobile manufacturer Chaparral saw how popular dirt bikes were becoming, and wanted to get in on the craze. Among other models, they made a pull-start mini called the T95. The 96cc 2-stroke Fuji motor was good for 6 horsepower, and wet weight was just 130 pounds. Don’t get too excited, though – the infinitely variable torque converter …
Ending Soon – 1962 Harley-Davidson FLH Panhead
Good photos make a for sale listing so much better, and the snaps of this Panhead kept bringing me back to it. There’s some modifications that you might not agree with, but you can’t deny this bike looks good.
Last and First – 1948 Harley Davidson FL
Big news from the motor company in 1948 – the motor that would soon become known as the Panhead. Not only was the shape of the rocker covers different, but the heads were aluminum alloy (as opposed to cast iron) which greatly helped the cooling. The cam and rocker arms were redesigned to facilitate oil circulation and hydraulic lifters were …
Press Release – 2017 Indian Scout FTR750 Now For Sale
I typically don’t share press releases, but this one is too good to pass up (and it’s about a cool bike for sale). As you may know, the Scout is one of my favorite cruisers, and Indian has built a flat track variant called the FTR750 for racing. This week they announced that they’re now offering the race bike to …
$4.75 Million – 1996 Coca-Cola Road King
View Post1916 Indian Powerplus with Side Car
The Indian Power Plus was a successful roadster and canvas for racing bikes, especially with Erwin “Cannonball” Baker (after whom the Cannonball Run was named after). Hemmings called this “the engine that changed American motorcycling.” Today we’ve got an example that forgoes the racing pedigree for the utility of a sidecar.
1920 Excelsior Series 20
Excelsior introduced its first motorcycle in 1905 after starting in the bicycle business. In 1910 Excelsior introduced their first V-Twin and by 1911 the company had been bought by Ignaz Schwinn of the bicycle firm that bore his name. 1915 saw the introduction of the ‘Big X’ V-Twin, a 61 CID power plant that would carry on to 1925. The …
2003 Jesse Rooke Custom Kali Kruiser II
Post Listing Update: This custom Kruiser did not meet reserve with 15 bids up to $8,000. Jesse Rooke released his first custom bike in 2002, and since then he’s built a series of wild hardtail designs. This is apparently one of 11 examples of his Kali Kruiser II design.
1978 AMF Roadmaster Moped 3-fer
American Machine and Foundry was founded in 1900 by Rufus L. Patterson, inventor of the first automated cigarette rolling machine. In the course of time AMF bought many companies and manufactured many items, including Harley Davidson, Roadmaster Bikes, Alcort Sailboats, and AMF Atomics. Yes. AMF made small atomic reactors for the US Military. Fast forward to 1976. The gas crisis …
1 of 1 – 1913 Harley-Davidson Forecar
How much would the last of something be worth? In a world that is dominated by scarcity, real or imagined, what is the value of ‘the only one known to exist’? This Harley Davidson Forecar is the only one, and it’s for sale. The Forecar was introduced in 1913 in response to a perceived need for delivery vehicles in the …
Ending Soon – 1917 Colson Bicycle with Smith Motor Wheel
The Colson Corporation sold bicycles between 1917 and 1953, typically through retailers like Goodyear and Firestone. So why are you seeing one on a page about motorcycles? Because this first year Colson bicycle is equipped with a Smith Motor Wheel! Around 1910, Arthur William Wall developed a direct drive motor wheel to power a bicycle – it was the first …
1973 Penton Jackpiner 175
John Penton had a huge impact on two legendary motorcycle manufacturers at roughly the same time. Husqvarna and KTM both owe some of their success to the Ohio farmer. When Penton’s wife died in 1958 he took a year off to ride motorcycles. In the course of that year he won the Jack Pine and the Corduroy off road on …