Can-Am first came to my attention in the early ‘70s in Snowmobiles. The Ski-Doo line was the king of the snow, in terms of both speed and handling. In 1972 Can-Am (the motorcycle arm of the company) introduced it’s first dirt bikes. By 1973 Can-Am swept the podium at the Scottish 6 Day Trials and their reputation was made. Can-Am …
1978 Harley Davidson MX-250
In 1961 Harley Davidson purchased 50% of Aermacchi Motorcycles (Italy) and began importing them in an effort to capture younger riders. The MX 250 was among the last of these, and by all reports, not a bad dirt squirter. In fact, Harley Davidson won the motorcycle division of the Baja 500 in 1975 with an SX 250.
New In Crate – 1994 Harley-Davidson Road King FLHR
Harley-Davidson introduced the Road King in 1994, as a replacement for the FLHS. Someone apparently thought a first-year model (production build #169) would be collectible, so he or she bought one and kept it in the crate until a few days ago. Will the investment pay off?
1 of 11 – 2009 Ecosse Iconoclast
Ecossee Moto Works was founded in 2001, and it took them 3 years before they were able to release their first bike – the Heretic. A few years later, they released another model called the Iconoclast in partnership with 20ltd, an online shop that solely offers limited edition design pieces and photography. Just 11 examples were offered and they all …
1947 Indian Chief
By now, many of you know that I am extremely fond of the post war Chiefs. It was the first motorcycle that I rode on and my personal obsession dates from that day in 1956. I just love the valanced fender Chiefs. In 1939 Indian went to Bonneville Salt Flats to set LSRs with Chiefs and Scouts. Out of that …
1924 Indian Scout
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 …