When Moto Guzzi first released the V50 in the late 70s, they were met with a tepid response from an American market that preferred bigger bikes and expected smaller bikes to be cheaper. Guzzi updated the V50 to the “II” generation in 1979, giving it dual-point ignition, a larger sump, and Nikasil coating on the cylinder bores.
Original Owner – 2006 MV Agusta F4 1000
Over on the auction site we’ve got an interesting offering from our friends at Bartel’s Harley-Davidson – a MV Agusta F4 1000 that was traded in by the original owner. It had been sitting for a while so they had us make it a runner before listing it, but during the service we realized just how original it is – …
VTOPIA Design Kit – 2013 Vyrus 984
One of the craziest bikes we’ve ever featured on the auction site, this Vyrus 984 has been made even more exclusive with the addition of a design kit from VTOPIA – supposedly one of four such-equipped bikes in the world. The 984 first debuted back in 2003 at the Padova Motorcycle Show. At the time, it was powered by a …
Unico Moto Custom – 2007 Ducati Monster S4R
Built by Unico Moto, this is the “Unico Stealth.” It started as Ducati Monster S4R with which Unico sought to “maintain the retro/modern approach while incorporating a more raw and industrial look.” How do you think they did?
No Reserve – CA Plated 1998 Aprilia RS250
A couple of months ago, I found something that’s a bit of a unicorn – an Aprilia RS250 with a California plate! It had been sitting for a few years so I had our shop bring it back to life and I hoped it would make for a fun option in my stable of commuters. But as any two-stroke fan …
#24 of 100 – 1998 Ducati 748L Neiman Marcus Edition
The little brother of the bike that put Ducati back on the map, the 748 was produced in many variations. None were more rare than the Ducati 748L, also known as the Neiman Marcus edition. Only 100 were produced in 1998, and they were exclusively sold through the Neiman Marcus catalog.
65 Miles – 2004 Moto Guzzi MGS-01 Corsa
Post Sale Update: This MGS-01 sold for $48,150 (including the 7% buyer’s fee) on Iconic Motorbike Auctions. Moto Guzzi Sport, Number 1 – that’s what MGS-01 stood for. Doesn’t matter what you called it, it was an unexpected taste of what Guzzi would be capable of if they wanted to rub shoulders with Ducati or Aprilia in the exotic, red-blooded …
1 Mile – 1996 Bimota BB1 Supermono
Bimota’s first BMW-powered motorcycle, the BB1 Supermono was also the first Bimota to be powered by a single-cylinder motor. In total, 524 were sold – 376 as a red/grey Supermono and another 148 Supermono Bipostos in dark blue…as found here. This one’s up for auction with us over at Iconic, and it’s never been ridden!
1981 Ducati MHR 900
Built to celebrate Mike the Bike’s comeback triumph at the ’78 Isle of Man TT, the Ducati 900 MHR (Mike Hailwood Replica) was initially produced solely for homologation purposes. As such, just 200 were built in 1979. But demand was so high that Ducati decided to keep production going, and by the end of the run in 1986 the Italian …
In England – 2008 Vyrus 985 C3 4V Carbon
If the hub-center craziness of the Bimota Tesi 3D isn’t powerful and exotic enough for you, then you need to give Vyrus a call. Circa 2008, Bimota’s hub-center steering flagship was making 95 horsepower thanks to a Ducati 1100 Evo motor. Meanwhile, Vyrus was stuffing a Ducati 999R motor – and that was good for 150 hp. That, among other …
2011 Aprilia RS4
Over on the auction site we’ve got something that was never sold in the US – an Aprilia RS4. We’re used to seeing the RSV4 here, but the RS4 is a little 125cc that was introduced in 2011 as the successor to the RS125 two-stroke.
2003 Aprilia RSV Mille R Haga Edition
During the 2002 World Superbike season, Noriyuki Haga — also known as the the “Samurai of Slide” or “Nitro Nori” — placed fourth overall on his RSV Mille. Aprilia commemorated Haga’s efforts with a limited production run of the RSV Mille R. Just 300 Haga Replicas were built for the 2003 model year, 60 of which were sold in the …
Italian Police – 1970 Moto Guzzi V7
By 1970, Moto Guzzi was offering four different variants of the V7 – the Sport, Special, Ambassador, and a Police bike. The Police platform had a bit of success in the US, but it was much more popular in Europe. This is claimed to be an Italian “Polizia Stradale” V7 that’s been restored to concourse level.
1973 Ducati 750 Sport
A highlight of Ducati’s historical lineup, the 70s 750 Sport was a primary inspiration for the ahead-of-its-time 2006-2010 Sport Classic 1000 line up. Here’s one that’s been on display for years and has been recently serviced so it’s ready to ride.
2 Kilometers – 2002 Ducati MH900e
Over on the auction site, we’ve got a never-ridden example of one of the most visually-extreme Ducatis in the last 30 years. Originally a sketch from the legendary Pierre Terblanche, the design got Ducati plenty of positive feedback so they decided to post a survey on their website to see if their passionate fans would actually buy a production version. …