We’ve featured two limited editions of this bike before – a Paul Smart and a 1-of-100 Sport1000 Special Edition, but today we feature an immaculate 1-owner,
3 Wheeler – 2009 Piaggio MP3 500
We’ve always been fascinated by the Piaggio MP3 500, the claim to fame for which is its ability to lean up to 40 degrees despite having two front wheels. Capable of a top speed of 89 mph, the MP3 500 also returns 56 mpg and is capable of braking in 20% less distance compared to its two-wheeled brethren. This, in …
1952 Vespa Faro Basso
12-17 Update: This Vespa Faro Basso has been relisted with the same BIN price of $13,000 here on eBay.. We’ve had a few complaints that we don’t feature enough scooters here at Bike-urious. That’s probably fair – though we don’t find (or get tips on) many scooters that truly tickle our fancy. Until now. Meet the Vespa Faro Basso – …
Hercules – 1954 Moto Guzzi Ercole
Post-Sale Update: After 40 bids, this Moto Guzzi Ercole sold for $12,759. The Moto Guzzi Ercole (Italian for Hercules) is a fantastic vintage three-wheeler typically used as a shop/farm runabout. Able to carry nearly a ton, this bike truly earned its’ nickname. On either side of the rider there are fold out seats, upping capacity to 3 total individuals, and …
1974 Benelli Tornado 650S
Benelli is one of the very few motorcycles that has been around for over 100 years. An Italian company that has a great history in small displacement racing, the firm decided to specifically target the US and British markets with a vertical twin – the Benelli Tornado 650S that you see in front of you today. At the time of …
1982 Ducati TT2
Among many other things, Ducati is known worldwide nowadays for its trellis frame and belt-driven camshaft V-Twin engine, both of which owe their formation to the 1980 Pantah. The Pantah also formed the base of one of the greatest motorcycles of the 80s – the Ducati TT2 racer.
1978 Ducati 900 SD Darmah
Post-Sale Update: After 9 bids on eBay, this Ducati 900 SD Darmah sold for $7,000. After the classic 750 GT of the 70s, Ducati looked to evolve with a simpler engine, and they ended up with the first ‘square case’ bevel twin – the 860 GT. It was a commercial flop, so just a few years later, the Ducati 900 …
Italian Bonanza
Reader David N. alerted us to a veritable treasure trove of classic late 80’s Italians, all being offered by one seller outside of Oklahoma City. We’ve actually written descriptions on all of these models of bikes before, so we won’t bore you with individual details this time around. If you want to learn more about the history about any given …
Benelli Dreaming – 1974 Yamaha RD250
Post-Sale Update: This RD250 sold for $5,700 on eBay. Produced from ’73 to ’79, the air-cooled Yamaha RD250 was always in the shadow of the famous RD350, but today it provides the base of an interesting Italian-influenced custom. The RD250 produced 30 horsepower and interestingly enough, had 6 gears in the transmission, but you could only access 5. Removing a …
#388 – 1999 Ducati 996 SPS
A limited edition of one of the prettiest motorcycles ever made, the Ducati 996 SPS (Sport Production Special) was an uprated version that featured a modified engine and chassis. Nearly all the specifications were improved, with lighter 5-spoke wheels, Ohlins rear shocks and Showa front forks, it was designed to be the ultimate 996, and it eventually evolved to become …
1969 Italjet Vampire 50
12-1 Update: The seller of this bike is now trying an auction instead of a BIN. Find this Italjet Vampire back on eBay with an opening bid of $3,500. Italjet is a (surprise) Italian manufacturer of small motorcycles founded in 1959 by Leopoldo Tartarini. A pilot by trade, Tartarini ended up completing a 60,000 km trip around the world on …
1987 Cagiva Alazzurra 650SS
Produced for just three years, the Cagiva Alazzurra was a rebadged Ducati street bike. Cagiva purchased Ducati in 1985, and was looking to grow their market share in larger-displacment bikes. Instead of building one from scratch, they used a 650cc version of the Pantah engine for both the Alazzurra and the Elefant. MSRP wa $3,893, putting it slightly above the …
Snakebit – 1967 Benelli Cobra
Starting in the 1950s, department stores like Sears and Montgomery Ward rebadged Italian small displacement bikes from Puch, Gilera, and Benelli and sold them right out of their brick and mortar stores, or even out of the mail order catalogs. MW was particularly fond of Benelli, and rebranded the Benelli Cobra into the Montgomery Ward Riverside 125. As a buyer, …
2004 Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory
11-22 Update: This Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory has been relisted here on eBay with a starting bid of $7,000. In the mid to late 2000’s, Aprilia produced one of the best liter bikes the world had ever seen…the Aprilia RSV 1000 R Factory. Consumers didn’t respond as favorably as they should have, possibly because these bikes didn’t have “Ducati” …
Little Italian – 1993 Cagiva Mito
From many angles, the Cagiva Mito looks like a large Italian supersport – but your eyes may deceive you. Part of that may come from the name itself, as Mito is Italian for “myth”. Debunking the myth, you’ll see that it’s just powered by a 125cc two-stroke single cylinder engine, capable of 30 horsepower and a surprising top speed of …