The Aprilia RS250 Cup is by far, the most race-oriented of the street-legal 250s sold in the US. Built from 1995-2002, it was designed to pay homage to Aprilia’s success in the 250 GP championships. Powered by a modified Suzuki 250cc originally designed by Rotax, Aprilia made some of their own changes and made one of the most desirable 250’s …
No Reserve – 1971 Ducati 450 R/T Desmo
For one year only, Ducati decided to create a 450 motocrosser after their American importer convinced them it was a market worth exploring. “R/T” stood for Road/Trail, which might explain why the bike was heavier than the MX competition at 300 pounds. It did not sell well, meaning these are hard to find nowadays.
2000 Aprilia RSV Mille R
When it comes to Aprilia fanatics, “2000” needs clarification when it comes to the Mille. In the early part of 2000, Europe got 2000 models while the US got 1999 models – it wasn’t until later in the year that we got the proper 2000 models, which are known in the community as “2000.5”. They had a few minor upgrades …
1986 Moto Morini 350 K2
Post Sale Update: This K2 sold for $6,198 after 8 bids on eBay in Concord, California. 5-23-21 Update: Six years later and on the other side of the country, this K2 is up for sale by the second owner. He’s only covered 200 miles with it but recent maintenance includes rebuilt Dell’Orto carbs, a new cam belt, valve adjustment, and …
“The MadMan” – 1982 Cagiva Alazzurra 350 With Ducati 750 Engine
Per the seller, “This one-of-a-kind sporting machine is the result of the compatibility of Cagiva and Ducati components from those model years when both brands were divisions of the same company with shared engineering. The goal of the custom build was to create a very special middleweight super sport machine incorporating the best individual major components and offering thrilling street …
2000 Bimota SB8K Ultimo With 5 Kilometers
The Bimota SB8K Santamonica was already an incredible machine in its own right – in his First Ride review for Motorcyclist, Brian Catterson said “what I would have written back in 2000, had there been a point, was that the SB8K was the best twin-cylinder sportbike I’d ever ridden; more than a match for the reigning Ducati 996 and miles …
2001 Ducati 748R
In 2000, Ducati updated the 748 lineup to offer three variants – the base model, the S, and the R. The R was produced for WSS homologation purposes (750cc V-Twins competed against 600cc inline-4s). Only 2,610 R models were built, 185 of which came to the US. 100 of those came in 2001, including this one.
2015 Moto Guzzi Griso 8V SE
The Moto Guzzi Griso SE is a special edition of the venerable Griso, and it differed from the base bike with a fancy paint job, some blacked out parts, and spoked wheels. Mechanically, you also got adjustable suspension, and giant Brembo brakes – this bike was an interesting balance between the style of a custom with the components of a …
No Reserve – Ducati Desmosedici GP18 Signed Fairing
Andrea Dovizioso started off strong in the 2018 MotoGP season on his Ducati Desmosedici GP18, winning the season opener in Qatar. He’d end up winning four races that year, finishing second to Marc Marquez for the second year in a row. Over on the auction site, we’ve got a right fairing from one of the GP18 bikes (Dovizioso’s teammate that …
Ending Soon – 2005 Ducati 999R
In 2005, Ducati started exporting the 999R in earnest to satisfy the AMA homolgation requirements (the year before, just 50 were sold). For $29,995, this motorcycle was just about as close to a WSBK bike you could get.
Daytona Show Bike – 1993 Moto Guzzi SP III
Considered by some to have the best implementation of the 950cc Guzzi twin, the Moto Guzzi SP III was a solid sport touring bike that comes with a dose of Italian charm. This one stands out as it was a Daytona show bike from Harper’s Moto Guzzi from St. Louis, Missouri.
1966 Motobi Imperiale
After some disagreements with his family, Giuseppe Benelli created Moto ‘B’ Pesaro in 1949. He soon changed the name to Motobi, and the company quickly became known for small bikes with competition pedigree as well as the distinctive “Power Egg” motor.
1975 Moto Guzzi Custom Cafe Racer
Thanks to BikeEXIF for sharing this post in this week’s Speed Read! Post Sale Update: This custom Guzzi sold for $8,000 after 44 bids on eBay in Indio, California. Built with a 850T frame and a T3 engine (with a 955cc big bore kit), this interesting Guzzi custom is claimed to be very reliable and “as fast a stock Le …
In Norway – 2003 Vertemati SM570e
Brothers Guideo and Alvaro Vertemati founded a motorcycle company after winning several European and International titles with Husqvarna Italy and Husaberg Italy. They were the first company to go with four-strokes in off-roading (Dirt Bike magazine says they “changed the world” in this story) and went on to evolve their enduros and MX bikes into supermotos that were race bikes …
2009 Aprilia RS125 with 6 Miles
Finding a plated modern RS125 is hard enough in the United States, but this example stands out even further thanks to the fact that it has just 6 miles and is offered by the original owner.