The most popular of the classic Vespas in the US, the “P-series” debuted in 1977 with 125, 150, and 200cc variants. The frames were the same – all that different was the motor and the model name. For the American market, Vespa equipped all of the options (turn signals, 12V electrics, auto oil injection). In the early 80s, Vespa introduced …
2006 Ducati 999R Xerox
Built between 2003-2006, the Ducati 999 (and the regular 999 it was based on) was initially met with mixed reviews with regards to the styling. But no one can deny the success that Ducati had in WSBK and AMA racing with the top-of-the-line 999R. To comply with AMA homologation rules, the States got 300 examples of the most powerful production …
1982 Moto Guzzi V50 Monza
Post Listing Update: Despite 21 bids on eBay up to $3,150, this Monza did not meet reserve. 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. To help the model stand out, Guzzi released a sportier …
Custom Paint – 1985 Cagiva Alazzurra 650
Post Listing Update: This Cagiva was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. In the early 80s, Cagiva was producing some quality small-displacement bikes but they needed some help cracking into the big bike market. They bought Ducati in 1985, used the design for the Pantah, and created the Alazzurra. If you don’t mind a bike that’s been repainted, …
Italian Two-Stroke – 1968 Cimatti C100
Though Cimatti Motorcycles was founded in 1937, it would be well over a decade before it produced its first motorized two-wheeler. The marque was started by Marco Cimatti, who won a Gold Medal in cycling at the 1932 Olympics. Despite the company starting up in a turbulent period economically, the bicycle manufacturer managed to beat the odds and remain profitable. …
1977 Laverda 1000 V6 Prototype
The 1977 Laverda 1000 V6 Prototype is quite possibly the most interesting bike I’ve ever featured on Bike-urious. Despite the concept for the bike stemming from the questionable idea that was to bring an automotive engineer onboard to design a V6 race engine, it’s still a genuinely awesome machine. This bike doesn’t appear to have the same kind of notoriety …
NCR Leggera 1200 Special Tribute – 2008 Ducati Hypermotard
NCR is unobtanium for most of us, but it doesn’t cost anything to simply lust after their wares – and lusting is all I can do with this exotic called the Leggera 1200. It started as a Ducati Hypermotard but thanks to extreme fettling it produced 30 more horsepower and 16 more pound-feet of torque. More impressively? It weighs 295 …
1 of 200 – 1987 Ducati F1 Laguna Seca
The Ducati F1 750 is a machine of historical significance as it’s widely considered to be the last “true Ducati” prior to Cagiva taking over. The F1 was a street-legal updated version of the mid-’80’s TT1. From ’86 to ’88 Ducati would release a trio of special edition F1’s in celebration of the machine’s various successes around the world – …
2017 Magni MV Filo Rosso
Modern-retro sport bikes rarely get it right. Often times the mix of old and new results in a cool vintage looking machine with poor performance. Though this is far from your regular modern-retro, the Magni MV Agusta Filo Rosso gets it right, and then some. The beautiful Italian triples are handmade by Giovanni Magni in the Moto Magni factory just …
Still New – 1983 Ducati 900 Mike Hailwood Replica
Ducati Mike Hailwood replicas are some of the most coveted motorcycles in the last half-century. Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood is an objective legend, with 10 world championship titles, 76 GP championship races, and 14 TT wins, all in a career that spanned roughly two decades. A little over a decade after he passed away, Sport Rider magazine called him “ …
Exotic Italian in Switzerland – 2003 Benelli Tornado Novecento Tre
Yesterday Abhi featured a 1974 Benelli Tornado, so when I came across a pristine first-year Tornado Tre example from 2003 I just couldn’t resist. The Tornado failed to garner the same level of attention that its fellow Italian sport bikes of the early-2000’s did (like the MV F4 and Ducati 916) but it’s nonetheless a stellar motorcycle. The model was …
1974 Benelli Tornado 650S
Post Sale Update: After being relisted, this Tornado sold for a BIN of $3,800 on eBay. While Benelli had some good success with small displacement bikes, they knew that many American and British riders were only throwing their money at big bikes, and the Italian firm had nothing to attract those dollars. They decided to target these riders with a …
1968 Gilera 124 5V
Post Listing Update: This Gilera did not get any interest at the BIN of $5,750. Also offered under the “Sears” brand, Gilera’s 124 5V was just about the last bike the Italian brand made before they were bought by Piaggio in 1969.
Sitting for 4 Decades – 1952 MV Agusta 125 Turismo D
Post Listing Update: This Turismo D was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. The “D” model of MV Agusta’s 125 Turismo was produced in 1952, and the main upgrades from the “C” included the front suspension (as MV calls it, a “pressed steel front parallelogram suspension”) and a new gas tank. This beautiful example has spent “almost all …
1959 Moto Guzzi Galletto
Post Listing Update: This Galletto did not meet reserve despite 25 bids up to $4,550. Carlo Guzzi was one of Moto Guzzi’s three co-founders back in 1921, and he was the brainchild behind a scooter/motorcycle hybrid called the Galletto (cockerel in Italian). Over approximately 15 years of production, 75,000 units were sold.