Today, factory customs are mainstream staples in the motorcycling world, but that wasn’t always the case. Customizing bikes – at least in the manner we know today – was largely unheard of before the 1970’s. Custom choppers did exist, and people would modify bikes for track and racing purposes, but custom street bikes couldn’t have been less embraced by magazines …
No Reserve – 1970 Yamaha RT1 360
Post Sale Update: This RT1 sold for $6,855 after 32 bids on eBay. Yamaha earned themselves a lot of fans with the release of the 360cc RT1 enduro in 1970. The motorcycling public had high expectations after the smaller DT1/AT1 models, so the big brother was going to be just as good, right? Indeed it was. That’s why they are …
World Record Jumper – 1972 Yamaha 650
Post Listing Update – despite 21 bids on eBay, this Yamaha did not meet reserve at $6,200. John “Cowboy” Hall was a stunt rider in the 70s who earned three world records with this Yamaha 650 that has since been converted to a street legal tracker. His records included jumping 20 cars in Nashville, Tennessee, 16 cars (indoors) in Portland, …
HRC-Framed Magazine Build – 2005 Honda CR250R
M66 Productions is a San Diego-based production company specializing in action sports who are capable of putting together everything from standalone YouTube videos to full DVD releases. In addition to professional video and photography work, M66 appears to dabble in high-performance project builds as well. Their latest project comes in the form of a 2005 Honda CR250R that has supposedly …
Vesco Fairing – 2013 Honda CB1100
12-6-17 Update: 18 months later, this CB is back up for sale with another 8,000 miles on the odometer. You can find it with a $1,000 discount down to $8,500 or best offer here on ADVRider (registration required). I thought this was interesting but no one commented last time around. Is the fairing too weird? The motor too weak? Asking …
1981 Kawasaki KZ440 LTD
In 1974, Kawasaki built a production plant in Lincoln, Nebraska to crank out their new mid-sized street bike, the KZ400 twin. It made Kawasaki the first international motorcycle manufacturer with a plant in the US – something they would celebrate 4 years later with an exclusive run of Americanized KZ1000s. In the early 80s, the KZ400 grew into the KZ440. …
Two-Stroke Tiddler – 1972 Suzuki AC50 Maverick
The 1960’s and ’70’s were a golden era for small-displacement bikes. One of the noteworthy little “tiddlers” from this era was the Suzuki AC50 Maverick, a 50cc scrambler produced from ’70 to ’74. The Maverick never had the same level of popularity as Honda’s Cub C110, but the AC50 supposedly held the title of world’s fastest 50cc production bike at …
Ending Soon – 1971 Kawasaki G4TR Trail Boss
Post Sale Update: This Trail Boss sold for $2,225 after 37 bids on eBay. Kawasaki’s challenger to Yamaha’s DT100, the G4TR was also known as the Trail Boss in certain markets. It was was a light-weight, go-anywhere enduro with a 5×2 speed transmission. You could climb a 40 degree angle in first gear or keep up with traffic doing 65 …
Raced at Daytona – 1975 Yamaha TZ750-B
12-4-17 Update: Over a year and a half later, this TZ750 is back up for sale. Since that time, it looks like the only change has been the removal of the CycleWak.com sticker from the fairing. Find it with an unmet opening bid of $38,500 here on eBay. Post Listing Update: This TZ got no interest at the asking price …
Purple People Eater – 1975 Kawasaki H2C 750
Kawasaki’s two-stroke triples were some of the company’s greatest bikes of all time. The legendary H2 750’s earned their “Widow Maker” nickname and were the fastest production bikes in the world upon their release. The H2C was the final version of the model and the so called “Purple People Eater” livery is reportedly the rarest of the H2’s factory color …
Factory Works Racer – 1968 Kawasaki A1R
Factory works race machines demonstrate the very best manufacturers have to offer, and this 1968 Kawasaki A1R is no exception. This example is one of two factory team specials built by Kawa and was piloted by AMA Hall of Fame inductee Ralph White at the Loudon National. This bike is NOT a production road racer and only has a three-digit …
Fighting Red – 1990 Honda Transalp XL600V
In the late 80s, Honda offered both an AT and a TA – the Africa Twin and the Transalp. Both were ahead of the times, though the latter was more street-biased. Consider it a jack of all trades sort of bike with a cult following. The US only got the Transalp between ’89 and ’91, and it was much more …
His and Hers – Pair of Yamaha Jog Scooters
When it comes to Yamaha 50cc scooters, most of you are probably more familiar with the Yamaha Riva. But for nearly a decade, Yamaha offered a “fancy” version called the Jog – complete with upgrades like a CVT and a second mirror! Ooooh. While the Jog was originally sold in 1983, it didn’t make it to the US until 1986. …
No Reserve – 1975 Honda CB400F Super Sport
Post Listing Update: This bike was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. More of an evolution rather than a revolution, the Honda CB400F has one of the most distinctive exhaust systems ever produced – known by some as the “waterfall pipes”. Though it wasn’t as fast as its competition, this little four cylinder was smoother, quieter, and gave …
Fact or Fiction – 1972 Yamaha GS650
11-30-2017 Update – 3 years later, commenter “Say what???” notes that this bike is back up for sale with a significant discount down to $8,500 from $15,000. If that price makes more sense to you, find this GS650 for sale here on Cycle Trader, still in Midlothian, Virginia. Here’s an interesting footnote in Yamaha’s history – the question is if …