Ben Bostrom was born in 1974 in Redding, California into a family of moto nuts. Ben’s father was Dave Bostrom, whose brother was Paul Bostrom, both of whom were successful dirt racers. Like his father and uncle, Ben sharpened his skills aboard an MXer, winning the 1993 AMA National dirt championship before making the switch to tarmac in 1995. In …
Euro Model – 1984 Kawasaki KZ1100R
For some reason, the seller of this KZ keeps calling it a Eddie Lawson replica (even though he admits that’s not the case at the end of the listing), but I still think this is interesting because it’s a West German model that was originally acquired by a member of the US Army who brought it back to California after …
1989 Yamaha TDR250
I didn’t feature a TDR250 for years, but now this is the third one I’ve seen in the last month! Considering how unique it is, I’m OK with that – a dual-sport frame with a retuned two-stroke motor from a TZR250 sportbike is a recipe for success in my book. Yamaha called it “Ultimate Dual”. I call it weird. Whatever …
DG Race Replica – 1975 Honda CR125M Elsinore
In the 1970’s, motocross racing had become fairly mainstream with several top racers becoming household celebrity names. In this highly competitive era, the big manufacturers poured absurd amounts of funding into race R&D, driving the constant evolution of MXers. Despite the large staff and state of the art facilities that the big mocos possessed, a few talented wrenchers created something …
Japan Only – 1986 Suzuki GSX-R 750 Limited Edition
Post Sale Update: This Gixxer sold for the BIN of $18,700. Suzuki’s Limited Edition variant of the first-generation was a special bike, but if you if you want something special AND incredibly rare in the US, then here’s the JDM-version of the Limited Edition. Lucky for you, it’s already been legally imported and registered in Washington. I’ve only featured a …
First Year – 1988 Honda XRV650 Africa Twin RD03
Post Sale Update: This Africa Twin sold for $8,700 after 37 bids on eBay. The first generation of the Africa Twin was introduced in 1988 in response to Honda’s success with the NXR750 racebike – it would end up winning Paris-Dakar four years in a row, starting in 1986. Honda already had the single-cylinder NX650 and the V-Twin Transalp, but …
Jim Granger Owned – 1990 Honda RC30
If you’re passionate about Honda’s legendary RC30, you’ve probably heard of Jim Granger. He’s an expert when it comes to the model, so any example that’s been under his care is worth a close look. According to the seller, this example was Jim’s personal bike between 1991 and 2014 and it features a lot of trick HRC parts.
Rare Racer – 1966 Bridgestone 175 Dual Twin
As of 2015, Bridgestone was the world’s largest tire manufacturer in the world, with 141 facilities in 24 countries. They started building motorcycles after WWII but they eventually shied away from it because their biggest source of income was selling tires to Honda, Yamaha, and Suzuki – so why compete with them? Riders in the know thought Bridgestone made some …
Good For A Laugh – 1993 Honda PC800 Pacific Coast
The Honda Pacific Coast was truly an oddball of a motorcycle, but it’s become a cult classic and resale values typically surprise motorcyclists who don’t follow these bikes closely. For a certain type of rider, this is the perfect two-wheeler – reliable, comfortable, ample integrated storage, and adequate handling. For the seller of this specific example, it’s a “piece of …
Best of the Bolts – 2014 Yamaha Star Bolt
9-19-17 Update: Over two years later, this Hageman build is back up for sale. It’s moved up north a bit, so you can find it in Charlottesville, Virginia with bidding up to $3,100 and the reserve not yet met or a BIN of $14,900 here on eBay. Post-Sale Update: After being relisted, this Yamaha Star Bolt sold for $16,250. Back …
Hondas and Indians – 3 Cool Minis
Minibikes have a more universal appeal in the motorcycle world quite possibly more than any other type of motorized two-wheeler. So many motorcyclists have stories to share of piloting a mini that they, a cousin, or a kid down the street owned. For many of these riders, this would be their first introduction into a lifelong moto-obession. Indian wasn’t particularly …
No Reserve – 1989 Kawasaki ZXR400
Due to licensing laws, Japan saw much more competition in the 400cc sportbike market compares to the US and Europe. Kawasaki’s entry was the ZXR400, and compared to the competition it was more of a race replica.
1972 Honda CL350 Cafe Racer
This CL350 has been turned into a cafe racer by the last two owners and it looks like a nice runabout with a good blend of style and fun.
Santa Barbara – 1964 Yamaha YA6
The YA6 was best known for being Yamaha’s first production bike with automatic oil injection – you may remember the feature by the name of “Autolube.” The oil injection was immensely popular and was offered throughout Yamaha’s lineup for decades. The YA6 was much less successful, making them a rare find nowadays. This survivor has remained in good shape and …
RC31 Racer – 1988 Honda Hawk GT
Post Listing Update: This Hawk got no interest at the opening ask of $4,200. It was relisted with a similar fate at $3,700. Offered by the second owner, this race bike only gets ridden two or three times a year so the seller wants it to go to someone else who will enjoy it more frequently. The Honda Hawk GT …