US minibike enthusiasts will be familiar with the Honda NSR50. Japan got a 80cc variant that was never sold in the US, but here’s an example that’s somehow made it across the ocean.
1966 Suzuki S32-2 Olympian
Known as the Olympian, the Suzuki S32-2 was a handsome two-stroker with a 150cc twin engine. Here’s a runner which looks to be in decent shape thanks to new tires, new paint, and a reupholstered original seat.
CL Pipes – 1974 Honda CB450
The seller of this bike is the same person who restored it. He calls himself a longtime Honda enthusiast and fabricator, and he took a Texas barn find bike and brought it back to life with some cosmetic twists. What do you think?
Ooh, Shiny – 1966 Honda CL77 Scrambler
The seller of this bike aptly describes it as “over-restored.” The story is that the restorer worked at a chrome shop, so any parts that he didn’t either have NOS or couldn’t buy new were chromed! The current seller bought it from the restorer (whom I will now call Chromefinger) and has kept it in his living room as a …
Another Revolution Heard From – 1974 Yamaha TY250
Post Sale Update: This TY250 sold for $2,175 after 18 bids on eBay. The early to middle part of the 1970s were a wonderful time to be a motorcycle junkie. The Japanese manufacturers were aggressively in search of market share worldwide-seemingly expanding into every niche and even creating new ones that we didn’t even know we wanted.
Do You Remember? 1974 Suzuki T500
The Suzuki T500 line was an unquestionably a very good motorcycle that sold more than 100,000 units across ten years and is rarely remembered today. Overshadowed by Honda’s Black Bomber four strokes and Kawasaki’s death wish two stroke triples, the T500 was big, reliable and rideable. Just not very flashy. Suzuki brought out their parallel twin two stroke motorcycles with …
The Legend Begins – 1975 Honda Goldwing
In late 1974 there was a huge buzz around Honda. Everybody speculated that Honda would bring out an update to the uber successful CB 750 that had stood the market on it’s ear 6 years earlier. Kawasaki had the Z1 out and selling like crazy and everybody KNEW that Honda needed to up their game. Everybody was right of course, …
RC36 – 1991 Honda VFR750F
Now normally I would not get all too excited about a Honda sportbike. They generally fit into the category referred to as “UJMs”, that is, universal Japanese motorcycles, the standard inline-4 cylinder we are all so familiar with. But back in 1986 Honda took a slightly different route. The 1986 model was introduced as a fully-faired, V-4 of 748cc, with …
In Australia – 1982 Honda BiMonkey
Honda’s Monkey bike (known the world over but sometimes with a different name) is one of the most notable motorcycles ever built. Between ’87 and ’88, Honda built a RT variant which was only available in Japan. According to the seller, approximately 40 of those RT bikes were converted to these adorable little replicas of the Bimota DB1 called the …
Beautiful Cosmetics – 1969 Yamaha DS6C
The seller says he doubts “there is a DS6C in this type of condition outside of a museum.” It hasn’t run in 4 years but it’s been properly stored. I haven’t seen one better – plus this comes with a spare bike that needs new rings so you’ve got nearly every spare you could want. (Yeah, except rings. Smartass.)
The Thumper Returns – 1976 Yamaha TT500
Through all of the 1960s you really had two choices if you wanted to play in the dirt. Many manufacturers made ‘Scrambler’ models but they really were better at getting you to the dirt than actually getting dirty. You could either ride a two stroke single that made horsepower like crazy or ride a vintage English 4 stroke single. Both …
Let the Good Times Roll – 1977 Kawasaki KZ650
When Kawasaki introduced the 900 CC Z1 in 1972 it was an instant game changer. The Z1 set the 24 hour endurance record at Daytona with 2,631 miles, an average speed of 109 MPH that exceeded the former record by over 19 MPH. The Z1 was on its way to legend status.
Ending Soon – 1983 Kawasaki GPz550
When Kawasaki introduced the GPz550 in 1981, it was a shot in the arm of the middleweight class. Now riders could get something fast, nimble, and sporty without having to get a big bike!
Dresda Framed – 1979 Honda CB750 Formula Racer
In the 1960s, a gentleman named Dave Degens started building frames under the brand name of Dresda. He initially had success with Tritons, and then big companies started to approach him. One of the most notable was Japauto, Honda’s importer in France. They had Degens build a racing frame for Honda 750cc and 900cc motors, and the team ended up …
Street Legal Track Bike – 2001 Suzuki SV650S
1-2-2017 Update: Reader Andy S bought this bike several months ago but he’s just acquired a Husky 701 Supermoto and he needs room in his garage. He’s made some upgrades for better street legality (turn signals/lights) and it’s now for sale in Bloomington, California for $2,900 here on Craigslist. With a bike that’s as popular as the SV650, it might …