The last in the long line of Yamaha’s RD series, the RD400F (also known as the Daytona Special) is considered by many to be the best of the model line. The press went nuts for it – Cycle magazine called it “Dennis the Menace on Yokohama tires, and…the most fun street motorcycle currently available for sale.”
1968 Bridgestone Mountain 90
In 1964, Bridgestone introduced a series of 90cc motorcycles – there were 9 different models based around 4 primary designs. One of the designs was the Mountain, and you can probably guess by the name that this was built to go off-road. Here’s an example with an older restoration that’s been sitting for a decade and a half. Someone needs …
2003 Honda CBR954RR
Produced for just two years, the 954 generation of the Honda Fireblade was commercially overshadowed by the competition from Suzuki and Yamaha, but I always thought it was the most “practical” literbike you could buy at the time. That inherently might have been the problem – who was looking for practical supersports? I fell in love with the Fireblades after …
1964 Pointer Super Lassie
Post Sale Update: This Super Lassie sold for the opening bid of $2,500. A Japanese aircraft manufacturer, Kawanishi (eventually rebranded as Shin Meiwa) was looking to expand their product portfolio so they got into motorcycles. I’ve really struggled to find good information on the brand, but it seems that they started motorcycle producion in 1946, called themselves Pointer in the …
Rare in the US – 1983 Suzuki Tempter GR650D
This Suzuki is rarely seen in the US as it was only offered here in ’83 and ’84. In other markets it was called the GR650 (and available until ’89), for some reason it was called the Tempter in America. It’s a fairly straightforward UJM but it featured one interesting innovation: a ‘dual-stage’ flywheel with an centrifugal clutch that would …
3 Bikes – Police Motorcycle Collection
6-1-16 Update: The seller has let me know that the HD has sold. He’s now asking for $4,500 each for the remaining two, or $8,000 for both. Here are three police motorcycles being sold in a package deal – you’ve got an American, and Italian, and a Japanese bike. Sounds like the start to a bad joke (or the opening …
Needs Some Work – 1962 Tohatsu Runpet
Post-Listing Update: No one seems interested in this Tohatsu – it keeps getting relisted at a lower opening bid, with no action. As of 6-14 it’s got a unmet opening bid of $550, find it here on eBay. Founded in 1922, Tohatsu is now best known for their outboard motors. But in the 50s and 60s, they produced some excellent …
Restored or Original – Honda SS125A
The predecessor to the CB125, Honda’s SS125A was the ‘Super Sport’ option in a series of rare quarter-liter slopers that also included the CL125 (scrambler), CD125 (touring), and a Japan-only CS125. They are not easy to find nowadays, which makes it all the more surprising that I’ve got two for you to peruse. One’s been restored and the other…hasn’t.
$950 – 1965 Bridgestone Sport 60
You know Bridgestone as a tire manufacturer nowadays, but for a few years they produced very competitive small motorcycles ranging in displacement from 50cc to 350cc. Here’s one of the smaller models, a 60cc Sport. The two-stroke rotary-valve single was good for 5.8 horsepower and it was paired with a 4-speed rotary transmission. I can’t determine if all of these …
1984 Kawasaki GPZ1100
In 1983, Kawasaki gave the GPZ1100 a serious redesign with new bodywork, anti-dive forks, and the Uni-Trak rear suspension. Power output was also bumped to 120 horsepower (104 at the rear wheel), though this was gained at the expense of low-end torque.
In Canada – 1993 Honda Africa Twin XRV750
Honda’s bringing the Africa Twin back this year, though it never officially made it to the US in the first place. Our Canadian brethern were lucky enough to get the XRV750 generation – it’s become a cult classic over the years. Because of this, it’s hard to find an AT in the States, but maybe someone ambitious feels like importing …
Well Modified – 1984 Yamaha FJ1100
When the Yamaha FJ1100 was introduced, the press went nuts. Rider Magazine called it “the best large displacement sport motorcycle of 1984, and maybe even the best in its class in the history of motorcycling,” and other mags called it Bike of the Year. Here’s a bike that revolutionized what sport-touring bikes would become – big power and plenty of …
Documented Restoration – 1965 Honda CB77 Superhawk
Post-Sale Update: This Superhawk sold for $3,550 after 38 bids on eBay. Honda’s first sportbike was the CB77, and some consider it to be the template for Honda’s next two decades of motocycles. You may know it as the Superhawk, or the bike ridden by Robert Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
1972 Yamaha XS650 Custom
I’ve featured a wide variety of XS650s in stock and custom forms over the years – here’s another one of the latter that will probably be polarizing. What do you think?
Dual Sport Custom – 1966 Honda CB160
Post-Sale Update: This custom CB160 sold for $1,850 after 26 bids on eBay. This interesting custom was built by a Connecticut craftsman who went by the name of “Flat-Head Jack.” The New England Motorcycle Museum acquired 26 of Jack’s bikes for their upcoming collection, however they’ve run into some financial issues and are liquidating some motorcycles to try and salvage …