In the early 90s, Kawasaki introduced the Zephyr, a retro-styled bike which emulated the legendary Z1. It was available in a wide variety of displacements but the big boy was the 1100, which utilized an evolution of the 8V DOHC air-cooled unit from the GPz1100. The hope was that you’d get modern convenience with classic looks, though the seat of …
1975 Yamaha XS650
Built between 1970 and 1983, the XS650 had a production run of approximately half a million. When it was introduced, it was the biggest motorcycle Yamaha offered. It aped the styling of classic British twins but these Yammies developed a solid reputation for reliability.
1965 Honda S90
Post Sale Update: AFter 34 bids on eBay, this S90 sold for $2,280. I think one of the rules of this site is that I have to feature a S90 every month or so – it’s in the bylaws or something. I adore mine and it still gets me to work once a week, no problem (even if I can’t …
1,350 Miles – 1989 Honda GB500
Post Sale Update: This GB500 sold for $5,100 after 15 bids on eBay. Inspired by the beautiful English thumpers of the 60s, the Honda GB500 was a bike ahead of its time when it was released in the late 80s. Unfortunately, it did not sell well, and the US only got it for two years.
1982 Suzuki GS1100EZ
In the early 80s, Suzuki knocked off the CBX as the superbike du jour. The Suzuki GS1100E came into the market and instantly became the bike of choice for the power hungry. American press mags constantly raved about not just the power, but also the surprising handling abilities for such a large bike. The shame for Suzuki was that this …
Cheap Runner – 1977 Kawasaki KZ400
It’s always nice to break up posts of expensive exotica with cheap bikes that run or could be restored. In that spirit, here’s a straightforward Kawi KZ400.
1 Year Only – 2008 Suzuki B-King GSX1300B
The best way to think about the Suzuki B-King is to consider it a naked version of the famous Hayabusa. Sold only for one year in the US, it features the 2nd generation, 1340cc Hayabusa engine that was retuned for more mid-range torque. When it was unveiled to the world as a prototype, this bike featured a 240 section rear …
Black and Tan – 1978 Honda CB750K
I’ve featured a few MOTO PGH builds in the last few months – my impression is that they build rideable mild customs with a heavy cafe racer influence. This Honda based build is called the Black and Tan – what do you think?
First in the US – 1984 Honda VF500F Interceptor
View Post1987 Suzuki GSX-R 1100
Here’s a nice example of one of the classic 80s sportbikes – Suzuki’s biggest Gixxer. It’s recently been gone through by a seller who’s owned over 10 examples of the model and he says this is the best he’s seen.
1984 Honda Motocompo
Post Sale Update: This Motocompo sold for $2,025 after 2 bids on eBay. Sold for only 3 years, the Honda Motocompo was a tiny 50cc folding scooter designed to fit into the trunks of the subcompact cars Honda was making at the time, like the City. In fact, the City’s trunk was designed specifically to house the Motocompo. Nowadays, they’re …
Street Tracker Custom – 1978 Yamaha XS650
Built with a plethora of new parts, this XS650 has been converted into a ‘street tracker’ that recently took first place in the Metric class at the Michigan Chopper Fest hosted by Davidson Express.
Pre-Import Interceptor – 1984 Honda VF1000R
Post-Sale Update: This French Import sold for the BIN of $9,500. Honda Motor Company bet a lot on the V4 engine concept in the early 1980’s. They blasted the marketplace with a full range of styles and engine sizes, and the big gun was this baby, the VF1000R. America got the ill-fated “F” model in 1984, essentially an enlarged 750, …
In Canada – 2008 Yamaha Morphous
Here’s a vehicle only true scooter fans know about – the Yamaha Morphous. Ignoring the oddball name, it was by all accounts a well designed scooter that did not achieve commercial success. It was introduced in 2005 in the US and was pulled in 2009. If you’re looking for a scooter that stands out, it’s hard to imagine a better …
1983 Honda CB1100F
Post-Sale Update: This CB1100F sold for $3,300 after 7 bids on eBay. Built for just one year, the Honda CB1100F was a sleek looking standard that was mighty quick – in January of ’83, Cycle World said it was the fastest stock bike they’ve ever tested.