When it was released, the VF1000R was a bit of a revelation: it was Honda’s flagship, designed to showcase what the Japanese firm was capable of. It was also a huge tease to US riders, because it was initially only released in Europe only – America got the VF1000F instead, which was designed to be more of a touring bike. …
1972 Honda CB500 Custom
This CB was built by Alchemy Motorcycles in San Diego, California, who say that the bike came to them as a runner but it “needed work on the aesthetics side.”
1999 Suzuki Hayabusa
In the 1990s, motorcycle manufacturers competed in a technological arms race, with each brand vying for a leg up in what became known as the “speed wars”. This prompted a slew of new models with ever-increasing top speeds in a bid to earn the title of world’s fastest production motorcycle. Kawasaki’s ZX-11 reigned supreme for a period, until Honda stepped …
1972 Yamaha G7S
I think this little scrambler is absolutely beautiful, though I’ve struggled to find good information on it. The simple story is that it’s an evolution of Yamaha’s popular FS1 with a 80cc engine and a scrambler pipe.
1968 Honda CB450 K1 Desert Sled
The K1 CB450 was a one year only bike, and it was the last Honda to rock chrome panels on the gas tank. Here’s one that’s been turned into a desert sled.
1979 Suzuki GS1000S Wes Cooley Replica
Suzuki shocked a lot of people with the GS series, particularly with their 997cc-engined entrance into the liter bike market. It was fast, it had great handling and brakes, and over time it’s proven itself to be one of the most reliable engines in history. In 1978, Yoshimura was running a KZ1000 with Wes Cooley, but they weren’t winning races. …
1999 Yamaha TRX850
Over on Iconic we’ve got a rare example of a motorcycle that was never officially sold in the United States. Sales were initially disappointing and Yamaha killed it after 4 years, but the bike seems to be remembered quite fondly by moto-journalists and owners – MCN later called it “the best-kept secreting in motorcycling” and a “forgotten gem,” this bike …
Rare in the US – “1986” Kawasaki Estrella
I know many of you are fans of the Kawasaki W650 – but did you know that Kawi made a little brother with a 249cc engine that was never officially sold in the US? The model debuted in 1992, and it was originally called Estrella (Spanish for “Star”). In 2017, it was given the name it deserves: the W250.
898 Miles – 2000 Honda Gold Wing 1500
Honda’s Gold Wing is arguably the world’s definitive touring bike, which is why it’s very surprising to see a 20+ year old one with less than 1,000 miles.
1985 Moko/Powa Design D10
I’m not ashamed to admit that I want this VERY badly, and it’s taking every ounce of my limited self-discipline to not bid on it. This is a D10, a futuristic concept bike based on a Yamaha FZ750 that was designed by a Swiss company called Moko/Powa Design. The consensus online (which seems to be from one source that a …
2 Miles – 1989 Suzuki RG500 Gamma
As czmx noted in the comments about the 2-km Yamaha RZV500R, the same seller also has a never-started Gamma!
1989 Yamaha FZR750R OW01 Tech 21 Tribute
Here’s one of the coolest bikes we’ve had the pleasure of featuring over on Iconic – an OW-01 that’s been built up as a tribute to the 1987 Suzuka 8 Hour Shiseido Tech 21 endurance racer!
Arai Classic DC “Paul Smart” Helmet
Over on the auction site (Iconic Motorbikes), we’ve got a rare and interesting helmet that part of a small run that Arai did in Japan when Ducati released the Ducati Paul Smart 1000LE. “I did a stint for a year in Tokyo, Japan. During my stint I became friends with a Ducati dealer. If have the story right, someone related …
2 Kilometers – 1984 Yamaha RZV500R
The RZ was introduced in 1984 and was arguably the first production race replica. Built to emulate Kenny Roberts’ YZR500 factory racer, the RZ500 was the closest thing two-stroke enthusiasts had to a GP competitor for the road…as long as you didn’t live in the United States of America. Emissions rules put in place by the EPA prevented Yamaha from …
No Reserve – 1996 Honda EZ90 Cub
The Honda EZ90, also known as a Cub, was produced from 1991 until 1996. Designed for off-road use only, lots of Cubs were used as pit bikes (even by Honda’s ChampCar and IRL teams) as well as runabouts strapped on the back of RVs and campers.