Is it possible to enjoy a magic show even if you know how the magician is doing all the tricks? I’d argue yes, but they’d better be one hell of a performer. I know what the bike companies are doing with the retro modern bikes. It’s a trick. Pulling at our nostalgic heartstrings with every dual rear shock, spoked wheel, …
1993 Honda EZ-Snow
Post Listing Update: This EZ-Snow did not get any interest at the opening bid of $10,000. I’ve been waiting years to share one of these with you. This is a EZ-Snow, one of the coolest variants of Honda’s ubiquitous Super Cub. The US got a two-wheeled version of this generation called the Cub EZ90, though it was called the EZ-9 …
Fully Faired Fazer – 1986 Yamaha FZX700
Also known as the Baby V-Max, the Yamaha Fazer FZX700 was quite a revelation when it was released – the styling was distinctive and it was quicker than riders expected. No one complained about the speed, though not everyone loved the looks, and the bike didn’t sell tremendously well. Thanks to a large fairing, the styling of this example is …
Project with LSR History – 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma
Post Sale Update: This Gamma sold for $19,752 after 11 bids on eBay. Suzuki won 7 consecutive manufacturer titles in the 500cc Grand Prix class with their Gamma racer, and it inspired a street bike called the RG500. Classic Motorbikes said the “Suzuki is almost an exact replica of the race machine, its roots can be traced directly to the …
1973 Suzuki TS185
Post Sale Update: This Sierra sold for $2,650 after 26 bids on eBay. The TS range of bikes were Suzuki’s first trail bikes, and the family of two-strokes was available with motors ranging from 50 to 400cc. Some riders considered the TS185 to be the best – it was actually a few pounds lighter than the TS125 but it made …
1967 Fuji Rabbit 90 S-202
Post Listing Update: This Rabbit did not meet reserve despite 22 bids up to $750 on eBay in Richmond, Michigan. Japan’s first scooter was built in 1946 by Fuji. Called the Rabbit S-1, it was released six months before Vespa’s first model. The Rabbit was the name given to Fuji’s scooter lineup, and it ranged from the top-of-the-line Superflow down …
64 Miles – 1974 Honda Monkey Z50J
Post Sale Update: This Monkey sold for $3,350 after 16 bids on eBay. I was on a big Monkey kick after I got to try the new one, and I’m still always on the lookout for interesting examples. This ’74 model is a JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) example and it’s got just 102 kilometers on the odometer (64 miles).
703 Miles – 1989 Honda XL600V Transalp
Post Listing Update: This Transalp did not meet reserve despite 35 bids up to $4,500 on eBay. When Honda brought the XL600V over from Europe in 1989, America wasn’t ready. The 583cc V-twin adventure bike was more capable than anyone could have imagined. Many news outlets noted its biggest limiting factor was the tires of the time. Twin spark heads …
Up-Specced and Fullly-Faired – 2005 Suzuki SV650
As a competent and economical platform, Suzuki’s SV650 makes for a solid choice as the base for a wide array of different types of builds. A popular move is turning the mid-sized twin into a sport or track bike, and that’s exactly what we’ve got here; a well-farkled SV that’s been equipped with a myriad of cosmetic and performance modifications/upgrades.
2009 Suzuki SV650
Post Listing Update: This SV was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. The Suzuki SV650 is like the modern day Honda CB750. 700cc standard bikes are common these days, but 10 years ago the choices were limited to the Ducati Monster and the Suzuki SV650. Suzuki’s 645cc V-twin has since been written in trackday folklore, eventually becoming stuck …
1984 Suzuki GS1150EF
Suzuki didn’t start producing 4 stroke engines until 1976 when they released their first GS model, the 750. Before that, the company strictly made two-stroke machinery, and were the last of the Japanese manufacturers to begin producing 4-stroke engines. They patterned, a nice way of saying borrowed, their 4-cylinder engine from Kawasaki, more specifically the Z1 900. Kawasaki separated themselves …
Somehow Street Legal – 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2R
4-18-2019 Update: A year later, this H2R is back up for sale with a $5,000 discount. Find it with a BIN of $54,500 here on eBay. Post Listing Update: This crazy H2R did not get any interest at the BIN of $59,500. Introduced in 2015, the Kawasaki Ninja H2R was an absolute revelation – 300 claimed horsepower thanks to a …
Two-Stroke SuMo Conversion – 1975 Yamaha DT400 Custom
In 1968, Yamaha introduced the 250cc DT1, a 22hp two-stroke enduro wrapped in a double-loop cradle frame. The DT was something of an instant hit, and the Tuning Fork company followed it up with the introduction of the 125cc AT1, as well as the larger 360cc RT1 in 1970. By ’75 Yamaha had bored out the RT1’s single to 397cc’s, …
2000 Suzuki SV650
Has there ever been a more universally loved bike that the Suzuki SV650? The more I immerse myself into the motorcycling community, I really wonder. This is all subjective of course, but there really isn’t a lot to complain about with the SV. It came along and dominated the mid-sized bike market in 1999. Even if you don’t love it, …
2007 Honda VFR800 Anniversary Edition
Honda engineers started down the path to produce a V4 motorcycle engine in 1978 to compete against two stoke race bikes of the time. Soichiro Honda didn’t like two stroke engines and didn’t want to race them. He was passionate about maximizing 4-stroke technology. He wanted a 4 stroke that could compete. The engineers eventually produced the NR500 race bike. …