If you follow the modern customs scene, there’s a good chance you’re familiar with Bad Winners. The Paris-based shop churns out bespoke machines that are routinely featured on elite sites like BikeEXIF. The French outfit’s latest one-off two-wheeler is a 1991 Yamaha XT600E that’s been transformed into an urban supermoto toy.
Japanese/Swedish – 1979 Yamaha HL500
Post Listing Update: This HL500 did not get any interest at the opening bid of $6,500 or the BIN. The HL500 finds its origins in the brand new XT500 that Yamaha released in 1975. Despite being overweight for enduro, the bike caught the attention of two Swedish motocross legends, Torsten Hallman and Sten Lundin. Both of them worked for Yamaha …
1978 Kawasaki KZ1000
The 60’s and 70’s were great decades of development for motorcycles, especially considering engine development. After Honda raised the bar with the CB750 at the end of the 60’s, Kawasaki had no other choice but to create a bike even more powerful. In 1972, the Z1, featuring a 900cc engine was released. Thanks to the development of the mighty 4-cylinder, …
Factory Tourer – 1983 Yamaha Midnight Virago 920
Post Listing Update: This Midnight Virago did not get any interest at the opening bid of $2,500. It was relisted at $2,250 with the same result. In 1983, Yamaha offered a “Midnight Virago” that featured a black paint scheme with gold accents. They also offered a rare color-matched factory touring package with a fairing, saddlebags, and trunk for even more …
Unexpected Dragster – 1964 Yamaha YDS2
Post Sale Update: This YDS2 sold for $1,525 after 7 bids on eBay in Merlin, Oregon. The YDS2 was one of the first models Yamaha brought to the US, and it was well-received. In this Cycle World article, Kevin Cameron called it “a two-stroke revolution” that “redefined the 250cc motorcycle in the US”.
In Canada – 1963 Honda CZ100
Post Listing Update: This CZ did not meet reserve despite 10 bids up to $8,584.02. Monkey Week continues on Bike-urious – a lot of seller seem to be picking up on the buzz of the new bike and are testing the market to see if their classics have increased in value. The CZ was the second generation of the Honda …
Well-Farkled Cult Classic – 1990 Honda Hawk GT
Half-a-decade prior to Ducati’s release of its iconic naked Monster, Honda released its own stripped down, sporty V-Twin. The Hawk GT (NT650) may have been a little ahead of its time, and was something of a commercial failure in the US upon its release. With an MSRP of $3,600 (which translates to $7,850 in 2018), the GT was only a …
Japanese Twin – 1976 Kawasaki KZ750
Post Listing Update: This KZ750 was pulled off of eBay because “there was an error in the listing.” While the motorcycle news headlines of the 70s were usually about Japanese firms trying to top each other in terms of displacement and power, there was still a market for big standards that did not try to set speed records. Honda and …
Limited Edition – 2014 Honda Monkey Kumamon
Post Sale Update: This limited edition Honda sold for the BIN of $6,750. We’re on a Monkey kick this week! First there was my review of the upcoming 2019 Monkey, and today we’re going back in time a few years for a limited edition. This bike was originally only offered in Japan, a country that has a prolific history of …
Modified – 1986 Suzuki GSX-R 750 Limited Edition Japanese Spec
Post Sale Update: This Suzuki sold for $14,499 after 24 bids on eBay. The Suzuki GSX-R 750 Limited Edition is already a legend in the US among 80s sportbike collectors, but here’s something even rarer – a home market (JDM) version, which had a different paint scheme. In the US, the Limited Edition cost 1.5 times as much as the …
For Charity – MXoN Team Puerto Rico’s 2019 Honda CRF450R
Post Sale Update: This Honda sold for $30,100 after 60 bids on eBay. Since 1947, the Motocross of Nations (MXoN) has brought together MX riders from all over the world to compete as country-based teams. There have been 70 contests, and the US has won 22 of them. France won last year, and they’ll try to defend their title on …
First Ride – 2019 Honda Monkey
View PostMT660 Heritage Scrambler” – 2008 Yamaha MT-03 Custom
Back in 1976, Yamaha released the XT500, the company’s second attempt at a four-stroker. It was the first in a long line machines that can trace their roots back to the Dakar-winning half-liter XT. One of said machines was the MT-03, and though it’s now based on the R3, early versions of the bike (2006-2014) were powered by the same …
1985 Yamaha BW200
Post Sale Update: This BW200 sold for the BIN of $2,250 on eBay. Built between 1985 and 1989, the BW200 (BW stood for “Big Wheel”) was part of a series of off-roaders with…big wheels. Other displacements were 80 and 350. The motor pushed 15 horsepower and 10 pound-feet of torque through a 5-speed transmission, which is plenty to move a …
No Reserve – 1972 Honda CB350
Post Sale Update: This CB350 sold for $2,624 after 39 bids on eBay. The CB350 was one of Honda’s most popular motorcycles – they sold over a quarter of a million of them! Here’s a well preserve examples that’s being offered with no reserve.