Post Listing Update: This IT175 did not get any interest at the opening bid of $2,000. Back in the 1980’s, there was a simple recipe for power: put oil in the gas and spin it fast. MotoGP bikes of the era subscribed to this formula, and it trickled down even to off-roaders. The Yamaha IT175 subscribed to this formula. It …
1986 Yamaha V-Max
Post Sale Update: This V-Max sold for the BIN of $3,500 on eBay. In the motorcycle history, the end of the 60s was the start of a new era: the Japanese one. The air-cooled inline four, such as the found found in the revolutionary 1969 Honda CB750, was the new standard of power and smoothness. Exit big American V-twins and …
Rotary Engine – 1976 Suzuki RE-5
In 1919, young German engineer Felix Wankel started thinking about an engine that could be an alternative to the classic internal combustion engines. The engine would still work via internal combustion but instead of pistons and rods, Wankel thought about a simple rotor that would activate a shaft. Wankel got his first patent in 1929, and 28 years later (1957) …
2010 Honda VFR1200F
Honda entered 2010 with a significant update to the VFR. A new 1,200cc V4 offered torque across the rev range and a buttery smooth transmission to match. Well engineered and designed with intent, the VFR 1200F was an effective tool for mile munching both with haste and comfort. It was also the first production motorcycle with an available DCT, if …
On Any Sunday – 1974 Honda CR250M Elsinore
Post Listing Update: This Elsinore did not meet reserve despite 15 bids up to $6,088.91. In the beginning of the ’70s, road bikes were starting to commonly adopt 4 stroke engines, but off-roaders were sticking to 2 strokes. Though the Japanese manufacturers had a lot of success in America with small off-road bikes, Honda struggled to a competitive off road …
1982 Honda FT500 Ascot
Post Listing Update: This Ascot did not meet reserve despite 5 bids up to $1,202 on eBay. No matter the definition, a “thump” evokes something rather violent and loud. From that word came the name “thumper”, a term used to describe a single cylinder bike, typically displacing 350-500cc, a specialty of British manufacturers with bikes like the Norton Manx or …
Race Replica Restoration – 1989 Yamaha FZR400
The replica arms race of the 1980s was fiercely competitive, with manufacturers jostling for supremacy in the market. These full-faired machines started by aesthetically mimicking the factory racers, but over time companies added an increasing amount of race-bred hardware. Eventually some marques were developing their competition mounts alongside the road-going replicas. One segment manufacturers focused heavily on was the 400 …
Two-Fer – 1979 and 1980 Yamaha XS1100
During the end of the ’70s, motorcycle manufacturers fought to create the most motors possible. After the 750cc and 900cc barriers were toppled, the next symbolic step was 1,000cc. Just like they did with the CB750, Honda were the first to beat that record thanks to its 1975 GL1000. In 1977 and 1978, Kawasaki and Suzuki responded to that with …
Turbo SuMo – 2009 Yamaha WR250X
In its stock form, Yamaha’s WR250X is fantastic little runner. The WR is powered by a liquid-cooled, four-stroke, 250cc, DOHC single that makes around 26 horses, and with a weight just shy of 300lbs wet, the stock 250 is an extraordinarily nimble machine. So, it’s all the more crazy that one Midwesterner opted to slap a snail onto one.
13 Honda Z50s
Post Listing Update: This lot of Z50s did not get any action at the opening bid of $19,000. I can’t imagine who would want to buy this, but someone is offering a collection of 13 Honda Z50s ranging from 1979 to 1999. They’re all claimed to be in “great original condition”, but what do you do with this? Start a …
1.7 Miles from Rick Brett – 1975 Kawasaki H2C 750
Post Listing Update: This H2C did not meet reserve despite $37,600 after 55 bids on eBay. This is apparently quite the week for high dollar classic Kawasakis! As you may remember from a post back in April, legendary Kawi collector Rick Brett is liquidating his collection. He was selling most bikes through his website, but it looks like he saved …
Ending Soon – 1991 Yamaha XT600E Supermoto
Post Sale Update: This XT sold for $3,545 after 16 bids on eBay in Columbia, Maryland. In a big trailie comparison story in the 1990 issue of Motorcyclist, the Yamaha XT600 was described as follows: “After ending up king of the dirt last year, Yamaha’s XT600 turned away from its roots and focused on the street. Electric starting, a swoopy …
1983 Honda CX650 Turbo
Post Sale Update: This CX650 Turbo sold for $4,600 after 2 bids on eBay in San Diego, California. With the appearance of the Japanese brands on the motorcycle market at the end of the 60s, a race of performance and technology started between different bike manufacturers. The first battle was about power and the aim of creating high cc bikes …
First Ride – 2019 Honda CB300R
View PostModernized GP Classic – Upgraded 1984 Yamaha RZ500
The mid-1970s were an exciting time for GP racing. In ’75 ,Yamaha managed to steal the crown from MV Agusta before going on to claim back-to-back-to-back world titles in ’78, ’79, and ’80 – feats achieved by Kenny Roberts. By the dawn of the ’80s, the tuning fork company’s marketing department started kicking around the idea of introducing a high-performance …