Following the release of the R80GS by BMW and the birth of one of the greatest races of all time (the Paris Dakar), manufacturers started to add a new kind of bike to their product range. These new “adventure” bikes were road legal adaptations of off road racing motorcycles used primarily for the P-D. During the 80’s, Honda won the …
2006 Honda Big Ruckus PS250
Post Sale Update: This Big Ruckus sold for $3,000 after 43 bids on eBay. The Ruckus was a surprising hit for Honda, due almost entirely to the aftermarket customization that has skyrocketed around the 50cc scooter. What many people don’t know is that Honda offered a ‘full-size’ version called the Honda Big Ruckus for 4 years in Japan and 2 …
1984 Honda Nighthawk 700SC
Post Listing Update: This Nighthawk did not get any interest at the BIN of $2,700. The 80’s were a fascinating decade for motorcycles, and I appreciate the products of that era nowadays as they are basically classic bikes with newer designs. Or recent bikes with older design, depending on how you see it! In the US, lots of these 80’s …
Wacky Kwacky – 1995 Kawasaki KLR250
In 1984, Kawasaki debuted a pair of new dual-sport models that quickly proved to be major hits with the motorcycling world. The larger of the models was the KLR600, which was bumped up to 650ccs, where it remains to this day as one of Kawa’s best-selling models, and (as of 2015) the best-selling dual-sport period. The smaller of the two …
Vance & Hines Supersport Replica – 1992 Yamaha FZR 600
In 1992, Yamaha offered 600 examples of a limited edition replica of their Vance & Hines AMA Supersport bike. This is #505, and it’s nicest example I’ve seen offered of a model that rarely comes up for sale.
What Do You Want To Know? 2019 Yamaha Tracer 900 + 900 GT
UPDATE: Here’s my review! Yamaha USA’s quest to copy model names from the rest of the world continues as the FZ-09 sport-tourer is being replaced with the “Tracer 900”. You may remember that the same thing happened earlier this year with naked FZ-07, which became the MT-07. The Tracer gets some decent updates, better-looking bodywork, and a new up-spec “GT” …
1982 Honda CBX1000
Having more than 4 cylinders on a bike is not just a recent pursuit for manufacturers. Aviation was the principal influence in doing multi-cylinder motors, using radial engines like “La Millet” in 1887, a French motorcycle made with a 5-cylinder radial engine located in the back wheel. Obviously, this “more than 4 cylinders” path was not the easiest to follow …
Six Cylinder ELR Tribute – 1979 Kawasaki KZ1300
Kawasaki found a major recipe for success when it released its H1 at the tail-end of the ’60s. Though the bar had been set pretty high with the 500, Team Green managed to outdo themselves and deliver an even more iconic, game-changing machine with the H2 in the early ‘70s. So when a few years passed, the Z1 came and …
One Owner -1982 Honda CX500 Turbo
Depending on how you define “production”, Kawasaki was the first motorcycle manufacturer to roll out a turbocharged motorcycle. But as this excellent article on OddBike points out, Kawasaki’s effort was more of a quasi-aftermarket creation, and it wasn’t well-thought out either. Honda’s CX500 Turbo is more deserving of the ‘first production turbo bike’ title, as it truly started the forced …
What Do You Want To Know? 2018 Yamaha Star Eluder
Vy and I are headed down to San Diego this weekend so that I can meet a Bike-urious reader and check out his collection and so she can take a tour of the San Diego Zoo. Our steed for this trip is Yamaha’s Star Eluder, a bagger version of the Star Venture (so Vy will have to make do without …
Unexpected Road Racer – 1998 Honda CR500
7-7-18 Update: Tim H notes that this bike is back up for sale with a serious discount – the asking price has been reduced from $4,500 to $3,200. It looks like someone bought the bike from Brian last year and is now looking to let it go themselves. Find it Glenview, Illinois for $3,200 here on Craigslist. Built by Brian …
Kitted Cub – 1966 Honda C100 with Roadster Kit
While Honda found success with its small step-through models in most markets, the Japanese marque struggled to sell scooters in the same numbers in the US. Honda looked to change this with the introduction of what it called the “Custom Group”, consisting of four different add-on kits (the Roadster, Rally, Boss, and Student) designed to make little runners like the …
1975 Yamaha XS650
Interested in a XS650 but don’t feel obligated to overpay for celebrity ownership? Here’s a survivor that’s said to still run like new.
Stretched and Bobbed – 1978 Kawasaki KZ400 Custom
I always thoroughly enjoy seeing other people’s wacky customs on Craigslist, and it doesn’t get much wackier than this straight up bonkers KZ400 build. Starting with a 1978 Kawasaki KZ400, this example has been transformed into a stretched, hard-tailed, jockey-shifted, bobber, because why not?
1968 Kawasaki Bushwacker F3 175
Post Sale Update: This Bushwacker sold for $1,826 after 31 bids on eBay in Sanford, Florida, but there’s a lot more to the story. From commenter Rod down below: “Abhi, did you know I was awarded this bike. Then the seller backed out! His made up high bid was $1850 I believe. My top bid was $1325 I think. He …