Post Sale Update: This EL sold for a cool $100,000 after 75 bids on eBay. Harley introduced the Knucklehead in 1936 as a 1,000cc V-Twin. While H-D had been using overhead valves in race bikes previously, this was their first usage of the technology in a production motor. It’s a beautiful motor that has stood the test of time, even …
2001 BMW R1200C Montana
Post Sale Update: sold for $5,400 after 67 bids on eBay. First shown to the world in the 1997 Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies, the BMW R1200C was Germany’s attempt to break into the cruiser market. There was a lot to like about it objectively, however American riders never fell in love with the distinct styling and the non-V-Twin motor.
Unexpected Custom – Yamaha Seca 2 Dual-Sport
My first bike after undergrad was a beat up Yamaha Seca 2 that I bought for $600. I thought it was a pleasant bike, but I never thought it would make a good platform to go off-road with. Thankfully, the builder of this bike doesn’t think like I do.
190 Miles – 1981 Honda CM400A Hondamatic
In the early 80s, Honda donated a few motorcycles to schools all across the country. The most valuable finds nowadays are the occasional CBX or two that appear with no miles after sitting in a school storage room for decades, but Honda provided some twins and four-cylinder models, too. One example of the former is this CM400, which stands out …
Diesel Conversion – 2006 Honda Rebel
Last month, I shared a Qujos Trailmaster that had been converted to diesel power. Today, we’ve got a bike you’ve heard of. In 2015, the seller swapped out the motor of this Honda Rebel with a 740cc Kubota diesel powerplant.
1972 Harley-Davidson FLH Police Sidecar
Post Sale Update: This sidecar did not meet reserve with 2 bids up to $15,100, but it was relisted and then sold for $19,280 on eBay. 12-12-2018 Update: 6 months later, this bike is now on the East Coast – looks like the current seller made the previous one a good offer. Now, the current seller is moving and he …
1964 Gilera 124 Fuori Strada Enduro
Post Listing Update: This Gilera did not meet reserve despite 23 bids up to $1,508 on eBay Described by the seller (Michael Harper) as a “rare limited edition enduro version of the Sei Giorni Speciale”, this Fuori Strada (which translates to “off-road” is apparently a one-year only model. I’ve never encountered one before, and it’s a tough one to find …
Fresh Build – “1969” Metisse Motorcycles Limited 750
Post Listing Update: This Metisse did not meet reserve despite 33 bids up to $15,850 on eBay. After Pat French passed away in 2007, his business partner Gerry Lisi continued the tradition of Rickman Metisse builds under the name “Metisse Motorcycles Limited“. In 2012, the company announced a “Mark 5” lineup, an attempt to cosmetically evolve the classic Rickman design. …
New In Canada – 1982 Honda CBX
Post Sale Update: This CBX sold for $19,999 on eBay. In 1966, Soichiro Honda gave his first shot at creating a usable, reliable and fast 6-cylinder motorcycle with the RC166, a 249cc 6-cylinder bike made for racing. But the first production 6-cylinder bike was made by Benelli with the Sei 750 in 1972. By 1979, Honda followed that path and …
Yamaha Promotional Custom – 1972 Yamaha XS650
Post Sale Update: This custom Yamaha sold for $13,556 after 14 bids on eBay. Last time I featured a custom Yamaha by Greg Hageman, it was a XSR700 inspired by the XT500. This time around, it’s a XS650 that was created as a partner to another XSR700. Yamaha’s slogan for their line of retro bikes is “Faster Sons” – the …
Street Legal – 1976 Husqvarna 250 WR
The styling of the front fender doesn’t match the rest of the bike, but the dual-sport kit means that this iconic Husky is now street legal. Take the good with the bad, and then maybe take some time to get a different headlight and front fender. The 250 WR is one of Husqvarna’s most famous machines, as it was one …
First Year – 1966 Honda CT90
Honda produced the CT90 for 13 years, an evolution of the varying small displacement trail bikes that were marketed to farmers, hunters, and other people with a sense of adventure. The model started as a spinoff of the Super Cub, and for 1966 Honda dropped previous designations and went with CT90 – though you may remember it as the Trail …
Impressive Racer – 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750
12-9-18 Update: Tim Huber noticed that this bike is still up for sale. Almost two years later it’s now got a $2,000 discount (down to $14k) – find it here on Craigslist, still in Costa Mesa, California. Built by Moto Rosso Motorcycles, this lovely Suzuki started as a first-gen Gixxer and has evolved over the last 5 years into a …
1982 Honda CX500 Turbo
The 80’s were a crazy time. Music was being produced without instruments, and manufacturers had to think outside the block (see what I did there?) to breathe life back into powerplants that were being choked by new emission standards. Turbochargers were the name of the game, and luckily the Japanese were up to the challenge. Honda slapped a turbo on …
MotoAmerica Racer – HSBK-Spec 2018 Aprilia RSV4 RF
First founded around 2005-2006, Houston Superbikes (better known as “HSBK”), started out as an online store, offering performance parts and accessories for late-model, Italian two-wheelers. Over the last 13-years however, the Oklahoma-based business has grown exponentially, first becoming a franchise dealership before eventually occupying an 80 acre facility jam-packed with everything a racer could ever need.