Post Listing Update: This Mille GT got no interest at the opening ask of $4,999. While trying to recover from the Japanese motorcycle tsunami, Moto Guzzi had to find new ways to attract clients. Trying to compete on technology was probably pointless, so Guzzi decided to bet on ’60s nostalgia with the release of the Mille GT in 1987.
Classic Racer – 1984 Kawasaki GPZ1170
This beautiful racebike left the dealer floor as a Kawi GPZ1100, but now it’s got a Sam Williams 1,170 motor packing Webb cams and larger valves fed by 40mm flat slide carbs and exhaling through a Hindle exhaust.
1 of 150 – 2007 Ducati 999S Team USA Replica
The Ducati 999S Team USA was a very limited edition of the Italian firm’s superbike of the time. Built to commemorate Ducati’s participation in the AMA, this bike was unfortunately nothing more than a cosmetic package built surprisingly around the S, and not the 999R model.
1981 Benelli 654
Post Sale Update: This Benelli sold for $3,050 after 8 bids on eBay. A rare find in the US, the Benelli 654 was available as a Standard as seen here or as a Sport model with the different bars and the fairing from a 900 Sei. Either way, it wasn’t a successful machine but they’re so hard to find that …
1980 Kawasaki Z1R
Post Listing Update: This Z1R was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. The Kawasaki Z1R was the brainchild of Wayne Moulton, known as the “Father of the Japanese Cruiser.” His belief was that a solid motorcycle could be moderately tweaked to form four versions, one of which is a sport-tourer. So he took the KZ1000 and turned it …
Gelande Strasse Cafe – OCRC’s 2011 BMW R1200GS Custom
BMW’s R1200GS is a wonderfully competent adventure mount, though beyond bolstering its off-road and/or touring capabilities, the GS doesn’t much lend itself to customization. Still, that didn’t stop London’s Original Cafe Racer Co. from stripping down the popular dual-sport and giving it the cafe treatment.
Restored – 1973 Maico 501
Post Listing Update: This Maico did not meet reserve despite 18 bids up to $7,900. When it was released, the Maico 501 featured the largest two-stroke single cylinder engine ever stuffed into a production bike. The press ate it up, though racers were actually able to go faster on the 400s and 450s. But for pure ‘shock and awe’ purposes, …
Italy’s Answer to the Virago – 1987 Ducati Indiana 650
Post Listing Update: This Indiana was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. 11-13-18 Update: Contributor Mat G notes that this bike is back up for sale – now it’s got a $2,000+ discount. Find it in Carnation, Washington for $4,200 here on eBay. In the early ’80s, Yamaha introduced the Virago, prompting the rest of the big four …
1969 Kawasaki C2TR
Post Sale Update: This C2TR sold for the BIN of $2,650. Nowadays with “dual-purpose” bikes we see imposing bikes with high-power engines, but this was not the case a few decades ago. Indeed, the image of dual-purpose bikes changed in 1984 with the release of the R80G/S, first all-road bike with such a big engine. Before that, these kinds of …
Unusual Hack in England – 1999 Ducati 996 with Sidecar
Post Listing Update: This Ducati hack did not get any interest at the asking price of $13,626. Normally when you think of modifications made to a Ducati 996, the list includes rearsets, a tail tidy, and suspension. This one’s packing a little extra – a Watsonian Squire sidecar.
Owned by Reg Pridmore – 1998 Honda CBR1100XX
Post Sale Update: This Super Blackbird originally sold for $4,200, but it was immediately relisted and then sold for $3,003.22 after 16 bids on eBay. From 1990 to 1996, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 was the world’s fastest production motorcycle, and Team Green benefited from all sorts of press and rider excitement about that fact. Honda decided to steal the crown, …
1973 Honda ST90
Post Sale Update: This ST90 sold for a best offer of $1,400 on eBay. After the huge success of the Monkey in the US, Honda decided to release a slightly bigger version of their baby-bike, the CT70. The CT, also called Dax in other countries, is a mini dirt bike that was used both for leisure in American families as …
New In Crate – 1981 Honda CBX
Post Sale Update: sold for $28,000 (plus a 10% buyers fee) after 81 bids through Obenauf Auction Service in Johnsburg, Illinois. In my recent recap of October sale prices, someone opined that “CBX prices are officially insane” because of a 3-mile example that sold for $15,100 on eBay. Well, here’s one that may go higher, as it’s still new in …
1980 Honda CX500/CX650 Custom
Every year, retired master tech Kevin Murphy takes decent examples of Honda’s CX platform and restores them. He also takes bad examples and turns them into customs. He’s got an annual tradition of building a Honda CX custom for Daytona Bike Week, and each year a reader sends me a link when he puts up another bike for sale. This …
2003 Honda RC51 RVT1000R SP2
Post Sale Update: This RC51 sold for $5,000 after 1 bid on eBay. The RC51 combined Honda reliability with the joy of a V-Twin engine, beating Ducati at its own game with multiple World Superbike Championships and a AMA Championship. In 2002, Honda made some revisions to create the SP2 variant.