Post Listing Update: This TDR was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. With a retuned TZR250 two-stroke motor good for nearly 50 horsepower in a dual-sport frame, Yamaha’s TDR250 was unlike anything available in the US at the time – especially because Yamaha never officially sold it here! A few were sold to our northerly neighbor of Canada, …
1982 Honda CX500 Turbo
Who doesn’t love turbos? They just make everything better. Why? Because as Jeremy Clarkson once famously said, “exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster“. I would strap one onto just about anything with an engine, including a motorcycle. But turbocharging bikes isn’t anything new, in fact several manufacturers beat me to it. …
1977 Kawasaki KV75
Post Listing Update: this KV75 did not get any interest at the opening ask of $2,100. At the end of the 60s, Honda released a reduced size machine called the Monkey. These baby motorcycles immediately gained popularity among American families and society thanks to their ease of use. Seeing the success of the Monkey, Honda developed another small-size bike, the …
Start A Team – Pair of 2006 Ducati Sport Classic Race Bikes
First unveiled in 2003 in prototype form before going into production in 2005 (as a ’06 model year), Ducati’s Sport Classic was an instant success, despite predating the current retro-craze by several years. Examples were snapped up quickly, and as the model gained instant collector’s status, used specimens saw their value trump the bike’s original MSRP. Because of the Sport …
Bumblebee – 1988 BMW R100GS
In 1980, BMW released the R80GS, the first dual-sport motorcycle with a large engine that was comfortable and could perform in the city as well as in the dirt. It still stands as a reference today. In 1987, BMW went one step further in the development of their most successful trail model and released the R100GS.
1 of 101 – 1999 Ducati Monster Cromo
In 1999, Ducati released a special edition of the Monster. They called it the Cromo, and it was obviously named due to the distinctive tank, which was complemented by a carbon fiber rear seat cover and rear fender. It also got adjustable front forks and the high-po 74 horsepower engine. The next year, Ducati added fuel injection to the Monster …
Replica Frame, Original Motor – 1911 Pierce Four
Post Listing Update: This Pierce did not meet reserve despite 15 bids up to $44,667. The first four-cylinder motorcycle built in the US, the Pierce Four showed up other American brands that still looked like bicycles with motors. The Four emphasized the “motor” in motorcycle with a 696cc engine that pushed 7 horsepower through a 2-speed transmission. The hefty frame …
1987 Yamaha SDR 200
Originally sold only in the Japanese Domestic Market, Yamaha’s SDR200 can now occasionally be found in Europe and the US thanks to the grey-market. Reminiscent of a tiny Ducati monster, the SDR features a distinctive trellis frame.
1994 Honda XR650L
Introduced as a 1993 model, the XR650L was a revelation that was considered by many to be the best dual-sport ever. Impressively (or depressingly, depending on your outlook), the bike has just about stayed the same as it’s still offered new from Honda with the tagline of “Post-Apocalyptic Reliability“. It’s still a capable explorer – Nathan did LA-Barstow-Vegas on one …
1981 Moto Guzzi V50 Monza
Post Sale Update: This Monza sold for $6,428.28 after 23 bids on eBay. In 1973, the Italian Automobile entrepreneur Alejandro De Tomaso took control of Moto Guzzi in order to create an equivalent of his De Tomaso car brand in the word of motorcycles. De Tomaso wanted to put Italian know-how back at the front of the scene, and with …
Pipeburn Featured in Canada – 2004 Buell XB12R Firebolt Custom
Post Listing Update: This custom Buell did not get any interest at the asking price of $12,000. Built by Sylvain Carignan, this Buell Firebolt started as a project with a broken transmission and it evolved into a cafe racer that’s dripping with carbon fiber.
1969 Suzuki AC100 Wolf
Suzuki’s little bike lineup in the late 60s consisted of the 125cc street-based Stinger, the 120cc off-road Trail Cat, and the dual-purpose 100cc Wolf.
1975 BMW R75/6
Post Listing Update: This /6 was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. In 1974, BMW logically replaced the /5 series with the /6, which lasted until 1976. There were no huge differences, the new series still featured the mighty flat-twin engine and the same kind of look. After the success of the R75/5, BMW still had to innovate …
1993 Honda CBR900RR
The first generation of the Honda CBR900RR, affectionately known as the Fireblade, was a revolution in the large displacement sport bike market. Despite a 50% larger engine, this bike weighed just 4 pounds more than the CBR600F2. Just as important, this bike was a whopping 76 pounds lighter than its lightest competition!