Post Listing Update: This Matchless did not meet reserve with 4 bids up to $3,350. Originally developed for the British military, the “L” version of Matchless’ G3 (L stood for Lightweight) ended up becoming one of the most popular motorcycles of the time because the Teledraulic forks were a significant improvement over the usual girder units. This example truly benefits …
Rare Italian Project – 1964 Ducati Mountaineer 90
Post Listing Update: This Mountaineer was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. In the mid 60s, Ducati offered a pair of singles called the Cadet and the Mountaineer – the Cadet was a road bike and the Mountaineer (as you can guess from the name) was more of a dual-sport before the term existed. Both were available in …
First Year Race Legend – 1970 Harley-Davidson XR750
For decades, Harley’s XR750 was the machine to beat. From 1972 to 2008, the XR was responsible for taking home 29 out of the 37 possible AMA Grand National Championships, leading to some referring to the machine as the “most successful race bike of all time”. The XR750 was also famously Evel Knievel’s go-to choice when performing jumps/stunts. Before it …
Zuma-Powered, Composimo-Built – Custom Honda Ruckus
At any given point you can find dozens of custom Honda Ruckus examples floating around on Craigslist and eBay. Extended swing-arm conversions and bespoke paint jobs are pretty run of the mill modifications and I’ve never given much thought or attention to bespoke Ruckus examples, but today’s thoroughly modified build is a different story altogether.
Never Started – 1985 Kawasaki GPz750 Turbo
Post Listing Update: As expected, this Kawi did not get any interest at the BIN of $100k. Considered by many to be the best of the Japanese turbo’d bikes from the 80s, the GPz750 was sold for just two years. This example is from the second year of production, and it stands out because it has never been started before.
Magazine Feature – 1978 Honda CB400A Hawk Hondamatic
In 1976, Honda debuted the “Hondamatic” transmission on their popular CB750. It was designed to help bring in new riders who may have been intimidated by the requirement of using a clutch, but Honda quickly figured out that newbies may not necessarily want to start on the big 750. So two years later, the Hondamatic transmision found its way to …
135 Miles in England – 1989 Norton Commander
Just 253 examples of the Norton Commander were ever built, and this one stands out as it only has 135 miles. The Commander was offered in two variants: P52 was for police, and P53 was for civilians. You’d probably expect the police version to be the rarer of the two, but in this case you’d be wrong.
1961 Panther M100 Deluxe
Post Sale Update: This Panther sold for $10,000 after 33 bids on eBay. Introduced way back in 1932, the Panther Model 100 kept evolving until 1963, by which point the Model 120 had taken over. Both models featured the distinctive “Sloper” motor, named for the angle that is so evident at a side view. The 598cc single produced 23 horsepower, …
“Cavallo Nero” – Pro-Grade 1975 Ducati 860 Build
Bryan Fuller is one of the better-known names in the custom car and motorcycle worlds. In addition to owning Full-Bore Publishing – an outfit that publishes various how-to-build books – Fuller also now owns Fuller Moto, a renowned customs shop that builds bespoke two and four-wheelers, and also offers hands-on classes to pass on their skills. The Atlanta-based shop has …
1957 White Shooting Star 250
White International was an American company that imported bikes from overseas and rebranded them under their own name, similar to what Sears, Montgomery Ward, and later, Harley-Davidson did. In this case, the bikes being re-branded were Hungarian-built Csepel/Pannonias.
Well Optioned, Nice Price – 2003 Ducati 749
It’s easy to get carried away dumping money into a sportbike. There’s always some component that can be upgraded or lightened, and performance parts don’t come cheap. Unfortunately, modifying a bike from its original state typically reduces its value. Fortunately, you can find some pretty sweet deals from time to time where a previous owner’s loss can be your gain. …
Van Tech Racer – 1969 Yamaha AS1C
Post Sale Update: This Van Tech sold for $6,300 after 22 bids on eBay. Van Tech was one of America’s first dirt bike manufacturers, though the company did not build complete bikes. Instead, the brain child of Bill Van Tichelt built frames for small-displacement Japanese motors like the Honda S90, Kawi 100/120, and Bridgestone 90/100. There were two main advantages …
BSA-Powered – 1971 Cheney Victor MkIII
Post Sale Update: This Cheney Victor sold for $6,100 after 27 bids on eBay. One of the legends of off-road frame design, Eric Cheney started as one of Britain’s best MX riders. Unfortunately, he picked up a blood infection while racing in Algeria and it became so bad that he had to stop racing. That was good news for his …
Restored as a 916 – 2000 Ducati 748
Named the Yellow Peril, this Ducati 748 was restored after a hard life of 20k+ miles. The engine was seized, so the owner had the motor built up as a 916. Per the seller, it’s been “restored mechanically and cosmetically to rider condition,” and the bike has covered less than 200 miles since the work was done.
SR400 Build – 2010 Deus Ex Machina Grievous Angel
Post Listing Update: This Deus build did not meet reserve despite 60 bids up to $8,600 on eBay. In addition to a multitude of one-off customs, Deus has some ‘signature’ builds for specific models that anyone can call up and order. The signature build for Yamaha’s SR400/500 is the Grievous Angel, amusingly adorned in what Deus calls “Henry Ford pink” …