In 1976, Suzuki debuted their first four stroke machine in over 20 years, the GS750. An “E” model debuted in 1980 with 16 valves and Suzuki’s TSCC – Twin Swirl Combustion Chamber. The “E” bikes had a chin fairing while “ES” models got a half fairing. Here’s a clean 2-owner ES from the last generation of the model run.
1972 Bultaco Astro 250
The Astro was Bultaco’s factory flat tracker – ready to race from the dealership floor. Exported solely to the US to satisfy the American obsession with flat track back in the day, it was available in either 250cc (Model 163) or 360cc (Model 164) options. The bike was named after Houston’s Astrodome, which often hosted the opening short dirt track …
1975 Honda XL350
Honda introduced the XL line with the XL250 in 1972. I think it was their first real effort at a bike that you could ride to the trail and on the trail. The ‘scrambler’ series that preceded the XL were really about the look, not about the ride. No mistake, this was a first effort, and the XL was going …
Ariel Powered – 1959 Norton “Esquire”
2-27-17 Update: Nearly 2 years later, Tom W notes that this bike is back up for sale. Find it still in Bend, Oregon with bidding up to $6,000 and the reserve not yet met or a BIN of $15,000 (down from the original ask of $18,500) here on eBay. You’re probably familiar with the Triton, the pairing of a Triumph …
1991 Honda XR600R
Regarding the Honda XR600R, Dirt Bike magazine said it “is almost the definition of an off-road bike; the machine most likely to have its silhouette on a trail sign.” Here’s a one owner example that’s ready to get dirty.
1973 Suzuki TS185
The TS range of bikes were Suzuki’s first trail bikes, and the family of two-strokes was available with motors ranging from 50 to 400cc. Some riders considered the TS185 to be the best – it was actually a few pounds lighter than the TS125 but it made nearly as much horsepower as the TS250.
1916 Indian Powerplus with Side Car
The Indian Power Plus was a successful roadster and canvas for racing bikes, especially with Erwin “Cannonball” Baker (after whom the Cannonball Run was named after). Hemmings called this “the engine that changed American motorcycling.” Today we’ve got an example that forgoes the racing pedigree for the utility of a sidecar.
Unexpected Custom – 1976 Moto Guzzi T3
The Moto Guzzi T3 was an 844cc transverse V-twin that put out that put out approximately 59HP through a 5-speed transmission with shaft drive. Weight was 540 pounds, so it was not exactly fast, but it was comfortable and reliable, with typical big-twin torque. As such, it was selected by many California cities for Police duty. Supposedly this has a …
1965 BSA Bantam
It’s a well known story. The BSA Bantam, the Harley Davidson Hummer, the Russian Moskva and the Yamaha YA 1 were all copies of the German DKW given out as war reparations. I would really like to know how Japan (Yamaha) qualified for reparation from Germany, but that is a question for another time.
1956 Norton Manx 350
To say that Norton dominated the 350 and 500 class at Isle of Man TT for the 10 years immediately following WWII would be putting it mildly. Norton Manx singles had their way with the field time after time.
17K Miles – 1984 BMW R65
Post Sale Update: After 22 bids on eBay, this R65 sold for $3,900. The R65 has been one of the less popular Beemers over the last few decades, and I couldn’t really tell you why. Is it the relative lack of power compared to the rest of the BMW family? If having “just” 50 horsepower isn’t a problem for you, …
Restored – 1987 Kawasaki KDX200
Kawasaki introduced the KDX line as a small enduro in 1980. In 1986, they revised the KDX200 with lots of features from the KX125 motocrosser, and Kawi was one of the very few manufacturers offering a two-stroke enduro at the time. It was well loved by riders, so much so that even Kawasaki introduced a 250 of the KDX in …
1994 Yamaha YZF750R
Yamaha’s YZF750 was offered in two variants – the base model “R” and the homologation “SP”. The United States only received the R variant – it wasn’t as special but it was still a good bike. Sport Rider named it Bike of the Year in 1995. This example has less than 7k miles and it looks to be in good …
Feeling Suicidal? 1995 Kawasaki KX500 Trike
Post Sale Update: This trike sold for the opening bid of $4,500. When Kawasaki introduced the KX500 motocrosser in 1983, Dirt Bike magazine called it “unrideable” and “violent.” The owner of this bike apparently never read that article, because he’s decided to take it to another level of lunacy by adding a wheel. Well, that’s not fair, he does say …
1920 Excelsior Series 20
Excelsior introduced its first motorcycle in 1905 after starting in the bicycle business. In 1910 Excelsior introduced their first V-Twin and by 1911 the company had been bought by Ignaz Schwinn of the bicycle firm that bore his name. 1915 saw the introduction of the ‘Big X’ V-Twin, a 61 CID power plant that would carry on to 1925. The …