Ercole is Italian for Hercules – an appropriate name for this vintage three-wheeler that could carry nearly a ton of weight in the hydraulic bed. Some models came with a cab that could fit three, though this example was designed for a solo rider that would have to brave the weather.
TZ Replica – 1975 Yamaha RD350
Starting with a RD350, the seller of this beautiful bike eventually turned it into a replica of a TZ that you can enjoy on the street. What do you think of it?
1999 Cagiva Gran Canyon
Cagiva is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer. It’s history would make a great basis for an Italian Motorcycle-themed soap opera. Giovanni Castiglioni and his sons ran the business out of Varese, Italy. Over the years there were deals involving a used Aermacchi/Harley Davidson factory, a buyout of Ducati in 1985, and later buyouts of Moto Morini and Husqvarna. Most of these …
1946 Ariel Red Hunter 350
We recently featured one of these in December, so it is a little unusual to see another pop up on Craigslist. Maybe the owner got motivated after the recent auctions, as some of the older, collectible bikes were fetching serious money, especially the pre-war American twins. Alas, this is neither pre-war, a twin, or American, but that makes it more …
1971 Triumph T25
I find Triumph’s “Blazer” series of the T25 a tad confusing, as there’s a few versions with minor differences. Because this example does not have a handlebar brace, my guess would be that it’s the T25SS, or the regular Street Scrambler. It’s missing the distinctive original exhaust but this bike is being sold by a friend of mine that I …
Well-Modified – 2004 KTM 950 Adventure S
A colleague of mine in the motorcycle industry is picking up a KTM Super Adventure T, so his well-modified 950 Adventure S has to go to a new owner. The bike is named Aretha (after Aretha Franklin) and it’s very well setup for someone who wants to get into adventure touring for a reasonable price.
Pretty in Purple – 1973 Kawasaki H2
1973 was a very momentous year for me personally. I got married (for the first time) in June and in July I got one of the worst motorcycle injuries of my career falling off an H2. We were a couple of dreamers. She dreamed that she could drag my country farm boy butt into polite society, and I dreamed that …
1972 Harley Davidson Shortster
Post Sale Update: This Shortster sold for $1,750. In 1972 Harley (Aermacchi) introduced the 65 CC Shortster minibike. It was an apparent attempt by Harley to get kids on a HD and get them dreaming of the big bike. One advertisement showed a youngster standing with his minibike by a pond. The reflection in the water was a Sportster. The …
Fiat Powered in Italy – 1981 Shifty 900
View Post1938 Velocette MSS
The 1930s were the absolutely the heyday of British singles. BSA, Triumph, Norton, Velocette, Sunbeam, Rudge, New Hudson, Excelsior, HRD, New Imperial and Royal Enfield all made 500 CC singles during the 1930s. No doubt one of the best of the lot was the Velocette MSS. Introduced in 1935 the MSS continued in the Velocette catalog until 1968 (None made …
Street Legal Open Class – 2006 Service Honda CR500AF-X
Though they are no longer in business, Service Honda was well known not just for supplying OEM parts but also for the creation of an aluminum-framed open class monster called the 500AF. It all started in 1997, where as a personal project Service Honda stuffed a 500cc 2-stroke motor into a Honda CR250. The results were dramatic, and Service Honda …
Ending Soon – 1978 Honda CB750A
Post Listing Update – This CB750A was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Everybody knows about the long run popularity of the Honda CB750. How could you possibly classify a CB750 as rare or unusual? Make it be a CB750A2 (1978)-only 1,700 were built. 1978 was a big model change year (CB750K for 1979) and Honda still sold …
1976 TriVette
During the 1970s, America was suffering through an oil embargo. Lots of small companies tried to enter the automotive market by focusing on gas mileage. Bob Keyes of Ventura, California looked at a study that found “93% of the vehicles on the freeways in Southern California were being driven with only a single occupant, the driver.” His thought that having …
“Frank” – 1977 Honda CB550 Custom
2-12-17 Update – Reader Bob K notes that this bike is back up for sale. You can find it for sale here on Craigslist outside of Dallas, Texas for $13,500. Post Listing Update: Frank got a healthy 74 bids on eBay, but the final result of $7,000 was not enough to meet reserve. Called “Frank” because it’s a ‘Frankenstein’ build, …
Custom Paint – 1985 Kawasaki GPZ750 Turbo
Sold for two model years, the GPZ750 Turbo from Kawasaki is generally considered to be the best of the 80s Japanese turbo bikes that had a brief impact in the marketplace. 112 horsepower was good enough for a 10.7 second quarter mile – consider that a Kawasaki ZX-11 did the quarter in 10.26! This example was originally purchased by a …