The Hornet is one of the rarest of the BSA offerings, it was sold from 1964 through 1967 and almost exclusively in the US. Aimed at the US off road market it was known as the Spitfire Hornet in ‘64 and ‘65 but the ‘Spitfire’ was dropped for ‘66 and ‘67. The bike was sold with no lights or mufflers, …
“ADV Cafe Scrambler Tracker” – 1984 Honda VFR700
Built to mock the stereotypes of biker builds that have taken over in some circles, this ridiculous Honda allows you to “grab your flannel, beard oil and PBR and get a taste of the NW moto scene astride one of the most unique and tastefully constructed steeds you will ever lay your eyes on.” Ever ridden a bike with a …
Built to Teach – 1990 Honda CB125T
Post Sale Update: After 33 bids on eBay, this CB125T sold for just $601. For just one year, Honda made 2,000 examples of a 125cc twin specifically designed for US rider’s education schools. They were built without VINs so they should not be street legal, yet this example is claimed to have a VIN…
1 of 250 – 2002 Ducati 748S
Post Sale Update: After 32 bids on eBay, this 748S sold for $8,100. Officially, Ducati called this special grey/white/red paint scheme Titanium Grey, but Ducati fans have called it something slightly different over the years. They call it the “Semi Senna”, as it harks back to the officially licensed Senna 916 from the mid 90s. The 748S variant was not …
Rare Fairing – 1983 Yamaha XV500 Virago
Post Listing Update: This Virago did not meet reserve with 13 bids up to $820. The Virago was Yamaha’s entry into the V-Twin cruiser market. It debuted in 1981 with a 750cc engine but Yamaha soon added 900cc and 500cc versions – here’s one of the latter that’s equipped with a rare factory Yamaha X-1 front fairing.
Rare in Red – 1966 Honda CB450
It’s like a Zen Koan: Is a motorcycle truly rare with a serial # of 29,xxx? It may be. I am very familiar with the CB450 ‘Black Bomber’, I seriously wanted one at the time. Every CB450 shipped to the US in 1966 was black, and was called the ‘Black Bomber’. Except for less than 500 white ones which were …
1993 Honda CBR900RR
Years from now, pristine early Fireblades will bring silly money at the big bike auctions. One of the most important sport bikes of the 90s, it changed expectations of the market by coming in at an insane 76 pounds less than its lightest competition. It weighed just 4 pounds more than its little brother CBR600F2. As Motorcycle News puts it, …
The Dream – 1968 Honda CA160
In 1968 there was a welter of motorcycles available to all. It really was the start of the popular revolution fueled by MILLIONS of motorcycles from Japan. The CA160 was near the top of the line for Honda, and it wasn’t a Benley (though it looked the part). It was officially the CA160 Dream and Honda said it was a …
1986 Honda Helix Custom
A cheap Honda with custom seats and a body kit? It’s the Fast and Furious of scooters!
2013 MV Agusta F4RR Corsacorta
When the 2013 F4RR was offered to the public, it got one of the most thorough electronics packages riders had seen to date. It was the first production road bike to offer an electronically-assisted shifter that would let you downshift without using the clutch (and automatically blip the throttle for you, as well). Despite all that and the gorgeous styling, …
Thunderball Repro – 1965 BSA Lightning
10-15-16 Update: Tom W notes that this bike is back up for sale. Even though no one seemed to want it at $10,999 8 months ago, the seller is now asking for $13,999 or best offer here on eBay. Post-Listing Update: This Lightning reproduction got no interest at $10,999. One of the coolest motorcycles to appear in the Bond franchise …
1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000
When it was released, the Harley-Davidson XLCR (CR stood for Cafe Racer) was supposed to be an instant success powered by Harley’s most powerful production engine to date. It was a jet black departure from HD’s usual chrome fare. It didn’t sell well at all, and now it’s a cult classic.
2016 Ducati xDiavel S
My favorite cruiser available today is easily Ducati’s xDiavel S. I had the pleasure of riding around on one for a few weeks this summer, and then I put Nathan on one to do 1,000 miles in 24 hours. Here’s an example that has just 1,800 miles – and you’ll be able to enjoy a ~$7,000 discount if you’re willing …
Out of Slumber – 1968 Norton 750 Ranger
Back when desert racing was the sport of kings in the southwestern United States, Rob Blair (Norton’s California distributor) shoehorned a 750cc Atlas engine into a Matchless 85CS frame. When Norton found out about it, it became “Project 11”, which was dubbed P11 when Norton officially released it in 1967. A year later the model was slightly modified to become …
1955 Mustang Stallion (Model 8)
Mustang Motorcycle was a division of Gladden Products. They started developing motorcycles during WWII and shortly after bought Busy Bee Company to guarantee the supply of motors for their motorcycle division. The 1947 Mustang Model 2 is said to be the first motorcycle manufactured in the US with a telescopic front fork. The Model 2 was the basis for almost …