Introduced in 1948, the Piaggio Ape is a three wheeler designed for light commercial purposes. What you may not expect to hear is that the Ape is still in production! Ape translates to “bee” in Italian, and it was named to evoke the productiveness you think of with ‘busy as a bee’.
25th Anniversary – 2007 Honda VFR800
In 2007, Honda celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their venerable sport tourer with a special red/white/blue paint job. I always thought this paint scheme looked amazing, though the stock black wheels were a mistake – they should have been white! This example is in great shape and comes with some modifications that every sixth gen viffer should have.
1994 BMW R100R Mystic
Available only in 1994 and 1995 in the US, the Mystic was a factory custom based on the BMW R100R. The changes were entirely cosmetic, but they were not insignificant. Nowadays a ‘special edition’ just means new paint – the Mystic had several restyled parts.
Cafe Prepped – 1975 Honda CB400F
Equipped with some of the prettiest exhaust headers of the 70s, the Honda CB400F was a fairly standard evolution of the 350, though it did get a sixth cog in the gearbox. Here’s an example that’s been given a new lease on life with just a few small cosmetic tweaks – I think it looks great!
1951 BMW R51/3
In a lot of my posts, I talk about the history of BMW motorcycles. Sometimes though, we can see actual history in these machines. One such bike is the R51/3.
The Prototype – 2012 Raven MotoCycle
Over several years, Jeff Gundlach made a name for himself designing magazine covers for motorcycle mags like Cycle News and Cycle Magazine. In 2009, he started building “something unique, powerful, light, functional, and a classic look.” A couple of years later, the Raven was born. At the time, Jeff created a 750cc prototype and was planning on offering displacement options …
The Scamp – Honda CL360 Brat Custom
The seller of this bike calls it a Scamp – though that name has been used by Honda before, it was what the N360 car was named in Australia. Seems appropriate then, as the N360 and this CL360 were motivated by similarly-sized engines.
Picture Intermission – The BMW R68
With less than 1,500 examples produced, the R68 is BMW’s rarest postwar motorcycle. Because of that, many riders don’t get the chance to enjoy one in person – so here’s the next best thing.
1922 Johnson Motorwheel
Based out of Terre Haute, Indiana, four bothers came together to form the Johnson Motor Company. Despite some initial trials and tribulations, they had set half-mile dirt track records and sold over 17,000 units by 1921. Unfortunately by that point Henry Ford was making vehicles like the Motorwheel obsolete with the Model T. A few years later and the Johnson …
1965 Honda CB450 Black Bomber
Post-Sale Update: After 36 bids on eBay, this Black Bomber sold for $4,550. One of the most influential Japanese motorcycles ever, the CB450 was Honda’s first big bike, and it was quite a shock to the Brits.
1000cc Engine – 1984 BMW R80GS
This dark blue GS has been given a displacement bump courtesy of 1,000cc dual plug heads from Memphis Motor Werks. Other upgrades include an Omega 450W charging system, fog lights, San Jose BMW aluminum triple clamp, BMW fork brace, and the factory bags. And if blue isn’t your bag, you have the option of Desert Sand bodywork instead!
One Year Only – 1962 Harley-Davidson Ranger
After World War II, Harley got blueprints for the DKW RT125 as war reparations from Germany. With those designs, Harley built the Hummer, also known as the Model 125. The Hummer had many variations between 1948 and 1966, but one of the rarest was the off-road Ranger, only built in 1962.
Gilera 124 5V
1-26-16 Update: 7 months later, this Gilera is back up for sale with a thousand dollar discount. Find it for sale with a BIN of $2,500 or best offer here on eBay. Acquired 10 years ago in non-running condition, this Gilera 124 apparently had an electrical short which started a fire in the headlight bucket. In addition, the engine was …
2015 Norvin
Take a Vincent engine, slap it in a Norton chassis, and you’ve got yourself a “Norvin”! This example was put together last year and it’s claimed to be in showroom condition.
DirtWise – 2014 KTM 250 SX
DirtWise is an off-road riding academy run by Shane Watts, former World Enduro champion, ISDE Overall champion, and GNCC champion. Part of his program includes a race team sponsored by Maxxis and Klim, as well as a “Ready to Race” rental program. Unfortunately, those programs are closing, so they’ve got some bikes to get rid of. Here’s a KTM 250 …