8-8 Update: Despite 38 bids on eBay up to $61,100, this Kawasaki Z1 900 did not meet reserve. It’s been relisted with an opening bid of $25,000 (and better photos) here on eBay. Before Honda released the instant classic CB750, Kawasaki was also working on a a four-cylinder, 750cc sportbike – except Kawi thought it was going to be first …
1958 Royal Enfield Indian Tomahawk
The Royal Enfield Indian Tomahawk was a result of the odd marriage between (surprise) Royal Enfield and Indian. The Indian marque was owned by an English firm called Brockhouse Engineering, and during this time, they imported Royal Enfield bikes under the Indian name.
Eleven – 1996 Ducati 900SS Custom by Atom Bomb
Post-Listing Update: 27 bids got the action up to $15,100, but this Ducati 900SS Custom by Atom Bomb did not meet reserve. It has since been relisted with an opening bid of $23,900 here on eBay. Previously featured on BikeEXIF, this Ducati 900SS Custom is the work of Atom Bomb Custom Motorcycles. They call this bike Eleven – I call …
1964 Norton Atlas Cafe Racer
Named after the ICBM, the Norton Atlas was released in 1962, earning a so-so reputation before being replaced by the classic Commando. Built to appeal to American aesthetic preferences, it was initially only produced for export. Here’s an example that’s been turned into a cafe racer.
JDM and 17k RPM – 1986 Yamaha FZR250
Originally sold only in Japan, the Yamaha FZR250 was one of the few “learner legal” race replica bikes. A small amount of these bikes eventually made their way to other countries, just like this excellent example in front of you. Yet despite the gray-market importation, this bike has a California title and plate.
Butterface – 1990 Moto Guzzi Mille GT 1000 Custom
Post Sale Update: After 15 bids on eBay, this Mille GT sold for $4,161. A rarity even in the world of Guzzis, the Moto Guzzi Mille GT 1000 was a standard bike that could arguably be considered a blend between the California and the T5.
Reader Ride – 1990 Honda NS50F
Alex M is getting married, and he’s looking to sell his Honda NS50F to help pay for the wedding. This is an incredibly rare bike sold only for just one year, with a small, but incredibly passionate following.
1971 Harley-Davidson FX Super Glide
Post-Listing Update: Despite 29 bids on eBay up to $14,100, this Harley-Davidson FX Super Glide did not meet reserve. Considered by some to be the first factory custom bike, the Harley-Davidson FX Super Glide was Willie G’s brainchild and an attempt to satisfy the countless H-D enthusiasts that would customize their brand new Harleys.
2008 Benelli Tornado 1130
In the world of modern Italian sportbikes, most people immediately default to Ducati. But if you’re looking to broaden your horizons, you might want to consider a different offering – the Benelli Tornado 1130.
1975 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport
My favorite Guzzi, the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport is still one of the most famous Guzzis ever made. Produced in small numbers (about 3,500) for only three years, it represented a change in focus for the firm. After years of truck-like bikes such as the Ambassador and the Eldorado, the V7 was specifically created by Tonti to honor Guzzi’s racing …
1957 Ariel Square Four
The Ariel Square Four design goes all the way back to 1931, soon after Edward Turner designed an interesting new four-cylinder motorcycle engine formed from two OHC parallel twins. The design became known as the square four engine, and lent its name to this Ariel motorcycle.
1996 Gas Gas Pampera 370 Enduro
Gas Gas is a Spanish manufacturer of primarily off-road motorcycles, especially their trials bikes. Here’s a hard-to-find example of one of their models, the Gas Gas Pampera 370. Unfortunately, there’s not much information available about this model, unless you speak Spanish. It’s a water-cooled, 237 cc single-cylinder engine that has to motivate a bike that weighs just 187 pounds. This …
1960 Norton Manx 40M
Post Listing Update: This Manx did not meet reserve despite 25 bids up to $29,100.29. Built for a whopping 15 years in long stroke and short stroke variants, the Norton Manx has a long, complicated history – which means that I defer you to The Vintagent to learn more. In recent times there has been a resurgence in its popularity …
1956 MV Agusta 125 TR
Post-Listing Update: Despite being re-listed, this MV Agusta 125 TR did not meet reserve at $3,600. Known as the Turismo Rapido, the MV Agusta 125 TR is a beautiful, small-displacement Italian. This example enjoyed an older restoration, though there’s been recent mechanical work to make it a rider. It’s not perfect, but it’s one of the better examples I’ve seen …
Modern Homologation – 2014 Honda CBR1000RR SP
I realize that it’s very rare when I feature a bike built in the last couple of years. But after being inspired by yesterday’s RC45, it’s nice to see a modern homologation bike from Big Red – today’s example is the 2014 Honda CBR1000RR SP.