Post-Listing Update – Despite 26 bids on eBay, this Kawasaki KZ1000R ELR did not meet reserve at $15,200. One of 750 ever built, the Kawasaki KZ1000R ELR (Eddie Lawson Replica) was a limited edition homage to the mount of Eddie Lawson, 4x winner of the World Championship (among many other titles). It was aggressively set up, and with the exception …
Brand New – 1978 Harley-Davidson MX250
7-27 Update: The seller did not get any offers close to his $18,000 asking price the last time around, so this Harley-Davidson MX250 is back up for sale with bidding up to $14,000 here on eBay. In the late 70s, Harley was in a phase of small-displacement bikes while under the control of AMF. They decided to dabble in the …
1967 Triumph Rickman Metisse
After Thursday’s street-based Rickman Velocette, reader Steve F. shares what most people associate with the company- a Rickman Metisse. These popular bikes utilized a Rickman frame with (in this case), a Triumph engine. Just like a dog with no discernible breed, this bike was a mongrel of sorts – so they used the french translation (Metisse) to name it.
1951 Sunbeam S8
After WWII, as part of reparations, BMW gave up its designs of the BMW R75. Bikes like Chang Jiang and Ural used these designs, but England’s take was the Sunbeam S7. You can see the BMW influence when you look at a side profile, but Sunbeam wanted to differentiate themselves by utilizing a inline vertical twin instead of the German …
1965 BMW R27 with Trailer
The last shaft-driven single that BMW made, the R27 produced 18 horsepower. 15,364 were sold, and who knows how many remain. All I know is that most R27s definitely do not come with this sweet trailer! Unfortunately, the seller seems to be selling two R27s and confused his descriptions, so we get no details on the trailer (and I can’t …
Unexpected – 1974 BMW R90 Enduro
Post Listing Update: Despite 25 bids on eBay up to $7,250, this R90 Enduro did not meet reserve. BMW has obviously made quite the name for themselves with the enduro GS line – but that wasn’t born until the ’81 R80GS. So what are you to do if you want an older BMW that can still have fun in the …
1989 Honda PC800
The Honda Pacific Coast was marketed towards white-collar professionals as an easy daily rider, and was one of the easiest motorcycles in the world to own and maintain, with a comfortable riding position, low-maintenance shaft drive, and a reliable drivetrain that can easily go 80-100k with just regular services. By far the niftiest feature was the integrated trunk. The passenger …
1969 Rickman Velocette
Post-Sale Update – After 31 bids on eBay, this Rickman Velocette sold for $25,000. Do two names in the motorcycle industry sound better together than Rickman Velocette? Probably, but at the moment I can’t think of any. Take one Rickman street frame and one 500cc Velocette Venom engine and you’ve got an absolute beauty of a bike that I want …
1979 Yamaha RD400F Daytona Special
The Yamaha RD400F Daytona Special represents the last of a few key milestones in motorcycling history – it was the last air-cooled two-stroke street bike sold in the United States, and it was the last of Yamaha’s RD series. And the cherry on top of this history sundae? Today’s Daytona Special model was the top of the line of the …
Wabi-Sabi – 1976 Honda CB750K Custom Cafe Racer
Post-Sale Update: After being relisted, Wabi-Sabi sold for $7,001. The creation of Illinois-based Powder Monkees (not related to Wrenchmonkees), the Wabi-Sabi is a cafe racer “designed to celebrate the fusion of classic vintage styles, modern minimalism, and the natural beauty found within the imperfections of hand-crafted objects.” I see it as a good-looking (and very black) example of a custom …
Reader Ride – 1983 Ducati 900 MHR – Mike Hailwood Replica
Post-Sale Update: After 21 bids on eBay, this Ducati 900 MHR sold for $19,400. Reader Paul W. has just let me know about his Ducati 900 MHR that’s for sale on eBay, and this beauty is worth sharing. As you may know, the Ducati 900 MHR (Mike Hailwood Replica) was built to commemorate Hailwood’s success in the 1978 Isle of …
1997 Suzuki TL1000S
Post-Listing Update: This Suzuki TL1000S was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Back in the 70s, the Kawasaki H2 developed the reputation of a ‘widowmaker’ due to its’ incredible power and complete lack of handling. The Suzuki TL1000S also earned such a reputation when it was released in 1997, for slightly different reasons. This bike was introduced with …
1980 Moto Morini 500 Strada
Post-Sale Update: This 500 Strada sold for $3,161 after 14 bids on eBay. Most riders think of the 3 1/2 when they hear Moto Morini, but the firm was also known for their 500 Sei-V that was produced a decade later…to very little fanfare. What was once a classically beautiful motorcycle became an odd jumble of plastic and angular lines …
Nearly Finished – 1958 Ariel Square Four 1000
Post-Sale Update: This Square Four sold for $10,605 on eBay. The Ariel Square Four 1000 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.
1983 SWM 440GS
Ever heard of the motorcycle company SWM? Well, I hadn’t, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce you if you were in the same boat as me. Founded in 1971 by two Italians, the company built several off-roaders around engines from Sachs and Rotax (the latter was utilized after 1977). In fact, one of SWM’s bikes …