Normally, mention of the Kawasaki Ninja 650R would lead to thoughts of a mid-sized on-road tourer, though it was more popular in Europe than it was here in the States. Today, we feature something quite unexpected – a 650R that’s been seriously modified to tackle all kinds of terrain.
Three Crazy Trikes
I normally don’t feature trikes here on Bike-urious, but over the last day or so I’ve seen a few that had to be shared:
1989 Honda NT650 Hawk
Frank Wu, this post is for you! In the late 80s, Honda introduced one of the first modern production naked motorcycles. Though the Honda NT650 (also known as the Hawk) was not a commercial success, it went on to inspire more prevalent motorcycles like the Suzuki SV650N, and has become an absolute cult favorite.
2007 Buell Lightning Super TT XB12STT
12-27-13 Update: The seller has let us know that this bike is still up for sale, so we figured we’d refresh your memory! When it comes to streetbikes, it’s harder to have much fun (at legal speeds) than when you’re riding a supermoto. For just two years and 1,700 units, Buell channeled the supermoto feel and created the XB12STT, a …
First Year Fizzer – 1987 Yamaha FZR1000
We continue with what’s become a Yamaha sportbike week with the Yamaha FZR1000 – predecessor to the now-ubiquitous Yamaha R1. The Fizzer was an instant classic when it was introduced in 1987. Just two years later, Cycle World named it the “Bike of the Decade”, thanks in part to a 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of …
Airbrushed – 1976 BMW R90S
I adore the BMW R90S, which was a game-changer when it was released to the world. The gray and smoke paint scheme shown here was the first of two available paint schemes, both of which are beautiful and incredibly difficult to reproduce. With oversight from Hans Muth, this bike was built to show the world that BMW could make more …
1986 Honda NS400R
Post Listing Update: This NS400R did not meet reserve despite 10 bids up to $5,101. The seller then relisted the bike 7 times trying to get a bite at $6,500, but it never happened. The NS400R was arguably one of the best handlers Honda produced in the 80s and early 90s. A nifty V3 2-stroke engine pumps out about 70 …
Subaru Boxer Power – 1984 Yamaha Venture Trike
Post Listing Update: This interesting trike got no action at the opening bid of $5,000. The Yamaha Venture Royale was an upscale tourer designed to compete with the Goldwing. Though it was a solid motorcycle, the most exciting thing about it was that Yamaha took the engine and modded it to become the heart of the genre-shifting V-Max. Today we’re …
1 of 400 – 2012.5 KTM 450SXF Dungey Edition
Post-Sale Update: This KTM 450SXF Dungey Edition was pulled off eBay before the auction ended, final sale price unknown. KTM has been one of the leaders in motocross racing for countless years, particularly in AMA with Ryan Dungey. As part of AMA homologation rules, KTM had to release 400 units of this bike – otherwise Dungey would be disqualified from …
3 Wheeler – 2009 Piaggio MP3 500
We’ve always been fascinated by the Piaggio MP3 500, the claim to fame for which is its ability to lean up to 40 degrees despite having two front wheels. Capable of a top speed of 89 mph, the MP3 500 also returns 56 mpg and is capable of braking in 20% less distance compared to its two-wheeled brethren. This, in …
1 of 1183 – 1983 Suzuki XN85 Turbo
Post-Sale Update: After 22 bids on eBay, this Suzuki XN85 Turbo sold for $2,500. The Suzuki XN85 is the rarest of all the Japanese production Turbo bikes. This example has covered 33,000 miles and suffers from a non-original paint job. Find it here on eBay.
1982 Krauser MKM1000
Post Listing Update: The BIN was lowered to $36,000, but it still got no interest on eBay. 3 decades ago, Krauser was known as the world’s largest manufacturer of detachable luggage for motorcycles, especially for BMWs and Goldwings. Mike Krauser, president of his namesake company, wanted to design a top of the line road bike. The result was an entirely …
2000 Qpod Secma
Post-Listing Update – After being relisted, this Qpod Secma got no bidding at $1,000. Here’s something you don’t see everyday – a Qpod Secma.
BMW Power – 2007 GG Quad
Powered by the drivetrain from the BMW R1150 series, the guys over at Gruter und Gut created the GG Quad, which makes the Can-Am Spyder seem cheap…and good looking. But with a MSRP of $70,000 and the fact that only 29 were sold in the US, this isn’t a quad you’ll see very often, or ever. Then again, based on …
Legendary – 1993 BMW R100R Battle of the Legends
In the early 90s, the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA) looked to rejuvenate American roadracing, and mixed it up with the introduction of “Sound of Singles” and Battle of Twins” classes. In their attempt to bring in more sponsorship money, they also partnered with BMW to create what would end up being one of their best-known races – the …