Here’s a first-year example of Honda’s V45 (750cc) Sabre. Within a couple of years, Honda had shrunk the bike down to 700 to circumvent the taxes imposed on 750cc and larger import bikes by the US International Trade Commission. This one stands out due to the impressive original condition and the rare Hondaline fairing.
In France – 1993 Magni Sfida 1000
Magni is probably best known for the incredible bikes it made in partnership with MV Agusta, but over the years they also did some work with engines from BMW, Honda, and Moto Guzzi. MG’s 1,100cc engine provided the heart of the Sfida that you see here today.
No Reserve – 1971 Suzuki TC90
Post Sale Update: This TC90 sold for $1,475 after 51 bids on eBay in Mentor, Ohio. Also known as the “Blazer”, the TC90 was advertised by Suzuki as “built to take on the country” thanks to a dual-range transmission for 8 total gears.
1969 Greeves Ranger 250
Founded by Bert Greeves, the Greeves motorcycle company started when Bert was mowing his lawn and thought of mounting a lawnmower engine to the wheelchair of his disabled cousin to help with mobility. That led to a government contract, and Bert was inspired by his success to start building motorcycles as well. The company was quite successful with exports – …
Raymond Roche’s Ride – 1987 Cagiva 500 GP Racer
The 1987 running of the World GP Championships was fought on 500cc two-stroke machines – per the seller, this is the steed of Raymond Roche, who placed 13th overall on the #8 of Team Cagiva – Alstare (Bastos).
VIN #1 – 2003 Honda RC51
Post Sale Update: This RC51 sold for $6,550 after 12 bids on eBay in El Paso, Texas. The RC51 combined Honda reliability with the joy of a V-Twin engine, beating Ducati at its own game with multiple World Superbike Championships and a AMA Championship. In 2002, Honda made some revisions to create the SP2 variant.
1972 Bond Bug 700ES
Post Sale Update: This Bond Bug sold for $19,000 after 31 bids on eBay in Hamburg, New York. Built by Reliant (the same company that made the Robin), the Bond Bug is a microcar with two seats and three wheels. The initial idea was to create something sportier than the Robin and the Regal to appeal to younger buyers, though …
1995 MZ Silver Star Classic Gespann
It’s rare to find factory sidecar options on bikes made in the last three decades, but the “Gespann” was MZ’s name for their sidecar option on the Silver Star.
1 of 300 – 1997 Ducati 916 Senna II
In honor of Ayrton Senna, Ducati released 3 runs of limited edition bikes as a tribute, and all are now incredibly desired by collectors. At the time of original sale, proceeds went to Senna’s charity that supported poverty-stricken children in his home country of Brazil. This generation of the Senna was not sold in the US, so this is a …
“Eye Candy” – 1958 Ariel Square Four Custom
Built in California in 2001, this custom chopper is called “Eye Candy” and it features a motor typically not seen in these kinds of builds – an Ariel Square Four!
120 HP – 1974 Kawasaki H2 750
Post Listing Update: this H2 did not meet reserve with 41 bids up to $12,000 on eBay in Oxnard, California. It was later relisted with 4 bids up to $12,600 and the same result. The Kawasaki H2 earned a “Widowmaker” reputation with 74 horsepower…but this example now puts out 120 at the crank thanks to a built motor from Purple …
1960 Capriolo Antelope
In the early 60s, Capriolo offered up a range of small motorcycles with animal-inspired names: the 125cc Cheetah, 100cc Gazelle, and the 75cc Antelope.
1968 Honda CB450P
Post Listing Update: did not meet reserve with 39 bids up to $7,000 on eBay in Butler, Pennsylvania. One of the rarer Honda motorcycles in the US, the CB450P (also occasionally referred to as the CP450) is a police model based on Honda’s popular CB450. I’ve featured a couple based on the KO Black Bomber model, but K1 police bikes …
Frame Swap – 2005 KTM 525 SMR
Post Sale Update: This KTM sold for $4,280 after 16 bids on Iconic Motorbike Auctions in Santa Monica, California. For 2005, KTM offered two versions of their track-only supermoto racer, the SMR. Both were named for approximate displacement, and the Austrians sold a 450 and a 525. The latter was fueled by a 41mm Keihin carb fed by a 1.9 …
In England – 2004 Sachs 800 Roadster
Sachs is probably best known in the motorcycling world for their success in the 60s under the Fichtel & Sachs name when they took over Victoria, Express, and DKW and produced several small displacement motorcycles (as well as the Wankel-powered Hercules/DKW a few years later). After a break due to financial problems, Sachs got back to building motorized two-wheelers in …