Towards the start of the 1980s, BMW tasked a small group of designers and engineers to deliver what eventually became the R80G/S — a model that came to define a genre and lead to some of the best-selling models from the Bavarian brand. A quarter-century-later BMW Motorrad greenlit yet another skunkworks project, this time focused on creating the ultimate big-bore …
Open To Pre-Order – 2019 Moto Guzzi V85 TT
View Post2009 Suzuki DR-Z400
Post Sale Update: This DR-Z sold for $3,000 after 20 bids on eBay. Everyone loves a dual sport, and the Suzuki DR-Z400 has been a dual sport staple since 2000. It hasn’t changed much, but that just means you’ll get plenty for your dollar. The suspension might be more adjustable nowadays, but even in 2018 it still came with carburetors. …
1968 Honda CL125A
Post Sale Update: This CL125A sold for $1,875 after 50 bids on eBay. Introduced in 1967, the CL125A Scrambler featured the smallest overhead cam four-stroke twin that Honda ever built.
One Owner – 2004 KTM 625 SXC
In their review of the 625 SXC, Dirt Bike magazine called it “a great, big beast that makes even a Honda 650R seem small.” The XR650R was much more popular, however, and that’s why the big KTM is now a relatively rare find – especially a one-owner bike with just 1,400 miles after a decade and a half of use.
Ending Soon – 2009 Kawasaki KLR650 M1030M1
Post Sale Update: This diesel KLR sold for $7,113 after 20 bids on eBay. KLR fans, take a close look at that motor. If it looks different than what you’re used to, it’s because this is a diesel-powered Kawasaki built by Hayes Diversified Technologies for the US Marine Corps. Hayes actually built 3 military Kawis – a gas-powered bike based …
1974 Penton Mudlark
The Penton Mudlark is one of the rare flops from John Penton and his now defunct manufacturing firm. Originally designed as a trials bike, it was even called the “Penton Trials” when it was released. Almost immediately, it was met with poor reviews.
2007 BMW G650 XChallenge with SherpaX Trailer
Trailers are rare enough in the world of motorcycling, but they’re almost always found on pavement. Well, a Canadian company called KIP Moto has developed an off-road trailer designed to be towed with an enduro. Called the SherpaX, the trailer weighs 30 pounds, offers almost 4″ of suspension travel, and features a cargo basket that’s designed to accept a Rubbermaid …
1982 Honda Motra CT50
Post Listing Update: This Motra did not meet reserve despite 56 bids up to $7,100. In the 80s, Honda offered what they called a “heavy duty” minibike called the Motra. Unlike the Z50 or original Monkey, the Motra was designed to be loaded up with gear and ridden just about anywhere you could imagine. A commonly-shared-but-unverified tale says that “Motra” …
119 Miles – 1971 Rockford Taka 100
Following up on the Bridgestone Hurricane also available today, it seems appropriate to mention Rockford Motors. They were the American importer for Bridgestone, but when the Japanese firm stopped selling bikes in 1971, Rockford had a bit of an issue. They made a deal with Bridgestone to take over manufacturing rights for the 3 smallest bikes – two 60cc models …
Street Legal – 1967 Rickman Metisse
In 2013, this Metisse “underwent modifications to adapt a period appropriate headlamp and taillamp/stop lamp and horn set up to make it street legal”. Would you ever put it on pavement?
2003 Cannondale E440
The swansong of the Cannondale motorcycles (a short-lived subsidiary of the American bicycle company) was the E440, an enduro twin of the X440 motocrosser. It was a disaster, the culmination of an $80 million investment that bankrupted the motorcycle division.
2011 KTM 990 Adventure Dakar Edition
In the upcoming issue of Motorcyclist magazine, I’ll feature a few bikes that are “Performance Steals” for the Smart Money column. One of them is the KTM 990 Adventure, which was the most off-road capable big bike of its time. In 2011, KTM offered a “Dakar Edition” which yielded slightly more peak horsepower thanks to a 500-rpm higher rev limit, …
Unexpected Custom – Yamaha Seca 2 Dual-Sport
My first bike after undergrad was a beat up Yamaha Seca 2 that I bought for $600. I thought it was a pleasant bike, but I never thought it would make a good platform to go off-road with. Thankfully, the builder of this bike doesn’t think like I do.
1964 Gilera 124 Fuori Strada Enduro
Post Listing Update: This Gilera did not meet reserve despite 23 bids up to $1,508 on eBay Described by the seller (Michael Harper) as a “rare limited edition enduro version of the Sei Giorni Speciale”, this Fuori Strada (which translates to “off-road” is apparently a one-year only model. I’ve never encountered one before, and it’s a tough one to find …