“Tough. Gutsy. Fun on the road. Even more fun off.” That’s how Suzuki introduced the new-for-1981 SP500. It was durable but a little overweight, and nowadays it’s tough to find a clean survivor.
Unexpected Sidecar – 1995 Yamaha TW200
The seller calls this Tee Dub the “ultimate bugout vehicle, which seems appropriate as it’s a TW and it’ll be capable of going just about anywhere on or off road (albeit slowly). On top of that, it’s got a sidecar and the requisite army green paint.
Restomod – 1955 Indian Woodsman
Post Listing Update: This Woodsman did not meet reserve despite 25 bids up to $6,311 on eBay in Spokane, Washington. Between 1955 and 1960, Indians sold in the US were actually re-branded Royal Enfields. It was the idea of an English company called Brockhouse Engineering (you may remember that they created the adorable Corgi) who owned the Indian trademark at …
1 of 760 – 1972 Yankee Z500
In the early 70s, John Taylor of Schenectady, New York started building the Yankee Z500, an American dual-sport designed to compete with the best bikes coming out of Europe. Yankee Motor Company started by importing machines from OSSA, the Spanish off-road powerhouse, and then moved to modifying OSSA engines in their own custom frames. Eventually, they combined two OSSA 250cc …
JDM Monkey – 1972 Honda Z50Z K1
Post Listing Update: This Monkey did not meet reserve despite 48 bids up to $6,200 on eBay in Chicago, Illinois. While Honda’s newest miniMOTO is called a Monkey, the model was always previously called the Mini Trail in the US. The “Monkey” on this tank lets you know that is a JDM model, which means it also has a removable …
144 Miles – 1978 Honda CT90
Post Sale Update – this CT90 sold for $2,475 after 33 bids on eBay. 6-9-2019 Update: Over a year later, this CT90 now has 237 miles. Confusingly, the seller says that he/she just got the bike “yesterday” and has only ridden it down the street, but this seems like the same bike to me and it’s being offered by the …
1971 Honda SL70
One of Honda’s many popular small displacement trail bikes of the 70s, the SL70 features a 72cc engine and a four-speed transmission. It was very successful with young riders who were learning how to ride dirt and motocross. It was introduced in 1970 but in 1974 it evolved into the XL70 as the ’73 XR75 was a better option for …
Ending Soon – 1955 AJS Model 18CS
Post Listing Update: This AJS did not meet reserve despite 19 bids up to $4,550 on eBay. The AJS Model 18CS was an evolution of the Model 18 – a bike that can trace its roots back to the G3L, an ex-military bike that was sold off in surplus once the war had ended. The C stood for Competition (as …
1979 Maico GS400 Enduro
Post Sale Update: This Maico sold for $3,505 after 6 bids on eBay. Thanks to a Tusk dual sport kit, this restored Maico is street legal in California. While the headlight runs off the stator, the tail light and turn signals are powered by a rechargeable nickel cadmium battery.
No Reserve – 1984 Honda XL600R
View Post1973 Suzuki TS185
Post Sale Update: This Sierra sold for $2,650 after 26 bids on eBay. The TS range of bikes were Suzuki’s first trail bikes, and the family of two-strokes was available with motors ranging from 50 to 400cc. Some riders considered the TS185 to be the best – it was actually a few pounds lighter than the TS125 but it made …
64 Miles – 1974 Honda Monkey Z50J
Post Sale Update: This Monkey sold for $3,350 after 16 bids on eBay. I was on a big Monkey kick after I got to try the new one, and I’m still always on the lookout for interesting examples. This ’74 model is a JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) example and it’s got just 102 kilometers on the odometer (64 miles).
703 Miles – 1989 Honda XL600V Transalp
Post Listing Update: This Transalp did not meet reserve despite 35 bids up to $4,500 on eBay. When Honda brought the XL600V over from Europe in 1989, America wasn’t ready. The 583cc V-twin adventure bike was more capable than anyone could have imagined. Many news outlets noted its biggest limiting factor was the tires of the time. Twin spark heads …
Plated – 1999 ATK 600DT
In a 1998 advertisement, ATK called the 600DT the only “factory-built dirt tracker”. They said it was race-ready thanks to a Rotax motor, their in-house frame, Brembo brakes, WP suspension, Talon hubs, SuperTrapp exhaust, and plenty more quality components.
Rare Restoration – 1972 Benelli Panther
Post Sale Update: This Panther sold for $1,920 after 2 bids on eBay. 4-6-19 Update: Almost a year later, this bike is now up on eBay with a ~$900 discount. Find it in Trenton, New Jersey with an unmet opening bid of $1,895 here on eBay. Known in other markets as the 125 Cross, this rare model was named the …