In 1962, Suzuki claimed its first TT victory in the 50cc class with East German racer Ernst Degner (who would win the 50cc world championship later that same year), earning Suzuki its first ever world title (he also proceeded to win five out of the next six 50cc titles). In the years that followed, Suzuki would introduce machines in the …
Expensive Test Ride – 2018 BMW G310GS
I really enjoyed my time with BMW’s entry level street bike, the G310R – click here for my review. At the launch, BMW told me that they were also going to create a baby GS with the 310 motor, and it’s finally here. There are very few bikes in the US yet (the US media launch won’t even happen for …
Bought by Dan Gurney – 1975 Honda XL175
Post Sale Update: This XL175 sold for $10,000 after 31 bids on Bring a Trailer. Honda’s XL175 wasn’t particularly special – but this example is slightly more interesting than usual as it was purchased by Dan Gurney (RIP) and his company, All American Racers. To be frank, that’s pretty much where the celebrity relationship ends – Gurney gave it to …
1973 Hodaka Ace 100B
The Ace was Hodaka’s first motorcycle, the result of a partnership between Hodaka in Japan and the Pacific Basin Trading Company (Pabatco) of Athena, Oregon. It started off as a 90cc trail bike when introduced in 1964, but by ’68 the Ace was up to 100cc – and for many of you it may have been a first taste of …
276 Miles – 1980 Yamaha XT500
Every time I feature a XT500, you guys and gals seem to love it. So I’m hoping you’re really going to enjoy this example, which has less than 300 miles on the odometer.
22 Original Miles – 2000 Kawasaki KE100
In the mid-1970s, Kawasaki replaced its G5 100 model with the KE100. The little KE was a popular bike that Team Green would keep in production for a quarter-century before finally pulling the plug in 2001. This particular example is not only noteworthy on account of its immaculate cosmetic condition, but also because it has only 22 original miles on …
1978 Yamaha DT400
Post Sale Update: This DT400 sold for $2,125 after 26 bids on eBay. When it was introduced in 1975, the Yamaha DT400 was well-loved by the press. Despite that, it wasn’t particularly success from a commercial standpoint as emissions rules tightened and Yamaha replaced the two-stroker with the legendary XT/TT 500. As the end of the production run came nigh, …
Toasted Scrambler – 1973 BMW R75/5 Custom
Post Sale Update: This BMW sold for $3,724 after 32 bids on eBay. 2-7-18 Update: 6 months later, this custom slash 5 is back up for sale from the same seller so it looks like the previous sale did not go through. Find it with bidding up to $2,475 in Mout Kisco, New York here on eBay. Post Sale Update: …
AMCA Awarded – 1964 Harley-Davidson Scat
An evolution of the Harley-Davidson Pacer, the Scat was a dual-sport variant differentiated with some bolt on parts. This example has paperwork and a trophy showing that it was given a Junior Level award (the seller doesn’t make it clear if it’s First or Second Level) at an AMCA event.
2000 Cagiva Gran Canyon
A comfortable, agile tourer powered by Ducati’s iconic air-cooled V-Twin from the 900SS – for some, that’s the perfect description of a motorcycle. It’s rare, versatile, it sounds great, and it will stand out at Starbucks again all the R1200GS’ as not many were imported to the US.
Rare Italian Project – 1964 Ducati Mountaineer 90
Post Listing Update: This Mountaineer was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. In the mid 60s, Ducati offered a pair of singles called the Cadet and the Mountaineer – the Cadet was a road bike and the Mountaineer (as you can guess from the name) was more of a dual-sport before the term existed. Both were available in …
70, 80, or 90 – 3 Small Displacement Original Enduros
David N has pointed out to me that the seller of last week’s Rupp Black Widow replica has a few small displacement enduros that he’s getting rid of as well.
Lucky Livery – 1995 Cagiva Elefant 900 AC
Post Sale Update – this Cagiva sold for sold for $10,000 after 30 bids on eBay. In 1989, Cagiva debuted a limited version of the Elefant adorned in the Lucky Explorer livery of their Paris-Dakar winner. It was the coolest of the Elefant line-up. In 1993, they went in a different direction than the usual motorcycle manufacturer and actually offered …
Street Scrambler Elsinore Tribute – 1985 Honda VF500 Custom
What we have here is an ’85 Honda VF500 V30 Magna-based, 500 Interceptor-powered Street Scrambler build. This example – which was built as a 1973 Honda CR250 Elsinore tribute – very much looks the part of your typical scrambler while boasting performance closer to that of a mid-’80’s sport bike. The V4-powered sled has received a lot of work and …
Showroom Clean – 1975 Yamaha DT100
Yamaha first kicked-off its DT lineup in 1968 with the 250cc DT-1 – a model that would help to usher in a new market for dual-sport machines. The DT-1 (also known as the Trail 250 in other markets) would be included as one of the Society of Automotive Engineers of Japan’s 240 Landmarks of the Japanese Automotive Technology. Upon its …