With the vast majority of today’s retro-inspired so-called “Scramblers” not being particularly competent off-road machines, one builder in the U.K. opted to instead buy a modern-retro standard and turn it into a bulletproof bonafide off-roader. The results are an awesome machine reminiscent of when Scramblers were actually made to scramble complete with a high-mounted exhaust and many of the other …
Triumph and Tribulations – Exploring the UK, Day 3
View PostNo Reserve – 1989 Yamaha TDR250
Post Sale Update: After 30 bids on eBay, this TDR sold for $5,995. Ultimate Dual. That’s what Yamaha slapped onto the tank of the TDR250, and it was a unique descriptor for a unique bike. A retuned TZR250 two-stroke motor good for nearly 50 horsepower in a dual-sport frame was unlike anything available in the US at the time – …
Rare in the US – 1977 Honda CT125 Trail
In Australia, Honda sells a series of Agricultural bikes with features like front and rear racks, comfier seats, backup kickstarters, and even a clutch lock so you can leave your bike in gear and hop off to open a gate. Back in the 70s, Honda sold a farm version of the XL125 off-roader. It was called the CT125 Trail and …
Go Anywhere – 2016 Husqvarna 701 Enduro
Thanks to $6,000+ in well-thought out upgrades, the seller calls this Husky the “ultimate lightweight ADV bike.” He may not be exaggerating.
Bumblebee – 1991 BMW R100GS
Post Listing Update: This R100GS was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. The black and yellow livery of the R100GS earned it the affectionate name of “bumblebee.” Here’s a relatively low mileage example that needs a new owner to cover some distance with it.
Triumph and Tribulations – Exploring the UK, Day 1 and 2
View PostJeff Weier Resto – 1972 Suzuki TS400 Apache
Post Listing Update: 3 bids on eBay up to $5,385 weren’t enough to meet reserve. Built between 1972 and 1979, the TS400 was the largest of Suzuki’s two-stroke off-road family. Suzuki had a wide range of “T” bikes – TM was for motocross, TC, was for trail, TF was for farm, and TS was the enduro. The 400 produced 34 …
Rare in the US – 1991 Honda XRV750 Africa Twin
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of years, you know that Honda has brought back the Africa Twin with a lot of fanfare. The new bike has been well received, but the reason the name has so much value is because previous generations (like the XRV750 featured here) were excellent bikes. It’s even more interesting …
Capable Custom – BMW R100 Enduro
Another day, another R100 custom built to take on the world. This example hasn’t just been well-modified, it’s well-traveled, too. It’s been to Alaska and completed the Colorado Backcountry Discovery Route. Where would you take it?
Rally Replica in Canada – BMW R100GSPD Custom
Prepare yourself for one of the coolest airhead customs I’ve seen in a long time. The seller started the work 4 years ago, saying “the bike was an R100 GSPD. I rode it for a little on local logging/dirt roads and thought it needed some changes made. As those things go, one thing led to another.” Now that’s an understatement!
Three Mid-’60’s Honda CL77 Scrambler 305’s
The Honda CL77 (aka the Scrambler 305) was the more off-road oriented version of the popular C77 Dream. While these machines never really fell out of popularity, the recent spike in all things Scrambler has undoubtedly made the CL77 a more coveted find. The Scrambler 305 is considered a fantastic little runner with its 305.4cc parallel Twin power plant that …
“Scrambob” – Ducati 750 Super Sport Custom
I’m a big fan of Scramblers that are a little different, and this Ducati Super Sport 750 turned scrambler is just the kind of thing I fancy. The Ducati SS is a great donor bike for builds as it’s cheap and fairly versatile when it comes to the extensive possibilities builders have when working with one as demonstrated by this …
Needs Some Work – 1981 Honda Motra
Post Sale Update: After 45 bids on eBay, this Motra sold for $1,775. Built in the early 80s, the Motra was a quirky minibike. Honda advertised it as “Heavy Duty” (mini)bike that you could load up with gear and take across the back country. In fact, as the Japanese pronunciation for truck is “Torakku”, it’s said that “Motra” is a …
No Reserve – 1972 BSA B50SS Gold Star
When I say BSA Gold Star, you think of the iconic motorcycles known for speed. Yet for some reason, when BSA released the B50 model lineup of a street scrambler (SS), a dual sport, and a MX, they brought back the Gold Star name for the SS variant. Fans of the original Goldie were not pleased.