One of the few four-stroke trials bikes of the 70s, the Honda TL250 was developed with tremendous input from Sammy Miller – the license plate of the prototype was SAM 1N. Production started in ’75, and approximately 4,000 bikes were eventually sold, most in the US. The 248cc single produced 16 horsepower. For more information on the TL250, check out …
John Penton’s Racer – 1970 Husqvarna 360 Sportsman
In the 60’s, Edison Dye, known by some as the father of American Motocross, convinced management at Husky to build a street-legal dual-sport to compete with the proliferation of similar bikes in the American market, like the Yamaha DT-1. The resulting bike was a high-tech wonder, the Husqvarna 360 Sportsman. But today I’ll do you one better – this Sportsman …
$1,000 – 1979 Suzuki SP370
The Suzuki SP370 is a hard to find vintage dual-sport that features classic looks and…that’s pretty much it. It wasn’t very powerful (25 horsepower) but cost just as much as Yamaha’s 500cc competitor. With that said, it’s hard to argue with a grand. This example was stored for years and though it needs a little bit of TLC, it currently …
Ending Soon – 1949 Norton 500T Trials
Post Sale Update: After 5 bids on eBay, this 500T sold for $8,700. Before the Norton 500T Trials was released, the English firm had tried their hand in off-roading with a modified version of the Model 18. Riders did not appreciate the latter, but the 500T was a great success which even lead to a ISDT Gold Medal in 1950.
1993 BMW R100GS-PD
Post Listing Update: This Paris-Dakar did not meet reserve despite 9 bids up to $5,555. The BMW BMW R100GS-PD (PD stands for Paris-Dakar) is one of my favorite older dual-sports, even though I think BMW had a lot of trouble developing attractive paint schemes for it. The seller of this bike may have agreed, which is why this GS features …
1971 Benelli Dynamo
11-21 Update: Reader Jim R. notes that this Benelli Dynamo is back up for sale on $1,500 here on Craigslist in Portland, Oregon. Apparently, Benelli made a tiny dual-sport called the Dynamo. Here’s your change to get one in decent shape and have little off-road races with Honda CT70s.
Ending Soon – 1967 BSA Hornet A65H
In the 60s, the US was clamoring for desert racers, and fans of the BSA Lightning were hoping for a stripped down version from the British firm. Enter the BSA Hornet, a 650cc stripper-spec without lighting.
1975 Bultaco Frontera
Here’s a decent looking example of the very hard to find Bultaco Frontera. It’s had some recent cosmetic work including a new front fender, new lighting, and levers (in addition to lots of little things). It’s got the nifty toolbox tank, and it’s ready to get dirty again. The Frontera was offered in 250cc and 360cc variants – this looks …
1966 Bultaco Campera
I thought I knew a good amount about bikes until I started this site – here’s yet another model I’ve never heard of, the Bultaco Campera. The Campera was a dual sport (complete with a cool scrambler-style exhaust) offered in varying displacements – this is a 175cc example of the first generation.
Resto Needed – 1971 BSA Victor Trail B50T
The last large unit-construction single from Birmingham Small Arms, the BSA Victor Trail was specifically designed for the US, which was experiencing a surge in the popularity of trail riding. BSA took parts that they were using in the Street Scrambler and Moto Cross versions of the B50T to create the Victor Trail.
1 Owner – 1984 Honda XL250R
OK, sort of 1 owner – the seller has just picked it up and seems to be flipping it. The Honda XL250R was pretty common back in the day – it was one of the world’s first mass-produced 4 valve bikes. Impressively, this bike has under 4,000 miles and looks great as it’s been parked since 1993. It’s got the …
1974 Rokon RT340
The Rokon RT340 was a rare ‘one-wheel’ drive bike featuring an automatic transmission from the company best known for making the go-anywhere Trailbreaker. Because of the transmission, you might suspect it was geared (no pun intended) towards beginners who wanted to learn in the dirt without worrying about shifting, but Rokon built this to compete. It even took 3rd place …
26 Miles – 1990 Honda Transalp
I’ve gushed about the Transalp before – and even recently featured one with just 2,700 miles as I didn’t expect to find one with less miles anytime soon. Reader David N has squashed that theory with a find of a Transalp with just 26 miles. It’s been stored indoors for over 20 years, but recently has had the fluids flushed …
1961 BSA Catalina Scrambler
In the 1956 Catalina Grand Prix, nearly 1,000 riders came together to fight it out and earn the title of champion. The guy who succeeded was Chuck Minert, who won on a BSA Gold Star. BSA’s West Coast distributor asked for a replica of the winning bike, and the result was the BSA Catalina Scrambler.
Two Wheel Drive – 2012 Christini 450DS
The Christini 450DS has a special mechanical system that enables both wheels to be driven by the engine, with a series of chains and shafts that power the front wheel in addition to the rear. Check out the technological details here on the Christini website.