Based out of Schenectady, New York, the Yankee motorcycle company was the brainchild of John Taylor. Yankee was best known for the impressive Z500, but John also wanted a minibike in the lineup so he partnered with Bonvicini Marino out of Bologna, Italy to distribute the 50cc “Boss”.
Nice Price – 2002 Aprilia Futura
MCN called the Futura “desperately underestimated, sadly short lived and now a potential bargain“. Here’s one you can snag for less than $2,000 – anyone fancy an end-of-season fly and ride?
Cosmetic Restoration – 1974 Suzuki RL250 Exacta
Post Listing Update: This Exacta did not get any interest at the BIN of $4,500. Though it was typically in the shadow of Yamaha’s TY250, the Suzuki Exacta RL250 was still a solid trials bike that’s now quite suitable for vintage competition. They’re relatively rare in the US as they were only imported in 1974 and 1975, and this example …
463 Miles – 1983 Honda XL100S
Post Sale Update: This XL sold for $2,550 after 44 bids on eBay in Woodruff, South Carolina. The XL100 evolved into the XL100S in 1979, and it continued that way until the model was discontinued in 1985. This ’83 model looks to be in good shape and it has just 463 miles.
1971 Benelli 175 Cafe Racer
I’m going to need a Benelli expert on this one. In 1971, the only 175 Benelli was making was the Enduro, correct? Either way, this bike has been highly customized into a “cafe racer” and I think the end result looks pretty good.
First Ride Review – 2020 Kawasaki KLX230
View Post1999 Kawasaki ZRX1100
Inspired by Eddie Lawson’s race bike replica released in 1982, the ZRX was a tribute to a tribute. This bike and its 1200 successor are some of the best bang for your buck used bikes you can buy today. It had 1982 styling with some late nineties updates, balancing both time period’s style perfectly. That trademark faring at the front …
1998 Kawasaki KDX200
Kawasaki introduced the KDX line as a small enduro in 1980. In 1986, they revised the KDX200 with lots of features from the KX125 motocrosser, and Kawi was one of the very few manufacturers offering a two-stroke enduro at the time. It was well loved by riders, so much so that even when Kawasaki introduced a 250 of the KDX …
Custom Trials – 1964 Ducati 160
Presumably based on a 160 Monza, this lithe Ducati was converted into a little trials runabout.
1985 Honda Shadow 1100 with Boat Sidecar
The original Shadow 1100 was a fine motorcycle, good enough that Honda kept it around until 2007 with very few changes. Still, it’s not the kind of bike I’d typically feature here. However, I have to make an exception for this example, as it’s got a sidecar which doubles as a powered boat!
Off-Road-Spec – 1973 Honda QA50 K1
8-14-19 Update – Three months later, Tim Huber notes that this bike is back up for sale, but the price is down to a much more reasonable $2,350. Find it here on Craigslist in Temecula, California. Released in 1970 on the heels of the wildly successful Z50A, Honda’s QA50 was an off-road version of the popular minibike with bigger tires, …
1960s Malaguti Roncobilaccio Cross
Ever heard of one of these? Me neither.
High Pipe Hustler – 1970 Suzuki T250
In 1969, Suzuki unveiled the successor to their popular Super Six T20 – the T250 Hustler. It took all the good parts of the T20 and added sleek styling in addition to an upgraded motor. The original was more newsworthy, but the T250 was arguably a better bike. There was also a variant with a high exhaust pipe, and that’s …
1992 BMW R100R
Post Listing Update: This R100R did not get any interest at the BIN of $4,400. Between 1991 and 1995, BMW produced 20,898 examples of the R100R – one of the last airhead boxers to ever wear a roundel on the tank. Basic specifications include a 980cc air-cooled twin with an oil cooler, Brembo brakes, a 5-speed transmission, and shaft drive.
1 Owner – 1983 Suzuki SP500
“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.