Though some purists scoffed at it, BSA brought back the Gold Star name for the 250 and 500 cc street scramblers. Here’s an example of the former (the B25SS), which was powered by a unit construction 250cc four stroke that dated back to 1958. In 1971, BSA introduced the oil-in-frame design but the 250s were done the next year and …
Nice Price – 2010 KTM 530 EXC Champions Edition
If you’re in Northeast Pennsylvania, here’s a great deal on an excellent street-legal off-roader that’s been well modified.
Restored Mini Bike – 1970 Ruttman Wild Goose
Post-Sale Update: After 36 bids on eBay, this Ruttman sold for just $800. Based out of Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Ruttman offered a variety of mini bikes called the “Uglys”, named after “the world’s ugliest little creatures all ready to unleash a whole pack of fun.” You could get a Pak Mule, Horny Toad, Vulture, Spyder, Grasshopper, or the Wild Goose …
595 Miles – 1975 Yamaha DT400
The DT400 was an instant press favorite when it was introduced in 1975, though the average US dirt rider preference was shifting to four-strokes (and thus, the XT/TT series of Yamaha’s offerings). For more on the Yamaha DT400, check out this Retrospective from Rider Magazine.
1974 Suzuki GT250
An evolution of the T250 Hustler, the Suzuki GT250 got a “Ram Air” cylinder head that was supposed to force cold air to the back of the cylinder, as well as fake air scoops in the sidecovers. Depending on who you talked to, the Ram Air system resulted in actual gains – or it was just as useful as the …
Custom Scrambler – 1980 Yamaha XS650
Here’s a polarizing scrambler based on a Yamaha XS650 Special. The seller has apparently been cranking out XS-based customs for a few years now, so you’d hope that the quality was up to snuff (and the price is hard to argue with). That just leaves the styling up for debate.
Nice Price – 1988 BMW R100GS
I feature plenty of GSes, but I can’t remember the last time I saw a running, relatively low mileage 100GS for sale for less than $5k – especially in a big city.
Cleanest Barn Find Ever – 1969 Suzuki TC120
The seller of this bike says it’s a barn find – well, the seller sure spent some time cleaning up the great lines of this simple two-stroke dual-sport, also known as the Trail Cat.
Christmas Special – 1986 Honda Z50
Considered by some as the ultimate Honda Z50, the “Christmas Special” was a limited edition – you can probably guess what time of year it was released. Honda gave two examples to each of their top dealers, though they typically called it the “Chrome Edition” seeing as nearly every part on the bike (even the frame!) was chromed. This example …
Needs Some Work – 1979 Chrysler Snorunner
Post Sale Update: This Snorunner sold for $1,065 after 25 bids on eBay. The Chrysler Snorunner has an interesting history, though there isn’t 100% consensus on the origin story. Some people claim that Chrysler built them for the Army, which was looking for light weight snow transport that could carry a soldier for 30 miles. Unfortunately, the finished vehicle was …
Honda’s Mini Sports – 1982 MB5
Mr. Honda was never a fan of the two-stroke concept. Nor was he blind to effective marketing, and by the late seventies the emerging market for lightweight sporty motorbikes couldn’t be ignored. In many countries laws limiting engine size for young riders meant a big market for 50cc machines.
Gilera 124 5V
1-26-16 Update: 7 months later, this Gilera is back up for sale with a thousand dollar discount. Find it for sale with a BIN of $2,500 or best offer here on eBay. Acquired 10 years ago in non-running condition, this Gilera 124 apparently had an electrical short which started a fire in the headlight bucket. In addition, the engine was …
1991 Suzuki Bandit GSF400
Post-Sale Update: Well, that was quick. This Bandit was snapped up for the BIN of $2,200 within 30 minutes of this post. Americans typically think of the Bandit as a 600 or 1,200, but Suzuki also made them in 250 and 400 variants – the latter of which was exported to the US for only a couple of years. The …
Needs Some Work – 1970 Moto Beta Premier Bebe 50
Moto Beta was almost 50 years old when they expanded from bicycles into motorcycles. They’re probably best known for their trials bikes of the 90s – Dougie Lampkin won the World Championship in ’97, ’98, and ’99 with the marque. In the 70s, some Moto Betas were imported to the US under the Premier name, like the little off-roader you …
1973 Yamaha RD/Redline 100 Road Racer
Here’s Justin’s first feature, about a rare Redline-framed RD100!