Originally introduced in 1978 by a suburb of Arctic Cat called Spirit Marine, the “WetBike” was a jetski that rode like a motorcycle. It was released a bit after Kawasaki had debuted their original jet ski, and the WetBike differed as steering was done via the handlebars rotating the front ski, as opposed to rotating the hydrojet. Owners say these …
2001 Aprilia Falco SL1000
Take a Rotax V-Twin and envelope it in beautiful Italian bodywork…and say hi to the Aprilia Falco, a 996cc road bike that was split between the sport touring Futura and the supersport Mille. Unfortunately for Aprilia, buyers didn’t seem to care as much for this tweener model, and it only lasted between ’99 and ’03 before Aprilia pulled the plug.
1986 Yamaha FJ1200
When the Yamaha FJ1100 was introduced in 1984, the press went nuts. Rider Magazine called it “the best large displacement sport motorcycle of 1984, and maybe even the best in its class in the history of motorcycling,” and other mags called it Bike of the Year. As other manufacturers debuted big-bore competitors that focused more on sport (like the GSX-R1100), …
CA Plated – 1989 Honda Gyro X
I’ve featured several examples of Honda’s quirky 3-wheeler called the GYRO (which is apparently an acronym for “Great Your Recreation Original.”) The US only got one of the versions, a “S” model that was focused on just carrying a rider around. But Japan got multiple variants include, the UP, the Canopy, and the X. The X was the original model, …
My Old Beater – 1983 Honda XR350R With No Reserve
Back when I hosted the Beater Olympics, I bought three $500 bikes and recruited some friends to join to make sure we had a few teams and the event was a total bust. One of those bikes was a ’83 Honda XR350R which performed admirably, but I’ve been neglecting it and it needs a new home. Do you want to …
New In Canada – 1975 Kendee Dandy MR40
Kendee Distributing Company of Gardena, California was the US importer for a mini bike called the Dandy. One model was called the MR40, which referred to its 40cc 2-stroke engine. Here’s an example that’s said to be museum quality as it’s never been run.
497 Miles – 1986 Honda Gyro S
Introduced in 1982, the Gyro series of scoots are three-wheelers (one in the front, two in the back) where the body is able to lean up to 40 degrees compared to the rear axle! GYRO is actually an acronym, which stands for “Great Your Recreation Original”. Well, the translation’s not great, but you get the idea. The initial designs were …
1968 Honda CB450 K1 Desert Sled
The K1 CB450 was a one year only bike, and it was the last Honda to rock chrome panels on the gas tank. Here’s one that’s been turned into a desert sled.
1973 BGW Trakcycle
Introduced in 1972, the Trakcycle was a creation of BGW Industries in Mansfield, Ohio – a October 1972 issue of Popular Mechanics says that the Trakcycle “represents just about the ultimate in all-season, go-anywhere ruggedness and versatility. Its rubber-ribbed, cord-reinforced track belt is nearly a foot wide and heavily treaded, giving the bike tremendous traction.”
Rare in the US – “1986” Kawasaki Estrella
I know many of you are fans of the Kawasaki W650 – but did you know that Kawi made a little brother with a 249cc engine that was never officially sold in the US? The model debuted in 1992, and it was originally called Estrella (Spanish for “Star”). In 2017, it was given the name it deserves: the W250.
2006 Suzuki “GSxRD350”
Here’s an unexpected combination – a 1975 Yamaha RD350 motor shoved into a 2006 Suzuki GS500F frame!
1989 Italjet Buster
Italjet marketed the Buster as “a terrific little bike that is approved for AMA racing in the Pee Wee class for ages 4 to 8.”
1969 Tarbo TR350
The seller of this Italian scooter says he’s never seen a Tarbo Sport 50 before. Hell – I’ve never even HEARD of it before, which is why I’m so glad to share it with you.
Rare Project – 1972 Gilera Gina Macho
Gina is a combination of GIlera and ArgentiNA, as this bike was a partnership between “Italy’s finest design engineers and the genius of Argentina’s master craftsmen.” The company offered trail and road models in both 175cc and 250cc displacements – here’s a rare example of the 175cc road bike that will need some work before it can hit the road …
91 Miles – 1979 Honda CT90
Honda’s Trail 90 (or CT90, depending on the market) was a popular entry point for youngsters to learn how to ride in the dirt – one of the reasons it was so easy to ride was the 4-speed transmission with an automatic clutch. That apparently wasn’t too much of a concern for the owners of this example, as it has …