When Paul Friedrichs won his third consecutive 500CC World Motocross Championship on a CZ 360 Motocross in 1968 it pretty much guaranteed that the 1969 model would be in high demand worldwide. The big thing about CZ was that you could go to your dealer and buy what Paul Friedrichs and the rest of the big name crew was riding. …
1968 Triumph TR6C
The Triumph TR6 was introduced as a 1956 model 650 CC twin aimed squarely at the US market. Bud Ekins said he basically taught Steve McQueen to ride the fire roads of So Cal on a TR6, and there is no doubt that McQueen loved the bike. He owned several over the years. By 1968 the TR6 was unit construction …
Restored – 1973 CZ 250
In 1973, CZ introduced the iconic “coffin” tank for their 250 motocrosser – in hindsight it seems oddly appropriate as ’73 was when Honda introduced the 250 Elsinore, which helped kill the sales of CZ and other competing MX bikes. To be fair, Jaroslav Falta almost won the 250cc World Championship on one of these in 1974, but by ’77 …
1973 Maico 400
In 1973 there were a couple of slogans regarding Maico dirt racers. “You are either riding a Maico or chasing one” and “Maico Breako”. Neither one was quite correct. There is no doubt that in the early 1970s that Maico along with Husqvarna and Bultaco were the big 3 of motocross. By 1973 the Japanese makers had improved enough to …
Some Work Needed – 1968 Bultaco Matador
Post Sale Update: This project sold quite quickly at the asking price of $1,250. It’s a well known success story of how “Paco” Bulto resigned from Montesa in 1958 and formed a new company that had almost instant success on the track and a long and legendary run in dirt racing. The Matador started out as a 200 CC dirt …
1969 Rickman Metisse MKIII
When I see a listing for an original Rickman, my ‘fake’ response comes to the front. Throw in a Steve McQueen reference and I just darn near call BS every time. Not that the Rickman brothers didn’t build some great motorcycles over the years. Their dirt bike frames and components were legendary in the middle 60s. Steve McQueen did own …
Honda Z50 Collection
A seller in Hollywood, Florida has 5 different examples of Honda’s iconic Z50 line. From old to new: 1. 1969 Honda Z50A Military Tribute – the seller got this three years ago. It’s said to run as it should and it comes with a military helmet. Bidding is currently up to $730 with the reserve not yet met or a …
Auto MX – 1978 Husqvarna 390 AMX
Husqvarna is a proud Swedish company with over a 100-year history of making motorcycles. While they built many street and road-racing bikes prior to WW2, they are best known for their dominance in motocross, enduro and desert racing in the 1960s and 70s. The 1978 Husky 390 put out 41HP at 8000rpm and was very competitive with the open motocrossers …
Sonic Weld Frame – 1966 Triumph 650
Sonic Weld was another of those companies that built custom frames for racing. Think along the lines of Trackmaster, Rickman, Cheney or Champion. It was common in the 70’s and 80’s to take an engine from a stock Bultaco, Ossa, Triumph, Yamaha, etc, and put it into a custom frame for racing. The factory frames were not up to the …
1970 Rupp Enduro
In the 70s, Rupp was one of the leading producers of minibikes in the US. They introduced the Enduro in 1970 along with a company-wide new design for the frame and carb.
Rare Trials – 1982 SWM TL320
SWM started building the Rotax-powered TL320 in 1977. Incremental upgrades were put into play until the bike was killed off in 1984, but the highlight of the model run was right about when this specific bike was built – in 1981, Gilles Burgat won the FIM World Trials Championship. This example has been restored so you can do your best …
Restored Mini in England – 1995 KTM 50 SX
Post Listing Update: This little KTM was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. In 1995, the seller of this bike acquired it as his first bike ever. Over the last 5 years, he has sourced the parts required to make it like new again.
Another Revolution Heard From – 1974 Yamaha TY250
Post Sale Update: This TY250 sold for $2,175 after 18 bids on eBay. The early to middle part of the 1970s were a wonderful time to be a motorcycle junkie. The Japanese manufacturers were aggressively in search of market share worldwide-seemingly expanding into every niche and even creating new ones that we didn’t even know we wanted.
The Thumper Returns – 1976 Yamaha TT500
Through all of the 1960s you really had two choices if you wanted to play in the dirt. Many manufacturers made ‘Scrambler’ models but they really were better at getting you to the dirt than actually getting dirty. You could either ride a two stroke single that made horsepower like crazy or ride a vintage English 4 stroke single. Both …
1973 Husqvarna 400 CR
Here’s a restored Husky in a beautiful jet black coat of paint. It’s ready to compete in vintage motocross – are you?