Post-Sale Update – This Caliente sold for the BIN of $2,600. File this under ‘bikes I’ve never heard of before.’ According to a period review from Cycle Guide magazine, the Carabela Caliente was Mexico’s first MX bike. They said the engine power was competitive, acceleration was surprising, and the handling was excellent. Cycle World said “Mexico’s first small bore motocross …
1964 Mustang Trail Machine
Sold for nearly 20 years, the Mustang was developed and built in Glendale, California by Gladden Products Corporation. It started as a homebrew bike built for an employee of Gladden to commute to work during World War II – management liked it so much that they commercialized it! Most Mustangs were small, cruiser-looking minibikes but the company offered some variations …
Never Ridden – 2002 Honda XR650R
Also known as the Big Red Pig, Honda’s XR650R is a legend in desert racing and the Baja 1000. Even though it was killed off in 2008, the bike is still race competitive and it enjoys quite a cult following, meaning there may be several of you interested in a never-ridden example of the BRP.
2007 J&M Rotax 600 Flat Tracker
Post-Sale Update: After 21 bids on eBay, this Rotax flat tracker sold for $5,600. Enjoyed yesterday’s flat tracker but you’re looking for a Rotax powerplant instead? Well, come on down.
Full Floater – 1984 Suzuki RM500
The RM500 was Suzuki’s big open class 2 stroker, and while it wasn’t much faster than the 465, the revised Full Floater suspension was a bit of a revelation. In the US it only sold for two years – 1984 was the last year and the engine got a new cylinder and new exhaust. Other countries got it for another …
1973 DKW Hornet
In the early 70s, DKW offered two versions of their 125cc “Moto-Cross” bike. One option featured a nifty Boge leading link front suspension (like in this previously featured example). The other utilized Betor telescopic forks with 6.75″ of travel. That’s what today’s bike is, and it was called the Hornet.
TT Special – 1967 Triumph T120TT
Post-Sale Update: After 28 bids on eBay, this Triumph T120TT Special sold for $14,999. The T120TT was Triumph’s “TT Special”, a US-only 650cc racer straight from the factory built between 1963 and 1967. It was built in response to requests from Bill Johnson, the man behind Johnson Motors, Triumph’s West Coast US distributor. Just 900 were built.
Rare MX’er – 1971 Ducati 450RT Desmo
Here’s an interesting footnote in motocross history – it was Ducati’s sole attempt at a MX bike and it was produced for just one year. In addition, it’s the only motocross bike ever built to have desmodromic valves. Though it was available in 250cc and 350cc street-based variants abroad, only the US got the 450cc R/T after its American importer …
“Panty Dropping Machine” – 2004 Kawasaki KLX110
I’m not entirely sure what I can say to add to this listing, so I’m just going to paste the text and share some images. Enjoy the laugh.
The Beast of Beasts – 1985 Honda CR500R
If today’s motocross vs. soccer video got you inspired, here’s one hell of a way to get into the sport of MX! Usually, motorcycle manufacturers make improvements and bump up the horsepower of their motorcycles through the years. But Honda went about it a different way with their CR500, which they detuned several times to help make the bike more …
Like Yellow? 1980 OSSA Gripper
I’ll give your retinas a second to recover after they were just seared like tuna steaks thanks to the above photo. All set? Good, here’s some more blinding yellow:
1978 Harley-Davidson MX-250
In the late 70s, Harley was in a phase of small-displacement bikes while under the control of AMF. They decided to dabble in the world of motocross, and had their Italian branch, Aermacchi, build the Harley-Davidson MX250. It was the first (and only) HD MX bike, and it only lasted for one year with a production run of 65 bikes. …
One Off – 2015 KTM 550 SX “Factory Edition”
Post Sale Update: After 63 bids on eBay, this awesome KTM custom sold for $10,400. KTM offers 250 and 450 versions of the SX Factory Edition, but Jeff Moffet of Oregon Motorcycle Adventures KTM decided to go crazy and somehow shoved a 1994 KTM 550MXC engine into a lightweight 250 Factory Edition frame. 70 insane two stroke horses in a …
1972 Speedway Scorpion Minibike
Like a Speedway Scarab but with lights and an alternator, the Scorpion minibike packed a 172cc Tecumseh engine that put out 4 horsepower, and “almost 100 miles of fun per gallon.”
1972 Husqvarna 400CR Bengt Åberg Replica
If you’re like me, then a.) I’m sorry, you’ve got a ton of problems, and b.) you’d rather enjoy a ‘rider’ than a show queen because then you’re not worried about getting dirty.