In 1983, Husqvarna introduced a new 500cc motor for their Open Class bikes, and they promptly won the 1983 Baja 1000 in 14:48:10 with the US team of Dan Smith and Dan Ashcraft. While there were obviously plenty of modifications to the race bike, the production motorcycle was quite formidable in its own right – Husky offered the powerhouse engine …
59 Miles – 1974 Harley-Davidson Z90
4/30 Update: Uh…nevermind. While at Mecum Las Vegas, I was surprised to see the exact same photo that the “seller” of this bike used…so it’s clearly a scam and I’ve deleted the link. The asking price below is $3,500, but it sold at Mecum for a shocking (to me) $7,920.
1977 Penton/KR Short Tracker 250
This was a submission over on the Iconic auction site, and I had never heard of one before. I enjoyed learning about it, so let me share with you: in February 1977, Penton introduced a new model that had two extra letters in the name: KR. That’s because the Penton/KR short tracker had been designed and tested by none other …
Record Setter – 175cc Land Speed Racer
With an asking price of $1,500, this might be the cheapest way to get yourself a land speed racer that’s set multiple records! This 175cc salt racer set records in A (Special Construction) groups: APS-PG, APS-PF, A-PG, A-PF.
1972 Saracen Trials 125
Saracen bikes were built from ’67 to ’75 – the latter years were under the care of David Brand, who bought the brand and attempted to put bigger engines in the frames (though these ended up being less useful for trials competition).
1974 Tyran 125 MX
Marketed as a British bike, the Tyran was actually built by Mitsubishi with designs from Ted Wassell, a name that may ring a bell if you were a MX nut in the 70s.
Dirt Tracker – 1975 Yamaha TZ750
As the seller puts it, “if you’ve ever wanted to feel like Kenny Roberts or just scare the hell out of yourself, this may be the best way to do so! Here is a rare opportunity to own one of the most notorious models in motorcycle history!“
1 Hour – 2001 Honda CR500
Like the crated Honda two-stroker from earlier in this week but want something that’s ready to ride? Here’s a barely-used CR500 that’s just been serviced.
In Crate – 2004 Honda CR250R
Honda debuted the third-generation twin spar aluminum-framed CR250R two-stroke motocrosser in 2002, though they followed it up in 2003 with changes to the cylinder, exhaust, valves, air intake, CDI, suspension, and more. Yet none of that may matter with this bike, as it’s never been ridden before and I’d be stunned if the next owner would want to change that. …
1977 OSSA Phantom GP3
By the early 70s, OSSA had established a dominant position in the off-road motorcycle market. But when Honda released the 250cc Elsinore, the Spanish firm was forced to respond with a strong competitor. The Phantom 250 met the mark, thanks to 33 horsepower and a weight of just 198 pounds. The $1,350 MSRP was a significant $250 more than Honda’s …
No Reserve – 1983 Bultaco Sherpa 199B
There are few questions about how and when Bultaco started – Francisco Xavier Bulto created the company (the name was a blend of his last name and his nickname, Paco) in May of 1958 after resigning as the Technical Director of Montesa, a manufacturer he co-founded in 1944. When Montesa decided to stop racing, Paco knew it was time to …
Rare Project – 1972 Cotton Cavalier
After Villiers went out of business, the motorcycle manufacturers that depended on their engines were forced to look elsewhere. The British firm of Cotton (out of Gloucester, England) decided to go with a Minarelli-built 170cc to power their trails bike for 1968.
1970 Honda CT70
In 1969, Honda released one of the most important motorcycles that would ever be sold in America – the Trail 70 (also known as the CT70). It was the first motorcycle for many of today’s riders, and nowadays it serves double duty as an excellent entrée into motorcycling as well as a lovely reminder of times gone by.
Ending Soon – 1978 Bultaco Pursang 370
Bultaco’s MXer, the Pursang was produced between ’67 and ’81. This is the MK11 (out of 15), and while it’s been on display for the last few years, the current owner of 10 years took it to the occasional race. it sure looks good in the air!
1980 Chrysler Snorunner
Continuing the recent theme of oddball snow machines, today we’ve got a Chrysler Snorunner. This has an interesting history – though some people disagree on the actual story. My favorite version is that Chrysler built them for the Army, which was looking for light weight snow transport that could carry a soldier for 30 miles. It wasn’t capable of handling …