There’s something strangely appealing to me about metric cruisers from the 1980s to 2000s. On one hand, you might argue that they were lazy attempts to cut into Harley’s dominance of the US market. On the other hand, they may have helped push the game along when Harley didn’t have much competition.
80 Year-Old Racer – 1946 Harley-Davidson WR
The WR is an interesting bike in Harley’s storied history. Designed specifically for Class C competition, it featured a 738cc V-twin with several upgrades. Sold as a stripper-spec racing machine, it did not have lights or brakes, and was sold to assist privateer efforts to avoid putting money into a factory team. It was incredibly successful – by 1948, it …
1982 Sachs-Nauder 125 MX
Here’s a bike I hadn’t heard of before – the “Sachs-Nauder.” Per Sheldon’s EMU, these were built by Nauder (the French importer for Sachs) between 1981 and 1986. They made an enduro and a MX bike with Sachs 125cc and 250cc engines – according to a period advertisment the 125 made 30 hp while the 250 made 39 horsepower in …
McGrath Replica – 1991 Honda CR125
1991 was the first year for Pro Circuit’s race team in what would become one of the most successful independent efforts in Supercross history. They won both the 125 West and 125 East championships that year thanks to riders like Jeromy Buehl, Steve Lamson, Brian Swink, and of course: Jeremy McGrath. Here’s a cool replica that you can put on …
1983 BMW R100RT with Sidecar
So, Abhi has a rule when it comes to these posts: don’t highlight stuff that doesn’t run, or that needs a bunch of work, unless it’s really unique.
9 Kilometers – 1985 Honda Elite CH150
The Honda Elite is one of the most common scooters of the 80s. It was introduced in 1984 as a 125cc model, though the next year it became a 150. It was sold in the US for another three years. – this one’s in Canada and it stands out as it’s only covered 9 kilometers!
SoS Racer – 1994 Yamaha TZ250 with Raptor 660 Engine
The seller of this bike makes quite a claim: “Beat Kramer’s for 1/4 the price!” That obviously caught my attention as a Kramer owner, and while I don’t know how accurate his statement is, I will say that this is an impressive hybrid which combines two famous Yamahas – a TZ250 frame with a Raptor ATZ 660 engine (which has …
1968 Bridgestone BS90
There’s something exotic and charming about a bike from a long-defunct brand or manufacturer. It’s a sort of moving, rideable “I Was Here” from people who sank their time and effort into the thing several decades ago.
1976 Triumph Bonneville T140
The ship was very much on fire when this bike was made. Triumph had gone through decades of bad finances and bad management. Labor disputes were affecting production. Quality was famously poor. And the machinery being produced was far from cutting edge. After all, 1976 was the year Kawasaki introduced the KZ1000. The Bonneville T140 was using an engine with …
2016 Victory Cross Country Tour
One might argue that Victory Motorcycles only ever had one good idea. Actually, no, that’s not true. It had a lot of good ideas, but most were either abandoned or – toward the end – gifted to Indian. The Cross Country offered a revvy engine, ridiculous levels of comfort, and a chassis that’s about as nimble as is possible for …
1988 Honda Hawk NT650
Honda was ahead of its time when it debuted the Hawk GT, also known as the NT650. It was one of the world’s first modern naked bikes but it was a commercial failure. Over the years, many riders have realized what the Hawk offered, and it’s become a cult classic.
1973 Kawasaki Z1
You won’t be buying this bike. Which is just fine with the seller. He’s priced his acceptable-but-definitely-not-showroom-condition Z1 at $79,000 precisely because he doesn’t want to sell it. “I am only listing it at my wife’s insistence,” the seller explains. “I promised her I would list it, but would only sell it for the price listed.”
1997 Honda Dream 50
Over on the auction site we’ve got an example of one of my favorite small-displacement four-strokes: the Honda Dream 50. This is an homage to their CR1100 race bike, Honda’s first 50cc GP racer. It was built for a couple of years in the Japanese market (and then for one year in the US with a race-only variant). This is …
In England – 1998 Aprilia Motó 6.5
I am of the age where all my friends have become nostalgic about the 1990s. I think I may start carrying around a picture of this bike in my wallet to remind them that, no, the ’90s were not as great as they remember. Or, you may be one of those who really digs this particular piece of Italian exotica, …
Leon Haslam Pit Bike Replica – 2001 Italjet Dragster 50
In 2004, Leon Haslam earned Rookie of the Year honors while competing in World Superbike with the Renegade team with Noriyuki Haga. Leon’s best finish was 3rd, and he finished the season in 8th place. Italjet released a limited edition replica of his pit bike with a special cosmetic package that replicated what Leon would occasionally putt around on. The …