Post Sale Update: This Zigolo sold for $4,500 after 29 bids on eBay. Introduced in 1953, the Zigolo was Guzzi’s first partially-enclosed motorcycle. It was designed to be cheap transportation for the masses and it featured a 98cc two-stroke engine.
Rare OHC Duck – 1958 Ducati Sport 100
Founded by brothers Adriano and Bruno Cavalieri as well as Marcello Ducati, what we now call “Ducati” first started out as “Societa Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati” back in 1926. The Bologna-based company got its start by manufacturing radio components, mostly for the Italian military. Unfortunately this made the company’s factory a target for being bombed in WW2 – something that …
World Record Jumper – 1972 Yamaha 650
Post Listing Update – despite 21 bids on eBay, this Yamaha did not meet reserve at $6,200. John “Cowboy” Hall was a stunt rider in the 70s who earned three world records with this Yamaha 650 that has since been converted to a street legal tracker. His records included jumping 20 cars in Nashville, Tennessee, 16 cars (indoors) in Portland, …
HRC-Framed Magazine Build – 2005 Honda CR250R
M66 Productions is a San Diego-based production company specializing in action sports who are capable of putting together everything from standalone YouTube videos to full DVD releases. In addition to professional video and photography work, M66 appears to dabble in high-performance project builds as well. Their latest project comes in the form of a 2005 Honda CR250R that has supposedly …
1964 Montesa Diablo Cross 175
12-7-17 Update: Over a year later, this rare Montesa is back up for sale. I still can’t find good information on it though reader yrrah added some info in the comments below. It’s got a $1,100 discount over last year’s asking price but that still means the seller is looking for an opening bid of $5,500 here on eBay. The …
1968 Bultaco Metralla
Post Sale Update: This Metralla sold for $6,100 after 46 bids on eBay. One of the definitive Spanish street bikes of all time, the Bultaco Metralla (Spanish for “shrapnel”) was appropriately named as it when it was the world’s fastest production 2-stroke bike when it debuted. In the seller’s words, this example “is the culmination of 7 years of work …
Restored – 1979 Fantic Chopper 125
Post Listing Update: Despite 9 bids on eBay up to $4,600, this Fantic did not meet reserve. In 1971, the Conservative Party in England introduced legislation known as the “Sixteeners Laws” – it banned 16 year olds from riding bikes that were 250cc and up. European and Japanese manufacturers responded with a wave of 50-125cc mopeds that were informally called …
Rare Trike Project – Muskin Tri-Cat
Based out of Colton, California, the HPE Muskin Cement Corporation specialized in pool construction but when the minibike craze took off in the US they decided they could also make some money with small vehicles. I’ve featured a few examples of their most common product, El Gato
Vesco Fairing – 2013 Honda CB1100
12-6-17 Update: 18 months later, this CB is back up for sale with another 8,000 miles on the odometer. You can find it with a $1,000 discount down to $8,500 or best offer here on ADVRider (registration required). I thought this was interesting but no one commented last time around. Is the fairing too weird? The motor too weak? Asking …
1981 Kawasaki KZ440 LTD
In 1974, Kawasaki built a production plant in Lincoln, Nebraska to crank out their new mid-sized street bike, the KZ400 twin. It made Kawasaki the first international motorcycle manufacturer with a plant in the US – something they would celebrate 4 years later with an exclusive run of Americanized KZ1000s. In the early 80s, the KZ400 grew into the KZ440. …
Two-Stroke Tiddler – 1972 Suzuki AC50 Maverick
The 1960’s and ’70’s were a golden era for small-displacement bikes. One of the noteworthy little “tiddlers” from this era was the Suzuki AC50 Maverick, a 50cc scrambler produced from ’70 to ’74. The Maverick never had the same level of popularity as Honda’s Cub C110, but the AC50 supposedly held the title of world’s fastest 50cc production bike at …
Ex-Nate Kern Racer – 2007 BMW R1200S
Nate Kern’s name is synonymous with racing BMW motorcycles and the diehard fan of two-wheeled Bavarian track weapons definitely deserves some credit for helping revive the interest and popularity in racing BMW’s modern bikes in the US. The German manufacturer doesn’t have a factory-backed US race team, meaning all of BMW’s domestic competing in professional events has to be financed …
Ending Soon – 1971 Kawasaki G4TR Trail Boss
Post Sale Update: This Trail Boss sold for $2,225 after 37 bids on eBay. Kawasaki’s challenger to Yamaha’s DT100, the G4TR was also known as the Trail Boss in certain markets. It was was a light-weight, go-anywhere enduro with a 5×2 speed transmission. You could climb a 40 degree angle in first gear or keep up with traffic doing 65 …
Raced at Daytona – 1975 Yamaha TZ750-B
12-4-17 Update: Over a year and a half later, this TZ750 is back up for sale. Since that time, it looks like the only change has been the removal of the CycleWak.com sticker from the fairing. Find it with an unmet opening bid of $38,500 here on eBay. Post Listing Update: This TZ got no interest at the asking price …
Gaudy and Rare Italimerican – 2006 Ecosse Moto Works Heretic
Ecosse Moto Works’ Heretic X3 is the epitome of an elite exotic motorcycle. The high-dollar two-wheeler is a combination of raw American muscle, Italian framework, and top-shelf Swedish suspension that all add up to a rather unusual sum that straddles the line between several genres of motorcycle. Only 100 of these bikes were produced, though “EMW” would go on to …