Post Sale Update: This Spitfire sold for the BIN of $12,900. Also known as the Rocket Gold Star Scrambler, the Spitfire Scrambler is one of the rarest variations of BSA’s A10 model line up. It was an export-only bike that was primarily sold in the US and it was designed as an scrambles/desert racer from the factory. It combined a …
Purple People Eater – 1975 Kawasaki H2C 750
Kawasaki’s two-stroke triples were some of the company’s greatest bikes of all time. The legendary H2 750’s earned their “Widow Maker” nickname and were the fastest production bikes in the world upon their release. The H2C was the final version of the model and the so called “Purple People Eater” livery is reportedly the rarest of the H2’s factory color …
Factory Works Racer – 1968 Kawasaki A1R
Factory works race machines demonstrate the very best manufacturers have to offer, and this 1968 Kawasaki A1R is no exception. This example is one of two factory team specials built by Kawa and was piloted by AMA Hall of Fame inductee Ralph White at the Loudon National. This bike is NOT a production road racer and only has a three-digit …
Fighting Red – 1990 Honda Transalp XL600V
In the late 80s, Honda offered both an AT and a TA – the Africa Twin and the Transalp. Both were ahead of the times, though the latter was more street-biased. Consider it a jack of all trades sort of bike with a cult following. The US only got the Transalp between ’89 and ’91, and it was much more …
The Grinch – 2013 Harley-Davidson Electra Glide Ultra Classic Custom
This bike has been up for sale for 11 days but I couldn’t bring myself to share it until we finally hit December because I can’t stand it when Christmas music and decorations go up right after Thanksgiving. Obviously, I don’t expect any of you to buy it, but I thought it was worth a chuckle for the last month …
1939 DKW Diamant
Post Listing Update: This vintage DKW did not get any interest at the asking price of $2,950. In Sweden, the most popular early motorcycle was the DKW-powered Diamant. This example was originally built and sold in 1939 but due to World War II it wasn’t registered until 1946. Over 70 years later, it’s still running and rocking the original paint …
His and Hers – Pair of Yamaha Jog Scooters
When it comes to Yamaha 50cc scooters, most of you are probably more familiar with the Yamaha Riva. But for nearly a decade, Yamaha offered a “fancy” version called the Jog – complete with upgrades like a CVT and a second mirror! Ooooh. While the Jog was originally sold in 1983, it didn’t make it to the US until 1986. …
1967 Royal Enfield Interceptor Mk. 1A
It’s an exciting time to be a fan of Royal Enfield, as they’ve just announced three new motorcycles for the US next year. I’m most interested in the 400cc Himalayan adventure bike, but for the first time in decades RE is production a twin cylinder motor. Said motor is an air/oil-cooled 650cc parallel twin and it will power a bigger …
No Reserve – 1975 Honda CB400F Super Sport
Post Listing Update: This bike was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. More of an evolution rather than a revolution, the Honda CB400F has one of the most distinctive exhaust systems ever produced – known by some as the “waterfall pipes”. Though it wasn’t as fast as its competition, this little four cylinder was smoother, quieter, and gave …
Fact or Fiction – 1972 Yamaha GS650
11-30-2017 Update – 3 years later, commenter “Say what???” notes that this bike is back up for sale with a significant discount down to $8,500 from $15,000. If that price makes more sense to you, find this GS650 for sale here on Cycle Trader, still in Midlothian, Virginia. Here’s an interesting footnote in Yamaha’s history – the question is if …
Quail Gathering Winner – Restored 1976 Yamaha XT500
Restored by Owen Bishop of Moto41 Restorations, this is one of the nicest XT500s I’ve ever seen. I first saw it in person at this year’s Quail Motorcycle Gathering where it won 1st Place in the Japanese category (beating out an awesome Honda CB750 Police Bike that I thought was more interesting), and it’s also won 1st Place at the …
Titled in the US – 1975 Harley-Davidson RR250
Aermacchi – formally known as Aeronautica Macchi – was founded in 1912 by Giulio Macchi and started out making monoplane aircraft and seaplanes for the Italian military. After the second World War, Aermacchi would start producing motorcycles, though it would continue to churn out dozens of different types of airplane models until as recently as 2005. The story of the …
Bonneville Record Breaker in the UK – 1957 Manx Norton JAP 1150cc Custom
When it was originally sold in July of 1957, this was a Norton Manx 30M. But the story gets much more interesting almost 5 decades later, when a racer named Eric Patterson swapped in a 1,150cc JAP Mk2 motor and took it to the Bonneville Salt Flats to set some speed records.
Little, Rare, and Italian – 1991 Gilera CX125
The Gilera CX125 is a really unique little avant-garde motorcycle. Obviously its unorthodox front wheel setup is its most predominant feature, but its space-age full bodywork definitely furthers the adventurousness of the design. The small-bore scoot was built by Gilera, an Italian motorcycle manufacturer founded more than a century ago that was eventually bought by the Piaggio Group. The Arcore-based …
2007 KTM 950 SM
Post Listing Update: This 950 SM was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. For many supermoto riders, the KTM 950 SM made no sense – how could a bike that weighs approximately 450 pounds be called a supermoto. But if you were willing to give this KTM a shot, you would be rewarded with one of the greatest …