In the early 80s, Suzuki knocked off the CBX as the superbike du jour. The Suzuki GS1100E came into the market and instantly became the bike of choice for the power hungry. American press mags constantly raved about not just the power, but also the surprising handling abilities for such a large bike. The shame for Suzuki was that this …
Ducati Powered – 1974 Condor A350
Post Sale Update: This Condor sold for $4,250 after 24 bids on eBay. A bike built for the Swiss Army, the Condor A350 was produced between ’73 and ’79. 3,000 were produced, and the military only started releasing them to the public about 15 years ago.
1956 Sunbeam S8
After WWII, as part of reparations, BMW gave up its designs of the BMW R75. Bikes like Chang Jiang and Ural used these designs, but England’s take was the Sunbeam S7. You can see the BMW influence when you look at a side profile, but Sunbeam wanted to differentiate themselves by utilizing a inline vertical twin instead of the German …
1964 BMW R69S
View Post1989 Honda CB-1
The Honda CB-1 was a wonderful mid-sized standard in a time of replica racers. Originally built for the Japanese market, it was a beautifully balanced motorcycle that lost out in an American market that was obsessed with having as much horsepower as possible.
1968 Ducati 250 Monza
I can never decide if I prefer the aesthetics of the pre-66 Monzas (much less angular), but here’s a bike that’s claimed to be a ‘great, unrestored, original condition bike’. This bike (VIN: 98405) runs well and everything works, however the seller says you’ll want to replace the tires. Included in the sale is a new battery, which is good …
1968 Norton Commando Fastback
Here’s a first year example of the Norton Commando, one of the first 2,200 that were ever built – the seller claims it’s a ‘show bike’.
A Tale of Two Owners – 1964 BMW R60/2
The original owner of this lovely /2 put 22,224 miles on it in 21 years. In the following 30 years, the next owner (who is the current seller) put on another…300. I wonder what the third owner will do with it…
Spirit II – 1979 Yamaha XS750 Custom
View PostMagic Button – 1981 Triumph Bonneville T140ES
The Triumph Bonneville T140 ES (for Electric Start) was one of the last bikes produced by Triumph before the Meriden Co-op fell apart and the company was sold to John Bloor.
1965 Norton Atlas
View Post2004 Moto Guzzi V11 Coppa Italia
A very limited edition of the V11, the Coppa Italia was very well spec’d, with Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes, an optional $2,000 titanium exhaust, and more. I’ve seen estimates of production between 40 and 50.
1984 BMW R80GS
Post-Listing Update: The seller removed this bike from eBay. The poor photos of this listing were not enough to overshadow my love of the start of the BMW GS line (and my appreciation for no reserve auctions).
Weird Project – 1991 Bimota Tesi 1D
Post-Sale Update: After 30 bids on eBay, this Tesi 1D sold for $13,101. Someone please help me understand what’s happened here. As far as I can tell, someone has butchered up a legendary Tesi 1D and now someone else is going to save it.
1952 Ariel VHA
Post-Sale Update: After being relisted, this Ariel sold for $12,588 with 24 bids on eBay. The Ariel Red Hunter was a long standing legend – but for just two years (’52 & ’53), they made an all-alloy engine variant called the VHA. Here’s a beautifully restored example of this hard to find bike.