The BMW R100 GS was the bike that broke open the mold for BMW. While the R80GS was the first of this new category of bikes, the R100 updated everything and sold over 34,000 units. The best way to sum up this bike would probably be in the words of my mechanic, who calls it a “pavement-indifferent” touring bike.
Reader Ride – Norton Commando VR880 Sprint Special
Kenny Dreer, the man who almost brought Norton back from the grave several years ago, got his start restoring motorcycles from the British marque at his shop called Vintage Rebuilds (VR) near Portland, Oregon. As the 1990s came to an end, he started building his own variant of the Commando, which he called the Norton Commando VR880 Sprint Special.
1964 Honda Dream Police
I always thought the Dream was an ugly bike, particularly due to the square headlight and front fender. With that said, its impact on Honda is undeniable, and this Honda Dream Police variant is just too cool not to share.
1945 Harley Davidson WL with Goulding LS-29 Sidecar
Here’s a Harley WL (VIN: 45WL1559) with matching Goulding sidecar. It was restored 15 years ago and comes with a 3 speed (and reverse) transmission. Not everything is NOS, but it “runs and drives great.” The Goulding is a great piece that was originally designed in the 20s but is now available through Classic Sidcar. Find this combo for sale …
Mini Harley – 1979 Honda Monkey Z50
Post-Listing Update: This Honda Monkey Z50 did not get any bids. This Honda Monkey Z50 (affectionately called the Monkey-Davidson) has been converted to look like an Electra-Glide with the Batwing fairing, luggage, and trunk.
Featured on Pipeburn – 1977 Yamaha RD400
Post-Sale Update: After 28 bids on eBay, this RD400 custom sold for $8,300. This Yamaha RD400 was converted by MotoHangar into an absolute beauty that also got its own feature on Pipeburn.
1 of 180 – 1990 BMW R100 Classic
Though BMW sold a similar bike called the R100R for a few years afterwards, the BMW R100 Classic is quite an oddball. Information is very scarce on this bike, as it seems just 180 were sold in the US and Japan in 1990/1991.
2002 Ducati MH900e
There are multiple motorcycles out there inspired by Mike Hailwood, but the Ducati MH900e Evoluzione might be the most visually extreme. Originally a sketch from the legenedary Pierre Terblanche, Ducati got plenty of positive feedback and decided to post a survey on their website to see if its passionate fans would actually buy a production version. 300 people said yes, …
1960 BSA Gold Star DBD34 Clubman
The BSA Gold Star was most successful in the US, where it was surprisingly competitive in off-road racing and the beaches of Daytona. This example spent plenty of time in a collection and is now ready for someone to get it back on the road.
2006 Triumph Bonneville Multi-Union
4 years after Triumph’s 100th anniversary, Paul Smith designed 9 different T100 Bonnevilles, each with a custom paint job. Triumph took two of the designs and sold 50 of each – one was called “Live Fast”, the other is what you see in front of you here, a Triumph Bonneville Multi-Union.
1976 MV Agusta 350S Ipotesi
The MV Agusta 350S Ipotesi is a classic Italian designed by legendary automotive stylist Giorgio Giugiaro. Nicknamed the Ipotesi (Hypothesis in Italian), it was Giugiaro’s attempt at styling a bike. It was quite advanced for the time – triple disc brakes, cast magnesium wheels, and a 10,000 rpm redline made this 350cc bike a treat to ride.
1972 Norton 750 Commando Combat
Post Sale Update: This Commando Combat sold for $9,601 on eBay after 35 bids. Norton Commando fans know that 1972 was a bad year for the motorcycle. The British firm introduced an upgraded engine, designated Combat. Unfortunately, the bearings would often self-destruct, rendering the engine useless. Thankfully, this specific Commando Combat (VIN: 201297) has had the engine rebuilt with Superblend …
1977 Custom Pro Street Chopper Project
Here’s a custom pro street chopper powered by the V8 (with matching transmission) from a ’73 Ford Fairlane. This specific bike (VIN: NY12198) is a homebuilt bike sold by Custom John’s Choppers and Painting of Anaheim, California. Later on, the axle was replaced with a Jaguar unit. You’ll get all the paperwork and receipts, but this trike has not seen …
Reader Ride – 1973 Honda CL350 Flying Dragon
Post-Listing Update: Despite the outcome on the listing, I’m told this Honda CL350 Flying Dragon sold for $3,800 on eBay. A little known tidbit of Honda history is in ’72 and ’73, you could order an incredible set of alternate bodywork for CL350 or CL450 models – an idea that came from Honda’s paint department because they figured these crazy …
900SS Replica – 1976 Ducati 860GT
Post Sale Update: After being relisted, this 900SS Replica sold for $13,600 on eBay. Sold for just two years, the Ducati 860GT was a relatively angular bike that didn’t end up being as popular as Ducati might have hoped. But the styling doesn’t matter for this example, which the seller has converted into a replica of the iconic 900SS.