Post-Sale Update – After 31 bids on eBay, this Rickman Velocette sold for $25,000. Do two names in the motorcycle industry sound better together than Rickman Velocette? Probably, but at the moment I can’t think of any. Take one Rickman street frame and one 500cc Velocette Venom engine and you’ve got an absolute beauty of a bike that I want …
1979 Yamaha RD400F Daytona Special
The Yamaha RD400F Daytona Special represents the last of a few key milestones in motorcycling history – it was the last air-cooled two-stroke street bike sold in the United States, and it was the last of Yamaha’s RD series. And the cherry on top of this history sundae? Today’s Daytona Special model was the top of the line of the …
Wabi-Sabi – 1976 Honda CB750K Custom Cafe Racer
Post-Sale Update: After being relisted, Wabi-Sabi sold for $7,001. The creation of Illinois-based Powder Monkees (not related to Wrenchmonkees), the Wabi-Sabi is a cafe racer “designed to celebrate the fusion of classic vintage styles, modern minimalism, and the natural beauty found within the imperfections of hand-crafted objects.” I see it as a good-looking (and very black) example of a custom …
Reader Ride – 1983 Ducati 900 MHR – Mike Hailwood Replica
Post-Sale Update: After 21 bids on eBay, this Ducati 900 MHR sold for $19,400. Reader Paul W. has just let me know about his Ducati 900 MHR that’s for sale on eBay, and this beauty is worth sharing. As you may know, the Ducati 900 MHR (Mike Hailwood Replica) was built to commemorate Hailwood’s success in the 1978 Isle of …
1997 Suzuki TL1000S
Post-Listing Update: This Suzuki TL1000S was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Back in the 70s, the Kawasaki H2 developed the reputation of a ‘widowmaker’ due to its’ incredible power and complete lack of handling. The Suzuki TL1000S also earned such a reputation when it was released in 1997, for slightly different reasons. This bike was introduced with …
1980 Moto Morini 500 Strada
Post-Sale Update: This 500 Strada sold for $3,161 after 14 bids on eBay. Most riders think of the 3 1/2 when they hear Moto Morini, but the firm was also known for their 500 Sei-V that was produced a decade later…to very little fanfare. What was once a classically beautiful motorcycle became an odd jumble of plastic and angular lines …
Nearly Finished – 1958 Ariel Square Four 1000
Post-Sale Update: This Square Four sold for $10,605 on eBay. The Ariel Square Four 1000 design goes all the way back to 1931, soon after Edward Turner designed an interesting new four-cylinder motorcycle engine formed from two OHC parallel twins. The design became known as the square four engine, and lent its name to this Ariel motorcycle.
1983 SWM 440GS
Ever heard of the motorcycle company SWM? Well, I hadn’t, so I thought this would be a good opportunity to introduce you if you were in the same boat as me. Founded in 1971 by two Italians, the company built several off-roaders around engines from Sachs and Rotax (the latter was utilized after 1977). In fact, one of SWM’s bikes …
1979 Ducati 900SS
The Ducati 900SS was built as a sportier version of the 860GT, it was designed to evoke a similarity to the classic 750SS Desmo. Unfortunately, bikes like the Mike Hailwood Replica were more in demand, relegating the 900SS to commercial mediocrity. As the model evolved, the 900SS moved from street-legal racer to eccentric sport-tourer, gaining comfort and reliability at the …
1972 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport Racer
Post-Listing Update: Despite 26 bids on eBay up to $15,150, this Moto Guzzi V7 Sport Racer did not meet reserve. A bike so classic that the firm has released a new model with a similar name, this Moto Guzzi V7 Sport Racer is an excellent example of the beautiful factory cafe. One of the most famous Guzzis ever, the V7 …
1986 Honda NS400R
Post Sale Update: This NS400R sold for $10,750 after 3 bids on eBay. Can you remember back to 1983? If so, you may remember Freddie Spencer winning the World Championship for Honda despite competing on a triple that was outclassed by the competition. Almost immediately, Honda released a 250cc bike to commemorate the win. A couple of years later, they …
2007 BMW G650 Xmoto
For just three years, BMW experimented with the G650 series – three different bikes all built around a 652cc Rotax engine that pushed out 53 hp. Though my personal favorite would have to be the XChallenge, the “street” bike of the 3 was this BMW G650 Xmoto, a rare supermoto that (like all supermotos) is an absolute blast in the …
$100k Project? 1955 Vincent Black Prince
Unlike the Honda CB750 Sandcast Prototype I featured a while back, this Vincent Black Prince project did not make it to $100k. Instead, it did not meet reserve at $40,100 after 36 bids on eBay. How much can a project be worth? We’re about to find out with this Vincent Black Prince project which has a BIN price of over …
Go Anywhere – 1942 Zundapp KS750 Sidecar
Post-Listing Update: Despite 18 bids up to $30,100, this Zundapp KS750 Sidecar did not meet reserve on eBay. The Zundapp KS750 was built for the Wehrmacht to go anywhere. Thanks to cylinders that were angled up 5 degrees for additional ground clearance, as well as a 10 speed gearbox, the claim was almost possible.
Ducati Custom Chopper
Here we’ve got a custom chopper that ‘started’ as a Ducati Monster 900, though at this point, the only Ducati left in this build is the motor, fuel injection system, and electronics. It’s been on display at Ducati days at Daytona Speedway, and is claimed to be very fast and very loud. No matter what adjective you choose to describe …