Founded in 1903, Cushman was a Nebraska-based company that specialized in the construction of small engines destined to be installed on bicycles or carriage. At the time, the demand for that kind of engine was very high, which kept the company pretty busy. Right in the middle of the Great Depression during the 30s, Cushman set two ambitious objectives, creating …
13 Honda Z50s
I can’t imagine who would want to buy this, but someone is offering a collection of 13 Honda Z50s ranging from 1979 to 1999. They’re all claimed to be in “great original condition”, but what do you do with this? Start a little bike museum? Create a school for kids? Start a spec race class?
Rare 4-Speed With Clutch – 1971 Honda CT70 HKO
Post Listing Update: This CT did not meet reserve despite 19 bids up to $4,300 on eBay. Thanks to the success of the Z50 “Monkey”, especially in Europe and the US, Honda knew there would be room to create another mini-bike with a slightly larger engine. Keeping the simple and positively childish concept for their new creation, Honda built the …
1969 Honda Z50A “Monkey”
In 1961, at the Tama Tech Park in Japan, a Honda-owned motorsport theme park, one of the attractions included the use of kid-size bikes called the Z100. Due to the way people looked while riding it – with arms and legs stuck out at sharp angles – the name of “Monkey” was quickly given to the bike. Seeing the success …
“American” MXer – 1974 Indian MT100
Decades before Polaris Industries acquired Indian Motorcycle, the manufacturer traded hands numerous times, giving rise to a number of very…non-Indian Indians. For a time Brockhouse Engineering sold rebadged and slightly modified Royal Enfields under the Indian name. The company was later sold off again, this time to AMC, which proceeded to sell rebadged AJS and Matchless bikes as Indians, though …
Kitted Cub – 1966 Honda C100 with Roadster Kit
While Honda found success with its small step-through models in most markets, the Japanese marque struggled to sell scooters in the same numbers in the US. Honda looked to change this with the introduction of what it called the “Custom Group”, consisting of four different add-on kits (the Roadster, Rally, Boss, and Student) designed to make little runners like the …
1938 DKW Diamant
Post Listing Update: This Diamant did not meet reserve with just 2 bids up to $1,500. In Sweden, one of the most popular early motorcycles was the DKW-powered Diamant. Per the seller, the Diamant was “sold for about 400kr ($50), which represented about 2 months of salary for an industrial worker.“
Rare German Find – 1964 Göricke-Werke GÖ 100/4 S
Despite existing for some 90 years, Göricke-Werke AG has only been heard of by a few riders. The company was first founded in Bielfeld, Germany on Christmas Eve of 1874, initially going under the name Maschinenfabrik August Göricke (translated from German as “August Göricke Machinery Factory”). In the beginning the German outfit focused primarily on sewing and milking machines, but …
1958 Laverda 100 Sport Lusso
Post Sale Update: This Laverda sold for $6,100 after 30 bids on eBay. Sport and Luxury in the same model name, what a combination! Laverda’s 100 Sport Lusso was built in two series, and this ’58 model is from the latter. In the second series, this lovely Laverda 100 was available in “Gran Turismo” or “Sport Lusso” trims.
Pre-Motocompo Folder – 1970 Carnielli Motorcycles MotoGraziella
When the subject of “folding scooters” comes up, most people’s minds will wander to Honda’s Motocompo, but there are a number of other collapsable, small-wheeled scoots that predate the Honda by several decades. The “All American Scooter”, the 1960’s Centaur, or Carnielli Motorcycles’ Motograziella.
“Eris Speedcub” – 1998 Honda C90 Custom
I always enjoy when custom builders utilize cheap, small displacement donors for thoroughly involved projects, and this Honda is a wonderful example of such. This little runner started its life as a very used 1998 Honda Cub C90 that was stripped down to the frame. The headstock off a modern pit bike was sourced, prior to being chopped up and …
First Year in North America – 2003 Honda Ruckus
Post Sale Update: this Ruckus sold for $1,151 after 13 bids on Goodwill. The Honda Ruckus is a very unique modern scooter which combines distinctive styling, a CVT transmission, and excellent fuel economy (114 mpg) to become a popular in-town runabout. Here’s an example with just 660 miles that’s been donated to a Goodwill, so you can feel good about …
1968 Suzuki MoKick M31
Another day, another Honda Cub clone from a Japanese competitor! This is the M31, which was also known as the MoKick (because you started it by kicking, like a motorcycle, as opposed to pedaling, like a moped) or the Suzy 55.
Rare Project – 1986 Cagiva Aletta Oro S2
In 1985, you could have won a few bets with the knowledge that after the big four Japanese firms, the largest producer of motorcycles in the world was Cagiva. That spring they introduced a new model called the Aletta Oro (which roughly translates to “little Gold Wing”), and Cycle World called it “the most eagerly anticipated motorcycle in Italy. A …
1972 Yamaha U7E
This rare step through is a Yamaha U7E, and in the US it was only available for one year. I’ve never seen one before, and I even struggled to find reliable sources of information for basic specs. Do any of you have experience with this little scoot? And do you think it’s cuter than a Honda Cub?