It’s hard to overstate how important the C100 was. When Honda first entered the US motorcycle market in 1959, the entire US motorcycle market was approximately 50,000 units a year. By December of 1962, Honda was selling over 40,000 units/year by themselves. The C100 changed what motorcycling meant in America, and that was even before Honda released the famous “You …
No Reserve – 2002 Aprilia RS125 Project
Over on the auction site we’ve got something that reminds me how popular little two-stroke tiddlers can be – just a day into the week-long auction and bidding has already risen above $3k.
Impressive Extras – 1964 BSA Starlite
3/4/21 Update: Six months later, it appears that this bike did not sell as the same photos are being used and the seller now notes that he’ll let it go with a slight discount but the extras won’t be included at that price. Find it for $1,500 just east of Colorado Springs, Colorado here on Facebook Marketplace. Post Sale Update: …
1975 Kawasaki G7
Built between 1973 and 1975, the Kawasaki G7 was powered by a 2-stroke 100cc single which was similar to the unit powering the G3 and G5.
Zero Miles in Canada – 1987 Yamaha YSR50
Post Listing Update: This YSR was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. The photos are bad and the asking price is significant, but this is a rare zero-mile example of the famous YSR minibike. What will it sell for?
Ending Soon – 1973 Harley-Davidson Z90
Post Listing Update: This Z90 did not meet reserve with 15 bids up to $2,650 on eBay in Park Ridge, Illinois. Built between 1973 and 1975, the Z90 was one of a series of small Harleys built by Aermacchi in the 70s. The bike may actually be best known as the ride of Kelly Leak (played by Jackie Earle Haley) …
2004 Honda NSR50R
Post Sale Update: This NSR50R sold for $5,243 on Iconic Motorbike Auctions in Santa Monica, California. The NSR50 was in Honda’s lineup for decades before they blessed the USA with a chance to officially try it for ourselves in 2004. Before that year, Americans had to either order one directly from HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) or try to import one …
1958 Maserati 50/T2/SS
Over on the auction site, we’ve got a beautiful little motorcycle I had never heard of before. If you haven’t either, let me share some of my research with you!
Rare Project – 1987 Yamaha SDR200
Post Listing Update: This SDR200 did not meet reserve with 26 bids up to $2,550 on eBay in Torrance, California. Though it was originally sold only in the Japanese Domestic Market, Yamaha’s SDR200 can now occasionally be found in Europe and the US thanks to the grey-market. Reminiscent of a tiny Ducati monster, the SDR features a distinctive trellis frame.
Yamaha TDR80
Yamaha never officially exported the fantastic TDR250 to the US, which is why many American riders aren’t aware of it…or the tiny 50cc and 80cc versions!
Nice Price – 2019 Honda Monkey
MSRP on a new Monkey without ABS is $3,999 plus a $190 destination charge. Here’s a barely-used example (100 miles) that will set you back just $2,500.
1987 Honda NS125R Adriatico
One would assume that a Honda sold in their home market of Japan would also have been built there, but this oddball was actually built by Honda Italy and then exported to Japan. In the early 80s, the 125cc market was fiercely competitive in Italy due to licensing regulations. The local government placed high taxes on imported motorcycles, so Honda …
1981 Honda CT70
Post Sale Update: This CT70 sold for $3,200 after 53 bids on eBay in South Jordan, Utah. For 1981, Honda offered up the venerable CT70 in one color – Tahitian Red. Here’s a highly original example that still features the style that was specific for ’81, like a red front fender, black/blue/white stripe, and black heat shield.
Restored in England – 1976 Yamaha FS1-E
Also known as the Fizzy, the FS1 was very successful in Europe as a small street-legal motorcycle – often a first vehicle for many riders. The suffix after FS1 denoted the target market -NL for Netherlands or -E for England.
1989 Yamaha YSR50
Post Sale Update: This YSR50 sold for $3,816 after 22 bids on eBay in Vernon-Rockville, Connecticut. The Yamaha YSR50 was the most common of the rare 50cc sportbikes that came from Japan in the late 80s and early 90s. An instant classic, the YSR50 was always street legal, but now I only seem to see them on display in collections …