8-16-2016 Update: A cool Portuguese website called Rodas de Viriato got in touch to let me know that this is a Masac 406/72 Tuxa, and that it was sold by Confersil. More information on the model can be found on their site. Confersil was a Portuguese motorcycle manufacturer that made a variety of small displacement two stroke bikes with engines …
1950 Express
The ad clearly lists this as an Express brand, but all the information I could find lists them as Sachs brand Express model.
Cafe’d or Stock – Pick a Honda S90
Here are two examples of my beloved S90. Both have recent engine rebuilds but the owners had different ideas on cosmetics. They’re within $400 of each other – which one would you have?
Baby Dream – 1964 Honda CA95 Benly
Honda Motor Company’s first large-displacement (a relative term) motorcycles carried the Dream name, and were produced up to 305cc during the 1960s. The Dream 150 was available in the U.S market from 1960-66 and is more correctly referred to the CA95 Benly Touring or colloquially as the “Baby Dream,” a reference to its larger siblings of the time, the 250cc …
1968 Italjet 50cc Projects
Here’s a couple of small Italjet projects that are ready to be turned into beautiful little Italian runners. We’ve got a Mustang and a Deluxe, and the seller claims they were imported as a pair into the US to display in motorcycle shows and as press loaners for magazine articles.
1980 Yamaha Pocke
7-22-16 Update: Over a year later, the seller of this Pocke has taken a clue from commenter yrrah and reduced the opening bid – but will it be enough? Find it in Calexico, California with an unmet opening bid of $1,800 here on eBay. I’ve never heard of the Pocke, which this seller claims is hard to find outside of …
99 Point Restoration – 1972 Hodaka Ace 100B+
Post Sale Update: This Ace sold for a hefty $5,300 after 15 bids on eBay. Here’s a 100B+ model of Hodaka’s well-loved Ace enduro. This example has just been restored and it was given a score of 99 points (and a First Junior Award) at the AMCA Lucas National at Barber.
Baby Sherpa T – 1975 Bultaco Chispa
Post Sale Update: After a whopping 79 bids on eBay, this Chispa sold for $3,850. Built as a little replica of the Sherpa T, the Bultaco Chispa was “designed for children to initiate them in the secrets and art of good driving.” It was offered between 1974 and 1980.
Impressively Original – 1970 Suzuki TC 120 Trail Cat
Post Listing Update: Despite 29 bids on eBay, bidding did not meet reserve at just $1,054. There’s something about the tank of Suzuki’s Trail Cat that I simply adore – I think it’s the prettiest small dual-sport from the time period, and this example looks great adorned in Aspen Yellow. I also think it’s worth featuring as the seller has …
Turbo and Nitrous – 150cc Pit Bike
Sure hope you’ve got a guardian angel, because this little bike is ridiculous. The seller has apparently spent $7,500 on the build, which includes both a turbocharger and nitrous. It’s spent most of its life in storage so the engine has low hours on it. Time for you to snap this up and go racing on go-kart tracks. Find this …
The First Yamaha – 1957 Yamaha YA1
Post-Listing Update: Bidding was better with the relist – it helps when the bike has already been imported – but it still wasn’t enough to meet reserve despite 36 bids up to $9,000. 7-14-16 Update: Over two years later, this Yamaha is back up for sale – but this time it’s been imported to the US, had some work done …
Brand New In the Netherlands – 1973 Yamaha FS1 Mini Enduro
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. This example has avoided being the learner bike for anyone as it has just 2 kilometers from being pushed around in display over the last 40+ years.
Rare in the US – 2002 MZ RT125
I’ve got to admit, I didn’t know these bikes ever officially made it to the US. This example isn’t perfect and it will need some work before it’s ready for the road again, but it’s rare, cool, and just $1,200.
Suitcase Cycle – 1973 Honda CL100
You can probably guess by the title of this post that there’s something special about this Honda CL100. Thanks to an ex-United Airlines pilot named Lawrence Shapiro, this bike could be fit into a suitcase so that you could take it with you on your private plane.
In Canada – 1947 Famous James ML 125
ML stands for Military Lightweight, as this bike was originally designed to be utilized by airborne British and Canadian troops in WW2. A civilian version was offered between 1946 and 1948, after which the model was replaced by the James Comet.