Post Listing Update: 30 bids on eBay got up to $22,300, but that wasn’t enough to meet reserve. Moto Guzzi Sport, Number 1 – that’s what MGS-01 stood for. Doesn’t matter what you called it, it was an unexpected taste of what Guzzi would be capable of if they wanted to rub shoulders with Ducati or Aprilia in the exotic, …
Terry Prince-Made – 1949 Vincent Rapide
In the international Vincent motorcycle community, you’d have a hard time coming across many names with a greater expertise than Terry Prince. Prince, who grew up riding, racing and wrenching on British machines, knows these bikes ridiculously well, in part because he himself was one of the people behind several Vincent-Egli creations before going on to spend his career doing …
Bored Out and Turbocharged – 1982 Suzuki Katana
Thanks to a 1,400cc motor and a Rajay F40 turbo, this Katana has enough juice to back up the iconic angular styling.
Street Legal – 2007 Husqvarna SMR450 with CR500 Motor
5 years ago, I saw one of my favorite posts of all time on BikeEXIF – a crazy person had stuffed a CR500 motor into a Husqvarna supermoto to create a “Husqvonda.” It was a street-legal monster that was said to put down “80-85 horsepower to the rear wheel.” The bike isn’t in show condition any more, but it’s still …
Rare German – 1982 BMW Krauser MKM 1000
Post Listing Update: This Krauser did not get any interest at the opening ask of $28,000. The Krauser name is best known for luggage, but in the early 80s Mike Krauser decided that he wanted to build a world-beating road bike. He started with his favorite road bike at the time, a BMW R100S, and then developed an incredible frame …
Graves Built – 2008 Yamaha R6
If you follow production-based motorcycle racing in the US, you’re probably familiar with Graves Racing Services. For anyone who doesn’t know about them, GRS is a Southern California based company who offers factory-level components and services to the public, along with providing support to professional race teams. For example, the bikes of Cameron Beaubier (R1) and Garrett Gerloff (R6) feature …
One Owner, 170k Miles – 2005 Honda VFR800
Honda’s VFR lineup has typically enjoyed a reputation of being good sport-touring bikes for those who want to cover lots of miles in a day but do it with a some agility. This bike is a monument to that stereotype as the original owner put 170,000 miles on it since he bought it new. The owner was a Honda mechanic …
First Generation – 2008 KTM RC8
In 2008, KTM released the 1190 RC8 with big plans of tapping into the flagship Superbike market along with some grand WSBK ambitions. The RC8 would see another seven years of production, receiving various tweaks and upgrades in that time but KTM would ultimately fail to get the traction they had hoped for in the market along with a less-than-stellar …
Ducati Forks – 2007 Husqvarna SMR450 Custom
SMR stands for Super Moto Race, which should tell you everything you need to know about this bike. Though it was street legal from the dealership, this bike would be wasted on most public roads. It’s for the most aggressive curves you can find – hopefully within a few minutes of your house, otherwise you should be trailering it! These …
Clean Survivor – 1977 Yamaha RD400
Post Sale Update: After being relisted several times, this RD sold for $4,800. In 1976, Yamaha made the RD350 a little bigger with a displacement bump up to 399cc. Thanks to 44 horsepower, the hooligan motorcycle du jour was capable of hitting the ton with a top speed of 105 miles per hour. Most people know the 400 simply for …
Expensive and Shiny – 2017 Ducati Monster S4R “Infinita”
Last year, an appropriately-named Italian shop called Metalbike Garage decided to rebody a Ducati Monster. They apparently went a little overboard as they ended up making three rear subframes with different bodywork, as well. It’s shiny, and it’s very expensive – what do you think about it?
Movie Star – 2000 Ducati 996
A Ducati featured in a big-budget Hollywood movie focused on motorcycles has gone up for sale again. Unfortunately that movie was 2003’s ‘Bike Boyz’ (not a typo) and though I haven’t seen it a quick google-search revealed reviews to be less than stellar. The movie did have a $24M-budget and somehow they spent more than $215K for every one of …
Immaculate – 1973 Ducati 750 Sport
The Honda CB750, Moto Guzzi V7, Vincent Black Lightning, BSA GoldStar, BMW R69, Triumph Bonneville, Suzuki GSX-R750, There’s a handful of iconic motorcycles out there that have managed to stand the test of time and carve out a very special place in history. The 1973 Ducati 750 Sport is very much one of those motorcycles. Considered the gold-standard of cafe …
Rare in Orange – 2008 MV Agusta Brutale 910S
Post Listing Update: This Brutale was pulled off of eBay because “the item was lost or broken.” The MV Agusta Brutale is an exquisite bike that garners a lot of attention – doubly so when adorned in orange, the rarest color offered in 2008. Estimates online peg the total number imported to be between 25 and 45 that year, though …
10,993 Miles – 1990 Honda Hawk GT
Post Sale Update: This Hawk sold for $3,500 after 13 bids on eBay. Honda was ahead of its time when it debuted the Hawk GT, also known as the NT650. It was one of the world’s first modern naked bikes but it was a commercial failure. Over the years, many riders have fallen in love with the Hawk as used …