Aprilia has a long history of racing with small displacement bikes. They made their first foray into the Superbike ranks with the RSV 1000 in 1998. The engine was built by Austrian firm Rotax, who have built engines for several other bike companies, including BMW, Buell, and KTM. The RSV engine was a 60 degree V-twin, 998cc, putting out a …
Rare in the US – 1996 Yamaha TRX850
As it was never officially sold in the US, Yamaha’s TRX850 is a bike that I’ve never heard of before. But with MCN calling it (in hindsight) “the best-kept secreting in motorcycling” and a “forgotten gem,” this bike is definitely worth a closer look. The oversimplified idea was that this was a “Ducati with Japanese reliability.“
Street Legal – Kawasaki ZX-10 Street Tracker
Many examples of Kawasaki’s literbike Ninja have been converted into streetfighters after they get dumped or wrecked…but here’s the first one I’ve seen that’s been converted into a street tracker! This looks like a very fun way to get into a lot of trouble.
1977 BMW R100S
Post Sale Update: After 26 bids on eBay, this R100S sold for $10,600. If I was shopping for a classic BMW right now, I’d look for a R100S over the iconic R90S just because of how expensive the latter has become. Here’s a beautiful example of the 100S that probably won’t be cheap either, thanks to a restoration that the …
Number 2 – 1984 Kawasaki Ninja 900 GPZ900R
The GPZ900R was Kawasaki’s first Ninja – the beginning of a long line of iconic motorcycles. If I remember correctly, serial number 1 is currently in Kawasaki’s museum at their US headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California. According to this seller, serial number 2 is now up for sale…
1964 BSA Lightning Rocket
In the mid 1960s BSA (Birmingham Small Arms) did not want to dominate the world. They did, however, want to dominate the US Market so brought the Lightning Rocket to our fair shores. The Lightning Rocket was essentially the same as the domestic Lightning, but was tuned to be faster and quicker. The 1964 BSA Lightning Rocket featured a 654 …
One Owner – 1980 Ducati 900SS
Post Listing Update: This 900SS did not meet reserve despite 45 bids up to $24,200. After the angular design of the 860GT, Ducati went back to the classic lines of the 750SS when they styled the 900 Super Sport. Despite fewer-than-expected sales when it was first released, the 900SS has been steadily gaining value in recent years – and this …
2 For the Price of…2 – Honda RC51 and CBR900RR
These are both great, but different bikes. The RC51 was built specifically to compete in World Superbike. As a V-twin, they were allowed to go up to 1000cc to compete against the other manufacturer’s 750 4-cyclinder machines. This bike was the basis for Colin Edwards’ World Superbike Championship in 2000. It was also the championship-winning bike in 2002. In the …
1953 Zundapp KS601 Sport
9-8-16 Update: Last time this was featured, bidding stalled at $8,400. It’s now back up for sale with bidding at $8,100 and the reserve not yet met or a BIN of $12,950 here on eBay. In 1951, Zundapp introduced their last big bike – the KS601 (Kardan Sport). It got plenty of positive attention from the press, but Zundapp’s sales …
Vee Two Ducati Alchemy SV-1
Last week I featured one of the rare distinct models from Brook Henry’s famed Australian Ducati tuning house, Vee Two. Here’s the other one, a bevel head-based exotic called the Alchemy SV-1.
40+ Bike Collection
In Addison, Texas, a seller has come into possession of 40+ excellent motorcycles that were formerly “owned by a champion racer that has passed away recently.” Not all of them are on eBay yet, but this is a seller you’re going to want to keep tabs on for the next few weeks.
1987 Honda CBR600F Hurricane
The first year of the first generation – this is the bike that started the CBR line. It was quick enough to compete in 600cc racing, but user friendly to still enjoy on the street during the week. When it first came out, it was quite an improvement on the competition – Kawasasaki’s GPZ600 (arguably the class leader at the …
1989 Honda CB-1
In their review of the Honda CB-1, Cycle World called it “a great motorcycle that never found an audience.” Despite 55 horsepower and a seating position comfortable for track days or just commuting, the average American rider walked right past it in the dealership as they wanted something bigger and faster like the CBR600 or 1000.
1970 Royal Enfield Interceptor
Post Sale Update: After 5 bids on eBay, this Interceptor sold for $9,851. 1970 was the end of the line for the Royal Enfield company. Originally an ammunition and small arms manufacturer they started making motorcycles in 1898 with a sourced motor and produced their own motor in 1901. They went broke then re chartered in 1910 as ‘The Royal …
In Europe – Vee Two Ducati Squalo
In the late 70s, Brook Henry (an Australian Ducati expert) started Vee Two and established himself as one of the world’s pre-eminent guys to make a Ducati go faster. In addition to a bevy of trick parts, Vee Two ended up creating a few bespoke models. One was the Alchemy, based on bevel head engines. Recently they’ve also made the …