Sometimes it seems the dark alleys of Craigslist are home to as many ghastly creatures as a 90-minute finale of The Walking Dead. This, however, is not one of the undead.
Ending Soon – 1979 Yamaha RD400F Daytona Special
The last in the long line of Yamaha’s RD series, the RD400F (also known as the Daytona Special) is considered by many to be the best of the model line. The press went nuts for it – Cycle magazine called it “Dennis the Menace on Yokohama tires, and…the most fun street motorcycle currently available for sale.”
2003 Honda CBR954RR
Produced for just two years, the 954 generation of the Honda Fireblade was commercially overshadowed by the competition from Suzuki and Yamaha, but I always thought it was the most “practical” literbike you could buy at the time. That inherently might have been the problem – who was looking for practical supersports? I fell in love with the Fireblades after …
Restored or Original – Honda SS125A
The predecessor to the CB125, Honda’s SS125A was the ‘Super Sport’ option in a series of rare quarter-liter slopers that also included the CL125 (scrambler), CD125 (touring), and a Japan-only CS125. They are not easy to find nowadays, which makes it all the more surprising that I’ve got two for you to peruse. One’s been restored and the other…hasn’t.
$950 – 1965 Bridgestone Sport 60
You know Bridgestone as a tire manufacturer nowadays, but for a few years they produced very competitive small motorcycles ranging in displacement from 50cc to 350cc. Here’s one of the smaller models, a 60cc Sport. The two-stroke rotary-valve single was good for 5.8 horsepower and it was paired with a 4-speed rotary transmission. I can’t determine if all of these …
#007 – 2000 Bimota SB8R
Post-Listing Update: This SB8R did not meet reserve with 19 bids up to $7,691. No, it’s not a Bond reference – this SB8R is number seven off the production line. From a production number standpoint, this is one of the more popular Bimotas ever built (which still isn’t saying much). Starting with a Suzuki TL V-Twin, Bimota worked a little …
1968 Bultaco Metralla Mk2
Bultaco is best known for off-road motorcycles, but the Metralla was an international legend when it was released at it was the fastest two-stroke bike you could buy. The Metralla produced 32 horsepower at a time when many automobiles were making less!
1984 Kawasaki GPZ1100
In 1983, Kawasaki gave the GPZ1100 a serious redesign with new bodywork, anti-dive forks, and the Uni-Trak rear suspension. Power output was also bumped to 120 horsepower (104 at the rear wheel), though this was gained at the expense of low-end torque.
Documented Restoration – 1965 Honda CB77 Superhawk
Post-Sale Update: This Superhawk sold for $3,550 after 38 bids on eBay. Honda’s first sportbike was the CB77, and some consider it to be the template for Honda’s next two decades of motocycles. You may know it as the Superhawk, or the bike ridden by Robert Pirsig in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.
Eddie Lawson Replica – 1983 Kawasaki KZ1000R2 ELR
Post-Sale Update: This ELR sold for $15,600 after 30 bids on eBay. A limited edition tribute to Eddie Lawson, just 750 examples of the Kawasaki KZ1000R ELR (Eddie Lawson Replica) were built between 1982 and 1983. With the exception of subpar rear shocks, the press and the public loved this bike and how aggressively it was set up.
In Italy – 1974 Laverda SFC 750 Mk2
Post-Listing Update: This Laverda did not meet reserve despite 37 bids up to $36,455. One of the most famous motorcycles to ever come out of Italy, the Laverda SFC was a half-faired beauty built for competition. SFC stood for Super Freni Competizione, or “Super Brakes Competition.” The brakes weren’t the only thing that were super – the engine got bigger …
276 Miles – 1986 Yamaha SRX600
The SRX600 was only offered for one year in the US, though it enjoyed a bit more success in its home market of Japan. Though few were sold in the States, this mid-size standard now enjoys a cult following for riders who appreciate the styling, handling, and the fact that there’s no magic button so you have to kick over …
Ending Soon – 1967 BMW R69S
Post Listing Update: This R69S did not meet reserve despite 27 bids up to $12,600 on eBay. This R69S has the patina of over 50,000 miles of use and as the seller says, “it would be a shame to restore this bike.” It’s a motorcycle from Mike Wolfe (you may remember that name from the TV show American Pickers).
1997 Suzuki TL1000S
Post-Listing Update: This TL did not meet reserve with $2,175 after 22 bids on eBay. Back in the 70s, the Kawasaki H2 developed the reputation of a ‘widowmaker’ thanks to incredible power with no discernible handling. When it was released in 1997, the Suzuki TL1000S also earned a similar reputation thanks to the unique rotary rear damping system. While it …
#84 – 1998 Yamaha YZF-R1
Post-Listing Update: This R1 got no interest at the opening bid of $6,500. It can be hard for me to get excited about bone stock Japanese supersports, but this early R1 is truly worth a second look. First of all, the first generation of the R1 was something special. History looks upon it very kindly as one of the three …