In the early 80s, Suzuki knocked off the CBX as the superbike du jour. The Suzuki GS1100E came into the market and instantly became the bike of choice for the power hungry. American press mags constantly raved about not just the power, but also the surprising handling abilities for such a large bike. The shame for Suzuki was that this …
1964 BMW R69S
View Post1989 Honda CB-1
The Honda CB-1 was a wonderful mid-sized standard in a time of replica racers. Originally built for the Japanese market, it was a beautifully balanced motorcycle that lost out in an American market that was obsessed with having as much horsepower as possible.
1968 Norton Commando Fastback
Here’s a first year example of the Norton Commando, one of the first 2,200 that were ever built – the seller claims it’s a ‘show bike’.
Magic Button – 1981 Triumph Bonneville T140ES
The Triumph Bonneville T140 ES (for Electric Start) was one of the last bikes produced by Triumph before the Meriden Co-op fell apart and the company was sold to John Bloor.
1965 Norton Atlas
View Post2004 Moto Guzzi V11 Coppa Italia
A very limited edition of the V11, the Coppa Italia was very well spec’d, with Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes, an optional $2,000 titanium exhaust, and more. I’ve seen estimates of production between 40 and 50.
Weird Project – 1991 Bimota Tesi 1D
Post-Sale Update: After 30 bids on eBay, this Tesi 1D sold for $13,101. Someone please help me understand what’s happened here. As far as I can tell, someone has butchered up a legendary Tesi 1D and now someone else is going to save it.
1952 Ariel VHA
Post-Sale Update: After being relisted, this Ariel sold for $12,588 with 24 bids on eBay. The Ariel Red Hunter was a long standing legend – but for just two years (’52 & ’53), they made an all-alloy engine variant called the VHA. Here’s a beautifully restored example of this hard to find bike.
In England – 1979 Honda CB650Z Custom
View Post1987 Cagiva Alazzurra
Produced for just three years, the Cagiva Alazzurra was a rebadged Ducati street bike. Cagiva purchased Ducati in 1985, and was looking to grow their market share in larger-displacement bikes. Instead of building one from scratch, they used a 650cc version of the Pantah engine for both the Alazzurra and the Elefant.
Nice Price – Restored 1987 Honda VFR700F2
For a few years in the US, Honda was importing a VFR700 in conjunction with the legendary 750 to get around the “Save Harley” tariff. But by ’87, Honda stopped shipping the big brother, and in ’88 and ’89 they stopped sending over the VFR in any displacement. Here’s a final year example of the second generation VFR, which is …
1984 Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport
Imported from England into the United States 3 years ago, this bike is claimed to be in very good condition.
1973 MV Agusta 350B Elettronica
View Post1976 Benelli 500 Quattro
The Benelli Quattro – named for its four-cylinder engine, was built under Alejandro de Tomaso’s leadership in an attempt to revitalize Benelli and to directly take on the Japanese (particularly Honda’s CB500 Four). In fact, de Tomaso bought a CB500 for his engineers and told them to ‘get inspiration’ from the bike, though the styling was handled by Paul Martin …