In 1956, BSA called their Road Rocket “undoubtedly the world’s greatest motor cycle”:
2014 Ducati 1199 Superleggera
The ultra-exclusive (500 produced), even-better version of the Panigale R, the Ducati 1199 Superleggera was claimed by the Italian company to have the best power-to-weight ratio of any production motorcycle ever. With the fuel tank full, this bike weighs just 393 pounds, and you’re looking at about 186 horsepower. Unfortunately, I only found out about this auction with 6 hours …
1955 Gilera 150 Sport
1-10-2015 Update: This beauty is back up for sale with bidding up to $1,750 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay. Post-Listing Update: This Gilera 150 Sport got up to $3,650 but did not meet reserve. One of the prettiest bikes I’ve ever seen, the Gilera 150 Sport was a tiny Italian from back in the days when …
2006 Ducati Paul Smart
Post-Sale Update: This Ducati Paul Smart sold for a best offer under $25,800, exact price unknown. I simply cannot help myself whenever I see a Paul Smart. Here’s another example of the instant classic which was built as a tribute to the Green Frame 750SS – I think it’s one of the most beautiful motorcycles made in the last 25 …
1987 Cagiva 650 Alazzurra
Produced for just three years, the Cagiva 650 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. MSRP was $3,893, putting it slightly above …
“Il Castrolo” – Ducati Monster M750 Custom
Built by Foundry Motorcycle, this Ducati Monster M750 has been turned into an interesting street tracker.
1982 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.
1975 Ducati 860GT Custom
Post-Listing Update: This 860GT custom did not meet reserve at $17,950 after 26 bids. If only all bikes for sale had Phil Aynsley taking photos of them.
2000 Bimota SB8R-S
I’ve featured a couple of SB8R’s before – they’re almost “common” in the world of Bimotas, ignoring how the words common and Bimota should never be used in the same sentence. But the Bimota Bimota SB8R-S lives up to its name, by taking the base bike and slathering it carbon and special black paint in a limited production run of …
Movie Hero – 2002 Triumph Daytona 955i
I can’t put into words how bad the video I’m about to show you is. It’s almost so horrible that it’s good in a silly way. Almost.
135 Miles – 1979 Triumph T140D Bonneville Special
Apparently inspired by the Yamaha XS650 Special, the Triumph T140D Bonneville Special was an exercise in styling that also introduced a few features that were incorporated into future Bonnies.
2003 Cagiva V-Raptor 1000
1-4-15 Update: This V-Raptor is back up for sale with nicer photos and a BIN of $6,500 or best offer here on eBay. The Cagiva V-Raptor was designed as alternative to the Ducati Monster – they were even styled by the same man. Though there are plenty of similarities, the Raptor comes with the V-Twin heart from a Suzuki TL.
1969 Triumph Bonneville Custom
The Triumph Bonneville is a classic British standard named after the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, known for being the location where many riders try to set speed records.
X-75 – 1973 Triumph Hurricane
The Triumph Hurricane represented a paradigm shift in motorcycling manufacturing, as it was the world’s first factory custom motorcycle. The brainchild of Craig Vetter (well known as a motorcycle designer and manufacturer of custom motorcycle fairings) and Don Brown (General Manager of BSA), the Hurricane was created when Brown called Vetter up on a secret project to create a better …
1992 BMW K100RS
This is a final-year example of BMW’s K100, a bike that was incredibly important in BMW’s history. Originally developed because the German firm felt their usual boxer engine would struggle to meet new emissions standards (they even stopped building the R100 for a short period of time), this bike was the result of a $110 million gamble to build a …