It’s big, it’s fast, and it ain’t a beauty. KTM called it “The Beast”, and for good reason – the Super Duke R had some terrifying specifications: 1,301cc V-Twin with 180 horsepower, 106 lb-ft of torque, and 417 pounds of dry weight. As Loz Blain mentions in his review, “if you turn off the traction control, this bike will wheelie …
1982 Kawasaki AR80
Post Sale Update: this AR80 sold for $2,025 after 6 bids on eBay in Chadron, Nebraska. Kawasaki’s attempt to compete with Honda’s MB5, the AR80 packed a 78cc two-stroke engine that produced about 10 horsepower.
1 Mile – 2000 Bimota SB8RS
The SB8R was Bimota’s usual level of fancy – a trick frame and top-notch components wrapped around a Suzuki TL-R motor. But the SB8RS (the extra S was for “Special”) took it to another level with a full carbon fiber fairing, black wheels, carbon fiber shift rod, Ergal engine screws, and gold-anodized rearsets/rear sprocket.
1990 Honda CBR250RR
Nowadays you can get all kinds of 250-400cc entry level sportbikes in the US, but back in 1990 the entire market was basically the Kawasaki Ninja 250 and the Honda VTR250. In Honda’s home market of Japan, things were a bit more exciting. That’s where they offered the CBR250RR, affectionately known as the Babyblade. The 250cc inline four engine produced …
Spec II Bodywork – 1985 Yamaha RZ350
US-market RZ350s were sold as Kenny Roberts replicas, but some riders were willing to ditch the KR signature decals for different bodywork. That’s what happened here, as a previous owner swapped out the original chin fairing for a Spec II bodywork kit with full front fairing and solo seat tail.
156 Miles – 1996 Honda NSR250R SE
Post Sale Update: this NSR250R sold for $19,000 including fees after 8 bids on Iconic Motorbike Auctions. In 1991, Honda split the base and SP models of the NSR250R with the introduction of the SE (Super Edition) model. They had all of the SP goodies (dry clutch, adjustable suspension, special livery) except for the magnesium wheels. In 1994, the Japanese …
1983 Suzuki XN85 Turbo
Post Sale Update: This XN85 sold for $10,000 after 38 bids on eBay in Beaverton, Oregon. Of all the Japanese turbo wonder bikes of the 80s, Suzuki’s effort was the rarest. Just 1,153 examples of the XN85 Turbo were built, and it had the distinction of being the first production motorcycle with a 16″ front wheel. When paired with the …
No Reserve – 2007 Benelli TnT 1130
Post Sale Update: This TnT 1130 sold for $5,100 after 84 bids on eBay in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania. When this bike came out, every review had some sort of pun playing off TNT and how explosive it was, but TNT actually stands for Tornado Nuda Tre. Tornado is the model name, and the rest translates to Naked Triple. And what …
1 of 106 – 1984 Bimota SB4S
Post Sale Update: This SB4S sold for the opening bid of $16,000 on eBay in Southington, Connecticut. One of Bimota’s rarest motorcycles, the SB4S was produced as a complete bike and in kit form – 34 of the former and 72 of the latter, which makes a total of 106. The differences between the SB4 and the SB4S were the …
Urban Tiger – 1994 Honda CBR900RR
Post Listing Update: this CBR900RR was pulled off eBay, final sale price unknown. Honda’s CBR900RR revolutionized what a sportbike could be. But I’m not featuring this bike because of its performance – this time around it’s for the livery. In 1994, Honda introduced a distinctive scheme called the Urban Tiger, but it was never offered in the US. Here’s one …
1985 Suzuki RG400 Gamma
Post Listing Update: this Gamma did not get any action at the opening ask of $8,000 on eBay. You know the RG500 – but did you know that Suzuki made a 400cc version for Asian markets?
#1/10 – 2020 Aprilia RSV4 X
Post Sale Update: this RSV4 X sold for $80,250 including fees after 15 bids on Iconic Motorbike Auctions in Santa Monica, California. To commemorate the tenth anniversary of the RSV4, Aprilia released just ten examples of the “X”. It’s a staggering achievement with 222 horsepower and a dry weight of just 364 pounds, and we’ve got #1 over on the …
In France – 1993 Magni Sfida 1000
Magni is probably best known for the incredible bikes it made in partnership with MV Agusta, but over the years they also did some work with engines from BMW, Honda, and Moto Guzzi. MG’s 1,100cc engine provided the heart of the Sfida that you see here today.
VIN #1 – 2003 Honda RC51
Post Sale Update: This RC51 sold for $6,550 after 12 bids on eBay in El Paso, Texas. The RC51 combined Honda reliability with the joy of a V-Twin engine, beating Ducati at its own game with multiple World Superbike Championships and a AMA Championship. In 2002, Honda made some revisions to create the SP2 variant.
1 of 300 – 1997 Ducati 916 Senna II
In honor of Ayrton Senna, Ducati released 3 runs of limited edition bikes as a tribute, and all are now incredibly desired by collectors. At the time of original sale, proceeds went to Senna’s charity that supported poverty-stricken children in his home country of Brazil. This generation of the Senna was not sold in the US, so this is a …