If you follow motorcycle racing, chances are by now you’ve been made aware of the fact that long-time Repsol Honda pilot Dani Pedrosa will be hanging up his leathers for good at the end of the 2018 season. In 2005, the pint-sized Spaniard won the 250cc World Championship title, and the following year he stepped up to the premier class, …
9 Miles – 2000 Buell X1 Lightning Millennium
Post Sale Update: This X1 sold for the BIN of $4,495. Presumably named after its year of release, the Buell X1 Lightning Millennium was a limited production run (800 bikes) that was all about silver aesthetics. 400 were sold in the US, 375 were sold in Europe, and I have no idea where the other 25 went. A typical example …
1992 Suzuki GSX-R1100
The 70’s saw Japanese manufacturers starting to win more and more market share thanks to powerful, reliable, and cheap motorcycles. Honda and Kawasaki set new sport bike standards with the CB750 Four and the Z1. In 1982, it was Suzuki’s turn to release a bombshell with the Suzuki Katana. In 1985 the brand did it again with the GSX-R750, and …
1998 Suzuki TL1000R
Produced from 1998-2003, this TL1000R was Suzuki’s V-Twin superbike, the fully-faired (and racier) brother of the TL1000S. This model was briefly used in Suzuki’s World and American Superbike Championship campaigns before they switched to the lighter 750 Gixxer.
1978 Kawasaki Z1R-TC
Post Listing Update: This turbo Kawi did not meet reserve despite 12 bids up to $20,700 on eBay. TCC stood for the Turbo Cycle Corporation, and it was created to sell bolt on turbos for motorcycles built by American Turbo-Pak. The founder of TCC was a former Kawasaki USA employee named Alan Masek, and he used his contacts to help …
2003 Kawasaki ZRX1200R
Eddie Lawson is a famous American motorcycle road racer that won multiple world championship, including the 500cc AMA Superbike Series in 1981 and 1982 – these two 500cc titles are two of the four he won in the 80’s. Eddie was nicknamed “Steady Eddie” thanks to his capacity to consistently finish races, avoid crashing, and often ending on the podium …
Thersby Special – Ducati TT2 Tribute
Post Listing Update: This Thersby build did not meet reserve with 15 bids up to $8,500. It was later relisted at a lower price of $17,500 but it did not sell. Built by Scot Wilson of Italian Iron Classics, this custom Ducati combines a Roy Thersby frame, Tom Hull motor, and a drool-worthy set of Hella lights (among other excellent …
Vance & Hines Supersport Replica – 1992 Yamaha FZR 600
In 1992, Yamaha offered 600 examples of a limited edition replica of their Vance & Hines AMA Supersport bike. This is #505, and it’s nicest example I’ve seen offered of a model that rarely comes up for sale.
Six Cylinder ELR Tribute – 1979 Kawasaki KZ1300
Kawasaki found a major recipe for success when it released its H1 at the tail-end of the ’60s. Though the bar had been set pretty high with the 500, Team Green managed to outdo themselves and deliver an even more iconic, game-changing machine with the H2 in the early ‘70s. So when a few years passed, the Z1 came and …
One Owner -1982 Honda CX500 Turbo
Depending on how you define “production”, Kawasaki was the first motorcycle manufacturer to roll out a turbocharged motorcycle. But as this excellent article on OddBike points out, Kawasaki’s effort was more of a quasi-aftermarket creation, and it wasn’t well-thought out either. Honda’s CX500 Turbo is more deserving of the ‘first production turbo bike’ title, as it truly started the forced …
1968 Bultaco Metralla Mk2
Post Sale Update: This Metralla sold for $7,500 after 18 bids on eBay. When it was released, the Metralla Mk2 was the fastest two-stroke motorcycle you could buy. It held that title for a short time – you should check out Mat Oxley’s book Stealing Speed to learn why two-stroke development was at a fever pitch during this decade – …
Mid-Century Brit Single – 1950 Vincent Comet
Vincent Motorcycles are some of the most elite and prized two-wheeled examples in existence. Back in January, a 1951 Vincent Black Lightning became the most expensive motorcycle ever sold after fetching a cool $929K at the Las Vegas Bonhams auction. Fortunately, you don’t need to shell out close to a million to get your hands on a clean Vincent example. …
1 of 100 – 2007 Ducati SportClassic 1000 Special Edition
In 2007, Ducati released a limited edition of just 100 bikes exclusively for the North American market. 90 were sold in the US and the remaining 10 were sold to our northerly neighbors of Canada. That production number actually makes it one of the rarest Ducatis made in recent history, and I adore the combination of classic design with modern …
1 of 61 – 1995 Ducati Supermono
Post Listing Update: This Supermono did not get any interest at the opening bid of $149,900. It was relisted at the same price with the same outcome. In the majestic history of the Italian firm, the Ducati Supermono is one of the greats. Arguably one of the most collectable Ducatis ever produced, just 67 Supermonos were built exclusively for racing …
No Reserve – 2017 Benelli TnT 600 Tornado
Post Sale Update: This Benelli originally sold for $3,550 after 25 bids on eBay. HOWEVER, it seems that the buyer flaked (or maybe the buyer was trying to artificially inflate the price) as the bike was relisted, selling for $2,550 after 10 bids on eBay. Benelli has a long and illustrious history, but as of late it hasn’t been much …