The Monza was one of a myriad of quarter-liter singles from Ducati, but it was an important one in the Italian marque’s history. Supposedly, the ‘narrow-case’ 250cc was originally designed in response to a request from a high-volume Ducati dealership in England. Ducati would produce singles between 1950 and 1974. For a reason unbeknownst to me, some of the Ducatista …
2004 Moto Guzzi V11 LeMans Nero Corsa
Post Sale Update: After 25 bids on eBay, this Nero Corsa sold for $7,000. The last of the spine frame Guzzis, the Nero Corsa was a beautiful limited edition of the V11 LeMans. I’ve seen rumors that just 200 were built (50 of which made it to the US), but I have not been able to confirm that with an …
1984 Moto Morini 350 K2
Moto Morini’s heyday with production bikes was in the 70s with the legendary 3 1/2, but they weren’t able to retain the magic and after a decline in the 80s the company was sold to Cagiva. During that slide, they released a spiritual successor with top notch components and a dry weight of just 330 pounds. It was called the …
Cafe Rebuild – 1966 Harley-Davidson 250 Sprint H
The Harley-Davidson Aermacchi Sprint 250 was a solid little runner with agile handling. It was generally a fun little bike that the Italians thought made for a great commuter (at a claimed 45-55 mpg). When the Sprint first made its way to US shores, it supposedly made 18 hp at 6,750rpm with an 8.5:1 compression ratio. Multiple versions of the …
AMS Ducati Restoration – 1973 Ducati 750 Sport
Post Listing Update: Despite 35 bids up to $36,300, this 750 Sport did not meet reserve. Restored by Jeff Nash of AMS Ducati, this beautiful example of one of Ducati’s most famous models has been on display for the last four years – will the next owner keep it in a similar state or put some fluids in it and …
For a Good Cause – 1975 Yamaha RD350
For those of us of a certain age, this was THE bike to have. It wasn’t the biggest or the baddest bike of the mid-70’s but in the right hands, it could run with anything in the twisties.
1992 Bimota YB8
Post Listing Update: This YB8 was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. YB8 = the 8th Bimota with a Yamaha engine, in this case a 1000cc EXUP, 20-valve engine which yielded 149 horsepower. I find it very weird to see the “EXUP” logo on an Italian bike, but there is something to be said for Japanese reliability with …
In Italy – 1954 Norvin
10-16-17 Update: A month later, this Norvin is back up for sale. I try to let more time pass when a bike doesn’t sell but it’s just so fantastic that I have to share it in case someone missed it the first time. With that said – take special note of the seller’s feedback rating! Find it with bidding up …
2006 Ducati 999R Xerox
Built between 2003-2006, the Ducati 999 (and the regular 999 it was based on) was initially met with mixed reviews with regards to the styling. But no one can deny the success that Ducati had in WSBK and AMA racing with the top-of-the-line 999R. To comply with AMA homologation rules, the States got 300 examples of the most powerful production …
1982 Moto Guzzi V50 Monza
Post Listing Update: Despite 21 bids on eBay up to $3,150, this Monza did not meet reserve. When Moto Guzzi first released the V50 in the late 70s, they were met with a tepid response from an American market that preferred bigger bikes and expected smaller bikes to be cheaper. To help the model stand out, Guzzi released a sportier …
Custom Paint – 1985 Cagiva Alazzurra 650
Post Listing Update: This Cagiva was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. In the early 80s, Cagiva was producing some quality small-displacement bikes but they needed some help cracking into the big bike market. They bought Ducati in 1985, used the design for the Pantah, and created the Alazzurra. If you don’t mind a bike that’s been repainted, …
No Reserve – 1980 Suzuki GS1000S Wes Cooley Replica
Post Sale Update: This Wes Cooley rep sold for $5,300 after 31 bids on eBay. The Suzuki GS1000S – unofficial “Wes Cooley Replica” – is recognized as one of the Hamamatsu-based manufacturer’s many legendary machines. The GS1KS saw success in AMA competition nearly right from the start and was the predecessor to the now iconic GSX(R) machines. Wes Cooley would …
2003 CCM 604 Supermoto
Based out of the UK, Clews Competition Motorcycles is a niche manufacturer that owes its start to the failure of BSA’s racing division – Alan Clews was looking to build a better motocross bike and he snapped up anything he could from BSA after they shut down the competition department. A tumultuous history ensued – Clews sold the company in …
NCR Leggera 1200 Special Tribute – 2008 Ducati Hypermotard
NCR is unobtanium for most of us, but it doesn’t cost anything to simply lust after their wares – and lusting is all I can do with this exotic called the Leggera 1200. It started as a Ducati Hypermotard but thanks to extreme fettling it produced 30 more horsepower and 16 more pound-feet of torque. More impressively? It weighs 295 …
1 of 11 – 1974 Moto Carrera Del Mar Yamaha RD350 Street Tracker
Based out of North Hollywood, California, Moto Carrera was a specialty shop for 2-stroke sportbikes. They were probably best known for the development of some aftermarket parts (especially for Yamaha RDs) like their rearsets and Millenium GP exhausts, but their most significant accomplishment was the creation of the “Del Mar”, a limited production run of RD350-based street trackers. 11 were …