The ES2 was introduced in 1927 and was originally sold as a sports bike, though by the time production stopped in 1964, it wasn’t particularly competitive in the world of fast motorcycles. Still, an almost 40 year long production run is damned impressive, and this is a lovely example of the breed thanks to a “museum quality restoration” in 2017.
Guest First Ride Review – 2021 Moto Guzzi V7
View Post1978 Suzuki GS1000
Considered by some to be the best 1000cc four-cylinder of its time, the GS1000 was based on the 750 but had many improvements – Cycle magazine called this bike the “best handling multi of all.”
1990 Suzuki VX800
The Suzuki VX800 is an interesting cult bike that was discontinued in the US after 3 years after disappointing sales, though the European market saw production run from 1990-1997. A classic looking naked bike, it had comfortable steering geometry and a torquey engine that helped make this bike a fantastic all-arounder, despite its 500+ pound curb weight.
2004 BMW R1150R Rockster Edition 80
The BMW Rockster was an interesting variant on their naked bike of the time, the R1150R. The Rockster was BMW’s take on a streetfighter of sorts, made by pulling together the headlight from a R1150GS, gauges from the R1100S, and throwing them onto the R1150R with a distinctive paint job. In 2004, BMW introduced the dual-spark version of the oilhead …
Guest First Ride Review – 2021 Royal Enfield Meteor 350
View PostIn Belgium – 1996 Aprilia Moto 6.5
I’m all hopped-up on an Aprilia 660 at the moment, but here’s an Aprilia 650 from three decades ago that was quite a bit more polarizing thanks to a distinctive shape from French product designer and motorcycle enthusiast Phillipe Starck. In the mid 90’s, he combined those two facets to design the Aprilia Moto 6.5, an in-town runabout that oozes …
1982 Kawasaki KZ750
The Kawasaki KZ750 didn’t get much attention from the world – it was basically a bigger KZ650 that didn’t have many other revisions. Check out this link for a retrospective on the KZ from Clement Salvadori at Rider.
In Germany – 1976 Suzuki GT750 Patroller
Here’s one of the coolest bikes we’ve had the chance to feature over on Iconic Motorbike Auctions – an ex-Australian Police Suzuki Water Buffalo! Suzuki offered police versions of both the GT500 and the GT750 – the latter was built sold between 1972 and 1976 mostly in Asia and Africa, though a few made their way to Europe and Australia …
1957 Zundapp Super Sabre
Powered by a 250cc two stroke, the Super Sabre was the top of the line Zundapp at the time.
1973 Yamaha TX750
Made only for two years, the TX750 was Yamaha’s attempt of creating a parallel twin with the smoothness of an inline four engine. Using a pair of balancers (called Omni-Phase), it eliminated vibration to a level never seen before in a twin.
Rare In The US – 197x Kawasaki W3 650
While variants of the W1 and W2 were sold in North America, the final W model (the W3) never officially made it across the Pacific. It was also known as the RS650, and it featured upgraded suspension, minor cosmetic tweaks, and standard dual disc front brakes during its ’73-’74 production run. In fact, it was the first Kawasaki to feature …
1983 Suzuki GR650D Tempter
This Suzuki is rarely seen in the US as it was only offered here in ’83 and ’84. In other markets it was called the GR650 (and available until ’89), for some reason it was called the Tempter in America. It’s a fairly straightforward UJM but it featured one interesting innovation: a ‘dual-stage’ flywheel with an centrifugal clutch that would …
1956 Bianchi Cervino
Post Listing Update: This Cervino was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Despite the lengthy production run (between 1954 and 1966), the Cervino (Italian for “Matterhorn”) was a relatively rare Bianchi with a 175cc two-stroke engine.
Zero Miles – 1982 Suzuki GS650GT
Post Listing Update: This GS650GT did not get any action at the BIN of $8,995. Built between ’81-’83, the GS650 was available in several forms – including one with styling inspired by the Katana. The GT was the shaft driven standard which often did commuting duty in the 80s. Here’s an unexpected example which has never been ridden!