The Nimbus motorcycle dates back to 1919, the result of a vacuum cleaner manufacturer that figured they could make some money by also building motorcycles. Though the two products may not share a lot conceptually, the original Nimbuses (Nimbi?) were quite technologically advanced with shaft drive, steel frames, and a telescopic front fork (a year before the BMW R12, though …
No Reserve – 1976 Honda CB750
Post Sale Update: This CB750 sold for $3,552 after 37 bids on eBay in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Here’s a rider-quality CB750 that’s being offered with no reserve.
No Reserve – Honda Spada VT250
Post Sale Update: This Spada sold for $2,108 after 28 bids on eBay in San Jacinto, California…to reader Rod M! The Honda Spada (also known as the VT250) was never officially sold in America, but it’s an excellent small displacement motorcycle that looks like a baby Hawk GT. Here’s a rare find that’s been imported to the US, though it’s …
No Reserve JDM Import – 1993 Yamaha SRV250
Post Listing Update: This SRV sold for $1,425 after 26 bids on eBay in San Jacinto, California. The SRV250 was Yamaha’s baby cafe racer, a la the Honda GB500 – except the SRV was never officially sold in the US.
1992 BMW R100R
Post Listing Update: This R100R did not get any interest at the BIN of $4,400. Between 1991 and 1995, BMW produced 20,898 examples of the R100R – one of the last airhead boxers to ever wear a roundel on the tank. Basic specifications include a 980cc air-cooled twin with an oil cooler, Brembo brakes, a 5-speed transmission, and shaft drive.
R100 Motor – 1982 BMW R65LS
The R65LS gets more attention than it probably deserves thanks to the striking Hans Muth-designed fairing, but one of the common complaints was that the ~45 horsepower twin didn’t back up the futuristic-in-the-80s looks. A previous owner of this machine apparently agreed, as it’s been given the heart of a R100. It’s not clear which form of the R100 motor …
1954 BMW R25/3
The seller of this beautiful R25 has “traced its lineage/owners back as far as 1968,” noting that he’s got a “reasonably accurate history, down to the Swiss ammo pouch that belonged to Dieter Drews who mounted it on the luggage rack circa 1983, exactly where it resides to this day.”
Swedish Military in Germany – 1942 Albin-Monark M/42
Post Sale Update: This Albin-Monark sold for $9,990 after 1 bid on eBay in Langebruck, Germany. Founded by industrialist Birger Svensson in 1908, Monark was a Swedish company that produced bicycles, mopeds, and starting in 1913, lightweight motorcycles. From 1913 to 1926, the bikes were branded as as Esse Motorcycles, the majority of which used Blackburne engines. In 1927 the …
Sitting For Years – 1980 Suzuki GS450
Post Listing Update: This GS450 did not get any interest at the opening ask of $1,995. The Suzuki GS450 doesn’t grab as many headlines as Honda’s middleweight competitor, but it was still a machine that was worth of your consideration. Options included a boxy take on the café racer and some more relaxed, cruiser oriented styles. Journalists of the time …
2019 Kawasaki Z900RS
If the Honda CB750 shaped the UJM as we know it, the Kawasaki Z1 was the hardening process that solidified it. The Z1 was Kawasaki’s answer to Honda’s influential bike, as Kawasaki was already making a 750cc inline four-cylinder motorcycle when Honda released the 750. The CB’s debut forced Kawasaki to pivot, and they responded by upping the displacement in …
Ending Soon – 1976 Honda CB400F
Post Listing Update: This CB400F did not meet reserve despite 5 bids up to $4,534 on eBay in San Francisco, California. The CB400F wasn’t as fast as its competition, but it was smoother, quieter, and more efficient. It also had some of the most beautiful production exhaust headers ever built. As you may have seen in my review of the …
New In Crate – 1990 Kawasaki Zephyr 550
The Zephyr 550 isn’t an objectively great bike – MCN said it “makes an OK commuter in the summer, but it is underpowered, rides too soft and rots far too quickly.” Still, how often do you see one in a crate?
Ending Soon In Italy – 1957 Aermacchi Chimera 175
Post Listing Update: This Chimera did not get any interest at the opening ask of $13,999. The Chimera (Italian For “Dream”) was a model introduced by Aermacchi in the mid-1950’s. Penned by Alfredo Bianchi as his first project with the Italian firm, the Chimera’s design was loosely based on a sketch done by (500cc GP) moto racer and car designer, …
165 Miles – 2002 Triumph Bonneville 100th Anniversary Limited Edition
Triumph originally started in the mid 1880s as a bicycle manufacturer (fun fact, they got some initial funding from Dunlop), but it wasn’t until 1902 that they created their first motorcycle. To celebrate that fact, Triumph released a 100th Anniversary edition of the famed Bonneville. An official production run was never announced, but some online sources suggest that Triumph intended …
Restored Police Special – 1969 Honda CB450P
Post Listing Update: This CB450 police bike did not meet reserve despite 27 bids up to $15,200 on eBay in Fullerton, California. One of the rarer Honda motorcycles in the US, the CB450P (also occasionally referred to as the CP450) is a police model based on Honda’s popular CB450. I’ve featured a couple based on the KO Black Bomber model, …