If you saw the sweet custom Z900RS that was done up to look like a GPz in my recent Picture Intermission and want to do something similar (I’d vote the ELR kit, personally), here’s an interesting option that’s reasonably priced due to age, even though it’s barely been ridden.
1956 Triumph Thunderbird 6T
I have a friend of a certain age – ie, the age at which a man has raised his children past the “they’re going to die if you don’t pay attention to them all the damned time” stage – who, like many men of a certain age, has suddenly decided he is interested in motorcycling. Eager to support him, I …
1962 WFM M06
The Warsaw Motorcycle Factory (Warszawska Fabryka Motocykli in Polish) was one of very few motorcycle manufacturers made in Poland. They started production in 1947 under a different name – they were originally focused on automotive repair but they built a small number of 125cc motorcycles for SHL for the Polish government as part of the rebuild from World War II. …
1976 Triumph Bonneville T140
The ship was very much on fire when this bike was made. Triumph had gone through decades of bad finances and bad management. Labor disputes were affecting production. Quality was famously poor. And the machinery being produced was far from cutting edge. After all, 1976 was the year Kawasaki introduced the KZ1000. The Bonneville T140 was using an engine with …
In England – 1998 Aprilia Motó 6.5
I am of the age where all my friends have become nostalgic about the 1990s. I think I may start carrying around a picture of this bike in my wallet to remind them that, no, the ’90s were not as great as they remember. Or, you may be one of those who really digs this particular piece of Italian exotica, …
1987 Cagiva Alazzurra 650 SS
A quick look through the archives of Bike-urious suggests that Cagiva’s Alazzurra 650 SS is an acquired taste. Which is a polite way of saying that bikes highlighted in 2017 and 2016 struggled to find buyers. With its ostensibly low asking price, you would think this particular piece of Italian history might have a chance, but who knows? The only …
Toaster Tank – 1973 BMW R75/5
BMWs are not an unfamiliar sight here at Bike-urious, and the R75/5 is a model that shows up with a certain regularity in the archives. But it’s been several years since an original R75/5 has been featured. Most have been customized or dramatically modified in some way. Whereas this beauty is pretty much the same bike that rolled off the …
1973 Suzuki GT550
You may have seen recently that Kawasaki is bringing two-strokes back. Whether it is promising a street bike (probably not) or something more off-road focused is uncertain. It’s been quite a while since two-stroke engines featured in street bikes. Even 52 years ago, when this GT550 was produced, it was clear that the end was nigh. Or, well, it was …
R90S Inspired – 2012 BMW R1200R
Last week, BMW unveiled its new R 12 S, a boxer-twin heritage model that overtly draws inspiration from the R90S that was manufactured from 1973-1976. With that bike very much on my mind, I went searching for one to highlight on Bike-urious. I found a few good examples (all with considerable asking prices), but the machine that stood out to …
In England – 1989 Honda NTV 600 Revere
Here’s a quirky one. This particular bike is being sold in the United Kingdom and I doubt very much that you’re going to travel to get it. Heck, I doubt there are that many people in the UK who are willing to travel for it.
1984 Norton Interpol 2
Norton used the “Interpol” name twice in their history: the first time was for a police bike based on the Commando, and the second time was for what you see here – a police bike built between 1984 and 1989 utilizng their twin rotor 588cc rotary engine. With that said, this bike has been customized (and as the seller puts …
1960 Pannónia 250 TLF
Post Listing Update: This Pannonia did not meet reserve with 6 bids up to $3,150 on eBay. Speaking of motorcycles from former Communist Bloc countries, here’s one from Hungary. One of the things I love about writing for Bike-urious is that it occasionally sends me down a very deep internet rabbit hole, to dig up information about brands that I …
1980 JAWA 350 Type 634
Quick note at the top here: the seller has misidentified this bike as a Model 364. That’s a typo. As far as I’m aware, JAWA never sold a Model 364. This is, in fact, a Model (although, JAWA uses the word “Type”) 634. Anyway, they still make JAWAs, apparently. I didn’t know that. In fact, they still manufacture this exact …
2021 Janus Halcyon 250
Based in Goshen, Indiana, Janus Motorcycles has been steadily growing in size since they started in the early 2010s – both in terms of sales as well as the displacements they offer! The original models utilized a 2-stroke 50cc engine, but now you can get 4-strokes in either 250 or 450 cubic centimeters.
1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 A2
Post Listing Update: this Kawasaki did not meet reserve with 21 bids up to $5,550 on eBay. That is a very pretty KZ. Not exactly stock (your mileage may vary on the aesthetic appeal of those blacked-out pipes, for example), but gorgeous nonetheless.