In 1938, DKW released the NZ 350, and it was instantly a popular motorcycle. Almost immediately, the German Wehrmacht asked DKW to start prototyping a military version, which came to be known as the NZ 350-1 when it was released in the early 40s. 12,000 units were built between 1943 and 1945 – here’s one of the few examples that …
1991 BMW K75S
Those of you that have read some of my older travel reports probably know that I have a soft spot for the BMW K75. It’s not a particularly exciting motorcycle but I’m biased because a K75C showed naive young me what motorcycle touring was all about after 4 years and 75,000 miles with only one issue (which was my fault). …
1962 Velocette Venom Endurance
Post Sale Update: This Venom Endurance sold for $9,875 after 27 bids on eBay. The last time I featured a Velocette Venom Endurance, Paul d’Orleans got right to the point:
60s & 70s Japanese Collection
Someone’s got quite a collection of classic Japanese motorcycles and he’s letting it go. Honda fans will be especially excited, ut there’s plenty of Yamahas and Kawasakis as well.
1972 BSA Thunderbolt
Post Listing Update: this Thunderbolt did not meet reserve despite 16 bids up to $2,950 on eBay. BSA is probably best known for the Lightning, but they also had a similarly-named touring complement known as the Thunderbolt.
1949 Triumph Speed Twin 5T
Post Listing Update: this Speed Twin did not meet reserve despite 14 bids up to $9,700 on eBay. Triumph introduced the 5T Speed Twin in 1938, and it immediately set the standard for other English manufacturers when it came to parallel twins. It was one of Edward Turner’s most notable designs, and it had a long production life – it …
New in Crate – 1977 Triumph Bonneville Silver Jubilee
Post Sale Update: This Silver Jubilee sold for $24,100 after 15 bids on eBay. To celebrate the 25th year of Queen Elizabeth’s reign, Triumph built a limited edition of 2,400 Bonnevilles with silver/red/blue paint, a blue seat with red piping, some chrome, and decals on the sidecovers. Of the 2,400 bikes, 1,000 went to the US, 1,000 stayed home in …
1993 Kawasaki ZR1100
Post Sale Update: This ZR1100 sold for $2,710 after 7 bids on eBay. In the early 90s, Kawasaki introduced the Zephyr, a retro-styled bike which emulated the legendary Z1. It was available in a wide variety of displacements but the big boy was the 1100, which utilized an evolution of the 8V DOHC air-cooled unit from the GPz1100. The hope …
Nighthawk Tourer – 1996 Honda CB750
Post Sale Update: Per the seller, this Nighthawk sold for $2,700. A Bike-urious reader is letting go of beloved Nighthawk and it presents an interesting opportunity for those of you that want to tour on a budget – assuming you like yellow!
Training Tool – 1990 Honda CB125T
For just one year, Honda made 2,000 examples of a 125cc twin specifically designed for US rider’s education schools. The bike itself isn’t really anything special, but there are some fascinating lights on the front and rear that should be explained.
Ending Soon – 1967 Sears Allstate Puch 250 Twingle
Post Listing Update: This Puch did not meet reserve despite 15 bids up to $1,550. In 1967, Puch updated the styling of their 250 Twingle (two pistons share one combustion chamber). It lost some curves but gained some color, and the distinctive drivetrain was left alone.
1994 MZ Silver Star Classic
4-25-2018 Update: A year later, this Silver Star is still up for sale – but now it’s got a $600 discount. Find it for $2,295 here on Craigslist. If you’re looking for something simple that’s still rare, the MZ Silver Star might be right up your alley. Hopefully you’re the kind of person that can constantly put up with being …
1989 Honda GB500
A friend of mine in the motorcycle industry is letting go of the GB500 that he’s owned for over a decade, and it’s a beauty. It’s also a salvage title, which I know might put some of you off but it’s been fixed nicely (the damage was cosmetic only) and I trust the seller completely.
One Owner, Lots of Stories – 2002 BMW R1150R
The seller of this well-loved BMW acquired it in July 2001 and then proceeded to ride it around the country. Per a sticker on the windshield, it looks like this R1150R has been to every state in the continental US and several Canadian provinces – based on that alone I’d have guessed the mileage was near 6 digits but there’s …
1994 BMW R100R Mystic
Post Sale Update: This Mystic sold for $3,701 after 6 bids on eBay. Available only in 1994 and 1995 in the US, the Mystic was a factory custom based on the BMW R100R. The changes were entirely cosmetic, but they were not insignificant. Nowadays a ‘special edition’ just means new paint – the Mystic had several restyled parts.