Post Sale Update: This GS550E sold for $910 after 23 bids on eBay. This rolling testament to meticulous maintenance is a Suzuki GS550E – the original owner put nearly 80K on it between 1980 and 1988 while changing the oil every 1,500 miles. After nearly 3 decades of slumber, the bike has been brought back to life and it’s now …
1979 Honda CX500 Custom
Post Sale Update: After being relisted, this CX sold for a BIN of $2,995. Honda’s CX series of bikes were ahead of the time when they debuted in 1978, with liquid cooling, shaft drive, the first wheels on a production bike to use tubeless tires, and electronic ignition that was isolated from the rest of the electrical system so that …
Rare Project – 1961 Parilla Clipper 350
Parilla is an Italian motorcycle company formed after World War II. Famous for their “high cam” engines, they made several different model bikes, mostly small-displacement utilitarian and commuter bikes for the postwar market. Some models were imported to the US, and supported by Cosmopolitan Motors until the late 60’s. This is a rare, twin-cylinder, 350cc “Clipper” model. Acccording to the …
1965 Yamaha YM1
In 1953 Japanese musical instrument maker Nippon Gakki decided to use some idle manufacturing capacity to build motorcycles. Named after one of the founders of the company, Yamaha produced their first motorcycle the YA1 based heavily on the DKW 125 design liberated from post war Germany. By 1957 Yamaha had developed a 250 CCtwo stroke twin cylinder that became the …
1972 Honda CB175
Introduced in 1969 the CB175 was one of three ‘175’ models available from Honda. The CL Scrambler, the CD Motorsport and the CB Supersport. Good savvy marketing from Honda allowed them to sell essentially the same motorcycle in three variants.
1977 Yamaha XS750
Yamaha officially entered the ‘big bore’ wars in 1973 with the TX 750 twin. Using two balancers that made the twin as smooth as any four it made an immediate impact on the market, until the balancers started failing and Yamaha couldn’t give the TX away. Fast forward four years to 1977 and Yamaha was back in the big bore …
1 of 371 – 1983 Triumph TSX
Post Sale Update: This TSX sold for $4,050. Triumph went bankrupt in August of 1983, and right before they collapsed they tried a couple of Hail Marys to keep sales going. One of the attempts was the TSX – a T140 that had been restyled by their American division. 371 examples were built before the company went under, and 200 …
Ex-Gymkhana Competitors – 2 2016 KTM Duke 390s
KTM entered the small displacement street market with the RC390 and the Duke 390. The former has been a popular platform for road racers while the latter is an interesting option for riders who a smaller bike for the street. A company called M Gymkhana has been using the Dukes in competition for gymkhana, a sport that’s been around for …
V7 Sport Bodywork – 1975 Moto Guzzi 850T
This 850T has over 60,000 miles, but it’s been tastefully upgraded to make it an excellent choice for someone who wants to get out and ride their classic motorcycle.
Time Capsule – 1984 Honda V65 Sabre With 681 Miles
In America, more is better. So, if Honda’s successful VF750 Magna and Sabre were good, then a big block version would be better, right?
Incomplete Restoration – 1973 Benelli SS250 SuperSport
In 1962, Benelli and Motobi merged, and Benelli acquired Motobi’s engine designs in the process. Over time, the Motobi motor evolved into 175, 200, and then 250cc variants. Like General Motors did with Chevy/Oldsmobile/Pontiac etc, Benelli and Motobi practiced a bit of brand engineering: the Motobi motor ended up powering a motorcycle known in the US as the SuperSport and …
Early BMW Hybrid – 1983 BMW R80ST
The R80ST was the street-only version of the R80GS. It had slightly different styling, and the seat was slightly lower. It used the same air-cooled boxer twin engine with a dry clutch that put out 50hp at 6500 rpm. The 5-speed tranny drove the rear through the same Monolever shaft drive. Wheels were 19″ front, 18″ rear, for the street.
10th Anniversary – 1979 Honda CB750 Limited Edition
The name makes it pretty obvious, but 10 years after Honda released the instant-classic CB750, they commemorated the anniversary with a limited edition sold alongside the base CB750K. The differences were solely cosmetic – mag wheels, different badging/side covers, and a new coat of paint.
Rare in the US – 1983 Honda CX650ED Eurosport
Post Listing Update: This Eurosport was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Introduced in 1983, the Honda CX650ED (also called the Eurosport) was never officially sold in the US. Now you can enjoy 80s styling without the joy of boost that the CX650T afforded Americans! While the Turbo might be more fun, these are seriously rare in the …
1967 Wards Riverside 250 Benelli
If you grew up in the 1950s and ‘60s rural America (like I did) one of the really big things to watch for was the current editions of the Montgomery Wards and Sears catalogs. You could buy ANYTHING by mail from these two giant retailers. And you could certainly tell the interests of the whole family by the worn sections …