The Suzuki T500 was usually found in the shadow of Honda’s Black Bomber, but it was one of the best Zooks in history – a bike that proved that large displacement two stroke engines could be reliable.
3 Interesting Projects in Michigan
A seller in Michigan has three cool bikes, all of which have no known history and weren’t stored particularly well. Still, these motorcycles are quirky enough that someone will want to snap them up! We’ve got a Harley-Davidson Z90, an Indian ME-100, and a MZ Trophy ES250/2 – let’s get into more details, in order of how much work they’re …
Already Customized – 2015 Ducati Scrambler
Current MSRP for a base model Scrambler is about $8,500. Lots of riders enjoy buying a bike new so they know the history, but if you’re willing to grab one that’s been used a little bit, you can have an example that’s already been well modified with an outlay of cash – shame about the mismatched yellow on the custom …
1974 Suzuki GT250
An evolution of the T250 Hustler, the Suzuki GT250 got a “Ram Air” cylinder head that was supposed to force cold air to the back of the cylinder, as well as fake air scoops in the sidecovers. Depending on who you talked to, the Ram Air system resulted in actual gains – or it was just as useful as the …
1956 BMW R26
2-26 Update: After not getting any action at $8,000 the first time around, this R26 is back up for sale with bidding up to $5,300 and the reserve not yet met or a BIN of $7,300 here on eBay. Introduced in 1956 (and out of the market in 1960), the R26 was a significant revision of the R25, with upgrades …
1 of 50 – 2015 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer Verde Legnano
Post Listing Update: This rare Guzzi did not meet reserve despite 12 bids up to $7,088. I just featured one of these a month ago, but with only 50 made, I figure it’s worth sharing another one now. In 1971, Guzzi introduced the instant-classic V7 Sport, and they made the first 150 models extra special with green bodywork and red …
600cc – 1966 BMW R50/2
Here’s a ‘well-sorted rider’ example of BMW’s R50/2 – but this one’s been rebuilt to displace 600ccs.
Restored – 1970 Suzuki T350 Rebel
Before the name Rebel became synonymous with a small Honda cruiser, it was bestowed upon the middleweight of Suzuki’s two-stroke T series. The T350 was an evolution of the excellent 250 Hustler – it had the same frame and brakes – though in this case the displacement was actually just 315cc. The parallel twin engine put out 39 horsepower and …
Well Restored – 1968 Honda CD175 K1
Most riders are familiar with Honda’s CB175 and CL175 – but bringing up the CD175 results in blank stares. Sold as a touring version of the 175 triplets, the CD was by all accounts a competent if slightly boring standard. With all that said, this is by far the nicest example I’ve ever seen, thanks to an impressive restoration job.
Imported Benly – 1956 Honda JC56 125cc
The 250cc Honda Benly was one of the three initial U.S. offerings by Honda and helped establish the company’s toehold in this country. But back home smaller displacement tiddlers were the manufacturer’s bread-and-butter, meaning basic, reliable, utilitarian transport. But that didn’t mean they couldn’t be without style, and the Benly line were among the best-looking.
Needs Some Work – 1968 Yamaha YA6
The YA6 was the first Yamaha to feature “Autolube” oil injection, which led to a Safety & Engineering award from Auto & Motor Sport magazine. The Autolube concept was incredibly successful and was a mainstay of Yamaha’s line for years. The YA6? Not so much, it’s a rare find nowadays.
New In Crate – 2006 Triumph Bonneville Multi-Union
British designer Paul Smith is known for his style of ‘classics with a twist’, which is what made him a fitting choice for a partnership in 2005 when Triumph asked him to take their classic Bonneville…and add a twist. He responded with 9 different one-off designs which were for sale through Smith’s shops. While I don’t care for any of …
1978 Yamaha XS750
In 1973, Yamaha released the TX750 – an incredibly smooth parallel twin that journalists loved…until the fancy Omni-Phase balancer that kept the twin as smooth as a four started eating up crankshafts. Even though Yamaha fixed the issue pretty quickly, the reputation of unreliability had already stuck – the bike was out of the market after 1974. Still, Yamaha knew …
Stored in a Church Basement – 1982 Yamaha XJ650
Built from 1980 to 1983, the XJ650 Maxim was actually quite distinctive from a standing standpoint when it was introduced, though it’s easy to consider it typical of the time. In ’82, Cycle Magazine said “…after the wide proliferation of special styling, it’s easy to forget what a landmark bike the Maxim was…The 650 was striking, controversial, sensational, and wildly …
1994 BMW R100R Mystic
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.