In 1966, Soichiro Honda gave his first shot at creating a usable, reliable and fast 6-cylinder motorcycle with the RC166, a 249cc 6-cylinder bike made for racing. But the first production 6-cylinder bike was made by Benelli with the Sei 750 in 1972. By 1979, Honda followed that path and released its 6-cylinder bike, the CBX 1000. The bike would …
1997 Buell Thunderbolt S3T
Based on the S3 Thunderbolt sport-tourer, the “S3T” gained some extra touring bits to go with the extra T – taller bars, lower fairings, and color-matched hard bags.
Owned by Reg Pridmore – 1998 Honda CBR1100XX
Post Sale Update: This Super Blackbird originally sold for $4,200, but it was immediately relisted and then sold for $3,003.22 after 16 bids on eBay. From 1990 to 1996, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-11 was the world’s fastest production motorcycle, and Team Green benefited from all sorts of press and rider excitement about that fact. Honda decided to steal the crown, …
New In Crate – 1981 Honda CBX
Post Sale Update: sold for $28,000 (plus a 10% buyers fee) after 81 bids through Obenauf Auction Service in Johnsburg, Illinois. In my recent recap of October sale prices, someone opined that “CBX prices are officially insane” because of a 3-mile example that sold for $15,100 on eBay. Well, here’s one that may go higher, as it’s still new in …
Daytona Orange – 1981 BMW R100RS
While the Japanese manufacturers started to dominate the motorcycle industry in the 70s, BMW was one of the only brands that managed to innovate while keeping, and even gaining, market share. A major reason to that success is that BMW was not obsessed by competition, instead they simply tried to produce innovative motorcycles with exclusive designs.
3 Miles – 1981 Honda CBX
Post Sale Update: This CBX sold for $15,100 after 3 bids on eBay. This week’s other CBX feature got a discussion going in the comments about how much a CBX is worth. While that bike was an early example in fair condition, today we’ve got a later model that’s said to be of “collector quality” with just 3 miles on …
Nice Price – 1993 Yamaha GTS1000
Reader David N sent me a link to this bike saying that it was the cheapest example he’s ever seen. I have to say the same, and it doesn’t look to be in bad shape at all! The GTS1000 is a fascinating bike – I used it as an example of a motorcycle that was ahead of its time for …
One Owner – 1989 BMW K100RS Special Edition
The BMW K100RS SE, or Special Edition, was a limited run of the K100RS that featured a lovely blue and white paint job, hand drawn pin stripes, and color-matched hard luggage. It also just happens to be the first production motorcycle with ABS.
2014 Moto Guzzi Norge GT 8V
Post Listing Update: The seller bumped up the BIN to $6,995 and this Guzzi did not sell. As a bike enthusiast, and a relatively young one at that, most of my knowledge is skewed toward the fuel-injected late model end of the spectrum. Admittedly, I have never seen a Moto Guzzi Norge GT. I don’t even recall seeing one on …
Factory Tourer – 1983 Yamaha Midnight Virago 920
Post Listing Update: This Midnight Virago did not get any interest at the opening bid of $2,500. It was relisted at $2,250 with the same result. In 1983, Yamaha offered a “Midnight Virago” that featured a black paint scheme with gold accents. They also offered a rare color-matched factory touring package with a fairing, saddlebags, and trunk for even more …
No Fork – 1994 Yamaha GTS1000
Post Listing Update: Though the BIN was lowered to $4,000, this Yamaha did not sell on eBay. In 1955, Citroen dropped a bomb on the car market when they released the DS, which was chock of technology on four wheels. Among these innovations, Citroen notably implemented hydropneumatic suspension to the car, which made the ride very smooth. Despite the huge …
1988 BMW K100RS ABS
Post Listing Update: This BMW did not get any interest at the starting bid of $2,450. BMW’s RS models are at the origins of the sport-touring segment. RS stands for ‘Reisesport’ that basically means ‘travel sport’. RS models also represent what BMW did the best, innovating and providing motorcyclists the best ride possible. Therefore, these models were often considered as …
2011 Triumph Tiger 800
Triumph introduced the mid-sized Tiger in 2011 to very little fanfare. I personally never cared for this bike, but several people I trust in the industry swear by it thanks to its 3/4 size compared to big ADV bikes, excellent ergonomics, and a hell of a triple that owes its existence to Triumph’s famous 675 with longer stroke and less …
Early Laverda – 1969 American Eagle 750GT
Laverda was introduced to the American market via three models called the S, SS, and the GT. The catch is that the bikes were not officially Laverdas – they were American Eagles, the brainchild of Jack McCormack. McCormack’s story is an interesting one – after working for Honda, and showing Suzuki how to bring their bikes to the states, he …
1984 Honda Gold Wing GL1200 Aspencade
In 1975, Honda released the GL1000 “Gold Wing” – the name referred to Honda’s logo, which is a wing. The huge success of the model coupled with the need of even more comfort led Honda to release the GL1100 Interstate in 1980. The factory full fairing helped define luxury touring for decades to come. In 1984, everything evolved with the …