The seller of this BMW calls it a R90/5 – which was not an official model from the BMW factory. He has bestowed that name on this bike because it has a R90/6 engine transplanted into the R60/5 frame. That’s just one of many modifications that makes this bike a ‘bitsa’.
Turbo Tourer – 1985 BMW K100RT
Now you can tell people the “T” in RT stands for Turbo. Unfortunately, this bike needs a new clutch – but the asking price is less than what the turbo must have cost to put on, so I’m thinking this is an excellent winter project for someone in New England.
Rotary Tourer In England – 1989 Norton Commander
There’s a lot of cool stuff going on with the Norton Commander – just 253 examples were built, it uses a Wankel rotary engine, it’s got some Yamaha parts in it…and it just looks so delightfully 80s!
Euro Model – 1984 BMW R100RS
The BMW R100RS has established itself as one of the best classic touring bikes ever made. Here’s one that stands out in the states because it’s a Euro model that was originally sold in Bahrain. The original owner brought the bike with him as he moved to England and then Phoenix, Arizona. Now it’s with a new owner who’s had …
2004 BMW K1200GT
I’ve featured a few high dollar BMW’s lately so I thought it might be time to feature a bike that I still think is dollar for dollar the best bargain on a BMW out there. If you think you know another, put it in the comments section. I’d love to hear your opinion. Another runner-up was the ugly duckling R1200ST.
25th Anniversary – 2007 Honda VFR800
In 2007, Honda celebrated the 25th Anniversary of their venerable sport tourer with a special red/white/blue paint job. I always thought this paint scheme looked amazing, though the stock black wheels were a mistake – they should have been white! This example is in great shape and comes with some modifications that every sixth gen viffer should have.
1 of 300 – 1983 BMW R100RT 60th Anniversary
BMW decided to celebrate their 60th Anniversary with a “specially commissioned” run of 300 examples of the R100RT. All 300 were adorned in a Pearl White paint job and came with paperwork that certified the limited nature of the production run:
1978 BMW R100RS Motorsport
A while back, a good friend and I had a stupid and futile conversation on car and motorcycle values and investing. As a motorcycling accountant, I find this topic fascinating. As a guy in the classic auto industry, he dealt with this every day. We spent a lot of time looking at cars that had risen quickly in value (Hagerty.com …
In Germany – 1928 Bohmerland Touren 600
Post-Listing Update: This Bohmerland did not meet reserve, with just one bid at the opening amount of $100,000. Bohmerland was a Czechoslovakian firm that built bikes between ’24 and ’39. All of their bikes were of one ‘model’, but with wheelbase options from a 2 seat “Sport” model to the 4 seater “Lang Touren” (Long Touring). This is the option …
Sport Touring On The Cheap – 1995 Kawasaki Concours
If any mile-eater ever deserved the title of “Everyman’s GT,” it’s the first-generation Concours. This was Japan’s first viable volley into the sport-touring wars and the impact was felt as far as BMW corporate. Lacking the budget of the largest motorcycle manufacturers, Kawasaki based their bread and butter models on relatively simple but effective designs and stuck with them, spreading …
1992 Kawasaki Voyager II
Kawasaki model ZG1200. This example is the first year of the 4 cylinder inline engine. A full dress touring bike, the Kaw was highly regarded for it’s speed and value. MSRP was significantly lower than any other tourer available at the time.
Bates Clipper – 1980 Honda Goldwing
View PostCheap Tourer – 1986 Kawasaki Concours ZG1000
For less than 2 grand, here’s a tourer that’ll take you around the country for minimal dollars.
1977 Kawasaki KZ400 Deluxe
Introduced in 1974, the KZ400 was marketed as fuel efficient transportation with ads stating “Think even smaller” as Kawi put their bike alongside a VW Beetle:
Spirit of America – 1978 Kawasaki KZ1000
Post Sale Update: This rare KZ sold for the unorthodox BIN figure of $11,111. In 1978, Kawasaki was the only Japanese manufacturer with a facility in the US. Kawi’s president (Dave Mehney) and Marketing Vice President (Dick Terrell) decided to highlight that with an “All-American Ride-away” – a program where Kawi customized 200 of their KZ1000s with an American paint …