If you’ve never heard of Omaze before, it’s a fundraising platform for nonprofits. They try to raise money by offering up interesting prizes and experiences in a raffle-style drawing. One of the current offerings is a Ducati Diavel 1260, and the proceeds to go benefit City of Hope.
New Auction Bike – 1984 Yamaha RZV500R
Today on the auction site we’ve got a rare variant of the RZ500 – a JDM, aluminum-framed RZV500R!
“Christmas Special” – 1986 Honda Z50RD
I don’t get why these bikes are worth so much, but it now just seems like a given that a Christmas Special Z50 will sell for at least 4 grand. To be fair, the model is considered by some as the ultimate Honda Z50, as it was a limited edition that each of Honda’s top dealers got 2 of. Nearly …
Street Legal – 1996 ATK 260LQ
In 1995, your only option for an American-built dirt bike was ATK. So it was rather exciting when the company announced that they were debuting liquid-cooled models. The 260LQ was an interesting option, as it was a 2-stroke, street-legal enduro – this one is currently road legal in California.
2WD – 2004 Yamaha WR450F 2-Trac
In 2004, Yamaha produced a limited production variant of the third generation WR450F. It was called the 2-Trac as it featured an Ohlins-developed 2-wheel drive system, and they’re very difficult to find now!
1989 Yamaha Super Tenere XTZ750
On my way out to San Antonio, I spent a couple of hours (not nearly enough time) meeting the team at Cycle Refinery – I’ve got some photos and a video to put together for you when I get back home. But the short story is, I love what they’re doing, and they’ve got some lovely JDM imports that are …
1990 Honda CB-1
It’s been a little while since I’ve featured one of this engineering jewels, so let’s rectify that! The Honda CB-1 was a wonderful mid-sized standard in a time of replica racers. Originally built for the Japanese market, it was a beautifully balanced motorcycle that lost out in an American market that was obsessed with having as much horsepower as possible.
Video Intermission – Wayne Rainey Rides Again
I’m not crying…you’re crying.
1980 Yamaha XV750 Flat Tracker
Post Listing Update: did not meet reserve despite 3 bids up to $7,700 on eBay in Brooklyn, New York. This bike’s a bit of a mystery to me. The seller makes several references to a Yamaha VR750 racer, which I’ve never heard of, and makes a suggestion: “it is not documented, but considering that there were very few VR750 based …
Out of Office – Riding to San Antonio!
View PostParis-Dakar Tribute – 1983 BMW R80ST Custom
Post Sale Update: This custom ST sold for $6,999 after 15 bids on eBay in Idyllwild, California.. BMW’s Paris-Dakar bikes are wildly collectible, but it’s still surprising to see one made out of a R80ST!
Tracy Bodied Project – 1972 Kawasaki H2 Mach IV
Post Sale Update: This Kawi project sold for $5,450 after 13 bids on eBay in Seattle, Washington. Dubbed the Widowmaker as it had a tremendous motor without the chassis or brakes to keep it control (and also because it’s a great nickname that gets exaggerated), the H2 Mach IV is one of the legends of motorcycling. Here’s an unexpected examples …
“Dual Sportster” – 1998 Harley-Davidson Sportster Custom
Built by Coleman Keffer of the newly-created CKCustomBikes, this ’88 Sportster has been converted into a “Dual Sportster”.
2017 Kramer HKR EVO 2 R
If you’ve been following Asphalt and Rubber (and you should be, especially with the excellent EICMA coverage), you’ve seen Jensen’s descent into madness with regards to racing.
Gift Intermission – Mat Oxley’s Stealing Speed (Now Illustrated)
One of my favorite motorcycling books ever is Mat Oxley’s Stealing Speed. It’s always been an easy recommendation, but now it’s even easier as Mat has released a new version with artwork by Christian Papazoglakis!