Post Sale Update: This KZ sold for $12,000 after 52 bids on eBay in New Braunfels, Texas. One of the many highlights from my recent ride out to Texas was a stop in New Braunfels to visit Texas Two Strokes. We talked about bikes for a while and he showed me a machine that he brought back to life and …
What Do You Want To Know? 2020 Suzuki Katana
View Post864 Miles – 2001 Kawasaki W650
Before Triumph brought the Bonneville back in the early 2000s, your best bet for a “Modern Classic” Bonnie actually came from Japan. Kawasaki’s W650 was a retro standard inspired by their W1, itself a copy of the BSA A7. The W650 was only exported to the US for two years, but during that time it was the best option for …
Restored – 1970 Husqvarna 360 Cross
If 4 gears in a transmission is good, 5 must be better, right? And in that case, how would you describe 8? If you’re Husqvarna in 1970, you’d say eight was just enough, as that’s how many gears were available in the 360 Cross.
No Reserve – 1977 Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport
In one of their reviews of the Moto Morini 3 1/2 Sport, Cycle World said, “For the lucky few, the Morini is worth what it costs.” Considering the fact that this bike (with a 39 horsepower, 344cc engine) cost as much as a Honda CB750, it should tell you how much Cycle World enjoyed the Morini. Few were sold in …
Omaze Drawing – 2020 Ducati Diavel 1260
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 …