In late 2010, I was standing in a motorcycle dealership and looking at two bikes. I knew I would leave with one, but I was new to motorcycling and on the fence. Ok, new is an understatement, I was in over my head. The two bikes in question: a 2009 Triumph Bonneville T100, and a pretty clean example of a …
Picture Intermission – The Motorcycles of MotoDoffo
Last week I was at the launch of the Honda CBR650R/CB650R (UDPATE: here’s my review), and Honda took us to lunch at Doffo Winery in Temecula, California. What I’m doing for lunch isn’t normally something I’d bother you with, but the owner of Doffo Winery (Marcelo Doffo) is a bike nut and he’s converted the former barrel room into a …
Restored Police Special – 1969 Honda CB450P
Post Listing Update: This CB450 police bike did not meet reserve despite 27 bids up to $15,200 on eBay in Fullerton, California. One of the rarer Honda motorcycles in the US, the CB450P (also occasionally referred to as the CP450) is a police model based on Honda’s popular CB450. I’ve featured a couple based on the KO Black Bomber model, …
In Canada – 1993 Kawasaki ZX750R-M1
Post Listing Update: This Kawasaki did not meet reserve despite 19 bids up to $11,550. In 1991, Kawasaki started offering a homologation special based on the ZX-7 (known outside of the US as the ZXR-750). It was designated with an additional R at the end of the model name, and nowadays it’s the model that collectors look out for. For …
What Do You Want To Know? 2020 BMW S1000RR
Give me a moment to shed a tear – the asymmetrical headlight design has been killed off. 10 years ago, BMW redefined what a modern superbike could be, and it wasn’t just from a performance standpoint. The shark gills and oddball headlights made the S1000RR the most visually-distinctive offering in the class, while the engine (lightest and most powerful) and …
Raffle Intermission – Nicky Hayden Tribute Bikes
It’s been almost exactly two years since the shocking news that Nicky Hayden passed away in a bicycle/car accident in Italy. One of the many organizations that went out of their way to honor Nicky was the AMA, and one of their projects was the commission of two custom motorcycles that celebrated “his life and his career as a professional …
First Ride Review – 2019 Kawasaki Versys 1000 SE LT+
View Post977 Miles – 2003 Honda RC51
Post Sale Update: This RC51 sold for the BIN of $8,500. The RC51 combined Honda reliability with the joy of a V-Twin engine, beating Ducati at its own game with multiple World Superbike Championships and a AMA Championship. In 2002, Honda made some revisions to create the SP2 variant.
1968 Honda SS125A
Post Listing Update: This Honda was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. 5-28-2019 Update: The seller has let me know that SS125A has now made its way onto eBay with no reserve, so it’ll find a new owner. Find it with bidding up to $500 here on eBay. The SS125A is one of the hardest Hondas to find …
Ending Soon – 1955 AJS Model 18CS
Post Listing Update: This AJS did not meet reserve despite 19 bids up to $4,550 on eBay. The AJS Model 18CS was an evolution of the Model 18 – a bike that can trace its roots back to the G3L, an ex-military bike that was sold off in surplus once the war had ended. The C stood for Competition (as …
New In Crate – 1994 Harley-Davidson Sportster XL883
Post Sale Update: This Sportster sold for $5,100 after 38 bids on eBay. 1994 wasn’t a noteworthy year for the Sportster, but it’s still impressive to see one in the original crate from 25 years ago!
Andy DiBrino’s Street Tracker – Harley-Davidson Street Rod 750
I haven’t had a chance to try a Street Rod for myself, but that’s partly because I haven’t encountered one I’d want to try…until today. Andy DiBrino is a two-time RSD Super Hooligan National Champion Flat Track champion who also competes in American Flat Track, AMA Motocross, and MotoAmerica – Cycle News calls him one of the most versatile riders …
1953 Norton Manx 350
One of the most iconic racing bikes in history, the Norton Manx was available in 500cc (30M) and 350cc (40M) variants. Here’s one of the latter that had a race successful race history before it was restored. The Manx has seen a recent resurgence in popularity for classic motorcycle racing, leading to aftermarket firms specializing in service and parts supply …
1986 Suzuki GSX-R750
Putting lights on racebikes has always been a reliable way to sell motorcycles. The one or two days a month spent at full throttle and full lean are worth all the discomfort. Recently, some of these bikes have been built as unattainable technology exercises utilizing manufacturing processes that were developed just to see if they were possible (i.e. BMW HP4 …
Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2019 – Mert’s Hands
Mert Lawwill is a motorcycling legend who’s been inducted to both the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. You may know him from his success in the glory days of flat track (he was the 1969 AMA Grand National Champion), his prominent role in On Any Sunday, or maybe even his run of 19 bikes …