If you wanted to go to MotoGP in Austin but couldn’t make the numbers work, the Fairmont Hotel in Austin has a contest that’s calling your name.
2007 KTM 690SM
Sold between 2007-2011, the KTM 690SM was an excellent option for riders who wanted the handling joy of a supermoto racer that was toned down enough to be street friendly. These bikes wont’ win any all-around competitions, but if you emphasize agility and don’t spend a lot of time on the highway, it’s hard to do much better.
Le Mans Fairing – 2004 Moto Guzzi V11 Coppa Italia
Post Sale Update: This Coppa Italia sold for $8,800 after 22 bids on eBay. A very limited edition of the V11, the Coppa Italia was very well spec’d, with Ohlins suspension, Brembo brakes, an optional $2,000 titanium exhaust, and more. I’ve seen estimates between 40 and 50 for the number imported into the US. Every example I’ve seen in the …
319 of 2000 – 2001 Ducati MH900e
Mike Hailwood was a legend. Short story: 9 World Championships, 76 Grand Prix wins, and 14 Isle of Man Victories. The full story, which I can’t recommend enough, can be found here on his official website. At age of 40 (which doesn’t seem as old as it used to) in 1978, he came out of retirement to win the Isle …
Model 18 – 1968 Bultaco El Bandido
One of the rarer Bultacos ever made, the El Bandido 360 was an open class racer that could be ordered with either a 19″ or 21″ front wheel depending on your desire to compete in MX events or Scrambles. Either way, you’d get a beautiful bike with one of my favorite logos in motorcycling.
First Ride Review – 2019 Yamaha Niken GT
View Post$100 Raffle – Chopperdaves’ Steel Shoe
Built for Born Free 5, Steel Shoe is the result of Chopperdaves’s “obsession with the movie On Any Sunday.” As he calls it, this is “Turbo Madness. Lots of power, real suspension. RACE SHIT for the street.” It won 2nd place in the Invited Builder class. Now it’s being raffled off with 325 tickets at $100 each.
C&J-Framed Restomod Racer – 1979 Yamaha TT500
I’ve recently been stumbling upon a decent number of C&J-framed examples, but this particular specimen has to be my favorite one yet. Constructed by C&J in the late ’70s, this machine features a Yamaha TT500 engine housed in a C&J chassis. It’s builder(s) also opted to outfit the bike with fenders, tank, and tail units off of other Yamaha MXers.
April Fools 2019 in Motorcycling
It’s April Fools Day, which means there’s going to be a couple of fake news stories that are good for a laugh or a cringe. In alphabetical order, here’s everything I could find in terms of April Fools stories this year from our favorite brands in US motorcycling:
Gear Review – REV’IT! Ridge GTX Jacket and Globe GTX Pants
Before Vy and I took off to Costa Rica for New Year’s – I swear I’ll finish the rest of that story once all the press launches die down – ADV Pulse asked if would review some of the newest technical adventure riding gear from REV’IT – the Ridge GTX jacket and Globe GTX pants (GTX reflects the usage of …
1975 Honda CB400F
Post Sale Update: This CB400F sold for $6,000 after 31 bids on eBay. An evolution rather than a revolution, the Honda CB400F is blessed with one of the most beautiful production exhaust systems ever created – known by some as the “waterfall pipes”. It’s so iconic that Honda has brought the style back for the new CB650F! Though it wasn’t …
“Wooden Horse” – Custom Wooden Motorcycle with Suzuki GS250 Engine
According to the seller, this is “the first street legal wooden motorcycle in the United States.” Morgan Motor Company would be proud.
1981 Moto Guzzi V50 Monza
Post Sale Update: This Monza sold for $6,328 after 35 bids on eBay. When Moto Guzzi first released the V50 in the late 70s, they were met with a tepid response from an American market that preferred bigger bikes and expected smaller bikes to be cheaper. To help the model stand out, Guzzi released a sportier version in 1980 called …
1 of 25 – 1985 Can-Am 350 Trials
Bombardier Recreational Products created their motorcycle division (Can-Am) in 1973, but by 1980 they had decided that their resources were better spent in snowmobiles and jet skis. As detailed by Canned Ham, a deal was struck in which CCM/Armstrong took over production and Can-Am sold the machines. During this time, Can-Am experimented with some new models and they expanded into …
Upgraded – 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750
Post Listing Update: This Gixxer 750 was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Though the model debuted in 1985, Suzuki’s legendary Gixxer line did not make its way to the US until 1986. The changes were minor – better headlights, a revised belly pan, and 25mm longer swingarm, but Americans were probably too busy drooling over the first …