The Penton Mudlark is one of the rare flops from John Penton and his now defunct manufacturing firm. Originally designed as a trials bike, it was even called the “Penton Trials” when it was released. Almost immediately, it was met with poor reviews.
Bought on Bike-urious – 1957 Moto Guzzi Super Alce Project
View Post1984 Laverda RGS 1000
Post Sale Update: This Laverda sold for $6,600 after 9 bids on eBay. The Laverda RGS 1000 is one of the last versions of the big triple, which tamed the “peaky” Jota engine, isolated the rider from vibrations with rubber mounts from the engine, and added the half-fairing. It was a true sport tourer, best on fast roads with long …
For Charity – Ronnie Mac’s 1998 Honda CR250 Screaming Eagle
Post Sale Update: This Honda raised $4,550 for charity after 27 bids on eBay. If you don’t know who Ronnie Mac is, I’m not even sure I can describe “him” to you. I’ll defer to this profile (if you can call it that) on Motosport.com, and simply note that you’ll either love him or hate him. Either way, you should …
Out of Office – Costa Rica
View PostVideo Intermission – Look, Signal, Manoeuvre
Here’s a British safety video from 1965 which is basically “Goofus and Gallant” but with motorcycles. I love vintage footage like this, plus it’ll probably give you a chuckle because we all have a friend like “Tom’s friend”, don’t we? “He was always rushing here and there with as much speed and noise as possible.” If I learned anything from …
1998 Laverda Ghost Strike
Packing one of the most distinctive model names in motorcycling history, the Laverda Ghost Strike is one of the many variants the Italian firm pushed out in the late 90s that were powered by either the 650 or 668cc parallel twins. Laverda actually offered a Ghost and a Strike as separate models, the former a trellis-framed naked bike, the latter …
2007 BMW G650 XChallenge with SherpaX Trailer
Trailers are rare enough in the world of motorcycling, but they’re almost always found on pavement. Well, a Canadian company called KIP Moto has developed an off-road trailer designed to be towed with an enduro. Called the SherpaX, the trailer weighs 30 pounds, offers almost 4″ of suspension travel, and features a cargo basket that’s designed to accept a Rubbermaid …
Ex-WSBK Racer – 1988 Bimota YB4
I love me a good underdog story, and the tale of the Bimota YB4 is nothing if not an underdog story. Despite the F1 championship being arguably the most important four-stroke class to manufacturers at the time, the tiny Italian operation nonetheless managed to dethrone Honda’s deep-pocketed factory race program with the mighty YB4.
Rare Project – 1970 Kawasaki Coyote
The 60s and 70s were full of minibikes that were just motors, frames, and two tires. Who needs lights or a suspension? Here’s a rare example from the Japanese Big 4, the Kawasaki Coyote.
Manx-ish – 1959 Norton ES2
Post Sale Update: This ES2 sold for $11,000 after 2 bids on eBay. Introduced in 1927, the Norton ES2 started as a sporting single but over its nearly 40 years of life technology (and other models) passed it by. Still, it apparently makes a nice platform for a Manx knockoff that you can enjoy for much cheaper than the original. …
Story Intermission – Vespa Resale Values in the New York Times
Motorcycles don’t get enough coverage in mainstream publications, so I always enjoy reading stories about two-wheelers outside of the usual motorcycle mags and websites. Today, the New York Times had an article about how Vespa dominates when it comes to resale values: “Across all 24 classes of vehicles considered in the Resale Value Awards, average retention value for four-wheelers was …
“Mental Illness” – 1980 Suzuki GS1100 Trike
Post Listing Update: “Mental Illness” did not meet reserve despite 29 bids up to $9,100 on eBay. Alright, this really has nothing to do with a Suzuki GS1100, but that is how the crazy trike is titled in the state of Texas. It’s an entirely custom three-wheeler that utilizes a 5.3 liter LS1 motor with a C5 Corvette transmission…and a …
1971 Honda CB500
Post Sale Update: This CB500 sold for $3,575 after 2 bids on eBay. If you push the starter button on your bike today and it roars to life without protest, then you have Honda and their CB line to thank. Greatly increased reliability along with the tagline, “You meet the nicest people on a Honda,” skyrocketed motorcycling into the hobby …
2010 Ducati Streetfighter
Post Listing Update: This Streetfighter did not meet reserve despite 23 bids up to $6,900 on eBay. Ducati Streetfighters are a rare sight around the streets, but I can’t think of a reason why. I was first introduced to them in person at Motorcycle Mover LA. I always ask owners what they think about them, and have never heard anything …