Post Listing Update: This heavily-modified RS125 did not meet reserve despite 26 bids up to $3,200 on eBay. Anyone who’s serious about Grand Prix road racing knows about the Honda RS125. Originally developed in 1980 for the Grand Prix 125cc class, the RS125 has enjoyed minor updates ever since, and is still widely raced today. Riders like Capirossi, Pedrosa, and …
Rare Project – 1947 Turner Rixi
Post Listing Update: This Rixi did not meet reserve despite 40 bids up to $3,050 on eBay. The Turner Manufacturing Company was founded in 1859 under the name of Thomas Turner & Sons. They built a wide variety of products: cars, machine tools, aircraft landing systems, diesel engines, recovery winches, truck gearboxes…the list goes on. They also made light delivery …
Picture Intermission – History of the KTM Logo
While doing some research on yesterday’s MC5 feature, I found a short piece by KTM on the history of their logo and figured it was worth sharing:
2013 Harley-Davidson Sportster Iron 883
The Art Director of Hot Bike (which, sadly, was recently killed off) is selling off his little Sporty, and it’s one of the better-modified examples I’ve ever seen.
1977 Penton/KTM MC5 250
KTM’s early success in the US was due to John Penton, which is why Penton’s name could be found on US-sold KTMs through 1977. Here’s one of the last bikes with John’s name on the tank, and it’s just gone through a restoration.
1958 Poirier Voiturette XW5 Monoto
Post Sale Update: This Poirier sold for $2,350 after 13 bids on eBay. Quite a discount from the last sale price four years ago! 1-31-2019 Update: Over four years later, this Poirier has been imported to the US and it’s now back up for sale in Tipton, Iowa. Considering that it sold for $5,555 last time in Belgium and that …
Rare Project – 1983 Honda Gyro X
Post Sale Update: This Gyro X sold for $1,894.13 after 21 bids on eBay. I’ve featured several examples of Honda’s quirky 3-wheeler called the GYRO (which is apparently an acronym for “Great Your Recreation Original.”) The US only got one of the versions, a “S” model that was focused on just carrying a rider around. But Japan got multiple variants …
1982 Honda XL500R
Post Sale Update: This XL500R sold for $1,750 after 29 bids on eBay. 1982 was the last year of the XL500R, before Honda replaced it with the 600. It was a dual-sport that was well-suited for the street and for light off-road work. Dual-counterbalancers kept vibrations in check so that you would be relatively comfortable while riding on pavement out …
Picture Intermission – Living with a Honda CB77 in the 1960s
Bob Kelly recently sent me a few photos of his buddy Steve, who clearly had some adventures in the 60s on his Honda CB77 Superhawk. Read on for a short reminder of what riding used to be like.
Leon Haslam Pit Bike Replica – 2004 Italjet Dragster 50
In 2004, Leon Haslam earned Rookie of the Year honors while competing in World Superbike with the Renegade team with Noriyuki Haga. Leon’s best finish was 3rd, and he finished the season in 8th place. Italjet released a limited edition replica of his pit bike with a special cosmetic package that replicated what Leon would occasionally putt around on.
In Holland – 1993 Kawasaki ZXR750R M
Towards the end of the 1980’s, Kawasaki was looking for a new formula for success on the race track. Several ideas were proposed but the concept that won out involved taking a massaged version of Team Green’s existing liquid-cooled, three-quarter-liter, 16-valve, inline-four (from the GPX750) and dropping it into a newly designed twin spar aluminum alloy frame. Just before the …
Team Green’s Indian Tribute – 2000 Kawasaki Drifter 1500
Nowadays there are plenty retro-inspired bikes with modern performance and reliability: Triumph Bonnevilles, Ducati Scramblers, BMW R9T’s, etc. But two decades ago, Kawasaki took this now-popular recipe and ran with it in an unusual direction, leading to the birth of the Kawasaki Drifter 1500.
300 Miles – 2016 Moto Guzzi V7 Stornello Scrambler
Post Sale Update: This Stornello sold for $5,600 after 2 bids on eBay. The “Scrambler” movement is back again, though most OEMs now offer models that typically emphasize style over substance. I always thought the prettiest of the reborn scramblers was the Moto Guzzi V7 Stornello, a limited edition (1,000) model that came with cosmetic changes and a high Arrow …
Model 13 – 1966 Bultaco Mercurio 175
Post Listing Update: This Mercurio did not meet reserve despite 8 bids up to $2,550 on eBay. The Bultaco Mercurio (Mercury) debuted in 1960 as a 125cc, though by ’64 it had grown to a 175 for the Model 13, a motorcycle that was exclusively sold as an export to the US.
Never Started – 1968 Sears Campus 50
The Campus was one of several Sears-branded two-wheelers that were built by Puch for the American market. The moped featured a 2.6 horsepower 49cc engine, and the whole package weighed about 115 pounds ready to ride.