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 …
Christmas Present – Buy Yourself a Motocross Track!
Mesa Motocross Park, located in Fellsmere, Florida, is now up for sale. The park will “continue to operate as normal” so you can give it a whirl before you plunk down your money, but the current owner is looking to move on and he/she is leaving everything behind the team, equipment, and a dream.
Set of 5 – Classic Yamaha Dirt Bike Collection
We all have a dream bike, but what we really want is a dream garage. I am back in the midwest for the holidays and thought I would check out some local listings to see what was out there. I found this collection of Yamaha dirt bikes for sale, and they all seemed to be in solid running condition. The …
No Reserve – 1972 Honda CB350 AHRMA Racer
Post Sale Update: This CB350 racer sold for $3,550 after 23 bids on eBay. The seller of this bike has raced this Honda at GingerMan, Putnam, and Vintage Days at Mid-Ohio. Offered with no reserve, it looks to be a cost-effective way of getting into vintage racing, as it’s currently ready for AHRMA or WERA Vintage.
1970 Triumph Bonneville T120R
Post Sale Update: This Bonnie sold for $13,100 after 72 bids on eBay. When people think of classic bikes, Triumph often comes to mind, and the silhouette of a Bonneville slowly takes shape. As people look back to the past with more and more nostalgia, memories of fouled spark plugs and endless kickstarts fade away as the values of certain …
2008 Moriwaki MD250H
Moriwaki is a Japanese engineering firm which produces nearly everything for bikes. With lots of race experience, they’ve become a trusted name in Japan and amongst a certain few here in the states. Using the Honda RS125 as a base, and their own proprietary frame, swingarm, and much more, they created the Moriwaki MD250H as a ready to go road …
1 of 350 in Canada – 2005 Vespa PX150 Serie Canada
While most scooters nowadays are “twist and go” affairs with automatic transmission, the Vespa PX model line from 1977-2017 with two simple constants: a 2-stroke motor and 4-speed manual transmission with a grip shift. The PX150 was reborn in 1998 with a 10 year production run, and in 2005 Vespa made a few special editions by changing up paint colors. …
1966 Bridgestone Hurricane
Post Sale Update: this Hurricane sold for $3,300 after 8 bids on eBay One of the many high quality (and somewhat pricey) small displacement bikes from a company we now only associate with tires, the Bridgestone Hurricane 175 was a scrambler variant of their baby sportbike “Dual Twin”.
119 Miles – 1971 Rockford Taka 100
Following up on the Bridgestone Hurricane also available today, it seems appropriate to mention Rockford Motors. They were the American importer for Bridgestone, but when the Japanese firm stopped selling bikes in 1971, Rockford had a bit of an issue. They made a deal with Bridgestone to take over manufacturing rights for the 3 smallest bikes – two 60cc models …
1977 BMW R100RS
Post Listing Update: This R100RS did not meet reserve despite 16 bids up to $7,200 on eBay. Bikes built in the first model year of BMW’s R100RS were also known as the “RS77”, and they’re worth distinguishing due to year-specific features like silver/blue paint, blue anodized ATE calipers, and blue pinstriping.