Post Listing Update: This Varadero did not get any interest at the BIN of $4,000. It was relisted at $3,800 and then pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Introduced for the 1999 model year, the Varadero was an interesting ADV bike that predated eventual competitors such as Suzuki’s V-Strom 1000. The Varadero stood out as it featured the …
2018 Long Beach International Motorcycle Show Recap
View PostAudio Intermission – Sticking with the Rock Store
The Rock Store is an institution for Southern California motorcyclists, which is why it was a relief to hear that the store was not consumed in the recent Woolsey Fire. Here’s a <5 minute interview with Rich Savko (the store’s owner) that lets riders know that the Rock Store will soldier on.
No Reserve – 1966 Honda CB450
Post Sale Update: This CB450 sold for $6,816 after 67 bids on eBay. The CB450 was Honda’s first “large displacement” bike, and it ended up becoming one of the most important Japanese motorcycles of all time. It was also quite upsetting to the British motorcycle industry, and they were put on the defensive by the Black Bomber. According to Motorcycle …
Ending Soon – 1954 Parilla 175 Turismo Speciale
Post Listing Update: This Parilla did not meet reserve despite 23 bids up to $4,505 on eBay. When it comes to Parillas in the US, the 175 motor is much less common than the 250. This specific bike was imported from Italy but it’s been brought back to life and is ready for someone to ride it as is and …
1970 Laverda 750 GT
Post Listing Update: This Laverda 750 GT got no interest at the opening ask of $15,000. Laverda was an Italian manufacturer that specialized in the production of agricultural equipment and machines. By the end of WWII, Francesco Laverda (the grandson of the founder) and his friend Luciano Zen decided to get into motorcycles. They developed their first 75cc engine in …
Apogee “Raffale” SuperBobber — 2009 Ducati 1098R Custom
Ducati places enormous importance on the aesthetics of its machines, leading to the marque delivering some of the most gorgeous production two-wheelers available. For this reason, stripping down and customizing what’s already an objectively good-looking bike can be a bit of a controversial (if not sacrilegious) move. However this hasn’t gotten in the way of Gustavo Pena of Apogee Motorworks …
Restored – 1939 Triumph 3H
Post Listing Update: This Triumph got no interest at the opening ask of $25,000. Triumph introduced the 5T Speed Twin in 1938, and it immediately set the standard for other English manufacturers when it came to parallel twins. It was one of Edward Turner’s most notable designs, and it had a long production life – it sold until 1966 with …
A Pair of Two Strokes – Two 1976 Yamaha RD400s
Post Sale Update: These RDs sold for $6,000 after 24 bids on eBay. With regards to road bikes, Yamaha was a great ambassador of two-stroke technology with its RD models. By 1976, Yamaha pushed its 350cc RD to 400cc, which gave it 44hp, a top speed of about 105mph, and made anyone riding it a “hooligan”. Read the interesting story …
1989 Moto Guzzi Mille GT
Post Listing Update: This Mille GT got no interest at the opening ask of $4,999. While trying to recover from the Japanese motorcycle tsunami, Moto Guzzi had to find new ways to attract clients. Trying to compete on technology was probably pointless, so Guzzi decided to bet on ’60s nostalgia with the release of the Mille GT in 1987.
Classic Racer – 1984 Kawasaki GPZ1170
This beautiful racebike left the dealer floor as a Kawi GPZ1100, but now it’s got a Sam Williams 1,170 motor packing Webb cams and larger valves fed by 40mm flat slide carbs and exhaling through a Hindle exhaust.
1 of 150 – 2007 Ducati 999S Team USA Replica
The Ducati 999S Team USA was a very limited edition of the Italian firm’s superbike of the time. Built to commemorate Ducati’s participation in the AMA, this bike was unfortunately nothing more than a cosmetic package built surprisingly around the S, and not the 999R model.
1981 Benelli 654
Post Sale Update: This Benelli sold for $3,050 after 8 bids on eBay. A rare find in the US, the Benelli 654 was available as a Standard as seen here or as a Sport model with the different bars and the fairing from a 900 Sei. Either way, it wasn’t a successful machine but they’re so hard to find that …
1980 Kawasaki Z1R
Post Listing Update: This Z1R was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. The Kawasaki Z1R was the brainchild of Wayne Moulton, known as the “Father of the Japanese Cruiser.” His belief was that a solid motorcycle could be moderately tweaked to form four versions, one of which is a sport-tourer. So he took the KZ1000 and turned it …