Post Sale Update: This Katana sold for $7,600 after 21 bids on eBay. The Suzuki Katana is a very distinctive bike designed by Hans Muth (the fairing might remind you of a similar Muth creation – the BMW R65LS). In the late 70s and early 80s, Japanese manufacturers were selling standard bikes as fast as they could make them. And …
1955 Zundapp KS601 Sport with Steib Sidecar
In 1951, Zundapp introduced their last big bike – the KS601 (Kardan Sport). It got plenty of positive attention from the press, but Zundapp’s sales couldn’t compete with offerings from BMW. To combat this they expanded to a Sport model (with 34 horsepower, 6 up from the standard) and even offered multiple colors.
1988 Cagiva WMX 250
Post Listing Update: This WMX did not get any interest at the asking price of $2,350. 10-27-2018 Update: Almost 3 years later, this WMX is back up for sale. Find it with slightly better photos and a slightly higher BIN of $2,350 or best offer here on eBay. Built between 1988 and 1991 (and succeeding the MXR), the WMX 250 …
26 Miles – 1966 Suzuki Bearcat B105P
Post Listing Update: This Bearcat did not get any interest at the opening bid of $3,000. Suzuki’s Bearcat was a small dual sport that was marketed as a “thrifty swifty” – go anywhere and carry anything for cheap. At 25 miles per hour with the touring sprocket, the Bearcat returned 153 miles per gallon. This example has just 26 miles …
“Concours Ready” – 1979 Moto Guzzi LeMans II CX100
Post Sale Update: This CX100 sold for $9,500 after 22 bids on eBay. 10-26-18 Update: Over 3 years later, this CX is back up for sale from the same seller. Find it with bidding up to $6,555 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay. Post Listing Update: Despite 37 bids on eBay, this CX100 did not meet reserve …
German Style – 1948 Harley-Davidson Hummer S-125
Post Listing Update: This Hummer did not get any interest at the opening bid of $4,000. Following the end of WWII and the Allies’ victory, the Germans saw many of their factories and blueprints taken as reparations. These German intellectual properties included rockets, submarine research and even motorcycles. In fact, the DKW factory created in 1919 notably produced some lightweight …
No Reserve – 1966 Velocette Thruxton
Post Listing Update: This Thruxton was pulled off of eBay due to “an error in the listing”. In 1961, the Velocette Venom set a 24 hour speed record – that records still stands for a 500cc bike. 3 years later, the Venom won its class at Thruxton’s 500 mile endurance race. The next year, the Venom gained the Thruxton name …
Rare Italian – 1973 MV Agusta 150GT
Post Sale Update: This little MV sold for $2,550 after 12 bids on eBay. MV first offered a 150 in 1959, and they were quite expensive. Per Bonhams, British riders could buy a homegrown 500 for the same price. This looks to be a Turismo GT, which was built between 1970-1973.
“Triple Trouble” – 1980 Yamaha XS850 Restomod
Built by Brick House Builds (a one man shop run by BJ English), this custom XS850 was built to be a ‘cafe racer with some muscle to it’.
R9T Cafe Kit Prototype – JVB Moto’s “Two” BMW R nineT Racer
About a year ago, Germany’s JVB Moto unveiled a beautiful one-off BMW R nineT build exhibiting a collection of bolt-on kit parts. This was the Cologne-based shop’s first collaboration with BMW Motorrad, and the Bavarian brand’s first officially commissioned R9T Scrambler build. Fast forward to Spring of 2018 and JVB debuted yet another R nineT build, this time setting its …
1967 Norton P11
Post Listing Update: This P11 did not get any interest at the BIN of $12,000. The American off-road motorcycling market has a very interesting history since the sector was pretty competitive. Indeed, every maker, especially the British, tried to find the best mix of chassis, weight, and power to win trophies. To that extent, Norton P11 story is pretty odd.
1977 Honda CB550F Super Sport
Post Sale Update: This CB550F sold for $6,400 after 16 bids on eBay. We usually think about bikes like the CB750 or the Z1 when we talk about the 70s. Although they are the symbols of this era, middle-size machines were usually the best sellers and they were some of the most interesting bikes to own thanks to their good …
Guess That Bike Revealed – Cylinder Head Edition
Congratulations to commenter avecroues, who was the first to guess that this motor is from a Benelli Leoncino (Little Lion)!
Restored With No Reserve – 1981 Suzuki RM465
Post Sale Update: This RM465 sold for $4,550 after 33 bids on eBay. The RM465 was Suzuki’s first open class MX bike with a single shock – it was the debut of a system that was marketed as the “Full Floater”. A Suzuki ad described it the 465 as “built from the ground up to lead the open class. Winning …
1972 Honda CB750
Post Sale Update: This CB750 sold for a best offer of $6,000 on eBay. If I had to put a starting year on modern motorcycling, it would most likely be 1969. If I had to put an end year to European (and particularly) British supremacy on the motorcycle market, it would probably be 1969. Finally, if I had to designate …