Post Sale Update: sold for $28,000 (plus a 10% buyers fee) after 81 bids through Obenauf Auction Service in Johnsburg, Illinois. In my recent recap of October sale prices, someone opined that “CBX prices are officially insane” because of a 3-mile example that sold for $15,100 on eBay. Well, here’s one that may go higher, as it’s still new in …
Video Intermission – Deconstructing a 1974 Harley-Davidson FXE
Wired magazine is starting a new video series called “[DE]CONSTRUCTED” in which they take apart something piece by piece and explain how it works. The first episode focuses on Matt Dawe as he disassembles a ’74 Harley Shovel. It’s 34 minutes long, arguably created for newbies, and they don’t take apart the motor (like you might see with a Hagerty …
1980 Honda CX500/CX650 Custom
Every year, retired master tech Kevin Murphy takes decent examples of Honda’s CX platform and restores them. He also takes bad examples and turns them into customs. He’s got an annual tradition of building a Honda CX custom for Daytona Bike Week, and each year a reader sends me a link when he puts up another bike for sale. This …
2003 Honda RC51 RVT1000R SP2
Post Sale Update: This RC51 sold for $5,000 after 1 bid on eBay. The RC51 combined Honda reliability with the joy of a V-Twin engine, beating Ducati at its own game with multiple World Superbike Championships and a AMA Championship. In 2002, Honda made some revisions to create the SP2 variant.
Serial #1 in Canada – 1990 Yamaha TDR250
Post Listing Update: This TDR was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. With a retuned TZR250 two-stroke motor good for nearly 50 horsepower in a dual-sport frame, Yamaha’s TDR250 was unlike anything available in the US at the time – especially because Yamaha never officially sold it here! A few were sold to our northerly neighbor of Canada, …
Silent Video Intermission – Manufacturing the Rover Imperial
Rover was best known for cars and trucks (such as the Land Rover), but the company started with bicycles and motorcycles. In 1902, they introduced the Imperial, and they would go on to build over 10,000 bikes from 1903-1924. Here’s a delightful video showing how an Imperial was put together, along with some bonus footage of test riders at the …
Coast to Coast in 50 Hours – Day 1
My father likes to say that there are three kinds of people: those who learn from their own mistakes, those who can learn from the mistakes of others, and those hopeless souls who don’t even learn from their own mistakes. As I found myself starting yet another road trip behind schedule, I tried to quantify how disappointed he’d be in …
1982 Honda CX500 Turbo
Who doesn’t love turbos? They just make everything better. Why? Because as Jeremy Clarkson once famously said, “exhaust gasses go into the turbocharger and spin it, witchcraft happens and you go faster“. I would strap one onto just about anything with an engine, including a motorcycle. But turbocharging bikes isn’t anything new, in fact several manufacturers beat me to it. …
1977 Kawasaki KV75
Post Listing Update: this KV75 did not get any interest at the opening ask of $2,100. At the end of the 60s, Honda released a reduced size machine called the Monkey. These baby motorcycles immediately gained popularity among American families and society thanks to their ease of use. Seeing the success of the Monkey, Honda developed another small-size bike, the …
Start A Team – Pair of 2006 Ducati Sport Classic Race Bikes
First unveiled in 2003 in prototype form before going into production in 2005 (as a ’06 model year), Ducati’s Sport Classic was an instant success, despite predating the current retro-craze by several years. Examples were snapped up quickly, and as the model gained instant collector’s status, used specimens saw their value trump the bike’s original MSRP. Because of the Sport …
October 2018 Result Highlights
View PostBumblebee – 1988 BMW R100GS
In 1980, BMW released the R80GS, the first dual-sport motorcycle with a large engine that was comfortable and could perform in the city as well as in the dirt. It still stands as a reference today. In 1987, BMW went one step further in the development of their most successful trail model and released the R100GS.
1 of 101 – 1999 Ducati Monster Cromo
In 1999, Ducati released a special edition of the Monster. They called it the Cromo, and it was obviously named due to the distinctive tank, which was complemented by a carbon fiber rear seat cover and rear fender. It also got adjustable front forks and the high-po 74 horsepower engine. The next year, Ducati added fuel injection to the Monster …
Replica Frame, Original Motor – 1911 Pierce Four
Post Listing Update: This Pierce did not meet reserve despite 15 bids up to $44,667. The first four-cylinder motorcycle built in the US, the Pierce Four showed up other American brands that still looked like bicycles with motors. The Four emphasized the “motor” in motorcycle with a 696cc engine that pushed 7 horsepower through a 2-speed transmission. The hefty frame …
Story Intermission – American Flat Track on NPR
Motorcycles don’t get enough coverage in mainstream publications, so I was pleasantly surprised to find this NPR article on how American Flat Track is mounting a comeback. I know that, and YOU know that, but if we want non-riders to learn about this kind of stuff then stories like this are paramount.