Post Listing Update: This Supermono did not get any action at the opening bid of $125,000. 9-6-2018 Update: Three years later, Tim Huber has noticed that this bike is back up for sale. It’s a much better listing – it’s got more information, there are better photos, and there’s a video. But the asking price is now significantly higher. Find …
2011 Triumph Tiger 800
Triumph introduced the mid-sized Tiger in 2011 to very little fanfare. I personally never cared for this bike, but several people I trust in the industry swear by it thanks to its 3/4 size compared to big ADV bikes, excellent ergonomics, and a hell of a triple that owes its existence to Triumph’s famous 675 with longer stroke and less …
Early Laverda – 1969 American Eagle 750GT
Laverda was introduced to the American market via three models called the S, SS, and the GT. The catch is that the bikes were not officially Laverdas – they were American Eagles, the brainchild of Jack McCormack. McCormack’s story is an interesting one – after working for Honda, and showing Suzuki how to bring their bikes to the states, he …
Auction Preview – Bonhams Alexandra Palace Sale in England
On September 23rd, Bonhams is auctioning off 69 motorcycles, and there’s a lot to drool over if you love exotic Italians. There’s also some great British racers and some Japanese superbikes like early Z1s, but let’s just take a look at my three favorite offerings from Italy.
Restored – 1970 Bultaco El Bandido Mk2
Post Sale Update: This Bultaco sold for $9,000 after 13 bids on eBay…to Bike-urious reader David N! In 1967, Bultaco introduced their first open class bike and gave it one of the best names and logos in the business. It was called the El Bandido (obviously, The Bandit), and it was available in scrambles and MX variants. The Mark 2 …
1984 Honda V65 Sabre
In 1982, Honda released a brand new V4 engine to be implemented in the cruising-type Magna and sport-type Sabre. One year later, a protein version of the V4 750cc engine was created, developing 1,100cc. It was called the V65. The engine started its life on the Magna, and then in 1984, the Sabre.
“Christmas Special” – 1986 Honda Z50RD
Post Sale Update: This Christmas Special sold for $5,400 after 45 bids on eBay. Considered by some as the ultimate Honda Z50, the “Christmas Special” was a limited edition that officially had the model name of “Z50RD” – the D was for “Dealer”. Honda gave two examples to each of their top dealers, though some called it the “Chrome Edition” …
1951 Vincent Rapide Series C
Post Listing Update: This Rapide did not meet reserve despite 20 bids up to $49,100 on eBay. The baby brother to the legendary Black Shadow, the Vincent Rapide was sold from 1936-55 in 3 distinct ‘Series’. The final run was the Series C, which commenced in 1949. It offered the Rapide as a base model and the Black Shadow as …
Ending Soon – 1998 Ducati 900SS Final Edition
Post Listing Update: This Final Edition did not meet reserve despite 31 bids up to $6,450. The Ducati Supersport is back, but nearly two decades ago the iconic air-cooled SS line came to a halt with a one-year run of 800 bikes. Ducati called it the FE, for Final Edition. All of the bikes got silver paint as well as …
1973 Penton Mudlark
John Penton had a hell of a career, but no one’s perfect. One of his rare flops from his self-titled manufacturing firm was the Mudlark. Originally designed as a trials bike, it was called the “Penton Trials” when it was released. Almost immediately, it was met with poor reviews.
1964 Junak M10
Junak produced the only 4-stroke bikes in Poland for several decades. Translating to “brave young man”, Junak produced 3 models over just 9 years of production (’56-65). During those 9 years, 91,400 bikes were made, the majority of which were M10s. The M10 features a 350cc 4 stroke single that produced 19 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. It has a 4 …
CA Plated – 2002 Honda Gyro Canopy
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 include, the X, the UP, and the Canopy. The Canopy was introduced at the …
1984 Honda Gold Wing GL1200 Aspencade
In 1975, Honda released the GL1000 “Gold Wing” – the name referred to Honda’s logo, which is a wing. The huge success of the model coupled with the need of even more comfort led Honda to release the GL1100 Interstate in 1980. The factory full fairing helped define luxury touring for decades to come. In 1984, everything evolved with the …
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View PostTaste of Cuba – 1990 MZ ETZ251
Vy and I celebrated New Years in Cuba earlier this year, and I took photos of my favorite motorcycles of the trip. One of the most popular bikes we saw was the mZ ETZ251. Looks like one of them somehow made it from Cuba to Florida, and now you can snag it for yourself.