Built by placing a Sea-Doo body on a homemade frame (isn’t that a sentence that inspires confidence?), this custom trike would be an amusing way to get around town before you were inevitably arrested and tested for a DUI.
Triumph and Tribulations – Exploring the UK, Day 12
June 28th, 2017 – London, England to London, England: ~25 miles Missed Day 11? June 27th, 2017 – Birmingham, England to London, England: ~130 miles Just like that, we’re at the last day. Vy and I spend some time in London to see the usual sights, and of course we bring Baby Jack along for our tourism spree: As our …
Video Intermission – Kawasaki’s Science of Supercross
A couple of years ago, Kawasaki started to produce content to be shared during televised Supercross races. They call it the Science of Supercross. I call it a great way to advertise. As you probably have noticed, the 2018 Monster Energy AMA Supercross championship has started up again – the 4th race of the season happens on Saturday in Phoenix …
Magazine Feature – 1978 Honda CB400A Hawk Hondamatic
In 1976, Honda debuted the “Hondamatic” transmission on their popular CB750. It was designed to help bring in new riders who may have been intimidated by the requirement of using a clutch, but Honda quickly figured out that newbies may not necessarily want to start on the big 750. So two years later, the Hondamatic transmision found its way to …
135 Miles in England – 1989 Norton Commander
Just 253 examples of the Norton Commander were ever built, and this one stands out as it only has 135 miles. The Commander was offered in two variants: P52 was for police, and P53 was for civilians. You’d probably expect the police version to be the rarer of the two, but in this case you’d be wrong.
World Record Sale Price – 1951 Vincent Black Lightning
View Post1961 Panther M100 Deluxe
Post Sale Update: This Panther sold for $10,000 after 33 bids on eBay. Introduced way back in 1932, the Panther Model 100 kept evolving until 1963, by which point the Model 120 had taken over. Both models featured the distinctive “Sloper” motor, named for the angle that is so evident at a side view. The 598cc single produced 23 horsepower, …
Video Intermission – Harry’s Garage – Collection of Dakar Winners
One of the founders of Evo Magazine, Harry Metcalfe now runs a YouTube channel simply called “Harry’s Garage” in which he walks you through special vehicles, many of which he owns himself. Like any good petrolhead, he’s got a soft spot for motorcycles in addition to cars, and in this 23-minute long video he shares his collection of 6 bikes …
“Cavallo Nero” – Pro-Grade 1975 Ducati 860 Build
Bryan Fuller is one of the better-known names in the custom car and motorcycle worlds. In addition to owning Full-Bore Publishing – an outfit that publishes various how-to-build books – Fuller also now owns Fuller Moto, a renowned customs shop that builds bespoke two and four-wheelers, and also offers hands-on classes to pass on their skills. The Atlanta-based shop has …
1957 White Shooting Star 250
White International was an American company that imported bikes from overseas and rebranded them under their own name, similar to what Sears, Montgomery Ward, and later, Harley-Davidson did. In this case, the bikes being re-branded were Hungarian-built Csepel/Pannonias.
Well Optioned, Nice Price – 2003 Ducati 749
It’s easy to get carried away dumping money into a sportbike. There’s always some component that can be upgraded or lightened, and performance parts don’t come cheap. Unfortunately, modifying a bike from its original state typically reduces its value. Fortunately, you can find some pretty sweet deals from time to time where a previous owner’s loss can be your gain. …
Video Intermission – Slayground II
Jeremy McGrath has added a dirt half pipe at his ranch in San Diego, and he had Axell Hodges (also known as “Slay”) come by to have some fun.
Van Tech Racer – 1969 Yamaha AS1C
Post Sale Update: This Van Tech sold for $6,300 after 22 bids on eBay. Van Tech was one of America’s first dirt bike manufacturers, though the company did not build complete bikes. Instead, the brain child of Bill Van Tichelt built frames for small-displacement Japanese motors like the Honda S90, Kawi 100/120, and Bridgestone 90/100. There were two main advantages …
BSA-Powered – 1971 Cheney Victor MkIII
Post Sale Update: This Cheney Victor sold for $6,100 after 27 bids on eBay. One of the legends of off-road frame design, Eric Cheney started as one of Britain’s best MX riders. Unfortunately, he picked up a blood infection while racing in Algeria and it became so bad that he had to stop racing. That was good news for his …
Restored as a 916 – 2000 Ducati 748
Named the Yellow Peril, this Ducati 748 was restored after a hard life of 20k+ miles. The engine was seized, so the owner had the motor built up as a 916. Per the seller, it’s been “restored mechanically and cosmetically to rider condition,” and the bike has covered less than 200 miles since the work was done.