Post Sale Update: This V-Max sold for $7,210 after 38 bids on eBay. The seller told me it went to someone who found it through Bike-urious, so I’m hoping that person drops me a note to say hi… The name told you all you need to know: when the V-Max debuted in 1985, it was a cruiser dedicated to speed. …
No Reserve – 2004 Honda RC51 Nicky Hayden Edition
Post Listing Update: This RC51 was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Honda built the RC51 to compete in World Superbike, and the bike earned titles in 2000 and 2002. The latter year, the RC51 also won the AMA Superbike championship with Nicky Hayden, and Honda responded in 2004 by producing a “Nicky Hayden Edition.” The changes were …
1970 Triumph T100C Bobber
Post Listing Update: This custom Triumph did not get any interest at the opening ask of $4,500. Offered by a Bike-urious reader, this Triumph was acquired as a chopper build that had been sitting in a woodshed for 32 years. He rescued it with a “frame-up restoration” 3 years ago, and in the process he turned it into a bobber.
Restored – 1970 Kawasaki Avenger A7
The A7 Avenger was one of Kawasaki’s earliest models, though upon its release was a pretty advanced and noteworthy machine. The 350 – technically 338cc – was a bored-out version of the marque’s earlier, quarter-liter A1 Samurai. The A1 itself was derived from Kawa’s 650cc W1 model. The A7 would lay the foundation for what would become the S2 Mach …
In Germany – 1960 Horex Imperator 400
Horex is a German motorcycle company first established back in the early 1920’s by the son of Friedrich Kleemann, the financial manager at a preservative jar manufacturing business based in Bad Homburg, Germany. Kleemann purchased Columbus Motorenbau AG, a relatively small motor production factory and operation. Three years later Kleemann’s son, Fritz – an avid racing enthusiast – founded Horex-Fahrzeugbau …
“Fenrir” by JTEC MOTO – 1982 Yamaha XV920 Custom
I first came across JTEC MOTO after the Los Angeles-based shop produced a particularly cool one-off Ducati 900SS cafe build. Though the small outfit has worked with a wide range of donors, it seems to have of proclivity for V-Twin-powered projects in addition to a serious knack for creating some pretty stellar one-off subframes. Recently an XV920-based cafe build the …
Bought on Bike-urious – 2015 Triumph Tiger 800 XCx – Part 2
From LA to Vegas and back, or how I bought my first motorcycle – Part 2 by Kyle Hyatt
“V10 Sport” Sidecar – 1999 Moto Guzzi V11 Bassa
Post Sale Update: This custom Guzzi sold for $8,000 after 16 bids on eBay. Known as the Jackal in Europe, the V11 Bassa was Moto Guzzi’s “Cruiser Italiana”. They said it had “attitude with atmosphere” and it was designed to add some Italian style to the cruiser market that America so thoroughly enjoyed. Yet none of that really seems to …
Video Intermission – Revival Cycles Ducati Odioso at the 2017 Quail Motorcycle Gathering
In a show full of classics, Revival Cycles stood out with one of the craziest custom builds I’ve seen in years. It’s a tribute to sidecarcross based on a Ducati ST4, and it’s named Odioso (Italian for “obnoxious.”
Restored – 1972 OSSA 250 MAR
Post Sale Update: This MAR sold for $5,000 after 39 bids on eBay. The OSSA MAR (Mick Andrews Replica) was built after OSSA hired the English rider to design and ride a new trials bike – he went on to win two consecutive European Trials Championships and three consecutive Scottish Six Days Trials with it. In 1973, Andrews moved to …
Restored – 1977 Ducati 900SS
Post Sale Update: This 900SS sold for $40,200 after 24 bids on eBay. Discovered in a “shed in western Texas” as part of an estate, the seller acquired this bike and “commissioned a concourse show level restoration” to join his collection of motorcycles. He’s apparently pretty serious about this kind of thing, as this bike is the 4th of 5 …
1955 BSA B33
Post Sale Update: This B33 sold for $6,750 after 20 bids on eBay. Introduced in 1947, the B33 gets very little glory compared to BSA’s performance bikes like the Gold Star, but this is what got many Brits around for many years – production ended in 1960. The B33 was a sales success because it was reliable, and they’re still …
1988 Honda Gyro UP
Post Sale Update: The seller lowered the BIN to $1,700, and that’s the number it sold at! 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 …
Little-Known German Project – 1936 Presto Werke Type 208
Post Sale Update: Ed S one-upped himself and bought the Presto himself for $1,100! Check it out in his office in the comments. Update: 5 months later, reader Ed S notes that this Presto is back up for sale. The asking price has plummeted from $25,000 to $2,400 – you can find it here on Craigslist in Boulder, Colorado. Presto …
American Style in Britain – 1971 Norton Commando Hi-Rider
When “Easy Rider” exponentially increased the popularity of choppers around the world, it was inevitable that certain businesses would try to ride the way. What was surprising was that one of those companies was Norton, who created the “Hi-Rider” variant of the Commando to counteract the popularity of big Japanese motorcycles like the Honda CB750. It looked silly – in …