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.
SR400 Build – 2010 Deus Ex Machina Grievous Angel
Post Listing Update: This Deus build did not meet reserve despite 60 bids up to $8,600 on eBay. In addition to a multitude of one-off customs, Deus has some ‘signature’ builds for specific models that anyone can call up and order. The signature build for Yamaha’s SR400/500 is the Grievous Angel, amusingly adorned in what Deus calls “Henry Ford pink” …
70, 80, or 90 – 3 Small Displacement Original Enduros
David N has pointed out to me that the seller of last week’s Rupp Black Widow replica has a few small displacement enduros that he’s getting rid of as well.
Auction Preview – Mecum Las Vegas 2018
View PostVideo Intermission – Dakar 2018 – Best of Bikes
The 2018 Dakar is over and KTM took their 18th win in a row thanks to Matthias Walkner’s excellent riding – and his ability to navigate correctly. A few of the top guys crashed out, but one of the most significant moments of the entire race was back in Stage 10. At the beginning of the stage, the top seven …
Restored with No Reserve – 1966 Kawasaki B8
Post Sale Update: This B8 sold for $5,100 after 22 bids on eBay. The Kawasaki B8 was based on the Meihatsu B7, which used Kawasaki engines. The B8 line of motorcycles, also known as the BN125 Eliminators, were produced from 62-65 and were the first to be entirely manufactured by Kawasaki.
1 of 250 – 2002 Ducati 748S Titanium Grey
Officially, Ducati called this special grey/white/red paint scheme Titanium Grey, but Ducati fans have called it something slightly different over the years. They call it the “Semi Senna”, as it harks back to the officially licensed Senna 916 from the mid 90s. The 748S variant was not official, however it was limited: just 250 examples were built, 200 of which …
Auction Preview – Bonhams Las Vegas 2018
View PostNer-A-Project – 1922 Ner-A-Car Barn Find
Post Sale Update: This Ner-A-Car sold for $20,100.01 after 18 bids on eBay. Designed by Carl Neracher in 1918, the Ner-A-Car was sold as a cheap automobile alternative. Approximately 10,000 were built and sold in the US, and another 6,500 were built and sold in England under license. The step-through design and bodywork kept riders clean, allowing them to wear …
544 Miles – 1971 DKW 125 Enduro
Originally named the Sachs 125, the DKW 125 Enduro earned its titled after DKW and Sachs merged in the 60s. It ended up becoming one of the first baby MX bikes that took off in the US, as it compared well against the Kawasaki Green Streak and Hodaka Ace. It was a reliable package (though the Sachs unit apparently yielded …
Ending Soon – 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo
Post Sale Update: This CX Turbo sold for $7,500 after 3 bids on eBay. In 1982, Honda introduced its first production turbocharged motorcycle, the CX500T. The next year, they bumped up displacement to form the Honda CX650 Turbo. While Kawasaki, and Suzuki also offered turbo’d competition, Yamaha and Honda were the most successful from a commercial standpoint. With that said, …