Last year’s Quail Motorcycle Gathering celebrated the 50th anniversary of the legendary Norton Commando and Bike-urious reader James Cowdery brought his ’70 Fastback which had been customized to emulate the show bike that Norton brought to the 1967 Earl’s Court exhibition. I caught up with James to learn more about his bike and what he thought about the Quail Ride:
22 Original Miles – 2000 Kawasaki KE100
In the mid-1970s, Kawasaki replaced its G5 100 model with the KE100. The little KE was a popular bike that Team Green would keep in production for a quarter-century before finally pulling the plug in 2001. This particular example is not only noteworthy on account of its immaculate cosmetic condition, but also because it has only 22 original miles on …
Exotic Italian – Bimota DB6 Delirio
Since the marque’s inception in the 1970’s, Bimota’s formula has primarily consisted of taking proven powerplants and dropping them into cutting-edge frames, adding some high-end suspension, and then finishing out the whole process by mixing in some trick bells and whistles. The DB6 Delirio (Italian for “delirium”) is a great example of what the Italian manufacturer is all about, plus …
Giveaway – The Monkey Run Morocco
The Adventurists are a group of oddballs that fight “to make the world less boring.” Over the years, they’ve created a series of bizarre adventures, many of which are centered around motorized vehicles. Previous examples include the Rickshaw Run, the Mongol Rally, and the Ice Run (crossing hundreds of kilometers on a frozen Siberian lake on Urals). They also host …
Trackmaster Frame – 1967 Triumph Flat Tracker
This gorgeous Triumph has recently been refurbished – if I lived in a state that allowed it, I’d throw the front brake on, add some lights, and get this plated!
Grown-Up Puzzle – 1995 Ducati 900SS/CR
Post Sale Update: This bundle of parts sold for the BIN of $1,000…to Bike-urious reader Kevin D! The seller of this Ducati enjoyed it for 5 years until a loose kickstand bolt wreaked havoc. The bike fell over and cracked the engine case. In this thread on Ducati.ms, the seller notes that “a former employee of mine disassembled it to …
700 Miles – 1982 Honda CB900F Super Sport
Post Sale Update: This CB900F sold for $5,766 after 17 bids on eBay. In the late 70s, Honda offered both a CB750F and a CB900F, but per their marketing department the US only got the 750 and Europe only got the 900. Both markets were upset about this because humans always think the grass is greener on the other side. …
Front Wheel Drive Moped in England – 1962 VéloSoleX 2200
Post Listing Update: This Solex was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. The brand name of Solex goes back to the 1910s, back when they were known for the production of automotive parts like radiators and carbs. In 1940, one of the founders (Marcel Mennesson) built a prototype motor and mounted it on a bicycle. After years of …
1978 Yamaha DT400
Post Sale Update: This DT400 sold for $2,125 after 26 bids on eBay. When it was introduced in 1975, the Yamaha DT400 was well-loved by the press. Despite that, it wasn’t particularly success from a commercial standpoint as emissions rules tightened and Yamaha replaced the two-stroker with the legendary XT/TT 500. As the end of the production run came nigh, …
2002 Ghezzi-Brian Furia
View Post1964 Lube-NSU Condor
Founded in 1947 by Luis Bejarano Morga, Lube was a relatively popular Spanish motorcycle manufacturer that utilized NSU motors starting in 1952. In their best years, they sold almost 1,000 bikes a year and it went out of business in 1967. This Condor is from 1964, the last year for NSU powerplants.
January 2018 Result Highlights
View Post1963 Norley
Post Sale Update: After 11 bids on eBay, this “Norley” sold for $5,300. Combine a HD 1200 Sportster motor and a Norton Featherbed replica frame and you get a Harton. Wait, I got that backwards – it’s apparently actually called the Norley (or the Project Manxster, as it was dubbed in the pages of Cafe Racer magazine). This bike was …
Video Intermission – Rebuilding a Harley Flywheel
To me, this is just about the perfect advertisement. You learn something cool, discover a person that does it well, and now you know who to go to if you can’t handle it yourself! In this video, Mel of Dragonman’s Machining shows you how to rebuild the flywheel from a ’76 Shovelhead.
Toasted Scrambler – 1973 BMW R75/5 Custom
Post Sale Update: This BMW sold for $3,724 after 32 bids on eBay. 2-7-18 Update: 6 months later, this custom slash 5 is back up for sale from the same seller so it looks like the previous sale did not go through. Find it with bidding up to $2,475 in Mout Kisco, New York here on eBay. Post Sale Update: …