This kitted winter weapon started out as a 2017 Yamaha YZ450F. The engine was stripped and built back up by Millennium Technologies using a ported head, cams, and 14:1 compression piston from GYTR, as well as a new crank, rod, bearings, etc. According to the seller, more than $4,500 has gone into the engine alone.
2011 Victory Cross Country Police
Growing up, I thought being a police officer was a super cool job. And the coolest of the cool jobs was to be a California Highway Patrolman, AKA a CHiP. Every morning before I trotted off to attempt my luck at penetrating the many social hierarchies of middle school, I took in an episode of CHiPs. Erik Estrada was my …
Rare Indian – 1976 Indian MS175
In the midst of their affair with small-displacement runabouts, Indian had a triplet of 175cc bikes called the MI175, MT175, and MS175. The MI was a dual-sport, the MT was trail-only (no lighting/mirrors), and the MS that’s featured today was a street bike. No matter the version, these are rare finds nowadays.
114 of 170 – 2002 Moto Guzzi V11 LeMans Tenni
The Moto Guzzi LeMans Tenni was a limited production model produced only in ’02 and ’03. Just 170 examples were produced, and the most obvious difference is the custom paint scheme and large quasi-dustbin fairing. It was named after Omobono Tenni, who was also know as the Black Devil or Red Bullet. Tenni was the first non-Brit to win the …
Rare Project – 1946 Gazelle
Gazelle is a Dutch bicycle company that has an impressive history going back to 1892. In fact, the company was officially renamed “Royal Dutch Gazelle” by Princess Margriet of the Netherlands in 1992 to celebrate their centenary. Like many bicycle companies, Gazelle experimented with the production of mopeds and small motorcycles, though the man in charge did so reluctantly. Per …
Two-Stroke Triple – 1975 Suzuki GT550
While Honda and Kawasaki launched a 4-stroke revolution, Suzuki kept going strong with two-stroke engines, but they needed to replace the aging T500 Titan. So, in 1971 at the Tokyo motorcycle show, Suzuki launched its new model, the GT. The first to be presented was the flagship of the GTs, the 750, featuring 3 cylinders. The “Water Buffalo”, as it …
2012 KTM RC8R
I just featured a KTM RC8R last week, so it should be no surprise that this Austrian-bred machine is my kind of weird. 175 horsepower created by two cylinders with no factory electronic aids is a precise recipe for happiness I cannot wait to try for myself. Now, I often hear the engine described as “agricultural,” but I would say …
1991 Gilera CX125
Gilera’s CX125 must have been an absolute show-stopper when the concept version debuted at the 1989 Milan EICMA. Swoopy bodywork paired with a single-sided suspension up front…and on a 125? I refuse to believe the average Italian rider who saw this in ’89 thought the CX would make it to production, but just two years later they could have exchanged …
In Italy – 1977 MV Agusta Ipotesi
MV Agusta is an Italian manufacturer that used to produce airplanes for the Italian Army during WWII. At the end of the War, MV was out of business, so the two owners, and brother, Vincenzo and Domenico decided to produce motorcycles and put their staff back to work. The 50’s and beginning of the 60’s was a golden era for …
2006 Ducati Paul Smart 1000 Limited Edition
Paul Smart was a British motorcycle racer who began his career in the 1960s. After building his skills, he won the 1972 Imola 200 on a Ducati 750, which brought him racing recognition and solidified his relationship with Ducati. In 2006, Ducati graced us with the gorgeous Paul Smart 1000 LE, inspired by the bike Paul Smart rode to the …
XR750 Tribute #2 – 2009 Harley Davidson XR1200
In 1983, Harley-Davidson tried to make a tribute to the mighty XR750 flat-track from the 70’s by releasing the XR1000, a custom evolution of the original Sportster at the time. 25 years later, HD got the idea of doing another tribute bike, but only for the European market, the XR1200. Reviews were pretty nice and when American riders saw this, …
1998 Ducati 916 SPS
Post Sale Update: This 916 SPS sold for $12,700 after 47 bids on eBay. A limited edition of one of the most beautiful motorcycles ever made, the Ducati 916 SPS (Sport Production Special) was more than a pretty face. Thanks to upgrades to the drivetrain and chassis, this was the ultimate 916. 1,058 examples were built in 1998, and this …
1964 Honda CA110 Sport 50
Post Listing Update: This CA110 did not meet reserve despite 44 bids up to $1,750. Honda’s CA110 was one of their little bikes that was ushered in with the “you meet the nicest people on a Honda” campaign, though it’s a bit more special than the C102 Super Cub that has taken over the world. The CA110 was also known …
For Charity – 2002 MV Agusta F4 750
MV Agusta is a future Moto2 Grand Prix team, a current World Superbike team, and long time manufacturer of legendary Italian machinery. I recently transported a Lewis Hamilton F4 for Motorcycle Mover LA, and stared at the bike like a wide eyed child for 10 minutes before touching it. Depending on who you ask, the MV Agusta F4 is often …
2 Miles – 2009 BMW G450X
The seller of this bike owns two examples of the G450X, and he or she only put miles on one of them. That’s why this bike has just 2 miles, has never been ridden, and is probably the closest thing to a new BMW G450X that you’ll ever find. The question is…does that matter?