Back in the 60’s and 70’s you could order motorcycles from the major department stores, like Sears and Montgomery Wards. Generally, the bikes were rebadged small-displacement singles sourced from Europe. One such example is this Puch Sabre, a 50cc tiddler sold by Sears Roebuck.
Well Preserved – 1986 Kawasaki Ninja GPZ900R
Post Listing Update: This Ninja did not meet reserve with 25 bids up to $4,650 on eBay. In 1984, Kawasaki changed the world of sportbikes forever with their introduction of the Ninja name (did you know it was originally going to be called the Panther?) The first bike deserving of the Ninja was the GPZ900R, the first production road bike …
1972 Honda CB750 K2
Post Sale Update: This CB750 sold for $8,301 after 34 bids on eBay. Approximately 63,500 examples of the K2 generation of Honda’s CB750 were built, and thanks to a new set of OEM bodywork this looks better preserved than most. For more on the legendary CB, check out this buying guide from Silodrome.
Lambretta Licensed – 1973 Serveta Jet 200
Post Sale Update: This Serveta sold for $6,421 after 25 bids on eBay. [x_line} In the early 50s, Lambretta’s Spanish distributor got permission from the parent company of Innocenti to build their own licensed copies. Production started in 1954, and a decade later the Spanish company changed their name from Lambretta Locomociones to Serveta. In 1966, Lambretta introduced a top …
No Reserve – 1981 BMW R80GS Paris-Dakar
Post Sale Update: The market has spoken – this GS sold for $14,211 after 51 bids on eBay. The seller of this R80 G/S couldn’t determine what a fair value was for his bike, so he put it on eBay with a starting bid of 1 cent and with no reserve. So now the market will inform you as to …
Early Side Valve – 1932 Norton Big Four
Norton’s Big Four was the first motorcycle it produced with an engine that was developed and manufactured in-house. Production began in 1907 and would ultimately continue until 1954 when Norton would cease production on all of its side valve scoots. Various changes in displacement and hardware would occur over the years – continuous production would go on despite the Great …
Ride for Kids Raffle – Honda CB1100 Custom
12-25-2017 Update: Merry Christmas. The seller has withdrawn this bike from sale as “the builder says he is bummed that I am selling it so cheap.” 12-24-2017 Update: Back in July I told you about this CB1100 that was being raffled off to benefit the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. The 75-year old winner of the raffle says he’s happier on …
1932 Raleigh MH32
Post Listing Update: This MH32 did not meet reserve with 1 bid up to $20,000 on eBay. According to the seller, this is the only Raleigh MH32 in the US. It was restored by Revival Cycles over 6 years at a claimed cost of over $36,000. Afterwards, the bike was shown at the Handbuilt Motorcycle Show and the Harvest Classic.
Alternate Laverda Project – 1971 American Eagle Renegade 150
Post Listing Update: The BIN was lowered to $999 but that still wasn’t enough to entice anyone to pick up this rare Laverda project. As you’ll note in the comments, however, afterwards one of John McCormack’s sons bought this American Eagle! I’ve featured a few American Eagle models in the past – the brand was John McCormack’s attempt at importing …
Land Speed Record Project – 2004 Honda CBR600 F4 Special Construction
I first heard about Matt Brown on one on my favorite episodes of Jay Leno’s Garage – he bought a Honda S600 without an engine and then swapped in the drivetrain from a Honda CBR1000RR sportsbike. Jay calls him part of the “more-brains-than-money club”, and it looks like Matt’s attitude hasn’t changed as he also found himself trying to build …
1984 Yamaha RZV500R
Titled in Florida but located in Wyoming, this RZV500R is one of the rare examples that’s ready to ride in the US. It was originally offered in Japan and a few other non-US markets. The first production bike with a 2-stroke V4 engine, the RZV (also known as the RD500LC in some markets) was built as a tribute to the …
VIN 1/Engine #1 – 1985/6 Suzuki GSX-R 1100 Prototype
Post Listing Update: The BIN was reduced to $120,000 and then this bike was removed from eBay, final sale price unknown. I thought yesterday’s basically-new Bimota Tesi 1D had a significant asking price, but it turns out that the same seller has got something that they think is even more valuable – a prototype of the most iconic motorcycles of …
1 of 400 – 2008 Ducati Monster S4RS Tricolore
Post Listing Update: This Monster did not get any interest at the BIN of $10,500. Even though it was basically a parts-bin special, the Monster has become one of Ducati’s most successful motorcycles of all time. In 2006, Ducati went a little crazy with their naked sport bike and stuffed it with a 998 superbike motor, radial-mounted Brembo brakes, and …
Rare Project – 1953 Adler M200
Post Sale Update: This Adler sold for $845 after 36 bids on eBay. Between 1900 and 1957, the German manufacturer of Adler (which translates to Eagle) built motorcycles and cars. The M200 was built between 1952-1954, and it featured a 2-stroke twin that produced 9.3 horsepower – suitable for transportation purposes but not much else. Unfortunately, this bike isn’t currently …
670 Miles – 1995 Bimota SB6
Post Sale Update: This SB6 sold for $10,300 after 16 bids on eBay. In the early years, Bimota’s formula was to take a powerful and reliable Japanese engine and then replace the adequate frame and suspension with a bespoke Italian chassis and quality components. Some reviewers argue that the SB6 is the last of the old-school Bimotas because around this …