In 1996, Yamaha took the V-Four motor from their Venture Royale tourer and built a cruiser with it. It was the first of what has become Yamaha’s Star cruiser line, and it stood out from the competition in a few ways. Most notably was the engine – it looks like a V-Twin but it packs four cylinders with DOHC. It …
1975 Kawasaki KX250
The Kawasaki KX250 still exists today, though the actual model name is the KX250F because it’s now a four-stroke. But from 1974-2007, the KX250 was a successful two-stroke MX bike that won several AMA Championships over time – especially with Jeff Emig and Ricky Carmichael in recent years. This is claimed to be a fully restored example from very early …
1980 Kawasaki KZ1000 A4 MkII
Post Listing Update: This Kawi was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. An evolution of the KAZ900, the KZ1000 was the fastest production bike when it was released in 1976 (as a ’77 model) thanks to its 83 horsepower, 1,015cc inline four motor. The bike might be most famous for the police variant, which gained popularity on the …
1973 Triumph Trident T150V
Introduced in 1968 as a ‘69 model the BSA Rocket 3/Triumph Trident brought an entirely new concept to market with a three cylinder motor that was smooth and fast. The model was ‘badge engineered’ to allow both marquees to sell bikes to their loyal customers. Overall sales were good, not great with 27,480 produced in the seven year run.
Bellaria in Italy – 1991 Bimota YB9
The YB9 was Bimota’s first two-seater. Offered in three generations, just 145 of the Bellarias were built between 1990 and 1993. Here’s number 112.
3 Rare Mopeds
I originally started featuring the seller’s NSU Quickly, which was built between 1953 and 1963. But it turns out he’s got two other interesting mopeds, so let’s take a look at all 3!
2 Owners – 1983 Suzuki GS750ES
In 1976, Suzuki debuted their first four stroke machine in over 20 years, the GS750. An “E” model debuted in 1980 with 16 valves and Suzuki’s TSCC – Twin Swirl Combustion Chamber. The “E” bikes had a chin fairing while “ES” models got a half fairing. Here’s a clean 2-owner ES from the last generation of the model run.
1972 Bultaco Astro 250
The Astro was Bultaco’s factory flat tracker – ready to race from the dealership floor. Exported solely to the US to satisfy the American obsession with flat track back in the day, it was available in either 250cc (Model 163) or 360cc (Model 164) options. The bike was named after Houston’s Astrodome, which often hosted the opening short dirt track …
1975 Honda XL350
Honda introduced the XL line with the XL250 in 1972. I think it was their first real effort at a bike that you could ride to the trail and on the trail. The ‘scrambler’ series that preceded the XL were really about the look, not about the ride. No mistake, this was a first effort, and the XL was going …
2 Weeks in the West – Day 16
View PostAriel Powered – 1959 Norton “Esquire”
2-27-17 Update: Nearly 2 years later, Tom W notes that this bike is back up for sale. Find it still in Bend, Oregon with bidding up to $6,000 and the reserve not yet met or a BIN of $15,000 (down from the original ask of $18,500) here on eBay. You’re probably familiar with the Triton, the pairing of a Triumph …
1991 Honda XR600R
Regarding the Honda XR600R, Dirt Bike magazine said it “is almost the definition of an off-road bike; the machine most likely to have its silhouette on a trail sign.” Here’s a one owner example that’s ready to get dirty.
1973 Suzuki TS185
The TS range of bikes were Suzuki’s first trail bikes, and the family of two-strokes was available with motors ranging from 50 to 400cc. Some riders considered the TS185 to be the best – it was actually a few pounds lighter than the TS125 but it made nearly as much horsepower as the TS250.
Suggestions for the UK?
UPDATE: Here’s the story of our time there on a Triumph Explorer 1200! In late June, VyVy and I (and Baby Jack, of course) will be heading out to the United Kingdom for a couple of weeks of exploration via motorcycle. Right now, the plan is to start in London and basically do a lap of England, Wales, Ireland, and …
1916 Indian Powerplus with Side Car
The Indian Power Plus was a successful roadster and canvas for racing bikes, especially with Erwin “Cannonball” Baker (after whom the Cannonball Run was named after). Hemmings called this “the engine that changed American motorcycling.” Today we’ve got an example that forgoes the racing pedigree for the utility of a sidecar.