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.
Unexpected Custom – 1976 Moto Guzzi T3
The Moto Guzzi T3 was an 844cc transverse V-twin that put out that put out approximately 59HP through a 5-speed transmission with shaft drive. Weight was 540 pounds, so it was not exactly fast, but it was comfortable and reliable, with typical big-twin torque. As such, it was selected by many California cities for Police duty. Supposedly this has a …
1965 BSA Bantam
It’s a well known story. The BSA Bantam, the Harley Davidson Hummer, the Russian Moskva and the Yamaha YA 1 were all copies of the German DKW given out as war reparations. I would really like to know how Japan (Yamaha) qualified for reparation from Germany, but that is a question for another time.
1956 Norton Manx 350
To say that Norton dominated the 350 and 500 class at Isle of Man TT for the 10 years immediately following WWII would be putting it mildly. Norton Manx singles had their way with the field time after time.
17K Miles – 1984 BMW R65
Post Sale Update: After 22 bids on eBay, this R65 sold for $3,900. The R65 has been one of the less popular Beemers over the last few decades, and I couldn’t really tell you why. Is it the relative lack of power compared to the rest of the BMW family? If having “just” 50 horsepower isn’t a problem for you, …
Restored – 1987 Kawasaki KDX200
Kawasaki introduced the KDX line as a small enduro in 1980. In 1986, they revised the KDX200 with lots of features from the KX125 motocrosser, and Kawi was one of the very few manufacturers offering a two-stroke enduro at the time. It was well loved by riders, so much so that even Kawasaki introduced a 250 of the KDX in …
1994 Yamaha YZF750R
Yamaha’s YZF750 was offered in two variants – the base model “R” and the homologation “SP”. The United States only received the R variant – it wasn’t as special but it was still a good bike. Sport Rider named it Bike of the Year in 1995. This example has less than 7k miles and it looks to be in good …
LA-Barstow-Vegas 2016 with a Ural Gear Up Sahara
View PostGuess That Bike Revealed – Not a BMW Edition
Congratulations to Facebook commenter Craig C, who was the first to identify that this ‘not a BMW’ was in fact a Ratier. Bonus points because he even found the article that I snagged the photo from.
Feeling Suicidal? 1995 Kawasaki KX500 Trike
Post Sale Update: This trike sold for the opening bid of $4,500. When Kawasaki introduced the KX500 motocrosser in 1983, Dirt Bike magazine called it “unrideable” and “violent.” The owner of this bike apparently never read that article, because he’s decided to take it to another level of lunacy by adding a wheel. Well, that’s not fair, he does say …
1920 Excelsior Series 20
Excelsior introduced its first motorcycle in 1905 after starting in the bicycle business. In 1910 Excelsior introduced their first V-Twin and by 1911 the company had been bought by Ignaz Schwinn of the bicycle firm that bore his name. 1915 saw the introduction of the ‘Big X’ V-Twin, a 61 CID power plant that would carry on to 1925. The …
2 Weeks in the West – Day 15
View PostJoin Me – Harley vs. Indian Exhibit Opening at the Petersen
View Post2003 Jesse Rooke Custom Kali Kruiser II
Post Listing Update: This custom Kruiser did not meet reserve with 15 bids up to $8,000. Jesse Rooke released his first custom bike in 2002, and since then he’s built a series of wild hardtail designs. This is apparently one of 11 examples of his Kali Kruiser II design.
1973 Ducati 750 Sport
Ducati engineer Fabio Taglioni combined two single cylinder motors on a single crankshaft and successfully tested the V-Twin in July 1971. In October, 1971 Ducati introduced the V-Twin GT 750. In April, 1972 team Ducati ran 1st and 2nd at the Imola 200 with a Desmo version of the V-Twin marking their first victory in a large displacement race. By …