One of my favorite readers picked up some bodywork at a recent Hell on Wheels event. There’s only one problem – it doesn’t seem to be what we thought it was originally! Do you have an idea? Come school us.
Stored in a Church Basement – 1982 Yamaha XJ650
Built from 1980 to 1983, the XJ650 Maxim was actually quite distinctive from a standing standpoint when it was introduced, though it’s easy to consider it typical of the time. In ’82, Cycle Magazine said “…after the wide proliferation of special styling, it’s easy to forget what a landmark bike the Maxim was…The 650 was striking, controversial, sensational, and wildly …
Euro Model – 1984 BMW R100RS
The BMW R100RS has established itself as one of the best classic touring bikes ever made. Here’s one that stands out in the states because it’s a Euro model that was originally sold in Bahrain. The original owner brought the bike with him as he moved to England and then Phoenix, Arizona. Now it’s with a new owner who’s had …
Picture Intermission – 10th Annual Dania Beach Vintage Motorcycle Show
This past weekend was the 10th Annual Dania Beach Vintage Motorcycle Show – the biggest vintage bike show in South Florida. Attendance is free, though there’s an entry fee to show, and those proceeds benefit local pet and rescue organizations. Steve King was there to check it out and took a bunch of great photos for you to enjoy from …
1973 Triumph Rickman TR7
It’s hard to go wrong with a Rickman Triumph – and this one’s even better than usual thanks to the beautiful blue and 825cc big bore kit!
Video Intermission – Building a BMW R90S From Scratch
This happened just a year ago, but it’s well worth a reminder if you’ve seen it before. Watch as the MAX BMW team builds a brand new BMW R90S from parts ordered right out of their online parts catalog.
1977 Ducati 500 Sport Desmo
Ducati introduced the 500cc parallel twin in 1975, and it was a commercial failure. To try and shake things up, the Italian company asked Fabio Taglioni to give the engine desmodromic valves. The result was the Sport Desmo, which had a significant jump in power but didn’t do much to shake the engine’s reputation for reliability issues.
Needs Some Work – 1979 Chrysler Snorunner
Post Sale Update: This Snorunner sold for $1,065 after 25 bids on eBay. The Chrysler Snorunner has an interesting history, though there isn’t 100% consensus on the origin story. Some people claim that Chrysler built them for the Army, which was looking for light weight snow transport that could carry a soldier for 30 miles. Unfortunately, the finished vehicle was …
Back Door RC30 – Honda VFR750R in Canada
Perhaps the most iconic of Honda’s homologation specials (or maybe any manufacturer’s), the VFR750R, colloquially known as the RC30, was produced from 1988-1990, with worldwide production totaling 4782 units. Only 316 of these made it to the U.S. as 1990 models due to the EPA dragging their bureaucratic feet. In some European markets the bike was named the Bol D’or …
Video Intermission – Vintage Board Track Racing
If only Beverly Hills was still this cool. Here’s a clip of some board track racing (sadly without sound) with the wonderful touch of narration through slides. Follow along as the Indian Powerplus dominates: Shrimp Burns crashes in an early race only to come out of the hospital “swathed in bandages and full of splinters” and win the feature event! …
1983 BMW R80G/S with Paris Dakar Kit
Since I’ve only been doing this a few weeks, I’ve been trying to pay special attention to the comments section of these posts to see what people have to say. While there’s been 2 early GS’ featured in the last few days, I noticed some of the commenters would have preferred to see a totally unmolested GS. While it’s currently …
2013 Janus Halycon 50
Post-Listing Update: This Janus did not meet reserve with 28 bids up to $2,376. The last time I featured a Janus Halycon, the manufacturer was only making a 50cc version. They’re now taking deposits on a 250cc variant (and another model with different styling), but if you want an example of this interesting styling right now, you’ll have to snag …
Honda’s Mini Sports – 1982 MB5
Mr. Honda was never a fan of the two-stroke concept. Nor was he blind to effective marketing, and by the late seventies the emerging market for lightweight sporty motorbikes couldn’t be ignored. In many countries laws limiting engine size for young riders meant a big market for 50cc machines.
ESO Engined – 1965 Rickman Metisse
ESO was a Czech motorcycle manufacturer that is not well known because they ran from 1949 to 1964 and they only built racers. The company was founded by Jaroslav Simandl, a former motorcycle racer who started with JAP engines and then had his company start building their own in 1950.
Custom Build – The CONVERGO
A couple of months ago, I met Danish Zaheer Rizvi, who got a degree in Transportation Design. He’s an avid motorcyclist who came up with a concept for an “adjustable” motorcycle. You’ve seen adjustable handlebars, adjustable footpegs, and maybe some other components, but nothing like this! With a design, one bike can feel like multiple.