The Indian Big Twin was the last of an era – some even consider it to be the last “real” Indian as it was the end of the F-head engine in a cradle-spring frame. 1915 was the last year of production before Indian stopped racing efforts to help with the war, and debuted the flat head V-Twin dubbed the Power …
9 Miles – 2006 Triumph Bonneville Multi-Union
4 years after Triumph’s 100th anniversary, Paul Smith designed 9 different T100 Bonnevilles, each with a custom paint job. Triumph took two of the designs and sold 50 of each – one was called “Live Fast”, the other is what you see in front of you here, a Triumph Bonneville Multi-Union.
Restomodded – 1975 Kawasaki KZ900
The culmination of a 10 year build, this Kawasaki KZ900 has been modified with Suzuki GSX-R forks, a ZRX1100 swingarm, modern brakes, and more. Probably best to consider this the equivalent of a restomodded 60s muscle car. If you want more details, the seller’s build thread can be found here. Find this KZ900 custom for sale in Reno, Nevada for …
1919 Smith Motor Wheel
Around 1910, Arthur William Wall developed a direct drive motor wheel to power a bicycle – it was the first to be powered by gasoline. 4 years later, manufacturing rights for the motor wheel were acquired by the A.O. Smith Corporation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and it led to what you see here, the Smith Motor Wheel.
1985 Moto Morini 350 K2
Normally, a 350 from Morini makes people think of the 3 1/2, but the Italian firm released the Moto Morini 350 K2 a decade later.
Picture Intermission – MotoTintype
If you’re a regular reader of Bike-urious (or just a motorcycle fan in general), you’re probably familiar with Paul D’Orleans, also known as The Vintagent. In collaboration with Susan McLaughlin, he’s got a side project called MotoTintype that focuses on a very interesting photography method called wet plate or collodion photography.
No Reserve – 1989 Yamaha FJ1200
A simple sport tourer, the FJ1200 has a lot of passionate fans as it was comfortable, reliable, and featured an engine that put down a lot of usable-in-the-real-world power.
1988 Ducati Paso
Released in 1986 and named after racer Renzo Pasolini, the Ducati Paso was a bike created from odd beginnings. Built during the tumultuous years when Ducati was owned by Cagiva, this bike was designed to compete with the up and coming Japanese superbikes of the time. Designed by the famous Massimo Tamburini, this bike is as enveloped in plastic as …
$1600 Adventurer – 1996 Triumph Tiger 900
Affectionately known as the “Steamer”, the first gen of the dual-sport Tiger was built between 1993 and 1998. It was a quirky option to the better known R1100GS. For more on the Tiger, check out this review from MCN. This example has 45,000 miles and is claimed to be in very good condition. The only problem is that the clock …
1969 Velocette Venom Thruxton
Post-Listing Update: After 23 bids on eBay, this Thruxton got up to $15,000 but did not meet reserve. 4-3 Update: Reader Tom D notes that this bike is back up on eBay. The first listing did not get any action at the $25,000 opening bid, so the seller is starting with a much lower opening bid and a reserve. Find …
ADHOC #8 – Yamaha XJ650 Custom
The brainchild of David Gonzalex, Ad Hoc Cafe Racers have built a series of cool customs. This is the 8th one, based on a Yamaha XJ650.
1997 Bimota Mantra DB3
The Bimota Mantra, to put it bluntly, is probably the ugliest motorcycle to come out of the Rimini company’s doors. With that said, I love that they took a chance – you may never see a bike that looks like this again.
Sparkling Green – 1971 Harley-Davidson FX Super Glide
Post Listing Update: Despite 17 bids up to $15,800, this Harley FX did not meet reserve. Considered by some to be the first factory custom bike, the Harley-Davidson FX Super Glide was Willie G’s brainchild and an attempt to satisfy the countless H-D enthusiasts that would customize their brand new Harleys. Most people associate this bike with the “Sparkling America” …
1966 Moto Guzzi Lodola
Intorduced in 1956, the Moto Guzzi Lodola was Carlo Guzzi’s last design – unfortunately I can’t say I’m a big fan of the aesthetics. The bike started with a 175cc engine but by 1959 the “Gran Turismo” version was introduced with a 235cc engine that put out 11 horsepower, enough to get the Lodola up to 70 miles per hour. …
Completely Restored – 1979 Honda CBX
In the late 70s, the big four Japanese companies kicked off a horsepower war by stuffing big engines into their usual frames, creating the notion of superbikes. When it came to Big Red’s turn, Honda decided to push boundaries and utilize their first 6-cylinder engine in a production motorcycle. Benelli actually beat Honda to the punch in terms of 6-cylinder …