Affectionately known as the Tin Banana, DKW Hummel 155 featured incredibly distinctive bodywork. They were never imported to the US, but it’s not like it’s easy to find them in Europe, either. Mechanically, the bike had a 50cc engine that put out 4.2 horsepower. With a 3-speed transmission, this banana could spend all day at 45 miles per hour.
Video Intermission – The First Motorcycle Parachute Jump
From my interview with John Root, the man behind Geekbobber. I first noticed this video on Geekbobber and knew that I had to share it. Enjoy this footage of Fred Osborne barreling over a 200 foot cliff and somehow landing safely in 1926 Los Angeles. Seems like he doesn’t get the chute out early enough, but it looks like he’s …
Nice Price – 1968 Honda S90
All hail the Honda S90! Here’s an example that’s got 4,690 and is claimed to be 95% original. It apparently starts and runs excellently, and still comes with the original tires! All this tiny Honda fury can be yours here on Craigslist in Round Rock, Texas for $1,300. This bike-uriousity brought to you by Jim R!
1984 Harley-Davidson XR1000
The Harley-Davidson XR1000 was a street-oriented evolution of the legendary XR750. Less than 1,800 were built, only 177 of which were in the orange and black paint scheme that this example wears.
Half Faired – 2010 Moto Guzzi V7 Cafe Classic
It ain’t fast, but Guzzi’s V7 series does look good. Earlier in the production run, Guzzi offered variants like this Cafe Classic, and some owners were begging for an aftermarket fairing. As detailed in this profile from The Kneeslider, their prayers were answered by Luca Bar and Luigi Stucchi, the latter from Mandello del Lario.
Snowbike – 2011 Kawasaki KX450F
Equipped with a kit from Timbersled (original MSRP of $5,600), this Kawasaki KX450F is ready to tear up the snow – but it comes with all the parts to go back to a dirt bike once the snow has all melted.
Ending Soon – 1975 CZ Falta 400 Replica
In 1974, Jaroslav Falta came within 6 points of winning the 250cc World Championship. It all came down to the final round of the Championship, during which Falta had a slim deficit to overcome to go from 2nd place to 1st overall. Many believe that Russian riders kept ganging up on Falta to protect Russian KTM rider Gennady Moiseev, the …
1976 Rickman Kawasaki CR-Z1
Here’s a Kawasaki Z1 900 that’s been given the Rickman treatment – not as a kit, but from the Rickman factory itself. After careful storage for 20 years, the bike was recently recommissioned with new fuel lines/filters and rebuilt carbs. It’s claimed to be a ‘museum piece’ in outstanding condition, but it could be a classic everyday rider if you …
Original Paint – 1969 Ducati 350 Scrambler
Here’s your chance to stand out from the impending swarm of new Ducati Scramblers that will take the streets – grab yourself a lovely example of one of the originals!
Baby Gold Star – 1971 BSA B50SS
When BSA released the B50 series of bikes in 1971, they ruffled some feathers by calling the Street Scrambler variant the “Gold Star”. The other two options were the Victor Trail dual sport and the B50MX, which was a pure off-roader.
Reader Ride – 1985 Honda CB700SC
Post Sale Update: This Nighthawk sold for $3,200 after 8 bids on eBay. Also known as the Nighthawk S, the Honda CB700SC was an interesting bike designed to avoid the 45% tax imposed on imported bikes of 700cc or bigger. Despite the ‘smaller’ engine, this bike was faster than many of its 750cc competitors, and the press loved it. Honda …
Needs Some Work – 1983 Triumph TSX
One of 371 ever built (just 200 of which made it to the US), this Triumph TSX is a barn find that has just 259 miles. It’s apparently been stored since ’83 and will need some work, but I still thought it was worth sharing. For more on the TSX, check out this profile from Sump Magazine. Find this TSX …
Meet a Reader – John Root
John Root is the man behind Geekbobber, an absolute Triumphphile, and a gentleman you should listen to. Geekbobber was started in 2008 as a collaboration tool after John started his first vintage bike project and wanted to share photos and ideas with his brother and document the build of his bike. 7 years later, it’s evolved into much more – …
Frank Whiteway Replica – Suzuki Titan
Here’s a Suzuki Titan (also known as the T500) that was restored to concours condition into a replica of Frank Whiteway’s TT-winning racer in the production class.
Plated Street Tracker – 1999 ATK 605
ATK made quite a name for themselves by being an American version of Bimota for enduros – taking a well-proven engine and then making an exotic frame to get everything out of the powerplant. In this case, they took a venerable 600cc Rotax and then turned it into one of the best handling bikes of the day.