Post-Listing Update: This R75/5 did not meet reserve at $15,188. There’s lot of slash5 Beemers I sort through, and sometimes it can be hard to pick out the cream of the crop. In this case, it was easy. Used as a daily commuter by a rocket scientist (the original owner) for two and a half decades, this bike was sold …
Video Intermission – Yamaha’s Spirit of Adventure
At 90 minutes long, this is basically a feature film. But this promotional film from Yamaha Europe was offered at dealerships as inspiration when you bought a (Super) Tenere in the early 90s. It’s long, but it’s beautiful: Embedding the video has been disabled, so you’ll have to go here to see it directly on YouTube.
1 Year Only – 1961 Triumph TR5AR
Only built for 1 year (mostly sold in the US), the Triumph TR5AR is a very rare bike. A 500cc Tiger unit-construction model, you could consider this bike to be a smaller version of the Trophy. According to Ian Falloon, one year later the TR5AR had evolved into the T100SS.
1986 Moto Guzzi LeMans 1000
Post Listing Update: This LeMans did not meet reserve with bidding up to $4,017.09. The ’86 Moto Guzzi LeMans 1000 was one of five generations of the LeMans – it’s also the most ‘dangerous’ one as it’s the generation where Guzzi retrofitted a 16″ front rim instead of the usual 18″ in a quest to improve handling – except they …
Fully Restored…in 1986 – 1960 Indian Chief
After going bankrupt in 1953, Indian followed an odd path – including some time based out of England as a badge-sharing experiment with Royal Enfield. Between ’59 and ’61, even the top line Chief was brought back, based on an Enfield 700cc engine. For decades these bikes were considered a worthless low point in the Chief line, but as the …
1983 Honda CB1100F
Post-Listing Update: This CB1100F was pulled from eBay because “there was an error in the listing.” Built for just one year, the Honda CB1100F was a sleek looking standard that evolved from the 900F. In the process, it had tremendous performance – in January of ’83, Cycle World said it was the fastest stock bike they’ve ever tested.
1968 Rickman Metisse Triumph
4-11 Update: 7 months, 5 miles, and 1 seller later, this beautiful Rickman is back up for sale. I wonder why. It’s since moved from Chicago to Silver Spring, Maryland – find it here on eBay. 9-26 Update: This Rickman Metisse Triumph was pulled off eBay the first time, but is now back up for sale with bidding up to …
Video Intermission – Trialing To The Top Of A Building
I love Top Gear (RIP, sort of) but because of Clarkson’s hatred of motorcycles, they rarely used their fantastic production budgets on 2-wheeled vehicles. Here’s one of the rare examples. Yes, it’s obviously staged, don’t be a wise ass. Just enjoy Dougie Lampkin riding like a maniac. Clips like this make me want to buy a trials bike:
Art of the Italian Two Wheel
If you’re in New York, you need to go check out Art of the Italian Two Wheel, an exhibit of designer Stuart Parr’s private collection of Italian motorcycles. The public opening is a week from today – April 18th, and it’s all going down at 285 Madison Ave, New York, NY.
496 Miles – 1980 Honda CB750F Super Sport
Post Listing Update: despite 29 bids up to $5,100, this CB750F did not meet reserve. The Honda CB750F, also known as the Super Sport, was an evolution of the storied CB750 line. It gained some 80s styling to complement the 748cc dual overhead cam engine, a unit that produced 78 horsepower. The bike was capable of hitting about 125 miles …
Production Racer Rep – 1974 Norton Commando 850
Restored by Ken Armann, this Commando 850 was turned into a replica of the Production Racer – it was supposed to be a ‘museum piece that could be ridden’. The bodywork is claimed to be genuine Dunstall Production Racer, as are a few other pieces. Find this Norton Commando Production Racer Replica (VIN: 850F111624) for sale in Valencia, California with …
1968 BSA A50 Royal Star
A semi-popular export, the BSA A50 Royal Star was an evolution of the A50 Star, which was an example of BSA’s transition to full unit construction engines. The Royal Star had a 498cc twin that pushed 33 horsepower through a 4-speed transmission. For more on the Royal Star, check out this article from Motorcycle Classics.
Video Intermission – Target Fixation
Another instant classic from RNickeyMouse, this video shows what happens when: 1.) Someone parks a car where bikes have been known to go wide in the past. 2.) A rider exhibits a pretty incredible case of target fixation. I feel bad for both parties but it’s pretty humorous to see the guy have his car hit just seconds after parking …
1977 Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans
Post-Sale Update: After 40 bids on eBay, this Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans sold for $16,099. Arguably the successor to the V7 Sport, the Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans was named after the famous race in France. Guzzi took a modified version of the 850T engine and wrapped it in interesting styling that has led to it becoming a cult classic.
Replica of a Replica – 1974 John Player Norton Commando
The most collectible of the Commandos (in my humble opinion) was the John Player, a distinctive endurance-inspired Norton with unique bodywork surrounding a completely stock Mark 2A Commando. I’ve never cared for the dual headlights , but they caught they eyes of many fans who were obsessed with the hottest motorcycle racing competitions of the time – endurance races.