Like most motorcycle aficionados, I’m a big fan of Paul D’Orleans – also known as the man behind The Vintagent. I’ve always found him to be very detailed in his research, and therefore very knowledgeable about the vintage motorcycles he’s passionate about.
1941 Indian 648 Big Base Racer
A prototype of the famous Indian 648 Big Base Racer, this bike is claimed to be #3 of 13 pre-production models, according to the seller.
1 of 200 – 2003 Aprilia Tuono Racing
The Aprilia Tuono Racing (before the Italian company started applying the ‘Factory’ moniker on their high-performance bikes) was a limited edition, highest-spec version of the naked Tuono. Think of it as the RSV-R without a fairing and with wider, flatter bars.
XR750 Replica – 1995 Harley-Davidson XR1200 Custom
Here’s a Harley-Davidson XR1200 Custom that’s been converted into a replica of the classic XR750 – with the bonus of being street legal.
Video Intermission – Rossi vs. Stoner, 2008
Let’s back up 6 years to a better time when MotoGP was still at Laguna Seca and Valentino Rossi could win a race. Here’s one of the better duels in modern MotoGP – Rossi vs. Stoner. I still can’t believe Rossi didn’t lose control on his bike during the pass on the corkscrew:
Big Wheel – 1986 Yamaha BW80
The Big Wheel came in three different displacements – 80, 200, and 350cc. Most often used as a learner bike for little kids, the Yamaha BW80 is fondly remembered by those who learned how to ride on it in the late 80s.
Orange Crush – 1974 Laverda 750 SFC
10-1 Update: This Laverda 750 SFC did not meet reserve at $50,000 the last time it was listed. It’s now back up for sale with bidding up to $35,100 (and yes, the reserve not yet met) here on eBay. Say hello to the Laverda 750 SFC, a limited-production, street-legal racer that was the most iconic bike to ever come with …
1950 Vincent Rapide Series C
The baby brother to the legendary Black Shadow, the Vincent Rapide was sold from 1936-55 in 3 distinct ‘Series’. The final run was the Series C, which commenced in 1949. It offered the Rapide as a base model and the Black Shadow as the higher state of tune.
1981 Moto Guzzi CX100 LeMans
Post Sale Update: After 18 bids on eBay, this CX100 sold for $5,202.61. The successor to the legendary 850cc Le Mans, the Moto Guzzi LeMans II CX100 was created to satisfy the American mantra of “no replacement for displacement” and as competition to the BMW R100RS. Guzzi took the engine and lower fairings from the 1000SP sport tourer, and threw …
1976 Yamaha XT500
Post-Listing Update: Though the price was lowered to $8,500, this Yamaha XT500 (lovely as it is) got no takers this time on eBay. Alright, I’ll preface this by saying the seller’s BIN price is a little nutty – but that’s what the “Make Offer” button is for. The Yamaha XT500 was the original Yamaha thumper, and an instant sales success. …
Fully Restored – 1980 Honda Trail 110
This Honda Trail 110 has been completely restored with original Honda parts and it looks great. It’s got a 3 speed gearbox, auto clutch, and just 4,492 miles. But to be frank, I think I’m featuring it mostly because it has the awesome auxiliary fuel tank: Find this Honda Trail 110 for sale here on Craigslist in Round Rock, Texas …
Video Intermission – 2015 Kawasaki Ninja H2R
Kawasaki’s been teasing this bike for weeks, but they’ve finally released a video that actually shows the whole bike: Frankly, the way they’ve released it this (with useless videos referring to a small detail of the bike every week or so) has annoyed me. But then they announced that it will make ‘roughly’ 300 horsepower, and all is forgiven. Head …
To the Top of Alaska, Day 22
June 25th, 2014 – Twin Falls, ID to Fremont, CA ~690 miles The day before, Bui threw out an idea – we were already near the end of the trip, and we didn’t have anything exciting planned for the state of Nevada. How about we just head straight back to Fremont and get back to our homes one day earlier? …
A pair of Moto Guzzi 1100 Sports
One of my favorite Guzzis, the 1100 Sport was a beautiful deviation from what people expect from the Italian firm. This is one of the earlier models, which comes with gigantic 40mm Dell’Orto’s instead of electronic injection (denoted as the 1100i). The engine produced 90 horsepower and the 5-speed transmission was geared very tall, so you could hit nearly 140. …
Not a GS – 1993 BMW R100 Desert Racer
Who needs a GS when you’ve got an imagination and mechanical ability? This BMW R100 has been extensively modified into a desert racer and is now ready for you to tear up some trails with it.