Marusho/Lilac was a Japanese motorcycle manufacturer that was constantly under the shadow of Honda. After peaking in the late 50s, the company went bankrupt in 1962. The company was brought back to life just a year later, free of debts and configured to specifically target the American market with a 500cc twin engine – quite large displacement for Japanese firms …
1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado Police
Post-Sale Update: The seller has notified me that this bike has now moved on to its next owner. Post-Listing Update: This Moto Guzzi Eldorado Police did not meet reserve on eBay, despite 24 bids up to $6,400. 4/27 Update: This fantastic Eldorado is now up for sale on eBay. Find it here in Vail, Arizona with bidding up to $5,100 …
2009 Roehr 1250S
4-27 Update: This Roehr did not meet reserve at $16,100, so it’s back up for sale with bidding up to $14,600 or a lower BIN of $23,000 here on eBay. Quick – think of a sportbike built by an American engineer/dreamer utilizing a Harley-Davidson engine. Did you go with Buell? So did I. But we’re wrong. Today you’re going to …
1975 Rupp Centaur
Post-Sale Update: This Rupp Centaur sold for the BIN of $3,500. Founded in 1959, Rupp Manufacturing started out as a kart manufacturer in Mansfeld, Ohio. Within 10 years, they had grown to a 400-employee shop pumping out mini-bikes, go-karts, snowmobiles, and a 3-wheeler appropriately named the Rupp Centaur.
1956 BSA Catalina Scrambler
In the 1956 Catalina Grand Prix, nearly 1,000 riders came together to earn the title of champion. The guy who succeeded was Chuck Minert, who won on a BSA Gold Star. BSA’s West Coast distributor asked for a replica of the winning bike, and the result was the BSA Catalina Scrambler. For more information, check out this feature on Chuck …
1951 Sunbeam S8
After WWII, as part of reparations, BMW gave up its designs of the BMW R75. Bikes like Chang Jiang and Ural used these designs, but England’s take was the Sunbeam S7. You can see the BMW influence when you look at a side profile, but Sunbeam wanted to differentiate themselves by utilizing a inline vertical twin instead of the German …
1953 Rickman Metisse Mk III
Post-Sale Update: This Rickman Metisse Mk III sold for $12,200 on eBay. More classic British bike goodness, though this auction expires soon. The Rickman Metisse Mk III was an enormous success that provided many riders a base for either street-based roadsters or dual-sport scramblers. This is one of the latter, powered by a Triumph 500cc twin engine.
Chrome Classic – 2012 Royal Enfield C5
The other bikes featured today are classic Brits, but here’s a modern bike from India with classic British looks. Close enough? Royal Enfield has had some success with the C5 since bringing it back to the states, thanks to updates including a unite construction engine, fuel injection, and other modern features that belie its classic good looks. This example stands …
Off-Roading with a Yamaha FJR1300
From r/motorcycles comes this very impressive video of a talented rider who would ask, “who needs a GS?” The FJR weighs 637 pounds wet and doesn’t have what one would call tremendous ground clearance, so it’s a joy to see this rider at work. Oh, and did I forget to mention that it seems (at least from the end of …
1936 Ariel Colt
In honor of the BSAOCSC All British Run this Sunday, today I’m going to feature a few classic British motorcycles. Here we’ve got an Ariel Colt, a simple 250cc OHV single.
Championship Winner – 1999 Honda CBR600F4 Racer
During a quest to find a good RC51 to feature, I instead stumbled upon this Honda CBR600F4 racer and thought it was worth sharing because you can get a hell of a bike for your money. A former AMA race bike, this CBR spent the last few seasons with the current owner winning the Clubman Lightweight Championship and placing second …
1920 Harley-Davidson JD Racer
Post-Sale Update: This Harley-Davidson JD Racer sold for $17,100 on eBay. By 1920, HD was the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer – with dealerships in 67 countries. One of their featured bikes at the time was the 1000cc Harley-Davidson JD, which became the first motorcycle to ever win a race with an average speed of over 100 mph in 1921, on …
Daytona Orange – 1975 BMW R90S
Post-Listing Update: This BMW R90S did not meet reserve on eBay, despite 47 bids up to $8,100. I adore the BMW R90S, which was a game-changer when it was released to the world. The Daytona Orange color was the second of two available paint schemes, both of which are beautiful and incredibly difficult to reproduce. With oversight from Hans Muth, …
1980 Moto Morini 3 1/2
4-24 Update: This Moto Morini 3 1/2 is back up for sale with bidding up to $3,550 here on eBay. Post Sale Update: After 19 bids on eBay, this Moto Morini 3 1/2 did not meet reserve at $3,200. The Moto Morini 3 1/2 is one of those bikes that isn’t well known but has amassed a cult following that’s …
1996 Moto Guzzi Sport 1100
Post-Sale Update: After 21 bids on eBay, this Moto Guzzi Sport 1100 sold for $5,899. Moto Guzzi fans are few and far between in this country, but they’re a passionate group. Big bikes with lovely, torquey V-Twin engines, Guzzi is best known for cruisers and standard bikes. But the Moto Guzzi Sport 1100 was a beautiful deviation from the norm.