US minibike enthusiasts will be familiar with the Honda NSR50. Japan got a 80cc variant that was never sold in the US, but here’s an example that’s somehow made it across the ocean.
2002 BMW R1200C
Most people know the R1200C as the James Bond bike. Because seemingly that’s the only person who ever actually rode one. Or, at least, I’ve never seen one in the wild.
Nice Price – 2004 BMW R1100S
Thanks to the S1000RR, the idea of BMW making a true sportbike is no longer a laughing matter. Back in 1999, however, BMW took the most powerful boxer engine it had at the time and made their most aggressive looking bike so far, the BMW R1100S. Despite the looks, this is more of a sport-tourer than an outright sports bike.
1960 Heinkel Tourist 103 A2
After Germany lost World War II, Heinkel was banned from producing airplanes by the Allies. They decided to try their hand at personal transport with the production of vehicles like microcars, bicycles, and scooters like the Tourist you see here.
1 Kilometer – 2017 Honda Z50 Monkey 50th Anniversary
Post Sale Update: This Monkey sold for $7,865 after 28 bids on Iconic Motorbike Auctions. In Honda’s legendary lineup of motorcycles, one of the most iconic is the Z50 – affectionately known as the “monkey” bike because of how riders looked while on the tiny things. The first model was the Z50M, adorned in Shasta White bodywork with a Magna …
1983 Honda CB1100F Bol D’or
Based on the popular CB900F (1979-1983) and driven by the same 1062cc air-cooled inline four engine that drove the CB1100R (“but with less of the hand-crafted attention that made the 1100R so much of a cult bike,” according to Classic Motorcycle Mechanics), the CB1100F was sold from 1982 to 1984. Different markets saw different versions, and this example, paying homage …
Lonesome Road Choppers – 2009 Harley-Davidson Custom
Well, this looks like a particularly interesting way to end up in the hospital. It’s effectively a bicycle with a knock-off Harley-Davidson panhead engine. If you’re looking at that V-twin and thinking,”That looks kinda like a Twin Cam,” you’re not wrong. The engine maker, Ultima, acknowledges as much on its website. Confusingly, the engine is from the company’s “Ultima Evo” …
2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800 America
You may have caught the news recently that MV Agusta has managed to buy its way out of its partnership with the deeply troubled KTM and is, in its own words, “back to running on its own.” “This is a moment of pride for all of us at MV Agusta,” a press release quotes CEO Timur Saradarov as saying. “Regaining …
1973 Suzuki GT550
You may have seen recently that Kawasaki is bringing two-strokes back. Whether it is promising a street bike (probably not) or something more off-road focused is uncertain. It’s been quite a while since two-stroke engines featured in street bikes. Even 52 years ago, when this GT550 was produced, it was clear that the end was nigh. Or, well, it was …
Picture Intermission – A Motorcycle in Alaska
When Vy and I travel, I like to get photos of motorcycles in the area to share. We recently found ourselves in Fairbanks, Alaska to ring in the New Year and catch the Northern Lights but the temperature ranged from a toasty -5 degrees to a less-toasty -38 degrees the whole time we were there and as you can imagine, …
Video Intermission – How to Win the Biggest Race in Supercross
Ever since Yamaha took me to check out a Supercross race in San Diego a couple of years ago I’ve been hooked – the racing is fantastic and the spectacle is impressive if you’re able to catch it in person, I think MotoGP could learn a few things from them. There’s also stuff that SX can learn from other organizations, …
1916 Cleveland 1-B
I have some questions about this bike, so proceed with caution. It was listed on eBay back in December and doesn’t appear to have been sold. Now, in addition to being listed on Auto Barn’s site, it can also be found on Facebook with a minimalist description: “All original complete running bike.”
1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 A2
It’s probably the Kawasaki owner in me that loves these bikes so much. Back in November, I drew your attention to a customized 1978 KZ1000 A2. But here’s an example that’s much more in line with what the manufacturer originally intended. The bike has been restored, but the seller says that it’s been kept “as stock as possible.” Without question, …
3 KM in Germany – 2006 Bimota DB4
The Bimota DB4 Tricolore followed the Italian firm’s modus operandi of taking a well established engine from another manufacturer and surrounding it with beautiful Italian bodywork. Using a frame similar to the Bimota Mantra, this successor wasn’t much of a technological advancement. Think of it instead as a moving piece of art.
1987 Yamaha SRX250
For decades, Kawasaki ruled the 250cc ‘sport’bike market – though Honda has recently taken a chunk of the market with their CBR250R. Honda also challenged the little Ninja in the 80s with the VTR250, though it did not have much commercial success. For one year in the States, even Yamaha threw their hat into the ring with the Yamaha SRX250.