The Bimota DB5R represented an interesting shift in corporate philosophy for the niche Italian motorcycling manufacturer. Instead of trying to create the ultimate track bike – the DB5R was built to be more of an upmarket street bike that’s at home carving canyons or doing track duty. The engine donor was easily identifiable by the first letter in the model …
1975 Benelli Quattro
The Benelli Quattro, introduced in 1973, was Benelli’s version of the Honda CB500 – it even had the same bore and stroke. Produced for 10 years, this bike featured an air-cooled inline 4 cylinder engine fed by four(!) Dell’Orto carbs that was capable of 45 horsepower. This specific example is unfortunately not a runner – it needs a new battery …
2008 Aprilia Bol D’Or RSV1000R
Post-Sale Update: This Aprilia Bol D’Or RSV1000R has sold, final price unknown. The Aprilia Bol D’Or was a very limited production bike built to commemorate Aprilia’s particpation in the Bol D’Or, a 24 hour endurance race that occurs every spring at Le Mans. I have to admit, the idea of creating a bike to celebrate participating in a race as …
2006 Ducati Paul Smart LE
This Ducati Paul Smart LE was a limited edition bike inspired by the Ducati race bikes of the 1970s – one of which was piloted by Paul Smart to a win at the Imola 200 in 1972. Limited to only 2,000 units worldwide, this is one of the more desirable modern classics to come out of Ducati – and prices …
1996 Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 needs no introduction, but for a teenage boy who didn’t know much about motorcycles, it was a revelation. The dual projector headlights, the SSSA, and the underseat exhausts all caught my imagination and even to this day, have never let go. Designed by Massimo Tamburini, the 916 has become an icon in the sportbike world. I’ll leave …
2007 Benelli TNT Cafe Racer
We go from old Benelli’s to new ones… In the 80s, Benelli was merged to become part of Moto Guzzi, and it was pretty much shut down. In the mid 90s, however, Andrea Merloni brought Benelli back and they came back with a vengeance, with very distinctive looking bikes. By the designs, you would never be able to tell that …
1965 Benelli 200 Sprite
Sold for a whopping $629 when new, the little Benelli 200 Sprite was not very popular, and as such, you don’t see much information about them nowadays. With that said, they were to be the Italian answer to Honda. This 200cc was one of the larger engines Benelli made in the 60s, and featured refinements like “extra heavy cables”. That’s …
1988 Ducati 750 F1
I’ll open by saying I try to avoid listing bikes currently available at dealers, but this is an exception worth sharing. One of the most stunning creations of its time, the Ducati 750 F1 remains one of the most highly sought after bikes in Ducati history. So while you’ll have to pay the dealer premium to get your hands on …
1997 Moto Guzzi Sport 1100i
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 typically makes cruisers and standard bikes. But the Moto Guzzi Sport 1100i was a beautiful deviation from the norm.
1978 Laverda Jota America
Despite the name, the Laverda Jota America was a 3-cylinder superbike that was rarely seen in the United States. With an odd crankshaft design (180 degree flat crank), the Jota produces a very unique sound that owners enjoy. This bike has been the beneficiary of several period-specific mods, including rear-sets, Jota exhuast, Progressive shocks, 4C Jota cams, and Moto-Witt ignition. …
2000 Cagiva Gran Canyon
Cagiva is an interesting phenomena in the states – they sold poorly, they’ve withdrawn on the US market so dealer support is basically non-existent, and even though they sourced Ducati engines, they never really made the kind of power you’d expect them to. Yet there’s something about these bikes that a niche group of riders finds irresistible, and owners are …
2000 Moto Guzzi Quota
As a R1150GS owner myself, I’m a big fan of large displacement dual-sports, particularly of the opposite-cylinder variety. This big V-Twin checks all the right boxes for an all-rounder, with the added benefit that you’re going to stand out from the GSes with a bike this rare. A concern with rare bikes is always going to be maintenance and parts …