Post Sale Update: This GPz sold for $4,250 after 19 bids on eBay. In 1995, Kawasaki brought back the GPz moniker for something that MCN called “more sporty tourer than sports tourer.” This was partially because it was built to a price, and partially because the motor was a detuned unit from the Ninja ZX-11 that was dominating American highways …
1991 Honda EZ90 Cub
The Honda EZ90, also known as a Cub, was produced from 1991 until 1996. Designed for off-road use only, lots of Cubs were used as pit bikes (even by Honda’s ChampCar and IRL teams) as well as runabouts strapped on the back of RVs and campers.
1975 Kawasaki Z1
The Z1 was Kawasaki’s “bigger is better” counter to the Honda CB750, and it was a legendary motorcycle that Team Green has recently tried to recapture the magic of. The 903cc motor was so big that Kawasaki couldn’t even sell it in their home country of Japan, which had a 750cc displacement cap at the time.
2013 Milwaukee Yamaha R1
Sponsored by Milwaukee Tools, this Yamaha R1 was built in 2013 by Shaun Muir Racing in the UK to compete in the Macau Motorcycle Grand Prix. The bike was quite successful at that goal, winning the 2013 running with TT legend Ian Hutchinson as pilot and then placing 2nd in the 2014 running with Michael Rutter (another multiple Isle of …
Custom Paint – 1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma
With a custom paint job and lots of modifications (such as a 555cc big-bore kit), this Gamma isn’t for purists. But it was built by Rick Lance and should make for a very fun rider!
5-Cylinder Custom – 1978 Kawasaki “666”
I’ve had the pleasure of sharing a few of Allen Millyard’s fun builds over the years, but this is the first time I get to share one that’s for sale.
CA Plated – 1992 Yamaha TZR250 RS
The Yamaha TZR250 was manufactured and sold from 1986 until 1995 in three main iterations exclusively for the Japanese market, never being officially imported to the United States. Born out of the RD250, the model evolved from the more modest parallel twin 250 two stroke of the 2MA and 3MA variants to the 90-degree v-twin 3XV. This 3XV that stands …
First Ride Review – 2022 Yamaha MT-10 SP
View Post1986 Kawasaki Ninja 1000R
An evolution of their popular Ninja 900, the Ninja 1000R was the fastest production motorcycle that Cycle World had ever tested at the time. From their January 1986 review: “One hundred fifty-nine miles an hour! We’re talking fast, here, as in the fastest production streetbike ever. Tucked-in and wrist locked, a Ninja 1000 rider with little regard for his driver’s …
Ridden by KRJR – 1996 Yamaha YZR500 OWJ1
We’ve had the pleasure of selling some incredible motorcycles at Iconic Motorbikes – but this one’s right up there with the best of them. This Yamaha YZR500 OWJ1 was ridden by Kenny Roberts, Jr. for Team Marlboro Yamaha (which was managed by his father, Kenny Roberts, Sr.) during the 1996 World Championship. The OWJ1 was the final factory Yamaha that …
CA Title – 2000 Honda Africa Twin RD07
Nowadays it’s easy to spot an Africa Twin on the roads, but back in the early 2000s your only hope to see one was if someone had imported an example through the gray market. Here’s a RD07-generation AT that stands out slightly as it has a California title.
Road Racer – 1982 Honda Ascot FT500
Named after Ascot Park, a former flat-track raceway in Los Angeles, the Honda Ascot (also known as the VT500) was a V-Twin standard that was styled after flat-track bikes. But this one’s been customized to tackle a different form of competition – road racing!
2002 Yoshimura Tornado S1
In 2001, Suzuki unveiled the all-new GSX-R1000, and journalists felt it was the first bike to compete with Yamaha’s revolutionary R1 of 1998 because Suzuki was able to top the R1 with less weight and more power (374 pound dry weight, 160 hp/81 lb-ft at the crank). Yoshimura then took the already-impressive Suzuki to the next level by creating their …
My Old Beater – 1983 Honda XR350R With No Reserve
Back when I hosted the Beater Olympics, I bought three $500 bikes and recruited some friends to join to make sure we had a few teams and the event was a total bust. One of those bikes was a ’83 Honda XR350R which performed admirably, but I’ve been neglecting it and it needs a new home. Do you want to …
No Reserve – 1983 Suzuki XN85 Turbo
Of all the Japanese turbo wonder bikes of the 80s, Suzuki’s effort was the rarest. Just 1,153 examples of the XN85 Turbo were built, and it had the distinction of being the first production motorcycle with a 16″ front wheel. When paired with the Full Floater rear suspension, that resulted in a machine that Motorcyclist magazine described as such: “Nothing …