In 1978, Yoshimura had the incredibly talented Wes Cooley campaigning a Kawasaki KZ1000, but they weren’t winning races. Then they switched to the Suzuki GS1000 and started dominating – Cooley won the ’79 and ’80 AMA Superbike Championships. While this was happening, Suzuki decided to release a Euro-only sport version of the GS1000. Once American dealers got a peek, they …
672 Miles – 2013 Honda CB1100
In 2010, Honda introduced a spiritual successor to their legendary CB750. This time around it was the CB1100, featuring a 1,140cc air/oil-cooled inline four. It debuted in Japan, Australia, and New Zealand – it took until 2013 until Honda decided to offer it in the US. Here’s a first year example (in the US market) that’s barely been ridden.
1979 Kawasaki KZ1000ST
In 1979, Kawasaki brought two shaft-driven models to the US – the six-cylinder KZ1300 and this somewhat rare variant of the KZ1000, the ST. It was similar in many ways to the big bad MkII, though the ST obviously had the shaft drive and different bodywork (such as a larger fuel tank). The ST was only offered between 1979-1980, making …
CA Plated – 1989 Honda CR250R
Honda’s CR250R is one of the most legendary models in motorcycling. As Dirt Bike Magazine put it, “In the auto world there was the Mustang. In aviation it was the P-51 and in bicycles there was the Schwinn Sting Ray. There are timeless classics in each field, and in the dirt bike world, there’s nothing that has reached that status …
Original Owner – 1981 Honda CBX
The ’81 and ’82 models of the CBX aren’t as collectible as the earlier models, however this one’s worth a special look as it’s offered by the original owner.
Italian Superbike Prototype – 1990 Gallina-Hayashi Quattro 750
Roberto Gallina is an Italian motorcycle racer who competed in Grand Prix events in the 1970s on machines from Laverda, Motobi, Benelli, and Ducati. In the 1980s, Gallina founded his own race team, (Team Gallina) which went on to win back-to-back 500cc world championships in ’81 and ’82. He eventually opened a race shop in his hometown of La Spezia, …
1985 Yamaha FZ750
Post Sale Update: This FZ750 sold for $8,101 after 27 bids on eBay. Upon its introduction in 1986, Yamaha’s FZ immediately took the 750cc sportbike crown – MCN says it was “as fast as a Kawasaki GPZ900R” and called it “a wonderful piece of engineering.”
Ending Soon – 2006 Kawasaki ZZR600 With Zero Miles
In 1995, Kawasaki replaced the ZX-6 with the ZX-6Ras their top-of-the-line 600cc sportbike. But they kept the ZX-6 around as a cheaper option that was a better all-around bike. In 2004, the model got a name change to ZZR600, and then in 2005 Kawi pulled off the generational gap again – they took the ’04 ZX-6R (which had been replaced …
865 Miles – 2014 Honda CBR1000RR SP
After the legendary 1994 RC45, Honda took a lengthy break from producing a limited-production special for the US market. In fact, it took two decades before Honda would try something similar – the Honda CBR1000RR SP.
Original Owner – 1964 Fuji Rabbit 90 S-202
Japan’s first scooter was built in 1946 by Fuji. Called the Rabbit S-1, it was released six months before Vespa’s first model. The Rabbit was the name given to Fuji’s scooter lineup, and it ranged from the top-of-the-line Superflow down to the S-202 which was later introduced as an entry-level offering for those who just needed cheap transportation.
2003 Honda RC51 SP2
Author: August. If there is one bike I have a lot of experience with it is the RC51. I bought my first one late in 2004, it was a 2003 model that was very clean and had some nice mods, I had never ridden one, but I knew it was special and I knew I wanted it. At $9,000 it …
Cafe Custom – 1978 Yamaha SR500
Featuring an aluminum gas tank and seat cowl built by Evan Wilcox, this Yamaha SR500 looks the part and has a few more modifications to back up the style.
130K Miles – 1989 Yamaha FZR400
At a time when Japanese manufacturers were getting increasingly aggressive and race-oriented with their 400s to compete in their domestic Formula 3 championship, Yamaha introduced the FZR400 in 1986 as a bike to be enjoyed “on twisty public roads where the customers would actually be riding and enjoying them.” The US got it in 1988, and many riders preferred it …
In Canada – 2009 Yamaha MT-01
Blackfoot Motorsports in Calgary, Alberta is selling off their collection of motorcycles (including the DR800 we recently shared), and one of the more interesting finds is a Yamaha MT-01 – the original “Master of Torque.” The MT-01 was never officially sold in the US. But other lucky markets were able to buy it between 2005 and 2012, and it was …
2008 Suzuki Hayabusa Drag Bike
Turning the fastest production bike of the period into a drag racer may seem like a bad idea for some but others would highly encourage such ideas!