We continue with what’s become a Yamaha sportbike week with the Yamaha FZR1000 – predecessor to the now-ubiquitous Yamaha R1. The Fizzer was an instant classic when it was introduced in 1987. Just two years later, Cycle World named it the “Bike of the Decade”, thanks in part to a 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of …
1986 Honda NS400R
Post Listing Update: This NS400R did not meet reserve despite 10 bids up to $5,101. The seller then relisted the bike 7 times trying to get a bite at $6,500, but it never happened. The NS400R was arguably one of the best handlers Honda produced in the 80s and early 90s. A nifty V3 2-stroke engine pumps out about 70 …
Subaru Boxer Power – 1984 Yamaha Venture Trike
Post Listing Update: This interesting trike got no action at the opening bid of $5,000. The Yamaha Venture Royale was an upscale tourer designed to compete with the Goldwing. Though it was a solid motorcycle, the most exciting thing about it was that Yamaha took the engine and modded it to become the heart of the genre-shifting V-Max. Today we’re …
1 of 1183 – 1983 Suzuki XN85 Turbo
Post-Sale Update: After 22 bids on eBay, this Suzuki XN85 Turbo sold for $2,500. The Suzuki XN85 is the rarest of all the Japanese production Turbo bikes. This example has covered 33,000 miles and suffers from a non-original paint job. Find it here on eBay.
1971 Honda Mini Trail 50 K2
We’re sure plenty of our wonderful readers have seat time on one of these classics, so here’s your shot at some nostalgia: a pristine Honda Mini Trail 50 K2.
1993 Kawasaki KSR 50
Post Sale Update: After 21 bids on eBay, this KSR sold for $630.01. This might actually be one of the rarest Kawi’s in the US right now. They never made a 50cc version to compete with the other Japanese streetbikes of the 80s, but here’s an imported mini supermoto that’s hard to find in the US. It has some needs, …
1974 Yamaha TX750
Post Sale Update – This TX750 sold for the opening bid of $1,400 – not a bad deal! Made only for two years, the TX750 was Yamaha’s attempt of creating a parallel twin with the smoothness of an inline four engine. Using a pair of balancers (called Omni-Phase), it eliminated vibration to a level never seen before in a twin. …
The Rarest Turbo – 1983 Suzuki XN85
Post Sale Update: This XN85 sold for the BIN of $7,495. On the market for less than a year, Suzuki XN85 was the first factory bike to feature a 16-inch front wheel – previously reserved for race bikes. That wheel, combined with low clip-ons and a Suzuki Full Floater rear suspension made it a nearly peerless handler for the time. …
Benelli Dreaming – 1974 Yamaha RD250
Post-Sale Update: This RD250 sold for $5,700 on eBay. Produced from ’73 to ’79, the air-cooled Yamaha RD250 was always in the shadow of the famous RD350, but today it provides the base of an interesting Italian-influenced custom. The RD250 produced 30 horsepower and interestingly enough, had 6 gears in the transmission, but you could only access 5. Removing a …
Japanese Muscle – 1978 Kawasaki Z1-R
Post Sale Update: this Z1R sold for $7,400 after 19 bids on eBay. The Kawasaki Z1-R was the brainchild of Wayne Moulton, known as the “Father of the Japanese Cruiser.” His belief was that a solid motorcycle could be moderately tweaked to form four versions, one of which is a sport-tourer.
1990 Honda CB-1
Post-Listing Update: Apparently it’s not meant to be for this CB-1, which did not attract any bids at the opening $4,000 bid after being relisted. 12-6 Update: This CB-1 did not meet reserve, and it’s been re-listed on eBay here. In a time when Japan’s export portfolio to the US was dominated by repli-racers, the Honda CB-1 was a ‘standard’ …
Dirt Sports – 1989 Honda FTR250
Available only in Japan, the Honda FTR250 was a popular ‘flat-tracker’ 223cc alternative to Yamaha’s TW series, which we saw in the states. Styled after the RS750 (Honda’s second crack at making a competitive flat tracker, which absolutely dominated the AMA with four straight championships in the 80s), the FTR was an instant 80s classic that’s still being produced to …
Little Racer – 2004 Honda NSR50
Quite possibly the best minibike sold in the United States, the Honda NSR50 was sold here just in 2004. In the world of 50cc sportbikes (like the Yamaha YSR50 and Suzuki GSXR50), the NSR50 was dynamically in a world of its own. Though it’s not street legal like its competition, the Honda was peerless on the racetrack. Because of that, …
What a Story – 197x Tony Foale Honda CB750
6-28 Update: Year of bike in title changed to reflect Tony’s comment. Post-Listing Update: Unfortunately, this bike only got one bid and did not meet reserve at the opening bid of $10,000. I can’t believe there wasn’t more action on this bike. We love listings like this – a rare bike, an interesting back story, and great pictures. Just sit …
1973 Honda CB350
Produced from ’68 to ’73, the Honda CB350 was one of the world’s most popular motorcycles. At the time, it was Honda’s best-selling model, and in 1968 – its first year it was the best-selling motorcycle all over the world. Today we feature an excellent final year example which illustrates what made this bike so desirable. Constantly evolving, this bike …