The original Shadow 1100 was a fine motorcycle, good enough that Honda kept it around until 2007 with very few changes. Still, it’s not the kind of bike I’d typically feature here. However, I have to make an exception for this example, as it’s got a sidecar which doubles as a powered boat!
Off-Road-Spec – 1973 Honda QA50 K1
8-14-19 Update – Three months later, Tim Huber notes that this bike is back up for sale, but the price is down to a much more reasonable $2,350. Find it here on Craigslist in Temecula, California. Released in 1970 on the heels of the wildly successful Z50A, Honda’s QA50 was an off-road version of the popular minibike with bigger tires, …
1960s Malaguti Roncobilaccio Cross
Ever heard of one of these? Me neither.
High Pipe Hustler – 1970 Suzuki T250
In 1969, Suzuki unveiled the successor to their popular Super Six T20 – the T250 Hustler. It took all the good parts of the T20 and added sleek styling in addition to an upgraded motor. The original was more newsworthy, but the T250 was arguably a better bike. There was also a variant with a high exhaust pipe, and that’s …
1992 BMW R100R
Post Listing Update: This R100R did not get any interest at the BIN of $4,400. Between 1991 and 1995, BMW produced 20,898 examples of the R100R – one of the last airhead boxers to ever wear a roundel on the tank. Basic specifications include a 980cc air-cooled twin with an oil cooler, Brembo brakes, a 5-speed transmission, and shaft drive.
1 Owner – 1983 Suzuki SP500
“Tough. Gutsy. Fun on the road. Even more fun off.” That’s how Suzuki introduced the new-for-1981 SP500. It was durable but a little overweight, and nowadays it’s tough to find a clean survivor.
Rare Pre-Tuono – 2001 Aprilia Falco w/ Factory Streetfighter Kit
Prior to the release of the popular sport naked Tuono, Aprilia offered a factory streetfighter kit for its Falco (or SL1000) model. On top of the Falco’s $10,999 MSRP, owners could opt to shell out an additional $2K for a slick street fighter package.
Yetman Framed – 1967 Honda CB77
David Yetman was born in 1938, and he fell in love with motorcycles as a military serviceman stationed in Japan. He specifically appreciated the “high level of performance” that Japanese manufacturers were able to extract from small bikes. Years later, he crashed his Honda CB77 and ruined the frame. He couldn’t afford to replace the frame, but instead of totaling …
Rare Project – 1972 Fox Tracker
Post Sale Update: this Fox Tracker sold for $930 after 20 bids on eBay. No, it’s not the Fox you’re familiar with. This Fox was called Fox Corporation, and it was based in Janesville, Wisconsin. It was very difficult for me to find official information on this company, but I’ve seen anecdotes that they offered six different models of minibikes …
Heathkit Boonie Bike GT-18
Heathkit was founded in 1926 in Saint Joseph, Michigan as a subsidiary of the Heath Company – they sold light aircraft kits. But they didn’t hit their peak until after World War II, when they offered electronic kits such as oscilloscopes. In 1968, they got in on the mini bike craze with the GT-18, which was marketed as the “Boonie …
Swiss Army Bike – 1974 Condor A350
How often is a great product held back by a single component? Car makers, musicians, and companies throughout history sometimes could have made something great if they had outsourced one piece of their product. An amazing guitar player sometimes can’t write a great song to save their life, but if they play someone else’s great song, they might have a …
1970s Gemini SST 50
Post Listing Update: This Gemini did not get any interest at the BIN of $2,300. Imported for just three years, the Gemini SST 50 was much faster than a Honda 50 thanks to a licensed design of Yamaha’s rotary intake valve engine – last time I featured one of these, multiple commenters said it was faster than the Honda 70, …
Thunderstorm Heads – 1997 Buell S3T Thunderbolt
View Post2010 Royal Enfield Bullet 500
My buddy Bryan Wood is looking to sell a Bullet 500 – you may remember him from a guest appearance in the Beater Olympics as well as his coverage of The Desert Race. I figured I’d just let him take it from here:
Up-Specced and Fullly-Faired – 2005 Suzuki SV650
As a competent and economical platform, Suzuki’s SV650 makes for a solid choice as the base for a wide array of different types of builds. A popular move is turning the mid-sized twin into a sport or track bike, and that’s exactly what we’ve got here; a well-farkled SV that’s been equipped with a myriad of cosmetic and performance modifications/upgrades.