The most obvious modification to this Grom is the Repsol livery, but the list of upgrades is extensive and pricey. Does that mean it’s worth owning?
$1,000 – 1981 Honda C70 Passport Deluxe
The Passport (or Super Cub, depending on where you live) is the best selling motor vehicle in history by a large margin. Over 60 million units have covered miles all around the world, and they’ve served all kinds of roles first bikes to family SUVs. James May has gone on record multiple times saying the Cub is the greatest machine …
Resto-Mini – 1970 Rupp Scrambler
The story of Rupp Manufacturing (or Industries) is a fascinating one with a history spanning almost two decades. They produced a vast range of motorized on and off-road toys and even managed to hold its own for a while against Japan’s stranglehold on the industry once the Z50 Mini Trail debuted. The company was founded in Mansfield, Ohio in 1959 …
For a Good Cause – 1975 Yamaha RD350
For those of us of a certain age, this was THE bike to have. It wasn’t the biggest or the baddest bike of the mid-70’s but in the right hands, it could run with anything in the twisties.
2WD – 1971 Pak-Jak 3 Wheel Scooter
Post Sale Update: After 13 bids on eBay, this Pak-Jak sold for $2,949. Built by the Right Way Manufacturing Corporation of Owen, Wisconsin, the Pak-Jak was an in-line 3 wheel trail bike that was advertised as an all-terrain climber of hills. From what I’ve been able to find online, approximately 125 examples were built before the company went bankrupt. Here’s …
Fighting the CT-70 – 1976 Yamaha Champ
In 1976, Yamaha brought out its answer to Honda’s wildly popular CT-70 in the form of the 80cc “Champ”, (not to be confused with the Yamaha Chappy or 50cc LC50 Champ moped). The mini was powered by a 72cc oil-injected LB80-3D two-stroke engine (with four-petal reeds), married to an automatic transmission with two-speed centrifugal clutch. The tiny Yammy can reportedly …
Italian Two-Stroke – 1968 Cimatti C100
Though Cimatti Motorcycles was founded in 1937, it would be well over a decade before it produced its first motorized two-wheeler. The marque was started by Marco Cimatti, who won a Gold Medal in cycling at the 1932 Olympics. Despite the company starting up in a turbulent period economically, the bicycle manufacturer managed to beat the odds and remain profitable. …
2003 CCM 604 Supermoto
Based out of the UK, Clews Competition Motorcycles is a niche manufacturer that owes its start to the failure of BSA’s racing division – Alan Clews was looking to build a better motocross bike and he snapped up anything he could from BSA after they shut down the competition department. A tumultuous history ensued – Clews sold the company in …
DG Race Replica – 1975 Honda CR125M Elsinore
In the 1970’s, motocross racing had become fairly mainstream with several top racers becoming household celebrity names. In this highly competitive era, the big manufacturers poured absurd amounts of funding into race R&D, driving the constant evolution of MXers. Despite the large staff and state of the art facilities that the big mocos possessed, a few talented wrenchers created something …
Good For A Laugh – 1993 Honda PC800 Pacific Coast
The Honda Pacific Coast was truly an oddball of a motorcycle, but it’s become a cult classic and resale values typically surprise motorcyclists who don’t follow these bikes closely. For a certain type of rider, this is the perfect two-wheeler – reliable, comfortable, ample integrated storage, and adequate handling. For the seller of this specific example, it’s a “piece of …
One Owner – 1981 BMW R100RT
Before BMW introduced the RT in 1978, a rider who wanted to tour had to buy a bike and then slap on the usual accessories like a fairing and bags. The RT was a revelation in that you could just sign the paperwork at your dealership and then immediately put on your break-in mileage in a few days as you …
Hondas and Indians – 3 Cool Minis
Minibikes have a more universal appeal in the motorcycle world quite possibly more than any other type of motorized two-wheeler. So many motorcyclists have stories to share of piloting a mini that they, a cousin, or a kid down the street owned. For many of these riders, this would be their first introduction into a lifelong moto-obession. Indian wasn’t particularly …
Mini DT1 – 1971 Yamaha JT1 Mini Enduro
The Yamaha JT1 Mini Enduro was a bonafide motorcycle that was simply scaled down. The fact that the motorcycle it was largely based on was the DT1 – and “On Any Sunday” came out the same year this example was made – helped Yamaha succeed in selling huge amounts of these bikes. Cycle World’s Andrew Bornhop said the JT1 “helped …
Santa Barbara – 1964 Yamaha YA6
The YA6 was best known for being Yamaha’s first production bike with automatic oil injection – you may remember the feature by the name of “Autolube.” The oil injection was immensely popular and was offered throughout Yamaha’s lineup for decades. The YA6 was much less successful, making them a rare find nowadays. This survivor has remained in good shape and …
Ex-Red Bull Rookies Cup – Metrakit 125 GP Racer
For the last decade, the Red Bull Rookies Cup has been allowing up-and-coming riders to prove themselves on professional-quality machines at world-class motorsport circuits. The league has clearly accomplished what it set out to do, as Johann Zarco was the champion of its inaugural season, followed by JD Beach. Other riders like Jake Gagne, Lorenzo Savadori and the late Luis …