Affectionately known as the Big One, the Honda CB1000 was produced for just two years as a bike that stood out in a world of superbike replicas with acres of plastic bodywork. The slightly detuned engine didn’t help sales, and Americans weren’t ready for standards – the CB1000 ended up as a poorly-known cult classic.
1962 Gilera Giubileo
View Post1998 Laverda Ghost Strike 668
Talk about a fantastic name for a motorcycle. The Laverda Ghost Strike is one of the many variants the Italian firm pushed out in the late 90s that were powered by either the 650 or 668cc parallel twins. Laverda actually offered a Ghost and a Strike as separate models, the former a trellis-framed naked bike, the latter a perimeter-framed naked. …
1966 Moto Guzzi Stornello
One of the last four-stroke singles that Guzzi ever built, the Stornello (which translates to Starling) was produced in many varying models, all of which were powered by a 124cc engine. The Scrambler was specifically designed for the US market, and came with off-road styling, chunky tires, upswept exhaust, and lower gearing.
1968 BSA A50 Royal Star
A semi-popular export, the BSA A50 Royal Star was an evolution of the A50 Star, which was an example of BSA’s transition to full unit construction engines. The Royal Star had a 498cc twin that pushed 33 horsepower through a 4-speed transmission. For more on the Royal Star, check out this article from Motorcycle Classics.
1981 Yamaha Virago XV750
Post Sale Update: This XV750 sold for $1,136 after 10 bids on eBay. Yamaha’s first V-twin cruiser, the 750 Virago was built from ’81 to ’98, making this a first year example of a cruiser that’s become a popular platform for customization. In fact, the seller of this specific bike was planning on turning into a cafe racer but he …
Restomodded – 1991 KTM 300/380 EXC
It performs like a new bike but looks like an almost-classic. This 1991 KTM 300EXC has been given the engine, brakes, and suspension from a 2001 KTM 380EXC, creating an interesting package. As part of the mechanical changes, this bike also got NOS plastics, graphics, seat cover, and more. Unfortunately, the front light and fender are not the original KTM …
$1600 Adventurer – 1996 Triumph Tiger 900
Affectionately known as the “Steamer”, the first gen of the dual-sport Tiger was built between 1993 and 1998. It was a quirky option to the better known R1100GS. For more on the Tiger, check out this review from MCN. This example has 45,000 miles and is claimed to be in very good condition. The only problem is that the clock …
Ice Racer – 1968 Ducati 450 Scrambler
Post-Sale Update: This Ducati/Mototrans sold for $1,801 after 25 bids on eBay. This bike, affectionately known as “Bone Crusher”, has served as an ice racer for the last 6 years. It started life as a MotoTrans 350, which was a Spanish badge-engineered Ducati – check out BikeEXIF for another example of a MotoTrans.
1966 Allstate 250 Twingle
Post Sale Update: This Twingle sold for the opening bid of $1,800! Also known as the Puch 250 SGS, this bike was imported into the US through Sears as the Allstate. It’s also known as the Twingle as it featured an interesting engine design where two pistons shared one combustion chamber.
1969 Honda CB160
Post Sale Update: This CB sold for $4,336.25 after 22 bids on eBay. The Honda CB160, affectionately known as the Mini Hawk, featured an over-bored CB125 that produced 16.5 horsepower at 10,500rpm. Here’s your chance to snag an example that’s been ‘perfectly restored’.
1984 Moto Morini 350 K2
Post Sale Update: After 33 bids on eBay, this K2 sold for $4,801. Normally, a 350 from Morini makes people think of the 3 1/2, but the Italian firm released the Moto Morini 350 K2 a decade later.