So many things need to go right to succeed in the motorcycling world. Motus Motorcycles is an example of the truth that simply having a good idea is not enough. Motus was a Birmingham, Alabama, outfit that produced the unique MST and MSTR from 2016 to 2018. The (arguably) good idea that Motus had was putting a powerful and snarling …
DENALI Show Bike – 2019 BMW R1250GS
Packed with tons of extras from Denali Electronics and Twisted Throttle, this GS has barely been ridden as the odometer shows just 133 miles!
1970 Velorex “Oskar” 350
Originally designed by the Stránský brothers of Czechoslovakia in 1942, the Oskar (“car on axle” in Czech) was inspired by what Morgan was creating over in England.
2005 BMW R1200ST
The BMW R1200ST was the short-lived successor to the R1100RS/R1150RS. It’s a very impressive sport-touring machine but it was an absolute commercial failure in the US. I’d pin that on two factors: first, this bike overlapped too much with the RT and the GS. Second (and more importantly)…it’s not very good looking. Just 554 were sold in the United States …
1971 HPE Muskin El Tigre MX
Post Listing Update: This El Tigre did not get any action at the opening bid of $2,500. I had never heard of HPE Muskin until I saw this ad, but it turns out I’ve ridden one of their bikes. HPE Muskin was a California-based company that specialized in making swimming pools. But ─ because why not? ─ they also manufactured …
1985 Garelli Monza GT
Garelli is not a well-known marque in the world of motorcycling, but this moped was released while they were in the middle of an impressive run of 6 consecutive 125cc 2-stroke World Championships from 1982 to 1987.
1973 Triumph X75 Hurricane
Post Listing Update: This Hurricane did not meet reserve despite 25 bids up to $37,100. Behold: a unicorn. Less than 1,200 of these were ever made. Designed specifically for the American market but inherently unable to succeed there, this bike is, in a way, an encapsulation of the weird and tumultuous period of British motorcycling history in which it was …
2018 Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental
Post Listing Update: This Yamaha did not meet reserve despite 8 bids up to $3,150. I’ve mentioned before that I am a sucker for a stupidly big touring bike. So, it goes without saying that the Yamaha XV1900 Star Venture ─ with an overall length of just under 9 feet and a wet weight of 963 lbs. ─ would be …
1984 Moto Guzzi California II
The California is easily one of Moto Guzzi’s best-known and best-loved models. It was born of a collaboration with the Los Angeles Police Department back in 1969, and built around Moto Guzzi’s equally iconic V7 roadster. The bike was a hit and found itself added to the fleets of a number of other police departments. But it wasn’t too long …
1969 BSA Rocket 3
If you’re thinking this bike looks a little like a Triumph Trident of the same era, that’s because they were basically the same machine; Triumph and BSA were, at the time, basically the same company.
1983 Yamaha Virago 750 Midnight Special
Post Listing Update: This Virago did not meet reserve with 16 bids up to $2,425 on eBay. On the surface, there’s not much that’s special about a Yamaha Virago. But perhaps that’s part of what makes it special. The Virago was an everyman metric cruiser that was offered in pretty much every engine size imaginable over the course of its …
1967 Bultaco Metralla 250 MKII
Sometimes in life you’ll encounter something that will befuddle you, that you’ll look at and think: “What was the starting point for this? Surely this wasn’t the original idea.” An example of this phenomenon is the seat on this 1967 Bultaco Metralla MKII. Surely what they ended up with is not what they initially had in mind. How did this …
1966 BMW R50/2 with Steib Sidecar
I’ll admit it was the sidecar that really caught my eye, particularly the gorgeous red upholstery. There’s something very Dita von Teese about it. But, unquestionably, the motorcycle ─ completely rebuilt by the previous owner, according to the seller ─ is a thing of beauty, too. Collectively, this is one of the prettiest rigs I’ve found since I started writing …
R90S Inspired – 2012 BMW R1200R
Last week, BMW unveiled its new R 12 S, a boxer-twin heritage model that overtly draws inspiration from the R90S that was manufactured from 1973-1976. With that bike very much on my mind, I went searching for one to highlight on Bike-urious. I found a few good examples (all with considerable asking prices), but the machine that stood out to …
Tracker-Style Custom – 2016 Indian Scout
Almost as soon as Indian Motorcycle revealed its modern Scout cruiser back in 2014, riders were lamenting the fact the brand had chosen to put an enthusiastic, revvy V-twin in a platform that had the cornering ability of a refrigerator. (And, quite possibly some of the worst OEM tires imaginable). This feeling was exacerbated when Indian drafted in Roland Sands …