12/11/16 Update – Well, looks like the sale did not go through because this Bantam is back up for sale. Now it’s got a BIN of $4,500 here on eBay. Post Sale Update: After being relisted multiple times, this Bantam sold for $4,000. Between 1948 and 1971, BSA produced between 250,000 and 500,000 Bantams making it a very iconic British …
Mini Chopper – 1979 Suzuki OR50
Post Sale Update: This OR50 sold for $1,075 after 22 bids on eBay. “Whopper of a chopper.” That what Suzuki’s tongue-in-cheek branding for the OR50 (called the Mame-Tan in Japan). It’s a rare mini chopper with a two-stroke, 49cc engine that put down 5.5 horsepower.
1973 DKW Boondocker
Something a little different for Xmas? I always get a little excited when I run across a bike I was not aware of, or at least have never seen before. Here is one example, a 1973 DKW Boondocker.
1958 Triumph Tiger Cub T20C
Introduced in 1953 with an iconic design by Edward Turner, the T20 was a good looking four stroke with a host of mechanical problems. By 1957 the plunger rear suspension had been replaced with a swing arm frame. In ‘61 and ‘62 it got a new bottom end design on the motor that mostly eliminated bottom end failure in the …
1971 Benelli Sport Special 125
Post Sale Update: This little Benelli sold for $2,550 after 12 bids on eBay. Between 1968 and 1973, Benelli offered a series of bikes called the Sport Special. They were offered in 125cc and 250cc version – 70% of which were the smaller displacement. In 1974, the Sport Special was replaced by the 2C.
1954 MV Agusta TR 125
Long before MV Agusta began building the super bikes that make me think of writing bad checks or mortgaging my house they built high grade small motorcycles. Lots of them for the post war Italian market. In the late 1940s they decided to build a four stroke motor and to go racing. The result was a world championship in the …
Nice Price – 1988 Honda NX125
I have very fond memories of my Honda NX650, which means I got excited when Zack B sent over this cheap-as-chips baby NX – a NX125 for about $10/cc.
1969 Yamaha Trailmaster 100 L5T
By 1969 the race to the American dirt market was in full swing. All the manufacturers that relied on the US had dirt and dual sport offerings. Yamaha was no exception. They brought out the Trailmaster series in 1967, but in ‘69 they really cracked the egg. Not only was the LT5 a good looking example of the genre, it …
1982 Honda MB5
“You meet the nicest people on a Honda.”
1969 Honda CL90
The ‘69 Honda CL90 was essentially an S90 that was ‘scramblerized’ to take advantage of America’s lust for off road motorcycles. In Honda terms that meant wide, braced handlebars, a ‘high rise’ exhaust with burn shield, increased height, ribbed tires and improved fender clearance front and rear. The rear clearance was more than adequate but I can tell you that …
1 of 500 – 1982 Puch Magnum Limited
Post Listing Update: This Puch Magnum Limited did not get any interest at the opening bid of $1,500. Puch ended their venerable Magnum line of mopeds with a limited production run of 500 – these were called the LTD or Limited. It was basically a Magnum MKII with special cosmetics and a numbered plaque – this one is 147 out …
1963 Moto Guzzi Stornello Sport
In 1960 Moto Guzzi set out to re establish itself in the most profitable Italian market segment by introducing the 125 CC Stornello. Using a brand new four stroke pushrod single, the Stornello made an instant impact in the eighth liter class of Italian bikes. In 1961 Guzzi added inclined valves and a hemispherical combustion chamber (yes, it’s a hemi) …
1969 Honda Z50 Mini Trail
Designed and built originally as an attraction at a Japanese amusement park, when Honda officials saw the reaction of all ages, they decided to market the bike to the world. Starting in 1964, the Z50 turned out to be a very successful seller for HMC. Commonly called the ‘Monkey Bike’ based on how adults looked riding this teeny bike it …
1950 Powell P81 Custom
Post Sale Update: After being relisted, this P81 sold for $3,050 with 20 bids on eBay. Powell Manufacturing switched from making radios to motor scooters in the mid 1930’s in their Compton, California plant. They went to full war production in 1942 (they built an ultra lightweight for American Airborne troops) but picked their scooters back up after the war. …
1968 Honda S90
Post Sale Update: After 37 bids on eBay, this S90 sold for $3,050. We all know how Abhi feels about the S90. I am somewhere near the same. My best buddy on earth had one back in the day, and I just loved it. It still gives me the warm and fuzzies when I see a picture of one. The …