Founded in 1959, Rupp Manufacturing started out as a kart manufacturer in Mansfeld, Ohio. Within 10 years, they had grown to a 400-employee shop pumping out mini-bikes, go-karts, snowmobiles, and what some people consider to be the first “4 wheeler” – the Rupp Go Joe. Here’s one of their rare mini bikes – the RST 100.
German Triumph – 1956 TWN 125
Most people think Triumph is an English motorcycle company. Of course, they’d be right, but they might not realize that the company was started as a bicycle manufacturer by a German named Siegfried Bettman in 1886. A decade later, Bettman created another bicycle company in his hometown of Nuremberg – he called it the German Triumph Cycle Company. 7 years …
New in Crate – 2 1986 Honda Z50 Christmas Specials
Post-Sale Update: Incredibly (at least to me) these Z50s sold for $42,500 after 43 bids on eBay! In December 1986, Honda gave each of their top two retailers in the US a limited edition of the Z50 mini trails. It was called the Z50RDG – the D stood for Dealer, and I can’t figure out what the G signified. Some …
1973 Jawa Golden Sport
Post Listing Update: After being relisted, this Jawa did nto meet reserve despite 4 bids up to $606.95. Here’s a running example of the rare Jawa Golden Sport. Known as the Mustang in some countries, this was a 50cc, 3-speed bike that has covered 713 miles. The chrome is pitting, but it runs well and it comes with an extra …
Nice Price – 1968 Honda S90
All hail the Honda S90! Here’s an example that’s got 4,690 and is claimed to be 95% original. It apparently starts and runs excellently, and still comes with the original tires! All this tiny Honda fury can be yours here on Craigslist in Round Rock, Texas for $1,300. This bike-uriousity brought to you by Jim R!
Ending Soon – 1986 KTM 80MX
Post-Listing Update: This KTM got no interest at the opening bid of $1,500. A rare bird in the US, the KTM 80MX was KTM’s first foray into 80cc youth bikes and they’re quite the collector’s item now. What blows my mind is how much power this tiny bike was capable of putting down – check out this vintage ‘ad’ for …
Two Simson Scoots
A seller in Michigan is offering two very rare Simson scooters, so I figured I’d combine them into one post.
1966 Benelli 125
One of the many bikes sold under the Benelli/Montgomery Wards Riverside partnership, this 125 is claimed to be great running low mileage example complete with the original black license plate. With the exception of some clubman bars and levers, it’s very stock. Find this Baby Benelli for sale here on Moto Guzzino in California for $2,995.
Drill, Baby, Drill – DPX Drill-Powered Pit Bike
An aluminum mini bike with a thumb throttle and twin disc brakes, this DPX pit bike is powered by…a cordless drill.
One Year In The US – 1977 Honda CT125
Post Sale Update: This CT125 sold for the BIN of $3,800. Though it was sold from 1976-1985, the Honda CT125 Trail was only imported to the US in 1977. Think of it as a XL125 with a comfier seat, designed for farm use. It has some additional minor differences, like a fully enclosed chainguard, one person seat, smaller (19″) front …
1975 Yamaha RS100
Here’s a clean example of the tiny two-stroker Yamaha RS100 which is claimed to be very clean and to run great. It has 3200 miles. Find it for sale in Buffalo, New York for a healthy $3,000 or best offer here on Craigslist. This bike-uriousity brought to you by Jim R!
Never in the US – 1964 Honda CZ100
Post Listing Update: This CZ did not meet reserve despite 14 bids up to £6,100 ($7,953). Honda’s first monkey bike was the Z100 – this CZ100 was its replacement. This is one of the later models, as it’s equipped with a red tank. It’s got such a distinctive look, but the CZ100 was never imported to the US for Americans …
2001 GRC Moto MV Agusta F4
I know what it looks like, but these things are deceptively fast. GRC Moto has been producing excellent mini motos (they call them midis) for decades, and here’s an example being offered up by the original owner. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about mini bikes to tell which model this is, but it’s amusingly decaled up to look like a …
Almost New – 2002 Simson 050 SC
A German company founded back in 1854, Simson made guns, cars, motorcycles, and more. Here’s one of the last vehicles out of the factory, a scrambler called the Simson .050 SC. The company would stop production in the Fall of 2002 and go bankrupt in February of the next year.
1960 Honda CB92 Benly Super Sport
Post Sale Update: This Benly sold for $15,000. The Honda CB92 Benly Super Sport was built between 1959 and 1962, and was considered by many to be the best small-displacement sport bike of the time. American Honda says that just 599 examples made it into the US, this feature was 1 of the 288 of which were imported in 1960.