Post-Listing Update: After being relisted several times, this Metralla did not sell at $14,000, $13,700…or any price. In the 60s, Bultaco was known primarily for its off-roaders, especially in the US. Their streetbikes were normally relegated to stay in Bultaco Cemoto’s home country of Spain, which imposed regulations allowing Bultaco to only use one engine in a small variety of …
2009 Ducati Sport1000S
We’ve featured two limited editions of this bike before – a Paul Smart and a 1-of-100 Sport1000 Special Edition, but today we feature an immaculate 1-owner,
1989 Honda NT650 Hawk
Frank Wu, this post is for you! In the late 80s, Honda introduced one of the first modern production naked motorcycles. Though the Honda NT650 (also known as the Hawk) was not a commercial success, it went on to inspire more prevalent motorcycles like the Suzuki SV650N, and has become an absolute cult favorite.
2007 Buell Lightning Super TT XB12STT
12-27-13 Update: The seller has let us know that this bike is still up for sale, so we figured we’d refresh your memory! When it comes to streetbikes, it’s harder to have much fun (at legal speeds) than when you’re riding a supermoto. For just two years and 1,700 units, Buell channeled the supermoto feel and created the XB12STT, a …
First Year Fizzer – 1987 Yamaha FZR1000
We continue with what’s become a Yamaha sportbike week with the Yamaha FZR1000 – predecessor to the now-ubiquitous Yamaha R1. The Fizzer was an instant classic when it was introduced in 1987. Just two years later, Cycle World named it the “Bike of the Decade”, thanks in part to a 0-60 time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of …
Airbrushed – 1976 BMW R90S
I adore the BMW R90S, which was a game-changer when it was released to the world. The gray and smoke paint scheme shown here was the first of two available paint schemes, both of which are beautiful and incredibly difficult to reproduce. With oversight from Hans Muth, this bike was built to show the world that BMW could make more …
1986 Honda NS400R
Post Listing Update: This NS400R did not meet reserve despite 10 bids up to $5,101. The seller then relisted the bike 7 times trying to get a bite at $6,500, but it never happened. The NS400R was arguably one of the best handlers Honda produced in the 80s and early 90s. A nifty V3 2-stroke engine pumps out about 70 …
1 of 1183 – 1983 Suzuki XN85 Turbo
Post-Sale Update: After 22 bids on eBay, this Suzuki XN85 Turbo sold for $2,500. The Suzuki XN85 is the rarest of all the Japanese production Turbo bikes. This example has covered 33,000 miles and suffers from a non-original paint job. Find it here on eBay.
1982 Krauser MKM1000
Post Listing Update: The BIN was lowered to $36,000, but it still got no interest on eBay. 3 decades ago, Krauser was known as the world’s largest manufacturer of detachable luggage for motorcycles, especially for BMWs and Goldwings. Mike Krauser, president of his namesake company, wanted to design a top of the line road bike. The result was an entirely …
1978 Ducati 900 SD Darmah
Post-Sale Update: After 9 bids on eBay, this Ducati 900 SD Darmah sold for $7,000. After the classic 750 GT of the 70s, Ducati looked to evolve with a simpler engine, and they ended up with the first ‘square case’ bevel twin – the 860 GT. It was a commercial flop, so just a few years later, the Ducati 900 …
Italian Bonanza
Reader David N. alerted us to a veritable treasure trove of classic late 80’s Italians, all being offered by one seller outside of Oklahoma City. We’ve actually written descriptions on all of these models of bikes before, so we won’t bore you with individual details this time around. If you want to learn more about the history about any given …
The Rarest Turbo – 1983 Suzuki XN85
Post Sale Update: This XN85 sold for the BIN of $7,495. On the market for less than a year, Suzuki XN85 was the first factory bike to feature a 16-inch front wheel – previously reserved for race bikes. That wheel, combined with low clip-ons and a Suzuki Full Floater rear suspension made it a nearly peerless handler for the time. …
Benelli Dreaming – 1974 Yamaha RD250
Post-Sale Update: This RD250 sold for $5,700 on eBay. Produced from ’73 to ’79, the air-cooled Yamaha RD250 was always in the shadow of the famous RD350, but today it provides the base of an interesting Italian-influenced custom. The RD250 produced 30 horsepower and interestingly enough, had 6 gears in the transmission, but you could only access 5. Removing a …
Japanese Muscle – 1978 Kawasaki Z1-R
Post Sale Update: this Z1R sold for $7,400 after 19 bids on eBay. The Kawasaki Z1-R was the brainchild of Wayne Moulton, known as the “Father of the Japanese Cruiser.” His belief was that a solid motorcycle could be moderately tweaked to form four versions, one of which is a sport-tourer.
1990 Honda CB-1
Post-Listing Update: Apparently it’s not meant to be for this CB-1, which did not attract any bids at the opening $4,000 bid after being relisted. 12-6 Update: This CB-1 did not meet reserve, and it’s been re-listed on eBay here. In a time when Japan’s export portfolio to the US was dominated by repli-racers, the Honda CB-1 was a ‘standard’ …