We have no idea how this got into the country, or if you can even make it legal, but we definitely wanted our loyal readers to see it! A niche Italian manufacturer that specialized in high performance, small displacement bikes between the 40s and the 70s, Mondial made their name with World Championship road racers in the 50s, and motorcycles …
Homologation Special – 1991 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R K1
The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-7R K1 was a special limited edition of Kawi’s ZX-7R used in AMA Superbike. Kawasaki enjoyed tremendous success in competitive racing with this bike, and plenty of that tech made it to the ‘civilian’ version. Required to produce 500 examples for homologation purposes, Kawi packed this bike full of features like 39mm Keihin flat-slide carbs, an aluminum …
1999 Bimota DB4
The Bimota DB4 followed the Italian firm’s modus operandi of taking a well established engine from another manufacturer and surrounding it with beautiful Italian bodywork. Using a frame similar to the Bimota Mantra, this successor wasn’t much of a technological advancement. Think of it instead as a moving piece of art.
Hoon’s Favorite: 2010 Aprilia SXV550
The Aprilia SXV550 is an absolute monster that epitomizes what supermotos should be about – immediate thrust, and minimal weight. With 70hp and less than 320 pounds of curb weight, this bike definitely checks the right boxes. Hooligans unite – this is one of the bikes you’ve been waiting for.
Buell is Back – 2012 EBR 1190RS
Post Listing Update: This EBR was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Motorcycle enthusiasts are all familiar with the story of Erik Buell, and the disappointing end of his partnership with Harley-Davidson. Good News – Buell is back! In 2011, Erik and his company, Erik Buell Racing (EBR), decided to get back in the sportbike game with a …
The True Senna – 1995 Ducati 916 Senna
Just a couple of days after we featured a ‘semi-Senna’ Ducati, reader Paul Z. found us one of the real ones! Ducati’s 916 was an instant classic as soon as it was shown to the world. Built for 5 years before evolving into the 996, this bike was one of Massimo Tamburini’s crowning achievements. Though it produced less horsepower than …
1970 Kawasaki H1 500 Mach III
Post Sale Update: This Mach III sold for $10,000 after 25 bids on eBay. The Kawi H1’s were a range of triples famous for being incredibly fast in a straight line, but dangerous when you had to turn. This reputation only helped to make the bike more popular amongst riders who fancied themselves tough, as the bike became “affectionately” known …
2003 Benelli Tornado Tre 900 Limited Edition
10-23 Update: Wow, that was quick! This bike has already sold, at the much lower price of $8,200. So much for the 25k asking price. Benelli was one of the many companies that struggled to survive the onslaught of Japanese competition, starting all the way back in the 60s. As years passed, Benelli was bought and sold several times until …
Jekyll and Hyde – 2x 1983 Suzuki GS1100E
Just yesterday, we featured the Honda CBX. But today, just like back in the 80s, Suzuki knocks off the CBX as the superbike du jour. The Suzuki GS1100E came into the market and instantly became the bike of choice for the power hungry.
1974 John Player Norton Commando 850
Post-Sale Update: After 8 bids on eBay, this John Player Norton Commando 850 sold for $12,625.53. The Norton Commando was a bike that spawned many variants just based on cosmetic differences. The most collectible of these models was the John Player Norton Commando, a distinctive endurance-inspired Norton with unique bodywork surrounding a completely stock Mark 2A Commando. We’ve never thought …
1 of 1139 – 1995 Buell S2 Thunderbolt Signature Series
The Buell S2 Thunderbolt Signature Series was the first set of motorcycles produced as a result of the alliance between Buell and Harley-Davidson. Released to the public in 1994 as a ’95 model, the S2 Thunderbolt took visual cues from the Buell 1200RS (the very limited run of bikes Buell made as an independent), and combined with the 1200cc Harley …
1990 Honda CB-1
10/15 Update: This beautiful Honda CB-1 has been relisted here, the BIN price has been removed and bidding is up to $1,375. The Honda CB-1 was a wonderful standard in a time of replica racers. Originally built for the Japanese market, it was a beautifully balanced motorcycle that lost out in an American market that was obsessed with having as …
2002 Ducati 998S Ben Bostrom Replica – 81/155
In 2002, Ducati released a limited edition of their beautiful 998 – the distinctive Ben Bostrom Replica. A total of 310 were built – 155 in the US and 155 in the UK. Why 155? That’s the race number Bostrom used in AMA Superbike on his 998S racer. Every single one was signed on the tank by Ben himself, and …
The Widowmaker – 1970 Kawasaki H1 500 Mach III
Post-Sale Update: After being relisted on eBay, this Kawasaki H1 500 Mach III sold for $7,250. Known as the ‘Widowmaker’, the Kawasaki H1 series were a range of triples famous for being incredibly fast, without the handling to match. This bike ended up setting a standard for how dangerous a motorcycle could be – motorcycle reviewers of future years would …
Six Cylinder Superbike – 1979 Honda CBX1000
In the late 70s, the big four Japanese companies kicked off a horsepower war that by stuffing big engines into their usual frames, creating the notion of superbikes. When it came to Big Red’s turn, Honda decided to push boundaries and utilize their first 6-cylinder engine in a production motorcycle. Benelli actually beat Honda to the punch in terms of …