The greatness and pedigree of the Honda 750 is well documented, but the DOHC version is not as coveted. The engine stepped away from the original 750, which was designed to (from the side) look like a Triumph twin. This is one of the reasons the SOHC 750 was and, is sought after by café bike enthusiasts. One could argue …
Dutch Police – 1952 Sparta NL250
Post Listing Update: This Sparta did not meet reserve with 20 bids up to $1,136. Sparta was a Dutch company that started as a bicycle manufacturer called Verbeek & Schakel. They started building motorcycles in ’31 with Sachs motors, and they would go on to use Villiers, JLO, and Victoria motors, including the 9 horsepower Victoria two-stroke engine in this …
First Ride Review – 2019 Kawasaki Z400
View Post1953 Bianchi Bianchina
Post Listing Update: This Bianchi did not meet reserve despite 16 bids up to $3,300. While the “Bianchina” name was also used for a car made by a spinoff of Bianchi (called Autobianchi), in this case it applies to a 2-stroke 125cc motorcycle with an elegant pedestrian slicer.
Rare Project – 1961 Norton Manxman
Post Listing Update: This Manxman did not meet reserve despite 39 bids up to $4,450 on eBay. Built just between November 1960 and October 1961, the Norton Manxman is a rare bike that was built for export only – most came to the US, though another significant chunk went to Australia.
What Do You Want To Know? 2019 Kawasaki Z400
UPDATE: Here’s my review! At the Long Beach International Motorcycle Show, Kawasaki debuted several models for the US market. The one I was most excited about was the new-for-2019 Z400 ABS. To oversimplify, it’s a naked version of the Ninja 400. That’s good news to me, as I love naked bikes and I think the Ninja 400 was excellent. This …
1964 DKW Hummel 115
Post Sale Update: This DKW – sold for $8,700 after 22 bids on eBay. In the early 1960s, Zweirad Union was comprised of DKW, Victoria, and Express. The first two companies shared a model that was boringly named either the DKW Type 115 or the Victoria Type 155. Both bikes got a much more interesting nickname from the public: the …
Post-War Unisex Scooter – 1951 Aermacchi Cigno 125
Post Listing Update: This Cigno did not meet reserve despite 31 bids up to $4,250 on eBay. Following the Second World War, Europe was in dire need of cheap, economical transportation. A bevy of companies pivoted to fill the new gap in the market. One of them was Aermacchi, which shifted to making bikes and scooters after producing aviation equipment …
2016 Victory Empulse TT
Post Sale Update: This Empulse sold for the BIN of $7,999 on eBay. Before Victory failed in their quest to compete with Harley-Davidson, they had the goal of beating HD to market with an electric motorcycle. They did in fact succeed, licensing some Brammo hardware and pushing them to market back when Scarlett Johansson was the only person who had …
Russian Project – 1973 IZH Planeta 3
Post Sale Update: This IZH sold for $1,575 after 46 bids on eBay. IZH was best known for making the AK47 assault rifle, though they did have a civilian division that also made cars and motorcycles – production of the latter started in 1927. Here’s an example of one of their most successful bikes, the Planeta.
Model 13 – 1966 Bultaco Mercurio 175
Post Listing Update: This Mercurio did not meet reserve despite 8 bids up to $2,550 on eBay. The Bultaco Mercurio (Mercury) debuted in 1960 as a 125cc, though by ’64 it had grown to a 175 for the Model 13, a motorcycle that was exclusively sold as an export to the US.
Rare in the US – 2000 Honda CB1300
Post Listing Update: This CB1300 was pulled off of eBay, final sale price unknown. Never officially sold in the US, the Honda CB1300 (also known as the “Super Four”) was the successor to the CB1000 “Big One”. One of the available liveries, as shown here, was a bit of a Freddie Spencer tribute.
1950 Moto Guzzi Astorino
The Moto Guzzi Astorino is a rare find in its home country of Italy, let alone here in the US. A sibling of sorts to the better-known Airone, both bikes feature 250cc 4-stroke singles with the iconic “bacon slicer” external flywheel. The Astorino has a few small differences, including hydraulic rear shocks.
Giveaway For A Vet – 2013 Honda NC700X
A generous donor is offering up his Honda NC700X (notable for its DCT transmission which removes the need for a clutch lever and shift pedal) – but only to “honorably discharged US Veterans that have lost their left leg or left foot, who still have the desire to ride motorcycles – either as a new rider or as a returning …
Resurrecting a Kawasaki KZ650 – Part 1
This post isn’t about a bike for sale…it’s about a bike I’ve just acquired!