In 1851, George Townsend would launch a business in Redditch, England that produced sewing needles. Some three decades later, Townsend’s son – also named George – would begin producing bicycle parts. By the mid-1880’s the company was producing complete bicycles sold under the brand name “Townsend and Ecossais”. After the business suffered a financial collapse in 1891, Townsend’s bankers selected …
What Do You Want To Know? 2018 Kawasaki Z900RS
UPDATE: Here’s my First Ride review! I don’t often share news about bikes before they’re released, but as Kawasaki started dropping hints about the upcoming Z900RS I had to tell you about it because I know how many of you love the Z1 that inspires this new model. I’m attending the launch of the Z900RS later this week – is …
Vesco Fairing – 2013 Honda CB1100
12-6-17 Update: 18 months later, this CB is back up for sale with another 8,000 miles on the odometer. You can find it with a $1,000 discount down to $8,500 or best offer here on ADVRider (registration required). I thought this was interesting but no one commented last time around. Is the fairing too weird? The motor too weak? Asking …
Custom and Special – 1981 Yamaha XS650 Special II
Post Listing Update: This XS650 did not get any interest at asking price of $4,300. In varying forms, the Yamaha XS650 was built between 1968–1985. In 1978, Yamaha introduced a “Special” variant that was more of a cruiser, as well as a Special II that had less chrome, decals instead of plastic on the side covers, and for some reason, …
Ending Soon – 1989 Moto Guzzi Mille GT 1000
Post Sale Update: After being relisted, this Mille GT sold for $3,700. Moto Guzzi’s Mille GT was a short-lived hybrid that fused the 948cc motor from a California with the bodywork, frame, gearbox, and many other parts of the unloved T5. On paper, it was an improvement from the T5 thanks to a bigger motor, the removal of the horrible …
Divisive Classic – 1964 BSA B40
The BSA B40 is a cool little classic with a deservedly poor reputation, yet that didn’t stop it from being an incredibly popular machine. It served as one of the primary replacements for the post-WW2 BSA M20’s and Matchless GL3’s. The B40 would see ample use by the British Armed Forces who ordered more than 3,000 units, including 141 for …
6 Miles – 1974 Jawa Model 362 Californian
Post Listing Update: This Californian was pulled off of eBay due to “an error in the listing.” Don’t worry, this has nothing to do with the SNL skit. The Californian (also known as the “Roadster Model 362”) was one of Jawa’s most popular bikes in the 70s. It wouldn’t win any spec-sheet battles again the Japanese competition of the time, …
2-Owner Toaster – 1973 BMW R60/5
Post Listing Update: Despite 41 bids up to $10,100, this toaster did not meet reserve. Built between 1970 and 1973, BMW’s R60/5 was a tremendous step forward from the /2 generation. While most riders nowadays typically look for the larger R75, these are reliable under-stressed classics that can provide decades of enjoyable riding with just regular maintenance and a little …
New in Crate in the UK – 1989 Benelli 304
Back in January, I featured a ’87 304 that had never been started. In that post, I mentioned that “the seller also has another 304 that’s still in the crate. That one’s available for $6,911.” 9 months later, the new in crate bike is still available.
Restored and Enjoyed – 1971 Suzuki T500 Titan
Post Sale Update: After 33 bids on eBay, this Titan sold for $6,200. Though it was always in the shadow of Honda’s CB450, the Suzuki T500 (also known as the Titan) was one of the best bikes the firm had made to date. Thanks to the intellectual theft of 2-stroke technology from MZ as detailed in Stealing Speed, Suzuki was …
#405 – 1969 Honda CB750
Post Listing Update: This CB750 got no interest at the asking price of $49,000. Vic World has earned himself the nickname of “Mr. CB750” thanks to decades of expertise and restorations of sandcast motors. In his words, “we take those parts and assemble a dream. The restored bike will look, run, and feel virtually identical to the legendary machines that …
931 Miles – 1983 BMW R80ST
BMW’s R80GS started a revolution in the world of big adventure bikes, but the German firm was only able to sell 5,963 examples of a street-based brother (R80ST) in two years. Decades later, the ST is a cult classic and many owners think it’s actually the best handling motorcycle BMW had made up to that point. This is one of …
1974 Benelli Tornado 650S
Post Sale Update: After being relisted, this Tornado sold for a BIN of $3,800 on eBay. While Benelli had some good success with small displacement bikes, they knew that many American and British riders were only throwing their money at big bikes, and the Italian firm had nothing to attract those dollars. They decided to target these riders with a …
Never Started But Ending Soon – 1974 MZ TS250
Post Sale Update: After 18 bids on eBay, this TS250 sold for $2,550. Even though it’s 43 years old, this MZ TS250 is said to have never been started. Instead, it’s “been preserved in a film layer of oil all over the bike for about all of its years.” It’s not perfect but I can’t say I remember seeing a …
Matching Numbers – 1972 Triumph TR6R
The early 1970’s saw an innovative period of motorcycle development. It was an era of evolution, with engineers building on previously proven models and increasingly refining each manufacturer’s respective two-wheeled offerings. Triumph’s TR6 shares its lineage with the majority of its vertical-twin powered machines, tracing back to the ’38 500cc cast iron Speed Twin. After things calmed down a bit …