Post Sale Update: This Yankee Z500 sold for $5,000 after 26 bids on eBay. In the early 70s, John Taylor of Schenectady, New York started building the Yankee Z500, an American dual-sport designed to compete with the best bikes coming out of Europe. Yankee Motor Company started by importing machines from OSSA, the Spanish off-road powerhouse, and then moved to …
1986 Moto Guzzi LeMans 1000
As 1984 wrapped up, Moto Guzzi introduced the next generation of their iconic Le Mans with a bigger motor, Lario-inspired styling, and a 16″ front wheel. The front wheel change was polarizing as the frame had been designed around the 18″ front wheel of the previous generation but no changes were made to accommodate the smaller rim. By ’87 Guzzi …
Nice Price – 2006 BMW HP2 Enduro
The HP2 Enduro was the perfect bike for riders who thought the R1200GS was capable but too heavy. Thanks to a trellis frame and conventional telescopic forks, the HP2 saved 53 pounds of weight from the standard GS. They’ve become cult classics and that means that asking prices can be hefty – here’s one that’s bidden ridden and enjoyed plenty …
Street Legal – 1993 Honda CRE500
The CR500 is a truly legendary motorcycle with a long history, but did you know that Honda Australia created a street-leagl version called the CRE500? It’s been difficult to find the official story, though there’s plenty of rumors – one of which is that Honda Australia ordered too many CR500s and so they got certification and converted 250 of them …
Buy My Bike With No Reserve – 1965 Honda CB160
Post Sale Update: My CB160 sold for $3,005 plus a $250 buyer’s fee after 25 bids on Iconic. The bike was bought for $3,250 so that was basically a wash and I lost a few hundred on the parts I ordered. Life moves on! As you may have seen over the last couple of weeks here on Bike-urious, I’m planning …
Gear Review – SA1NT Engineered Armored Jeans
Back in 2021, Australian company SA1NT debuted a lineup of jeans that they called UNBREAKABLE – it was the “world’s first single layer, CE approved motorcycle denim.” This material (which featured Dyneema®), allowed for thinner, lighter, and therefore more comfortable jeans. There’s just one catch – the UNBREAKABLE jeans are $350 a pair. As you can imagine, this led to …
1,434 Miles – 2002 Ducati Monster S4 Fogarty Edition
For the 2002 model year, Ducati offered up a special version of their Monster as a “tribute to mark the retirement from active racing of an extraordinary champion who left an indelible and deep impression on the history of motorcycling racing and Ducati.”
1 of 250 – 1978 Kawasaki Z1R-TC
TCC stood for the Turbo Cycle Corporation, and it was created to sell bolt on turbos for motorcycles built by American Turbo-Pak. The founder of TCC was a former Kawasaki USA employee named Alan Masek, and he used his contacts to help develop the first ‘production’ turbocharged bike. Kawasaki’s Z1R was their top of the line bike but Alan figured …
1966 Bultaco Metralla Mk2 Kit America Project
Post Sale Update: This Metralla sold for $5,901 after 14 bids on eBay. Spanish for ‘shrapnel’, the Metralla was one of the most famous motorcycles to come out of Spain. The regular Mk2 model is rare enough, but Bultaco also offered a “Kit America” – a race package with a different tank, tail, handlebars, and a tweaked engine that made …
Come Join Me – SPEED IS EXPENSIVE Premiere in Santa Monica on 9/20
On Wednesday the 20th, SPEED IS EXPENSIVE (a documentary about Philip Vincent and his legendary creations) will be premiering at the Laemmle Monica Film Center. I’ll be there – will you?
2007 Ducati 1098S Tricolore
Just for the debut model year of the 1098 (2007), Ducati offered a limited edition “Tricolore” variant of the already-impressive 1098S. The S model came with lighter Marchesini wheels, a dollop of carbon fiber, and Ohlins suspension. Expectations were high for the follow-up of the controversially-styled 999, and Cycle World was impressed by the S: “on the road the 1098S …
1989 Honda XRV650 Africa Twin RD03
The first generation of the Africa Twin was introduced in 1988 in response to Honda’s success with the NXR750 racebike – it would end up winning Paris-Dakar four years in a row, starting in 1986. Honda already had the single-cylinder NX650 and the V-Twin Transalp, but the Japanese company decided another big trailie was needed. History has shown that they …
2023 Honda Motocompacto
Well, I think I just found my next pit bike! Honda’s just announced a spiritual successor to the Motocompo – meet the all-electric Motocompacto. It doesn’t roll off the tongue the same way, but it’ll be a lot easier to find in the US!
In Canada – 2008 BMW HP2 Megamoto
One of the rarest BMWs of modern times, the Megamoto was only sold in 2008. As this was BMW’s take on a large supermoto, the model name is just about perfect. Think of it as a street version of the HP2 Enduro. The US got 107 examples, and if you believe the seller of this example, Canada only got…one. I …
1 Mile – 2020 Ducati Superleggera V4
Over on Iconic, we’ve got one of the most impressive Ducatis ever built – the the Superleggera (Italian for “super light”) variant of the Panigale V4.