The BSA Firebird was the swansong of the Birmingham Small Arms company, before the motorcycle division went belly up in 1973. Though it’s not as popular as the Gold Star, this 650cc Scrambler was arguably the best bike BSA made, and in some eyes, this was the ultimate version of the original dual-sport machine. By all accounts, this Beezer should …
1970 Triumph Tiger Daytona
This 1970 Triumph Tiger Daytona, also known as the T100R, was named after a Triumph win in the Daytona 200 race. Many people though that this was a better bike than it’s bigger brother, as it had nearly all the power but a much lighter chassis which was easier to maneuver. Cycle World called this bike a “Jekyll and Hyde”: …
2005 BMW R1200ST
The BMW R1200ST was the short-lived successor to the R1100RS/R1150RS. One of the best sport-touring bikes ever made, this bike was a commercial failure, due to two factors. Firstly, there was a lot of overlap in the BMW portfolio with this bike, and most riders went with the R1200GS or R1200RT instead. And arguably more importantly…it was an incredibly ugly …
1974 BMW R75 Sidecar
This BMW R75 Sidecar checks all the right boxes for a 70s BMW hack – big tank, big tires, color-matched Velorex sidecar with top…this one’s a beauty. What I love seeing most is documentation, and this bike has it in spades. The seller claims to have receipts for all work done, and the listing goes into some detail about the …
2007 Dynamic Choppers Custom
Well, this Dynamic Choppers Custom will definitely be one-of-a-kind. Unfortunately, it’ll be one-of-a-kind in your garage, or in a museum, but not on the road, as it’s a non-rideable showpiece. There’s not much to go on here. For more details, check out this article. Or check out an album of photos here. Find it here on ADVRider for the eye-watering …
1957 Triumph Thunderbird Sidecar
This Triumph Thunderbird 650 is already rare by itself. But with a sidecar on the LEFT side? Utterly fantastic. The Thunderbird name has shown up on 3 distinct models of the Triumph line since 1949 – this 6T model is from the original series. The Triumph Thunderbird was created as the firm’s stab at the American market – they bored …
1973 Honda Elsinore 250
This Honda Elsinore 250 is a first-year model of Honda’s first serious dirt bike. Frankly, it was the first serious dirt bike to come straight from an OEM – other bikes required serious modifications from the factory floor. It was the first bike Honda built from scratch instead of trying to adapt a street bike to the dirt. Honda signed …
1982 Suzuki Katana
The Suzuki Katana is a very distinctive bike designed by Hans Muth (the fairing might remind you of a similar Muth creation – the BMW R65LS). In the late 70s and early 80s, Japanese manufacturers were selling standard bikes as fast as they could make them. And while most of the bikes were technically sound, they all started to emulate …
1996 Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 needs no introduction, but for a teenage boy who didn’t know much about motorcycles, it was a revelation. The dual projector headlights, the SSSA, and the underseat exhausts all caught my imagination and even to this day, have never let go. Designed by Massimo Tamburini, the 916 has become an icon in the sportbike world. I’ll leave …
1993 Yamaha TDM 850
The Yamaha TDM 850 is definitely an oddball…a well-rounded bike in a US market that seems to prefer hyper-specialization. Sold in the US for only two years (1992-1993), there aren’t very many of these bikes still around, but the TDM definitely has a cult following. Well suited for tall riders, Yamaha designed this bike to enjoy mountain roads and also …
1973 Hodaka Combat Wombat
I’m not going to lie – part of the reason I’m featuring this bike because it has one of the greatest vehicle names ever. With that said, this Japanese-American joint venture produced a series of very popular bikes during the 60s and 70s, with fantastic names like the Combat Wombat shown here, as well as the Dirt Squirt and Road …
1975 Suzuki GT750 – Water Buffalo
This 1975 Suzuki GT750, also known as the Water Buffalo, was a unique 738cc liquid cooled 2-stroke triple. This is the bike that put Suzuki on the map in the United States. Maintain the breaker points periodically and you’ve got yourself a bike reliable enough to be a daily rider, if you so choose. When it was first announced, riders …
1982 Honda CBX
The Honda CBX featured the first 6-cylinder engine Honda put in a motorcycle. This engine made the CBX one of the fastest production bike at the time, and truly put Honda on the map when it came to American motorcycle owners. “The CBX is a mountain road flyer beyond anyone’s wildest dreams.” Cycle Magazine, February 1978 For the last two …
1989 Suzuki LT500R – Quadzilla
It’s not every day that the currently fastest vehicle in an industry was made back in the 80s, but that what seems to have happened with ATVs. In the 80s, Suzuki took the lead in performance All-Terrain-Vehicles, and competed with Yamaha’s Banshee with their LT500R QuadRacer. Because of its incredible size and speed, the Suzuki LT500R became known as “Quadzilla”. …
1983 Honda Gyro S
Here’s something you don’t see everyday…a Honda Gyro Scooter. Like the new Piaggio MP3, this is a tilting three wheel scooter, except in this case, the two wheels are in the back. Check out this video from an owner unrelated to the seller: GYRO, an acronym for “Great Your Recreation Original”, was sold in America for only 3 years. It …