Monthly Archives: January 2011

Kawasaki January 31, 2011 posted by Brian

Second Chance: 1996 Kawasaki Ninja ZX7RR

1996 ZX750N ZX7RR

Location: Irving, TX

Bid Status: Active

Mileage: 20,959

In case you missed buying the recent ZX7RR posted, here’s your second chance. This ZX7RR is in Irving, TX and it has a lot more miles than the recent Ninja posted from California. Since we have 2 identical bikes posted so closely chronologically, I would like to play a little compare and contrast between the two, but more on that later.

The bike itself was towards the end of the limited edition homologation trend here in the U.S., and the ZX7RR model has racing significance as Doug Chandler won the AMA Superbike championship in 1996 on one. It’s funny how our standards have changed in that 120 HP and a 441 LB dry weight do not sound very impressive these days, but back in ’96 this bike was a ripper. The listing from the seller:

Up for bid is a clean running ZX7RR Homologation special.

A family member passed away, and this bike was found in his garage.

We brought her home and cleaned her up and did some basic service.

New pilot powers, valve adjustment, and carb adjustment.

Runs good, may need further tweaking (she IS a race inspired bike)

One owner bike

The 7RR from last week had low pro clear front turn signals, an integrated rear brake light & turn signals, the numbered plaque on the tank and the Ninja Turtle reservoir wrap – all of which I like. Oddly enough, I like the carbon air intake covers on this one. I am somewhat guarded about the ominous quote from the seller “runs good, may need further tweaking.” The Cali bike had about ¼ the amount of miles, all of the stock parts and was selling for $8,500.00. If you missed that 7RR from last week, here’s your chance – .

Honda January 30, 2011 posted by Brian

Collector or Rider – 1986 Honda NS400R

1986 Honda NS400R

Butler, PA

17,793 KM

Here we have a 1986 Honda NS400R – what a cool bike! As my colleague Mike indicated in his recent CBX post, Honda certainly did things their own way in the 80’s. This bike illustrates that point as well as any: 3 cylinders, V configuration, 2 stroke and 400cc? Not exactly conventional, but that’s good news in my book. Sporting a 54.5” wheelbase and 70 HP, this bike has got to be a blast to ride.

The NS400R Page website contains great information, although this site has not been updated in a long time. This is recommended reading for any potential buyer as it contains common modifications, original schematics, photos and road test reports from the day.

The bike appears to be a really clean and largely an original model. This particular NS sports the Fast Freddie Spencer paint scheme – classic Honda all the way. More information straight from the seller:

ABSOLUTLEY OUTSTANDING ORGINAL CONDITION!!!!STILL HAS THE 1000K 1ST SERVICE REMINDER ON THE TACH,BOTH FACTORY STICKERS ON RIGHT UPPER INSIDE FARING STILL IN PLACE.PA TITLE IN HAND.NEEDS NOTHING!!!TIRES ARE OEM SIZE WITH NUBS STILL STICKING OUT,ALL FLUIDS ARE FRESH,INSIDE OF TANK IS EXCELLENT,BIKE IS SHOW ROOM OR COLLECTOR CONDITION WITHOUT A DOUBT.I HAVE OWNED THIS BIKE FOR MORE THAN TEN YEARS,RIDEN VERY LITTLE,JUST ENOUGH TO KEEP IT CORRECT,NO STARTING PROBLEMS,IN FACT NO PROBLEMS AT ALL.HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN HEATED GARAGE WITH WINDOWS SEALED SO NO LIGHT TO FADE PAINT.READING ON ODOMETER IS IN KILOMETERS SO MILAGE IS ABOUT10700.

The best part about this bike – a clear title! Luckily, we have a fair amount of NS400R’s in the RSBFS archives, so you can do some comparative digging here. The bid has been climbing steadily since the listing was posted, and I expect a steady ascent to the end. Jump over to the auction to view the full listing, which includes the seller’s phone number should you have any questions.

Bimota January 29, 2011 posted by Mike

2008 Bimota Tesi 3D – No Reserve Auction!

For sale: 2008 Bimota Tesi 3D at no reserve

Is this a sportbike, a science experiment, or simply artwork? The original Tesi (which translates to “thesis” in Italian), was the work of Bimota founder and legendary designer Massimo Tamburini – you may remember him from Ducati 916 and MV Agusta F4 fame. The Tesi 3D that you see here was designed entirely in-house at Bimota’s design facility, but retains the hub steering theme. The Tesi 3D is powered by a Ducati air-cooled, two-valve motor. These are very reliable motors with tons of torque, although they are a little flat in the upper RPM range.

Here is a great shot of the front swingarm, as well as the “frame” of the bike. Instead of the traditional perimeter or box frame, the Tesi sports “C” shaped plates to which the engine and front and rear suspension are mounted. Check out the carbon steering rod!

From the seller:
Please call Michael Kiernan at (314)772-5758

All inspections are welcome. Please call Michael Kiernan at 314 772 5758 with any questions regarding this vehicle, shipping and storage.

I’m not sure how a seller of something this beautiful and rare could not have *something* to say about the bike, but apparently the pictures are meant to speak for themselves. Speaking of pictures, here are a few more:

If the Tesi has any drawbacks, the price must certainly be one of them. When new, these left the showroom floor for $36,000 plus taxes, etc. As demand (or the economy) dwindled, so too did the price. Brand new bikes were moving in the high $20k range, which included a factory warranty.

The no reserve auction on this Tesi 3D has an opening bid of $28k – and no takers yet. The bike has 10,000 miles on it, so it is far from new. If you just *must* have a Tesi 3D and have been unable to find one, this might just be your bike. If you are looking for a Bimota bargain, however, I would keep looking. To see for yourself, click on the link and . Good luck!

Kawasaki January 29, 2011 posted by Mike

First of the Turbo Bikes: 1978 Kawasaki Z1R-TC

For Sale: 1978 Kawasaki kz1000 Z1R-TC Turbo Charged Z1-R

When it comes to “factory” Turbo bikes, the Kawasaki Z1R-TC was the bike that paved the way. Created through an arrangment between Kawasaki and Turbo Cycle Corporation (which was founded by ex-Kawasaki Marketing Director, Alan Masek), brand new Z1Rs were sent to TCC, who then modified them with a RayJay turbo and badging. These modified bikes were then sold through select Kawasaki dealers – without a warranty.

From the seller:
This listing is for Kawasaki’s 1978 Turbo Charged Z1R: frame # KZT00D0076xx and engine # KZT00DE0076xx. This example is an unrestored, early release unit (1 of 250) with matching numbers and low miles. Upgrades and alterations include:

New Paint (2008)
Allen Head SS Fastener kit (2007)
Oil Return re-routed to Kick Start cover (from Oil Filler cap)
New Tires (2008)
New Sealed Battery (2008)
Welded Crank (2005)
High Capacity Oil Pan w/ Trap Door (2005 & 2007)
Backcut Transmission (2005)
Lock Up Clutch (2005)
New DOHC points cover in 2008 (Moriwaki cover was removed & unavailable)
1075 Turbo Piston kit (2005)
Dynatek Dana S ignition in 2008 (replaced original Martex system)
“TC” Side Cover emblems (2008)

The oil/ filter was changed and tank drained in the fall of 2008, and it has been in storage. The manual, supplement, black zip case, extra key and the other items pictured are included along with any pertinent documentation.

This particular bike is in great condition for such a rare model. The color is correct for a US bike, as is the year (they were only offered ’78-’80, although rumor has it that the ’79 bikes were simply repainted unsold units from ’78). There were only approximately 500 units total of the Z1R-TC created, and even fewer in the stock Kawasaki color. Later models (and Canadian bikes) had the multi-stripe graphic as seen below.

Bidding has been brisk on this example, with the current pricing in the $8k range and the reserve still in place. Look for this one to go up quite a bit more before it ends. Sure, parts may be a bit difficult to find (at least the non-Kawasaki gear), but by all standards this is one fast bike. Straight-line performance eclipsed that of most of the later factory Turbo bikes, with 1/4-mile times in the 10 second range.

This is a real piece of history that deserves a good home. For more info, to simply watch the auction, or to bid on the bike to make it your own, click the link to .

Aprilia January 28, 2011 posted by Doug

Two Aprilia RS250 For Sale on eBay Right Now!

Spring really does seem to have come early around here at Rare Sport Bikes with so many great and rare bikes becoming available! These two are no expection as you are presented with not one but two plated RS250’s to choose from. Check them out!

2000 Aprilia RS250 Cup Conversion For Sale

quote from seller’s listing:

Cup challenge conversion with 15 digit VIN. Clean CA street title, current registration. Runs great. Looks great. Have had it for over two years, only put on 400 street miles. There are small swirl marks on the left swing arm, looks like from polishing, not very noticable. I can send more pics on request and will show the bike in person as well. These are hard to find plated and there are $2000 in upgrades. Happy bidding!

Upgrades:
Full Arrow exhaust
Ohlins steering dampner
front fork quick adjust knobs
quick shifter with race pattern shifting
stainless steel brake lines
swingarm sliders
floating rotors
Woodcraft clip ons
woodcraft rear sets

Spare parts list:
Carbon fiber front fairing W/ headlight hole cutout
Arrow full exhaust
stock exhaust
rear sprockets
2 rear shock springs
fork springs
clutch kit

I probably have more once I look around. I do not have stock street headlight or fairings.

Is that a bike light jammed in the air intake? Not sure I’m a fan of that modification, but it does have the all important plate and maybe you can use this as an opportunity to get the job done right. The modification list does sound good and after a complete inspection, might be a good buy for someone in the area or a track day enthusiast.

Or perhaps this one is more to your liking.

quote from seller’s listing:

This is very rare opportunity to own a very rare piece of art in your motorcycle collection. Anyone knows the bike probably shall really don’t need too much introduction from me about this bike. Most of your concern probably is the condition of this bike. As you can see, motorcycle is very good and running condition. The motorcycle comes with two different set of body fairings. One set is racing fairing as you from the pictures, and the other set is for the street fairing. It has headlight and turning signal lights, and nice racing tail seat cover. There are two piece fairing has some scratches and it will comes brand new same original fairing to replace. I have clear Ohio street title in my hand.

It’s nice that this one has two sets of fairing as one set could be used for the pretty street appearance and the other for scrapping around the track.

So which one would you bid on and why?

Have a good weekend all,

Kawasaki January 28, 2011 posted by Mike

Eddie Rides Again: 1983 Kawasaki KZ 1000R ELR

For Sale: 1983 Kawasaki KZ 1000R ELR Eddie Lawson Replica

We have seen a number of ELR offerings on RSBFS in the past few months – enough to make you wonder how rare these really are. But such is the nature of the collectable bike market – you might not see something for a very long time, only to then find several available at once.

Unlike the last few ELRs posted here (such as THIS ONE or THIS ONE, this bike is not quite museum quality. It would appear that most of the bits are there, the owner has outlined his performance mods in the text below AND will throw in a new Kerker exhaust as well as some other stock bits. In all, not a bad find for a bike with reasonable miles in reasonable condition.

From the seller:
I am listing this 1000R that I have owned for almost 25 years. I bought the bike from the original owner in 1987, it had 15,600 miles on it then. Since owning it, I had the motor completely rebuilt, including a Falicon crank, GPZ1100 cylinders and pistons with new rings. I have the original pistons, stock cams, all new valves, cam chain, cam sprockets which were slotted and degree’d, and race cut transmission. I have the original carbs and airbox that were replaced with Mukuni Flat slides. The bike runs really well with this combination. All work was performed by Cycle Performance Engineering, CPE, Clinton MD. They maintained this bike for me for almost 20 years til the death of the shop owner 5 years ago. I have reciepts for all work performed.

I had the bike running up on til 2-3 years ago, since this time things have happened. Carbs need cleaning, it may start, but haven’t tried, rolls over with no problem. Both brake master cylinders need to be rebuilt. The bike doesn’t roll easily, we did new wheel bearings 5 years ago. There are no leaks, fork seals were done in 1993, no leaks. Tires are what came on the bike when purchased from the original owner.

Cosmeticlly it’s a 15,000 mile bike, not perfect, has fading and a couple of small chips in the paint, with typical paint missing on the master cylinder. Windscreen has some discoloration and one small crack by mounting screw. All lights and electrics work fine. I also have NIB (new in box) the correct Kerker system puchased in 1993, also have NIB turn signals (4) 1993.

Pricing on these ELR models swings as wildly as the condition in which we find them. Great bikes pull in $10k+, and average bikes struggle to reach $7k. I think that this bike may be one of the latter, although considering the desirability and collectability of this model, that is not a bad deal. Bidding has currently stalled in the $5k range, but with time left on the auction and a willing bidder, this ELR could be yours! Click on the link to . Good Luck!

Cafe Racer January 27, 2011 posted by Mike

British Bimota: 1974 Honda Rickman CR 750

For Sale: 1974 Honda CB750 Rickman CR

The brothers Rickman, famed for their motorcross frames, turned to street bikes as a natural evolution. Using Reynolds 531 manganese-molybdenum steel tubing, the brothers created a kit-bike package not unlike the early Bimotas – prospective buyers simply needed to add key bits from a donor bike (in this case a Honda CB750), such as engine, transmission, instrumentation, and electrical. The result was a motorcycle that handled far superior to the donor bike, albeit at a much higher cost.

The Rickman CR today is very collectable, but due to the kit-bike nature of the package they are very inconsistent in terms of componentry and build quality. This particular bike appears to be the real deal, and is in great shape – although some work may need to be done to make it a runner.

From the seller:
This is it collectors!!

A fantastic unmolested all original 1974 Rickman CB750 much to nice to restore, even the original leather tank strap is in great shape. This bike spent most of it’s life in a motorcycle theme restaurant before going to auction in Las Vegas a few years back. Was running nicely for a couple shows and short rides when put in my collection 4 years ago in in an AC controlled showroom. Will need fluids and battery if you want it to run or just hold on to this jewel.

No Title.. Bill of sale only Engine Number:CB750E-2057702.

Values on Rickman-framed bikes swing wildly depending upon condition. Expect to pay around $7k for a decent bike, and closer to $20k for a pristine, restored model. This bike fits somewhere in between those extremes; it is complete and in good condition, but may require some effort for those who are more interested in riding than collecting. For other RSBFS entries on Rickman bikes, check out HERE and HERE.

This auction is on right now and the buy-in price is currently at a paltry $2,500. That will not last long, and it will be interesting to see where the reserve is set. Either way, the bike looks great and is really a rare find. Click the link to visit the auction and

Honda January 26, 2011 posted by Ian

Stuck In Between: 1994 Honda NSR250R SP MC28 Rothmans

I bet you moved a little closer to your computer screen when you saw those Rothmans colors. Then you shrugged a bit when you saw this bike has been set up for the track and is not titled. On one hand its got those great colors that collectors want but on the other hand it is track day bike in pretty clothes: it is kind of stuck in between what people are looking for.

One of prettiest paint jobs out there and has lots of history tied to it. Street riders, I think I’d pass this one by unless you are a serious tinkerer. It’s running premix so you either carrying oil everywhere you go or replacing the whole oil injection system. I would imagine you will have some wiring harness issues as well depending on what they’ve stripped away. Gauges are track oriented items, air box and carb mods are other common track modifications. The seller listed title status as “other” so I’m going to assume there is not a title for the bike. Not the end of the world but definite work involved there.

For the guy looking for a unique track bike, I see no major issues as long as the price is right. Honda parts are plentiful and Tyga and others make plenty of bolt on fun. Who’s got the eagle eye to identify what that front end came off of?

Listing details:

1994 Honda NSR250R MC28

Restored for track use but could easily be refitted for the street. Runs excellently. Handles outstandingly. Exceptional braking. This bike has 450 miles since being restored. It had a complete engine rebuild.

304 lbs ready to ride.

Magtek magnesium alloy wheels

PGM 4. (De-restricted Factory Honda “credit card” ignition that works perfectly)

Inverted front fork revalved by Dave Moss at Catylist Reaction Suspension Tuning

JHA triple clamp

Magnesium clipon mounts

Tyga racing pipes and mufflers. Tyga racing rearsets

Pirelli Supercorsa SC2 tires with 150 miles

Steering Damper

Rothmans aftermarket bodywork. (note in the photo that the upper fairing has one small crack)

Set up for Pre Mix

Look over the photos and email me with any questions.

I will assist with shipping anywhere. The shipping costs are to be paid by the buyer

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not down on the little NSR. I know that Rothmans paint can suck you in; just go into it knowing it will be a project if plan to do more than track days with it. The auction doesn’t have a whole lot of time left to .