I’ve been updating Featured Listings this week and here are some notable sales from the past few months. If you’re interested in a Featured Listing, check out the details!
Thank you to all the buyers, sellers, and readers, for supporting the site.
-Dan Crouch
Featured Listing: 2004 Honda RC51 Nicky Hayden Edition for Sale
Featured Listing – 1993 Kawasaki ZX-7 with under 9,000 miles !
Featured Listing – 1976 Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans with Under 2,000 Miles !
We’re taking a couple days off. We’ll be back this weekend. Thanks!
dc
Two stroke 250’s have proved a bit of a niche market in bigger-is-better USA, but with a de-restricted 60 hp pushing 300 lbs. around, they are plenty quick. RSBFS reader Simon’s example is pristine, nicely upgraded, and ready for a grand re-opening.
Since the 250cc formula was the penultimate MotoGP class until 2010, each competitive manufacturer had one in the showroom on Monday morning. The 249cc L-twin was a popular solution, and Honda had one in their stable from 1984 to 1999. The MC18 was the second NSR generation, with new 32mm carburetors and PGM-I electronics controlled ignition. Similar to the race machines, the alloy chassis held the engine and the straight-leg swingarm was also alloy. Triple-disk brakes are way up to the task and the angular fairing cuts through the air.
Simon’s NSR looks sharp in Honda red with lightly polished alloy frame, forks and muffs. Except for the updated brakes it shows very factory, with 16,000 Km’s or around 10K miles. Comments from the Santa Barbara Craigslist post:
Fully sorted and ready to ride. A few very minor mods to sharpen up the brakes, Galfer Wave brake rotors, steel braided lines with some aggressive pads. 16k KM. Recent carb clean, good tires, new plugs, new power valve controller and new lithium ion battery. Bike is de-restricted (of course). Starts easy, idles smooth and rips. Comes with some spares. Have clear title in my name and current CA reg.
Have factory service manualNo rust in tankSimon asks $8,000 for his NSR250R, and can be reached by email – here –.
Always a pleasure to review a machine with a caring owner, and this is certainly one. The California registration is a nice selling point, no need to re-invent that wheel. Looking ready to ride, Simon’s NSR should vacuum up the twistie bits.
-donn
Keith just sold his KTM RC8R in two days on our site with a Featured Listing. Here’s what he had to say about his experience selling on RSBFS:
Hi Dan, I just sold the KTM. Your site is awesome. I had almost immediate interest from California to NY and in between. Folks w/ ”real” experience and knowledge – people I’d expect to frequent a website like yours and guys I’d like to hang with.
These kinds of testimonials never get old, and I’m flattered to say we get them all the time. Thank you to the RSBFS community!
These are difficult times and if you need to thin your collection, you should consider a Featured Listing. Our visitors are more engaged than ever with site traffic up significantly over the same period last year. We’re witnessing steady, if not increased sales, throughout the enthusiast powersports and collector car markets. In fact our readers purchased at least 6 bikes that we know of in the past 30 days.
We carefully consider every listing for it’s suitability on the site and I personally work with each Featured Listing seller to make the process as easy and successful as possible.
This is the site that enthusiasts have come to daily for the past 11 years and we’re looking forward to helping you list your bikes on RareSportBikesForSale.com!
During the COVID-19 crisis, we’re making all Featured Listings unlimited duration.
Thank you to all our readers, buyers, and sellers. Be well in these challenging times.
Dan Crouch, Owner and Founder of RSBFS
dan@motoringblogs.com
Pug-ugly and well-endowed, the Aprilia Tuono has always been a bike for those who favor performance over looks. Sort of like the motorcycling equivalent of Ron Jeremy… I’ve never ridden a second-generation Tuono like this one, but I’ve ridden the less scantily-clad RSV1000R with which it shared its major components, and I’d assume it also has that bike’s torque, agile handling, and surprisingly effective wind protection. Okay, maybe scratch that last bit…
None of Aprilia’s v-twin sportbike offerings are really lookers, so it’s the bits under the plastic and carbon-fiber we’re really interested in here. Aprilia has always made great-handling machines, and their aluminum beam frames seen on the RS250 and first-generation RSV Mille and Tuono are gorgeously sculptural. The second-generation v-twins had a more angular design, but it was equally effective, and feature quality suspension at both ends from Showa, Sachs, or Öhlins, depending on which version you’re looking at, along with light-weight wheels and quality Brembo brakes.
Unlike other manufacturers of naked sportbikes, Aprilia didn’t bother to detune their Tuono. They just ripped off the fairings, stuck on a little bikini unit to house the lights and give the gauges a place to live, slapped on a set of handlebars, and called it done. They didn’t even detune the 130-odd horsepower engine at all. In this case, we’re talking about the compact, Rotax-designed v-twin that displaced 998cc and used an unusual 60° layout, with a pair of balance shafts to cancel out the resulting vibrations.
From the original eBay listing: 2007 Aprilia Tuono 1000R for Sale
AKRAPOVIC EXHAUST SYSTEM-LITHIUM BATTERY-OHLINS STEERING STABILIZER-OHLINS REAR SHOCK-RIZOMA MMIRRORS-THROTTLEMEISTER-3D LEVERS-F/R/FRAME SLIDERS-3D FOOTPEGS & FOORESTS-SEAT COWL-FENDER ELIMINATOR-TANK PROTECTOR-BAR RISERS-NEW LITHIUM BATTERY-PUIG TINTED SCREEN-SPARE KEY. ALL FLUIDS CHANGED. 12403 MILES-EXCELLENT CONDITION.
These tend to have more miles than your average Italian sportbike, a testament to the Tuono’s practicality. Or at least its usability. Luckily, the 12,000 miles indicated are nothing to worry about, unless it’s been pretty badly abused. This one includes a few quality upgrades and features a BMW vibe with those handsome blue-and-white graphics. There are just hours left on the auction, and the bike is selling for a reasonable $6,750. You can find Italian exotica for less money, but the Tuono still offers a huge fun-to-dollar ratio, along with excellent reliability.
-tad
Not too many bikes look good in yellow, and that very short list is mostly made up of Italians, Ducatis in particular. Red may be the most traditional color for Ducatis but the 916, Panigale, and this 900SS/SP look so striking in the bold yellow seen here, especially with the half-fairing that reveals most of the classic, air and oil-cooled v-twin. Most of the half-faired bikes here in the US were the lower-spec CR model with much more basic suspension, but some apparently did come that way from the factory, and I’d definitely configure my dream-build SP that way. Yes, I do have a dream-build SP, and it’s basically this one, with a two-up seat.
The Supersport was a mainstay of Ducati throughout the 90s, and was available in 900, 750, and even 400cc flavors, depending on the market. Here in the US, we got the 900, although 750cc examples do show up for sale from time to time, apparently sneaking in over the border. The 900SS came in two flavors: the SS/SP and the SS/CR. The motors for both versions were in an identical, as was most of the bodywork. As mentioned earlier, bikes could be had with a full or half-fairing and the SP generally had a carbon fiber front fender for, you know, weight savings. The aluminum swingarm doesn’t look quite as trick, but probably offered a greater performance benefit.
The biggest difference was the suspension. The CR or “cafe racer” came with non-adjustable suspension, because apparently cafe racer people don’t really care about handling all that much? Anyway, the SP or “sport production” came with a fully adjustable Showa front end and shock. Parts are completely interchangeable, so some CRs have been updated, but this example does have the plaque on the top triple that indicate this is an original SP.
It’s not completely stock, with a white frame, solo tail, and graphics meant to evoke the very limited-production Superlight, along with a low-profile LED taillight instead of the chunky 90s piece, but this 900SS still has the brackets for the passenger pegs, so it would be a relatively simple thing to put it back closer to stock. The Öhlins shock is a welcome update and the bike appears to be very nicely put together, as long as you’re okay with the non-standard paint.
From the original eBay listing: 1996 Ducati 900SS/SP for Sale
1996 Ducati 900 Supersport SP Half Fairing Monoposto
I’m selling my 1996 Ducati 900 Supersport SP.
The bike was rebuilt by Johann Kaiser of Moto Motivo in Raleigh, North Carolina in 2017.
The bike is powered by a 904cc desmodromic V-twin paired with a six-speed transmission.
It features yellow bodywork with a white-colored trellis frame, and features include new Brembo brakes, upgraded Ohlins rear shock, cast aluminum wheels, and a carbon fiber exhaust and fenders.
The bike has a clean NC title in the seller’s name.
Has been garaged and has about 1000 miles after rebuild, and runs great.You can find the bike on Moto Motivo’s website:
https://www.motomotivo.com/restorations
As mentioned above, I have a soft spot for these bikes. I’m a huge fan of the engine and the looks are a little bit retro and a little bit modern at the same time. It’s not really sleek, but solid and handsome, a practical sportbike that doesn’t overwhelm with power but can still handle well enough to entertain. With nice, original examples beginning to increase in value, the $6,000 asking price is a steal, if it’s anywhere near as nice as it looks in pictures. I’d look for a set of classic Termignoni cans to really finish it off and just enjoy the two-valve boom and midrange shove while bombing along a set of canyon roads.
-tad
I’d like to start this post with a HUGE THANK YOU to all the RSBFS faithful — with your following and support I am proud to report that we have published a record number of Featured Listings in 2019! Last year we had 80 Featured Listings, and this year we’re already over 120 with 4 months to go!
Readers and buyers recognize that our 11 years online have built a reputable, loyal, and enthusiastic following that is stronger than ever. With nearly one million individual viewers annually, we have a focused and dedicated viewership that read the website routinely to see the best sport bikes on the market being offered by fellow enthusiasts.
RSBFS was originally a blog that directed readers to interesting classifieds found online. Today we’ve become a marketplace in our own right as readers wanted to ensure their bikes were listed on our site, sometimes exclusively, and sometimes in conjunction with a listing elsewhere like eBay or Craigslist. The response has been overwhelming positive and RSBFS is busier than ever!
When we don’t have a “Featured Listing” to post on the site for a particular day, we still comb the internet for interesting finds. But for readers that want to ensure their enthusiast or collector quality bike is in front of our audience, we ask for a Featured Listing to be considered. The listing fee is 1% of your asking price or reserve, up to $125 each.
Here are a couple of recent testimonials that I’m especially pleased to share since we’ve implemented the new listing fee:
Jim on the recent sale of his Yamaha RZ350:
Found a buyer in California for this – he found out about it from your website. I appreciate your help in selling this. This site put my bike in front of the audience/fellow enthusiasts that I wanted to reach.
And this review just came in from Ryan on the recent sale of his Ducati Monster S4R:
When I decided to sell the Monster, I didn’t want to simply sell through cycle trader or the local classifieds. Your site has been a pleasure to read over the years since I discovered it. I’m a fan of how each bike is showcased and I leave an article knowing more about the bike’s features, specifications, and history.
My buyers were shopping different models and the RSBFS article helped educate about model specifics, and she said that the 3rd party review of the bike from your site made my listing feel much more legitimate. I had no doubts personally about the condition and the maintenance history, but that’s difficult to convey to a buyer solely through an ad. After seeing the bike in person, and a short test ride the sale was a done deal. We definitely found the one right buyer for the bike and the rare sport bikes listing was well worth it.
I can always revisit your site to reminisce, and maybe get lost in some other rare motorcycles.
Thanks for your site, and it’s been a pleasure working with you.
-Ryan
I couldn’t be more proud of our community and the RSBFS contributors! Thank you all for your support and we look forward to helping you sell your collectible and enthusiast offerings this fall.
Sincerely,
Dan Crouch.
Check out all the current Featured Listings available on RSBFS:
You’d think at a $55,000 ask, it wouldn’t be beyond the pale to ask for more than two photos of a motorcycle, but what do we know? And, be that as it may, most motorcycles are not the 1990 Ducati 851 SP2, a rare-as-rocking-horse-poo repli-racer from Ducati’s renaissance as a superbike racing brand.
As the name implies, this was the second evolution of the 851 Sport Production, and came with bigger valves, a 45mm Termignoni exhaust and fully-adjustable Ohlins suspension on both ends. The four-valve liquid-cooled v-twin in the standard 851 was exotic enough for most, but the SP2 mill was truly special, pushing out nigh on 120 horsepower from two cylinders at a time when that was an impressive figure from four pots.
Unfortunately, the pictures don’t do much justice to this machine, though it appears to be in very clean condition with a set of modern Michelin tires. The shot of the triple clamp matches the description’s claim that this is bike number 250.
From the eBay listing:
Used Ducati 851/888 SP 2
Number 250 from the limeted 1000
1 owner not damage or crash good condition.
shipping we inform when real intrest from Ducatisti and real price.(make offer)
Ohlins Fork and damper new Fork Pipe original Ohlins.
116 Hp 22000 Km German approval.
verhicle ID ZDM888S000250
Info and location south germany
The asking price is a little eye-watering, but you’ll be hard pressed to find another 1990 Ducati 851 SP2, and there is no doubting the heritage and provenance the bike carries.
