Posts by Category: Sport Bikes For Sale

Sport Bikes For Sale March 19, 2019 posted by Donn

RG Bargey – 1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma

Suzuki developed the RG500 in the mid-1970's as their Moto GP weapon, and the updated Gamma was offered in road trim only from 1985-87. Here is a Canadian import that is in special condition and ready to ride.

1986 Suzuki RG500 Gamma for sale on eBay

Based on the square four two-stroke first raced by British rider Barry Sheene, the RG500 Gamma has two crankshafts, with a gear driven clutch between them. Except for a shock damper to protect the cranks from transient loads, the engine is very similar to the race machine, making 95 hp at 9,000 rpm. Looking between the fairing and the engine, you'll see four low-profile 28mm flat slide carburetors, each connecting directly to the disk valve on the cylinder. Suzuki's SAEC automatic exhaust control tailors the header volume depending on engine speed and throttle setting, widening the 500's torque band from 5,000 to its peak at 9,000 rpm.

The alloy chassis looks ahead with its massive triangulated steering head, though brakes seem smallish at 260mm, and the wheel sizes are the de facto -80's standard 16 and 17 inches. Single adjustable 38mm forks work in concert with the Full Floater monoshock. The pillion is hidden under a faux-mono cover, and the rear exhausts sail out under the seat console.

Coming from a suburban Philadelphia independent, this RG has been stateside since 2000, and has just under 20,000 miles. No more history in the comments but it has been re-commissioned after some downtime and has new tires. From the eBay auction:

Cosmetic condition as you can see in the pics is excellent. There are some very minor nicks but on the whole the paint and decals are glossy and unmarred. While not quite concours ready, it is in exceptional rider condition. We've included a owner's manual, service manual and set up manual - all in good shape. There are 2 original factory keys, as well.

We've had our resident two-stroke tech go through the bike after a prolonged storage. Air cleaner was renewed, fluids freshened, tank drained, carbs cleaned, etc. Bike started easily and runs well with no clutch slippage. Slight rotor chatter was felt on braking but otherwise rides and handles fine. Tires are brand new Avons mounted on what appears to be Dymag wheels. The anti-dive valves have been blocked off.

Suzuki campaigned the RG from 1974 to '85, and then as a more modern RGV from '86-2001. But the short run of the road machine has honed its legend. Reviews praised the quick steering, good suspension, and of course the power, which would happily take the engine right through 10,000 rpm. This one is not an unused collector, and the starting bid reflects the very nice rider condition. Going to be watching this one !

-donn

Featured Listing March 18, 2019 posted by Tad Diemer

Sponsored Listing: 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750LE for Sale

Pure prototype racing, as seen in MotoGP, is hideously expensive, since teams with money are free to develop every component from scratch, giving them an obvious leg up on teams less financially endowed. Production-based racing, on the other hand, is intended to keep costs down and allow a variety of teams and brands to participate, helping to drive new talent into the sport. Depending on the class and sanctioning body, production-based racing requires that you, naturally, use a production machine, available to the public, as the basis for your racebike and success is dependent upon having a good foundation. And this Suzuki GSX-R750LE from Iconic Motorbikes made the perfect foundation for a racebike when it came storming onto the scene in 1986.

Actually, the GSX-R750 came storming onto the scene in 1985, but the bike didn't officially make it to the US until 1986, the same year this Limited Edition was introduced. There wasn’t any one thing about the Suzuki GSX-R750 that really stood out as revolutionary, it was the synergy of the parts that helped make it so special. The twin-cradle frame was a well-established design, and bikes that came before it featured sixteen valves and dual-overhead cams, although the six-speed transmission was a modern touch, as was the monoshock rear suspension. Wheels were 18" at both ends.

But things started to get interesting when you looked closer. That simple frame design was made from lightweight aluminum. What looked like an air-cooled engine was actually cooled by oil. Technically, that's true of most air-cooled engines, but the GSX-R used a high-capacity oil pump and an oil-circulation system known as SACS that included jets aimed at the underside of the pistons. This was all intended to keep temperatures in check and increase horsepower-per-liter to a level where it was on-par with liquid-cooled bikes being produced by other manufacturers, while saving weight.

It worked, and, when combined with a weight of just 426lbs dry, the 100hp from the 749cc engine gave the bike competitive straight-line performance and surprising agility. Bikes like Bimota may have blazed that particular trail, but were insanely exotic, expensive, and generally impractical on every level. Suzuki took many of those same weight saving and performance concepts, engineered them for mass consumption, and introduced the world to the modern interpretation of what a sportbike could be.

Changes were minimal between 1985 and 1986, the first year the bike made it to our shores, with just revisions to the bodywork, upgraded headlights, and a 25mm longer swingarm to improve stability. To create the Limited, Suzuki added a dry clutch and close-ratio gearbox that made the bike a popular target for thieves, a steering damper, a solo-seat race tail, NEAS electronic anti-dive forks from the GSX-R1100, and some sharp blue wheels to match the graphics that set it aside from the regular machine. This was a serious piece of kit in 1986: the stock bike went for $4,499, while the Limited went for a shocking $6,499 and was aimed at collectors and racers.

And although many of today’s homologation bikes like Ducati’s 1299R get tucked away as an investment, admired as part of a collection, or ridden sparingly on weekends to show off at bike gatherings, many of these GSX-R750s were stripped of bodywork, actually raced, and likely crashed at some point, making original examples very, very hard to find. And while the Honda RC30 was always going to be a rare and valuable machine, it took a while for the Gixxer that arguably started it all to gain traction as a collectible. Now, with values of even the early water-cooled bikes jumping in value, the Limited Edition is a very hot bike among collectors.

From the Seller: 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750LE for Sale

1986 Suzuki GSXR750 Limited – DRY CLUTCH, very rare! GSXR

Originally imported to North America in limited numbers for racing, this here limited edition GSXR750 is 1 of only 299 ever brought overseas to the United States. With the exception of the exhaust, this model is completely OEM in overall fantastic condition.

On the engineering front, this limited edition GSX-R was known for several things. It was the lightest of the 750s of the era, coming in at 458lbs, features an extremely rare dry clutch, sharper steering, a stiffer suspension, electronic NEAS anti-dive components, and more powerful brakes.

Moreover on the dry clutch, it is particularly special because it can be universally mounted to GSXR1100s and other 750s. They go for almost $2000 alone. Durable, but hard to find parts for, thankfully there are some aftermarket options for clutch plates and springs. The title is clean with a CA Title.

Price: $19,750

This is arguably the most special and unique GSX-R model ever released. Come take a look at it in person! We’re located 15 minutes from LAX.

With some bikes, it’s not all that hard to track down just how many were made. If you’ve got a Honda RC30, in particular, you can find production numbers by year and market. With the Suzuki GSX-R750LE, online sources, even reputable ones, are all over the place. Between 200 and 300 were imported to the US to satisfy AMA and allow it to race here, but worldwide production seems to have been 500-1000, which would make sense for an homologation bike of the era. The question is: how many have managed to survive? The answer is: not many, and this one looks to be a very clean example of an exceedingly rare bike, excepting the non-standard exhaust. It doesn't look like the stock part or an actual Yoshimura part, for that matter, but I don't believe the exhausts were specific to the LE and shouldn't be any harder to source than for any other GSX-R750 of the period.

-tad

Sponsored Listing: 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750LE for Sale

Ducati March 18, 2019 posted by Donn

Factory Fresh: Zero-Mile 1991 Bimota YB10 Dieci for Sale

One of the things I love about Italian bikes and cars is that, no matter what, they look like the vision of one person, not a committee. Sure, there may be the occasional stylistic misstep, but oddballs like the Alfa Romeo Milano and Bimota Mantra make a statement, and you can feel the passion in their creation, even if it's sometimes misguided... Fortunately, the Bimota YB10 Dieci is one of the more timeless Bimota designs, and they obviously knew they had a good thing going, since the bodywork and frame seems to have changed very little between the YB4, YB6, YB7, YB8, and YB10.

The sleek envelope of the bodywork is the first thing you notice, but Bimotas are uncompromising sportbikes and have always been about the frame. Earlier bikes used trellis-style frames, but by the late 80s, they'd moved to lightweight aluminum beam-style designs as seen here, complete with beautiful machined details. This was the 10th Bimota that used a Yamaha engine, hence the name YB10, which has nothing to do with displacement. In this case, it was Yamaha's smooth and powerful 1002cc five-valve Genesis engine and five-speed gearbox. The package was good for 145hp and 172mph, not world-beating in today's terms, but still very, very fast. In 1991, this thing was the epitome of speed, and the embodiment of exotic.

Some readers have misunderstood my previous posts featuring Bimotas, thinking that my criticisms indicate a dislike of the brand. I'm a huge fan of Bimota, and Italian vehicles in general, but experience means I'm very familiar with their... peculiarities, their qualities both superlative and frustrating. Bikes like the YB10 embody everything I love and everything frustrating about Italian machines: they're gorgeous, fast, and full of personality, with a few hand-built details that speak to their low-volume production and some elements of their construction that indicate the clear focus on performance above all else. If you're looking for authentic race-bike details, they're easy to find here, from the exquisitely machined frame and top yoke to lightweight bodywork made up of just a few pieces, all connected with quarter-turn fasteners... But it's a fine line between "race bike" and "kit bike" and these can be frustrating for owners used to more refined machines.

These days, this limited-production, Italian dream machine can be had for relative peanuts, although this particular example calls for a few more of those peanuts, since it's never actually been registered, or turned a wheel. Personally, I like my bikes to be usable as bikes, but collectors are strange creatures, and unused examples like this usually command premium dollars.

From the original eBay listing: 1991 Bimota YB10 Dieci for Sale

Up for bid is a 1991 Bimota YB10 Dieci – Rare 1 of only 224 made– Never registered, zero miles! This gorgeous super-bike is part of a collection of fine motorcycles at Formula One Motor Sports in Oakdale New York.

Bimotas are well known for their Italian style, class and over the top engineering. It has a one piece billet machined frame paired with a Yamaha FZR1000 motor, and seamless upper fairing it also comes with billet triple, classic style wheels!

The Bimota Dieci not only offers Italian Style but you get the reliability of a Japanese Motorbike. Don't miss out on a chance to bid on this museum quality bike it is a must have for any collector.

This may be a museum-quality bike, but the $21,000 the seller is asking is a museum-quality price. There are plenty of lovingly cared-for, low mileage Bimotas out there at literally half the price, so you'd really have to be one of those zero-mile obsessives to want to splash out for this one. "Plenty of" being relative, of course since, as the seller points out, just a little over 200 were made. But they do show up occasionally for sale and, to give you an idea of what they normally go for, the last one we featured had 12,000 miles and an $11,000 asking price.

-tad

Factory Fresh: Zero-Mile 1991 Bimota YB10 Dieci for Sale

Aprilia March 16, 2019 posted by Tad Diemer

Always Bet on Black: 2004 Aprilia RSV1000R Nera for Sale

Somehow, in spite of their achievements, performance, and reliability, Aprilias generally qualify as “bargain exotica” instead of blue-chip collectibles. But if you were looking to bet on a particular Aprilia that might qualify as collectible, other than the RS250, the RSV1000R Nera might be worth a look. The upstart Italians were dipping their toe into Ducati's waters, and the Nera was intended to be the first bike in Aprilia's "Dream Series" of ultra-premium motorcycles and a kind of "lifestyle experience," but the whole thing flopped. The world wasn't quite ready for a $39,500 Aprilia, even if only 200 were made, and each one was every bit as good as a Ducati of the period.

The most obvious thing that set the Nera apart was a complete set of carbon fiber bodywork, including the tank. The frame was painted gold, and forged magnesium wheels saved a couple pounds over the already light hoops on the Factory. A then-new Brembo radial master cylinder was matched to radial Brembo calipers, and the bike had blingy Öhlins at both ends. Some additional engine tweaks and a set of Akropovic cans helped liberate a few horses and some v-twin boom, but the big performance gains came from the reduced weight, down to a claimed 386lbs dry.

Like many high-dollar Ducatis, the performance increases certainly didn't justify the price tag. The RSV1000R was already an excellent motorcycle, with Ducati sound, power, and handling, but uncharacteristic reliability from the Rotax-built 60° v-twin that included balance shafts and their PPC or “Pneumatic Power Clutch” is basically a slipper clutch that uses engine vacuum to allow a bit of clutch slip during downshifts and lighten the clutch effort in general.

The Nera maybe wasn't worth Aprilia's wild asking price, but it was intended to be a premium product so build quality is excellent, and the clearcoated carbon-fiber perfectly compliments the second-generation RSV's' stealth-fighter styling.

From the original eBay listing: 2004 Aprilia RSV1000R Nera for Sale

This is a RSV 1000 NERA model, only 20 sold in the United States. Carbon fiber fuel tank, fairing, seat, magnesium wheels, only 984 original miles. EXCELLENT CONDITION

There's not much to report on the history: the bike only has 984 miles on it! The $14,500 Buy it Now is steep for an RSV1000R, but you can always think of it as a $25,000 discount, compared to the 2004 list price. That's a screaming deal, especially adjusted for inflation! The RSV1000R is already a highly competent sportbike, and if you're looking for a functional and collectible Aprilia, this might work for you.

-tad

Always Bet on Black: 2004 Aprilia RSV1000R Nera for Sale

Featured Listing March 15, 2019 posted by Aaron

Featured Listing: 1986 Suzuki GSXR-750

We’ve gone on enough about how important and cool the first Gixxers are, so I’ll spare you more of that here. This 1986 Suzuki GSXR-750 has been set up perfectly, and stands alone as a really cool old motorcycle that is made cooler by its pedigreed bloodline. It has been endowed with a wider rear wheel from its 1,100cc stablemate, as well as a raft of functional improvements but reversible mods.

The seller has added Race Tech Gold Valves, powder-coated wheels with modern rubber, Hayabusa master cylinders with modern levers, a beefier fork brace, stainless steel brake lines and less restrictive air filters and a pretty Yoshimura exhaust system, and a period correct Fox twin clicker. You won’t win a Concourse show, but who cares?

The seller has explained and detailed this very special bike below.

BEAUTIFUL 1986 GSX-R750

11,634 miles

Original, un-restored body in near Mint condition.
Functional upgrades with ALL Original Parts Included

THE 1st True Superbike that started it all.

One of the finest "surviving" examples you'll find, of what is arguably THE most significant Sportbike ever. Simply put, the first Gen 750 STARTED the "race bike with blinkers" revolution of aluminum framed, race technology with comfort taking a back seat. And while the rare homologation specials like the RC30 and OWO1 of the era may have their technical advantages or collector value, they, and quite frankly everything that followed, were ALL in response to THIS motorcycle. There are very few "1st's" in this world and this is one.

Anyone serious enough to be looking at this knows these Icons rarely come along in this kind of condition without a full restoration. This example is truly a testament to the Quality of Suzuki when cared for accordingly for 33 years. The Bike shows very minimal patina which only adds to the luster of "original". Engine, Carbs, Frame, Body, Oil Cooler and Electrical ALL look closer to 3 than 33 years old. It's safe to assume this bike has always been stored indoors and even question how much rain it's seen. I am guessing that the windshield and both lowers must be new(er) as they are practically showroom. The only portion of the bodywork to receive any work is a fresh Clear-Coat on the tank and Solo Cowl, both professionally done and BEAUTIFUL ! Other than that, everything looks to be Original. Simply Amazing.

I have a small collection of stunning Sportbikes and this Bike is truly a Stand-Out. A "Best in Show" Trophy in 2018 says it all considering the modern era Customs it was competing with.

I have owned the bike for going on 6 years, give or take, and have put just over 500 miles total on it. Essentially a ride in the spring, 1 in the Summer and one in Fall.

Functional Upgrades:
Suspension, including Gold Valves up Front, Sprung for 200lb rider with new seals & Oil and a Gorgeous, Period Correct Fox Twin Clicker with an 1100 Lower Pivot link. Thicker Fork Brace. Lightweight Deltran LiFePO4 (not Lithium Ion) Battery. The Oil Stand pipe was converted to accept 1100 filter to allow Oil Changes without Removing the Headers.
Wider 1100 Rear Wheel upgrade for a wider tire.
Brand New Dunlops on White Wheels and Conti Attack CR's on the OE Black Wheels.
Forward controls have been upgraded to Brand New, Late-Model Hayabusa Master Cylinders to incorporate Adjustable CRG Levers while retaining the original style. Stock Masters and Levers included and in Beautiful condition. Galfer Braided Lines and New Vesrah Pads all around. OE lines are also included. A 520 conversion with top of the line, EK 3D Chain and SuperSprox/Vortex components.

Repairs and Maintenance of note:
Complete Front Calipers Rebuild with Genuine Suzuki parts, Documented and Refinished along with Fork Adjusters.

Cosmetic enhancements:
Wheels with Fresh White Powder Coat and New Dunlops, Left Case Cover Refinished, 87 style Front Fender, Rear Fender Delete and Flushmounts.

Performance Upgrades:
K&N Pod Filters, DynoJet Kit, V&H Ignition Advance and a Beautiful, period correct, Yoshimura Full Exhaust. Dyno Tuned at 93 rwhp and has seen 147 on GPS. Laser Straight and Stable.

So, to be clear, this bike gets used (as it should) and meticulously maintained and cared for (as it deserves).

For the Purist and Collector
For any doubters regarding "originality". This bike comes with ALL OE Partsincluding (but not limited to): 2 Original Keys, Near Mint Stock Exhaust, OE Black Wheels w/tires, Air Box and Filter, Shock, Pivot Link, front and rear Fenders, Near Mint Original Masters & Levers, Tool Kit, Blinkers, Mirrors, Grab-Bar and related brackets etc.. everything needed to return to stock and all in fantastic condition. Bike is currently set up as you see simply for personal preference and sold as is. I also typically remove the Mirrors whether on display or a ride, as this is a notoriously week area on the Fairing and it's not worth the risk.

IF the buyer would prefer to have the bike returned to Original prior to delivery, I would be happy to facilitate for a reasonable consideration of time.

Patina
You'll see the last 3 pics of minor blems/flaws. Small crack on the right upper fairing by the mirror mount. A small crack on the left mid by the front bolt hole which has been reinforced with Epoxy on the back side. Also, both "R" tank emblems have a hair-line crack trough them. These are common issues with the Slabby's but have not gotten any worse while I've owned it.

You'll be hard pressed to find a nicer example of THE ORIGINAL that still sees the road on a regular basis.
This bike is ready for spirited trips through The Dragons Tail or the missing piece for your Collection OR BOTH.

Contact Before Bidding
Please feel free to call or txt with any questions 608 697 8215 . I have over 50 Hi-Res pics including ALL the OE parts and a Video of the bike Starting and Running that I'd be happy to e-mail.
Clear Title in hand.

PLEASE NOTE*
This bike will also be listed elsewhere and auction may end early, so get it while you can!!!

For Reference:
A Canadian Version 1985 750 Sold at Mecum Las Vegas for $18,700 on 1/25/19
https://www.mecum.com/lots/LV0119-362253/1985-suzuki-gsxr-750/

Price and Contact Information
$11,000 OBO. Contact Rod at blue_r198@yahoo.com or (608)697-8215

Buyer will need to arrange pickup/shipping and I'll assist however I can.

Thanks for looking and Good Luck 🙂

As the video shows, it has nothing to hide. As the photos show, the “patina” is negligible, making this the perfect choice for a rider/collector. The first-generation Gixxers are getting rarer and rarer, so the changes will no doubt be a little controversial, but the seller has stressed that ALL the stock parts are included, so an all-original restored bike is certainly possible with this one.