Posts tagged as “1987”

Featured Listing – 1987 Suzuki GSX-R 1100

Published May 4, 2023 by Norman

Update 5.4.2023: Relisted on eBay, now at $14,900 from $16k. Good luck to buyers and seller! -dc

1987 Suzuki GSX-R 1100

As RSBFS writers, we often get first dibs at some of the Featured Listings that we write up. Our meager earnings from the site keep our tanks full and the insurance man happy but they’ll never stack high enough to take advantage of the first looks we get. Initially, it hurts a bit to watch a some of the excellent listings pass by but you eventually get used it. Then every once in a while a good man named Bob comes out of nowhere and dangles 3 dimepiece Zookis in front of you… So close yet so far. Thanks Bob!

Who is Bob? Bob Benyo is the Chief of Restoration at Globe Motorcycles, a private collector/restorer dedicated to bringing vintage motorcycles back to factory condition. Hopefully a future friend of the site as well. Bob has been stripping screws, busting knuckles, missing apexes, and eating chicken strips since the 80s when he graduated from the AMI. He’s one of those cats who has forgotten more about the game than most will know.

This GSX-R 1100 is one of 3 Zook’s and one of two 1100s our seller is getting offload of this week. If you’ve been patiently waiting out the storm for the past couple years for a classic sportbike this is an opportunity worth exploring.

The GSX-R 1100 was a quick successor to the GSX-R 750 which needs no introduction. The big bore market in general was not new of course but the big bore sport bike market…well that was uncharted territory at the time. Suzuki quickly understood that certain markets had an appetite for big horsepower and they quickly developed an offering based on their 750 platform. A 1,052 cc oil-cooled mill generated around ~120hp and ~70 lb ft of torque at the crank. Throw that in a pot with a lightweight (for the time) chassis and you get to 160 mph pretty quick… That’s surely far quicker than whatever the po po were using to chase GSX-R owners at the time. The powerplant was reliable as well. It became a favorite of tuners and drag rats as they could easily shove more hp through the engine without any issues. I suspect that the engine reliability played a big part in allowing the seller to offer this bike with a healthy engine today. Speaking of the engine, this one exhales into in a period correct SuperTrapp SS exhaust. Those types of bits are always hard to come by on the classics.

Motorcycles are pretty simple and direct. That being said, there are still multiple parts to the system and the motor is just one part that helps deliver the experience we seek from these types of machines. While I believe the motor is arguably the most important part of the system, it’s only ever so slightly ahead of handling which is another strength of the 1100. Remember, the starting point for this was 750 which was a proper track bike. Much of the engineering that made the 750 great dynamically was carried over to the 1100. The 435 lb dry weight surely is the main character but steering damper, electronic anti-dive tech, and the cartridge-style suspension all carried their weight in supporting roles.

The other GSX-R 1100 Bob is selling is the stock, low mile one in perfect condition. This one seems to have been the evening cruiser of choice and has some mods that allowed inflexible Bob to enjoy his ownership. The main one of those is the bar riser kit. The 1100 is a loooong bike with a loooong tank and spending even 5 minutes at the helm seems like a test of one’s physical fitness. A tinted Lockhart windscreen and upgraded brake lines come installed as well. A prior seller has painted the original bodywork in red/white/blue which actually looks high quality and stock.

Even the inside front of the belly pan is clean… That’s a surefire way to determine if someone is OCD about their toys…

All said and done, this seems like as good as an opportunity as any to snatch up an early ancestor of the Suzuki lineup. The seller has considerable experience in owning and maintaining these bikes so from a quality standpoint, I see very little risk. From a collector standpoint, status has already been achieved and value is a function of time at this point…and Jerome Powell. I think you should gather more details from the seller but it seems the bike has had an interesting backstory as well so there’s your cherry on top.

The “Buy It Now” price is $16K and there have been 0 bids on the auction which starts at $10.5K. BaT sold an ’86 1100 for $14.5 in July ’22 and an ’87 1100 for $11.5K in December ’21. Reach out to Bob directly at skyad1@aol.com with any questions.

Thanks for reading and good luck!

Norm

Featured Listing: 1987 Ducati 750 F1 Laguna Seca for Sale

Published April 26, 2018 by Tad Diemer

Update 5.2.2018: Price reduced to $16,750! Good luck to buyers and seller! -dc

Update 3.16.2018: Recently serviced late last year at local Ducati specialist, including new timing belts, idler and tensioners, valve adjust,all fluids changed – including brake and forks, and carb rebuild with new accelerator pump. New price is $18,500 or best offer.
Contact Adam by email: adam_chovanak@yahoo.com

If you were looking to jump onto the Ducati 750 F1 bandwagon early with an eye towards making big money flipping one… That ship has sailed: these Pantah-powered race replicas now command some serious money. For years, these occupied the same place as the early Super Sport, in part because they straddle two generations of Ducatis, pre and post-Cagiva ownership, but don’t seem to fully belong to either. They’ve got a slightly shed-built quality from the older era, combined with the “modern” Pantah L-twin and more 80s style. When new, build quality was criticized and suspension, as delivered, was a bit crude. But the potential was there from the beginning in bikes like today’s featured 750 F1 Laguna Seca, it just needed a bit of development.

The 750 F1 used Ducati’s characteristic trellis frame, designed in this case by Verlicchi and visibly wrapped around the lightweight aluminum tank. It was powered by a 749cc version of their air/oil-cooled, two-valve twin making a claimed 76hp and styled to look like the successful TT1 race bikes of the period. Dry weight was just 385lbs and the 16″ front and 18″ wheel gave nimble handling. The Montjuich, Santa Monica, and this Laguna Seca were all limited editions of the F1 that were priced higher when new and featured improved performance and a higher top speed.

For years, the F1 languished forgotten and relatively unloved, but the fact that it was conceived before the company’s takeover by Cagiva and the perceived mass-production that followed seems to be the exact quality now driving the increase in prices. Looking closely, there’s one obvious indicator that the F1 came before Cagiva’s ownership: bikes that came later reversed the rear cylinder so that both carburetors could be fitted into the engine’s vee for much more efficient packaging. Some F1s have awkward pod filters fitted that bulge out from behind the fairing, but this example doesn’t bother with something as trivial as “air filtration” and just has mesh screens to keep out rocks, stray animals, and small children.

ZDM750LS-750139 / DM750L1-750238

Recently out of long-term collection in Japan – this Marco Lucchinelli Replica is a time capsule in beautiful shape with only ~2500km / 1600 miles. Original paint and bodywork is excellent; red paint on the beautiful trellis frame very nice with some darkening on the upper surface of each tube. Clip-ons and muffler have visible surface corrosion. Runs great – bike starts right up, idles well and runs like it should. Original mirrors included in sale.

The F1 Laguna Seca, along with the Santa Monica and Montjuich, represented the pinnacle of the factory Pantah-based TT race-bikes. These hand-built race-replica bikes were closely based on the forks F1 racers with open-throat Dell’Orto carburetors, 10:1 compression pistons, bigger valves and less restrictive exhaust. Transmission uses straight-cut (like the works bikes) instead of helical primary drive gears. The Laguna Seca is fitted with Verlicchi aluminum swing-arm and solo seat.

Widely acclaimed when new – Cycle World stated, “They May Be Bargains. This last Ducati is a throwback in the spirit of the 750 SS of 1973, the F1’s most famous predecessor. Like the 750 SS, the F1 is the Italian sportsbike of its era.”

Mick Walker summarized in his 1989 Ducati Buyers Guide, “If you find, or already own, an F1 my advice is to hang on to it. If you are doubly lucky to have been able to afford one of the ‘limited edition’ models, then guard it with your life, for you have a real classic of the future. Any one of the Monjuich, Laguna Seca or Santamonica models is worth a full five stars, for they are both beautiful and rare.”

This gem will make a fabulous addition to your collection. Offering with low reserve and reasonable buy-it-now. Currently on it’s importation paperwork – Japanese de-registration certificate / English translation of certificate / NHTSA HS7 / EPA 3520-1 / CBP 7501 (stamped). Washington State title is available for $400 documentation fee approx. 5-week wait. WA state buyers responsible for Tax & License.

As the seller mentions, the bike isn’t cosmetically perfect, but no bike that’s thirty years old and in original condition is likely to be. Bodywork is very sharp, but some of the exposed metal parts have some surface corrosion but the paint on the bodywork looks very nice and mileage is extremely low at just 1,600. The seller is asking for $16,750

-tad

Featured Listing: Zero-Mile 1987 Yamaha TZR250 for Sale

Published January 20, 2017 by Tad Diemer

Update 1.30.2017: The seller has notified me that this sale is now final on this bike after receiving serious interest just a day after listing. Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc

Are you looking for an ’80s two-stroke to tear up the back roads in a cloud of blue smoke? Just move along: nothing to see here. Are you searching for a museum-quality Yamaha TZR250 2MA/1KT? Well we may just have what you’re looking for with today’s Featured Listing, a zero-mile example that may never have seen a tank of fuel in its life.

The very first TZR was a development of Yamaha’s RD series of motorcycles, and it helped to define the rapidly-evolving class: lightweight aluminum beam frame, fully-faired bodywork, and a liquid-cooled two-stroke parallel-twin backed by a six-speed gearbox and a set of 17″ wheels. Every bike in the quarter-liter class featured some sort of proprietary powervalve technology, and the TZR naturally used the Yamaha Power Valve System or “YPVS.” Triple discs quickly became the class standard, although early TZRs like this one made do with just a single disc and caliper at the front. With a good set of pads, this should still pull you up quickly, considering the sub-300 lb dry weight.

First-generation TZRs and NSRs generally seem to command less money than their later counterparts and I’m not really sure exactly why. I’m assuming it’s because early 250 two-strokes are nice, fun little sportbikes, while bikes like Honda’s NSR250 MC28 from the end of the line pack cutting-edge tech and some trick parts… But as far as historical significance and style go, these early bikes have both in spades.

From the Seller: Zero-Mile 1987 Yamaha TZR250 for Sale

0 miles

Two stroke, not available in the United States, purchased in Canada. Extremely clean, near perfect condition. As far as I can tell, it’s never had gas through the gas tank. New battery, original keys. Metric and US speedometer. A great addition to someone’s collection.

The bike is located in Michigan to view and pick up. Not willing to ship but willing to assist with your shipper.

Price is $11,500.

As you can see from the photos, the seller even has the original service manual and a tool kit that obviously has seen minimal use. With zero miles on the odometer, it’d be a shame to put it on the road and wreck the pristine status, but if you’re looking for an early TZR to complete your Yamaha sportbike collection, you’re obviously very unlikely to find one in better cosmetic condition.

-tad

Japanese-Market Two-Stroke: 1985 Yamaha RZV500R for Sale

Published October 4, 2016 by Tad Diemer

This Japanese-market Yamaha RZV500R is a bit of a double-edged sword: one one hand, the bike came with a lightweight aluminum frame instead of the steel frame found on bikes destined for other markets. But, on the other hand, power output was restricted, down from 88hp to 64. From a pure performance perspective, the ideal RZV might be an aluminum-framed bike with a de-restricted powerplant, although purists might balk. Only real problem here: this Japanese-market RZV is currently in Japan…

Also known as the RD500LC, Yamaha’s V4-engined GP-replica was never officially imported to the USA anyway, and the bike is old enough that, in some states at least, registering this example shouldn’t be too hard. It competed in a class of two against Suzuki’s square-four powered RG500 Gamma and was the much more civilized option: the liquid-cooled 50° two-stroke V4 had twin cranks, Yamaha’s YPVS powervalves, Autolube oil-injection and, most importantly, a balance shaft to smooth out engine vibration. That shaft was supposed to improve performance by allowing other parts like the frame to be made lighter. In practice, it made the RZV the heavier, more refined option, and that hurt the bike’s reputation among hard-core enthusiasts.

But honestly, if you’re looking for an authentic two-stroke 80’s race replica, you really can’t afford to be all that choosy, especially with Gamma prices headed through the roof. And it’s not like the RZV isn’t an exciting ride: handling is still excellent, with anti-dive forks up front and a rear shock mounted under the engine to clear up space for the upper cylinders’ expansion chambers.

From the original eBay listing: 1987 Yamaha RZV500R for Sale

Very rare 2 stroke bike from Japan to you!!
YAMAHA RZV500R
VIN: 51X-0017**
Year: 1987
Mileage: 43,451km
Condition: Running very well. Meter is aftermarket or export model. Mirrors are for export model.
We’ll attach Japanese original title, Sales certificate in English, Bill of sale in English.
Shipping : Price is including the shipping cost from Japan to port near your place. We’ll put in the wooden crate and ship by sea.

The bike looks complete and in decent cosmetic condition, although there are a few minor scuffs, as you’d expect on a bike that’s got the equivalent of almost 27,000 miles on it. I’d appreciate a few shots of the bike without its bodywork: covered parking is at a premium in Japan and many of these bikes have spent a good deal of time out in the elements, so surface corrosion and rust are pretty common. The Buy It Now price is listed at $9,800 with plenty of time left on the listing, so there’s still time to check with your local DMV if you’ve got an RZV-sized hole in your collection.

-tad

2 Responses.

In the Beginning: 1987 Honda NSR250R MC16 for Sale

Published September 24, 2016 by Tad Diemer

Although the very last MC28 version of the NSR250R is often considered the most desirable of the line today, with high-tech electronics, handling, and gorgeous good looks, obviously owes its existence and success to the original Honda NSR250R MC16. These are becoming a bit less the unicorns they’ve been here in the USA up until now, due to a number of enterprising folks bringing them over by the bucketload as they reach 25 years old and become easier to import, although they’ll never be common sights here.

And although it lacks some of the polish and sophistication of the later versions, the MC16 was still a very fast little motorcycle. Powered by an extremely compact, crankcase-induced v-twin while competitors were powered by parallel twins, it also featured Nikasil-plated cylinders and an electronic “Revolutionary Controlled” valves replaced Honda’s earlier ATAC system and it was all backed by a six-speed cassette gearbox for quick gearing changes at the track.

From the original eBay listing: 1987 Honda NSR250R MC16 for Sale

1987 Honda NSR250R MC16 – a real gem!

All original, 30 years young. 7410km (appx 4605 miles). Younger riders beware, do not let the displacement (cc) of this bike fool you. Essentially a GP replica, this twin-cylinder, two stroke, 250 cubic centimeter spitting cobra used to be THE bike on the track. Not only is it the preferred bike of Isle of Man TT riders (Bruce Anstey, IOM TT Classic 2016 champion), this Honda historic icon was notorious for eating over-zealous riders for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The NSR250R is beyond flickable, lightweight (275lbs dry), and is basically on par with a 90’s 600cc sport bike. They are no joke, and they are awesome. This is one of the very, very few titled MC16’s in America. Don’t miss out.

Includes the original Honda key, tool kit, and owner’s manual. I am also including the Honda Factory Service Repair Manual in ENGLISH for free! Has every Honda step and spec, makes maintenance a breeze.

BIKE HAS BEEN REGISTERED BY ME AND HAS A CLEAN, BRAND NEW, WASHINGTON STATE US TITLE WITH MATCHING VIN – THE HARD WORK HAS BEEN DONE, LEGAL TO RIDE IN ALL 50 STATES, EVEN CALIFORNIA!

Please double check with your city and county regulations prior to bidding/buying!

All electronics function properly: neutral switch, speed sensor, lights, horn, etc. Brakes have been bled and pads are in good shape with plenty of stopping power. Fuel tank has been emptied and cleaned.

GENUINE OEM Honda fairings, not cheapy-China replicas. At 30 years old, they do show signs of aging with one minor hairline crack near the right side mirror/turn signal and some scuffing towards the front side, as well as some very minor cosmetic imperfections toward the undersides. No frame scratches or tank dents.

Goes through all 6 gears like a twin cylinder bat, straight outta Hell.

Carbs have been cleaned, spark plugs replaced. Sync’d to the best of my ability. No fork seal leaks. Bike has been clay-barred, hand waxed, and detailed. Bike will need new tires and a final tune-up/walkaround before hitting the road/track. DO NOT RIDE THIS WITHOUT GETTING NEW TIRES FIRST. I also recommend using nothing but ethanol-free high octane gasoline aka “rec-gas”.

The seller is looking for $6,000 for this one, and helpfully includes a pair of videos here and here so you can have some confidence that, even if navigating the DMV proves difficult with this grey-market beastie, at least you know it starts and runs well. It’s not perfect, with some scratches and surface rust, but looks like a solid example, and currently features a WA state title.

-tad

15 Responses.

A Sound of Thunder: 1987 Moto Guzzi Le Mans IV for Sale

Published October 8, 2015 by Tad Diemer

Many of our readers will find it very appropriate that I’ve referenced a Ray Bradbury short story about dinosaurs for the title of this post. In a world of GSX-Rs and ZX-7s the Moto Guzzi Le Mans IV was indeed a dinosaur, long past its days as a world-class sportbike by 1987. But by then, Guzzi wasn’t really trying to compete with bikes from Japan, catering to die-hard Guzzisti in the same way Laverda did with last week’s RGS. So not a cutting edge sportbike, but the longitudinal v-twin has plenty of muscle and the platform is generally very stable. Unfortunately, this example does appear to be fitted or, as some would say, afflicted with a 16″ front wheel and tire combo.

These were all the rage in the 1980s, and fitted to increase a bike’s handing and agility. Unfortunately, a bike’s needed to be set up specifically to deal with the increased turn-in and Guzzi just bascially replaced the stock 18″ with a 16″ on some of their bikes. The effects varied from “negligible” to “high-speed weave across several lanes of traffic.” If this one’s gone 31,000 miles, it’s probably fine, and you should be able to swap an 18″ from a later bike on if you don’t like the handling. That’s what Guzzi did, after all…

Set smack in the middle of that soft rubber [safety feature!] dash is an enormous, white-faced Veglia tachometer. Given the clatter and boom these things can emit, especially with what look to be Lafranconi mufflers fitted, I’m not sure that tach needs to be front-and-center like that, but it sure looks good.

And, as I always have to point out: the keys for these actually have a folding bit so that, once inserted, they just look like a round knob you then twist… Very cool, but hard to replace if you lose one say, driving back from the DC area with a Guzzi in the bed of your pickup truck and you stop for a quick bite and the key somehow falls out of your pocket…

Only key I’ve ever lost, and it wasn’t even my bike.

From the original eBay listing: 1987 Moto Guzzi Le Mans IV for Sale

3rd owner very show worthy with 30,181 miles all original with the exception of the performance exhaust. Still have the original all boxed up for safe keeping. Reason for selling is age and medical condition preventing the owner from being able to enjoy this beautiful Italian icon of the 80’s. Now its your turn to own a piece of motorcycling history.

Photographs aren’t the best, but this does look like it’s in nice shape, and with a Buy It Now price of just $5,500 you’re looking at a very cheap way into Guzzi ownership, considering what V7s and original Le Mans are going for these days. These are very charismatic motorcycles, ideal for weekend rides and light touring where the ride is more important than how fast you get there…

-tad

4 Responses.

Middleweight Two-Stroke: 1987 Honda NS400R for Sale

Published September 14, 2015 by Tad Diemer

I have a contrary streak in me a mile wide and sometimes I like being different just to be different. I’ve owned Saabs and Alfa Romeos, both of which feature some really interesting design features that offer up alternatives to conventional thinking, although they don’t always work as advertised… And to me, the Honda NS400R is a bit like that.

A middleweight two-stroke with a liquid-cooled, 90° V3 that put 72hp through a six-speed transmission, one might reasonably ask, “Why a V3?” I’d assume it was marginally narrower than an inline triple for better aerodynamics: Honda isn’t known for doing things “just because.” But the truth is that I don’t really care if it’s actually better. I just want a two-stroke V3 motorcycle.

If you’re looking for a typically wild, two-stroke ride, this might not actually be the droid you’re looking for. Strangely, Honda did everything possible to un-stroke-ify the NS400R: water-jackets quieted the mechanical racket, and power-valves combined with bigger displacement to provide a modicum of midrange power.

These were a bit of an odd duck when new: not as lightweight and visceral as the 250’s, and certainly not as lethal as the big 500cc fours. But they were blessed with what some claimed was the best handling of the era, and if you’re into weird engine configurations, I dare you to try and find another two-stroke V3 running around anywhere.

From the original eBay listing: 1987 Honda NS400R for Sale

1987 Honda NS400R, MC-19, 3 Cylinder, 2 stroke, 34,000 KM, Brand New Paint and Windshield, Runs Great, Clean Calif. Title and Registered.

So there’s a bit of a mystery here. Is that the same bike in the first photo? It looks a bit sharper and cleaner than the other pictures… And that front mudguard doesn’t match. The seller claims that it “runs great” which is a good sign, considering these can be a bit of a pain to obtain parts for. But if it has “brand new paint” it might be a good idea to show some pictures of said paint. Or does it mean he has brand new paint in cans, not yet applied to the bike?

Questions like that don’t appear to be discouraging potential buyers: bidding is up north of $3,000 with the Reserve Not Met. Fairing off, it looks pretty dusty and I’m wondering how much more this would sell for if they’d bothered to clean it off a bit before listing it…

-tad

6 Responses.

Raw Materials: 1987 Ducati F1 For Sale

Published September 12, 2015 by Tad Diemer

Ducati’s 750 F1 was intended to closely resemble their competitive TT1 racebike, and was the very last bike introduced before the company was taken over by Cagiva, when Ducati was on the ropes financially. It was the very last of the old-school Ducatis, and is finally starting to find its value because of that.

The F1 displaced 749cc’s and produced a claimed 76hp with the typical 16″ front and 18″ rear combination for impressive agility. Unlike later Ducati’s, the F1 still featured the older, less compact carburetor configuration, instead of the more familiar arrangement with both carburetors situated in the vee of the engine.

There’s plenty of potential in these motorcycles and handling was exceptional, but that’s kind of the problem: it’s almost like Ducati assumed that they were selling roadbikes to race teams, who planned to tweak and tune and set them up to suit, instead of to normal, everyday consumers. It’s like they thought they were just supplying the raw materials out of which you could build a very nice sportbike.

This one looks to be in very nice condition, although as a display piece, you’d obviously have to put some work in before riding it.

From the original eBay listing: 1987 Ducati F1B for Sale

A complete frame up restoration. This bike retains all original equipment including mirrors, original brakes, turn signals, air box, two into one exhaust (stock exhaust available). Engine dismantled and serviced as required. New battery, tires, brake cylinder kits and more. Only displayed since being renovated. A show quality motorcycle. Lying in Ft Lauderdale inspections welcome. One of the last true Ducati custom designs.

I’m really not sure what “one of the last true Ducati custom designs” is supposed to mean: this is neither custom, nor the last of anything. And period tests were not especially kind to the F1, nor were they especially popular.

Sure, go find some nice, period suspension upgrades and have Loudbike tune your 750 for 100hp and you’ll have yourself a nice, vintage firebreather: air/oil-cooled Ducatis are fundamentally tough, race-bred motorcycles. But as stock, the F1 was a raw material than finished product. In spite of that, these early Pantah sportbikes have rocketed in value recently, so this might be a good investment or the perfect bike to complete your collection.

-tad

9 Responses.