Posts by tag: limited

Rickman December 28, 2019 posted by Donn

Between Successes – 1974 Rickman Triumph 650 CR

Rickman-framed cafe racers have had a steady if not frequent presence on RSBFS, but mostly using Honda CB750 and Kawasaki Z-1 drivetrains. Just before, they had produced but a few dozen Triumph powered CR’s. This diamond in the rough has been in storage since just 3,000 miles, and is ready for a makeover.

1974 Rickman Triumph 650 CR for sale on eBay

Derek and Don Rickman made their name designing and fabricating beautiful and world-beating frames for the scramblers they loved, the lightweight and nickel-plated chromoly tubing being a usable showpiece. They turned their attention toward the street starting in 1970, and provided the recently nationalized BSA-Triumph a market for their T120 twin of 46hp. The twin carbs and factory 5-speed were good news, and Rickman added alloy rims and disk brakes, as well as large-diameter forks. Careful fabrication was Rickman’s calling card, with lovely fiberglass work augmenting the frame.

Undeniably tired and ready for the next chapter, this CR appears substantially complete. The pittance of miles will have to be swept away in a flurry of renovation, but the new owner will have a beautiful rarity when complete. A thoughtful test rider or British specialist will be required with the right-side shifter, left foot brake. Comments from the eBay auction:

RICKMAN CR TRIUMPH 1 0F 53 BUILT

BIKE HAS BEEN STORED FOR YEARS WITH LOW MILES

READY FOR RESTORATION

HIGHLY SOUGHT AFTER MODEL

ENGINE TURNS WITH GOOD COMPRESSION

ORIGINAL ALLOY CHAINGUARD IS INCLUDED

MISSING THE FRONT BRAKE MASTER CYLINDER (SAME AS TRIUMPH T140 SO EASY TO FIND)

TITLED AS A 1979 SPECIAL WHEN THE ORIGINAL TITLE WAS LOST IN 79

Rickman won the Queen’s Award to Industry for their exports in 1974, but had to change horses when Norton-Villiers-Triumph could not resolve their labor troubles and were forced into liquidation. Before that the Bonnies had been a big success so basic mechanical parts for this CR should be easy to source. With its long lost history it’s a soup-to-nuts project, but a worthwhile endeavor in this complete and seemingly undamaged example.

-donn

Between Successes – 1974 Rickman Triumph 650 CR

Suzuki October 30, 2018 posted by Dan

1986 Suzuki GSXR-750 Limited with 10 Miles at IconicMotorbikes!

How often does an opportunity like this become available for public sale? This GSX-R 750 Limited has only 10 miles, comprised of delivery and push travel only.

We’re a little short handed this week but I didn’t want this one to go unnoticed so it’s getting quick-posted before the auction ends in the next 19 hours. Check out our previous posts on GSX-R 750 Limiteds to learn more about this homologation special.

1986 Suzuki GSXR-750 Limited for sale on eBay

from the IconicMotoribikes:

Just 299 were brought to the US to satisfy AMA Homologation requirements, and we believe only 500 of these bikes were actually produced in total. Intended as the basis for a production-based race bike, many were taken right to the track, and few survive in this kind of pristine condition.

The LTD is the only production GSX-R delivered from the factory with a dry clutch, which makes it that much more exotic, and was mated to a close-ratio transmission. Lightweight bodywork, including a solo tail to help save weight, compared to the standard GSX-R750. The Limited also featured a longer swingarm, along with electronic anti-dive forks, calipers, and discs from the GSX-R1100 to add to the performance and “special factor” of this machine.

This bike comes from a private collection where the owner has finally decided to downsize. He’s kept it inside his home for much of it’s life and once you’ll see it in person, you’ll see it’s a true museum piece. The odometer reads 10 miles from rolling to shows, events, etc as it shows no signs of ever being ridden. It’s 100% stock and essentially classified as a ZERO mile bike.

If you’re looking for a bike for a collection or museum, finding one with next to ZERO miles is going to be a challenge if not impossible. I’ve only heard of two recently, and word has it that the Barber Museum just acquired one from the Midwest that was available for sale earlier this year. We offered $22K for that particular bike and didn’t even get a call back!

This bike is in excellent condition and truly an amazing example of a very collectible GSX-R.

1986 Suzuki GSXR-750 Limited with 10 Miles at IconicMotorbikes!

Buell September 5, 2018 posted by Donn

Buell, Interrupted – 2013 EBR 1190RS Carbon Edition

Erik Buell regrouped after Harley retired the brand and began as he had before, with a racebike design followed by a flagship superbike, followed by a more affordable machine. The 1190RS was their big money racer-with-lights, with direct lineage from the -RR. Though 2012 was the introductory year, a few were made for 2013 as the company transitioned to the -RX.

2013 EBR 1190RS Carbon Edition

Buell had peeked over the engine horizon in 2007 with the 1125cc Rotax-based engine, and the 1190 was a descendant, a 72-degree V-twin with four chain/gear-driven cams. Channeling 175hp through two small contact patches requires electronic intervention, with 21-setting traction control and a vacuum-actuated slipper clutch. Classic Buell concepts such as fuel-in-frame, ZTL front brake, mass-centralized muffler, and oil in the swingarm are all present. Öhlins turned to their racing department for the 43mm cartridge forks, and twin-tube rear monoshock. The bodywork for the carbon edition is hand-laid and gorgeous, and helps the 1190RS stay under the 400 lbs. mark.

Evidently kept in its shipping crate until a year ago, this -RS looks new and hasn’t reached the break-in oil change yet. The orangey-red accents look great with the carbon and it’s gonna wake the neighbors without the twin secondary mufflers some 1190’s came with. Seems like there’d be a back story for a crate unopened for four years, but here’s what the owner would divulge in the eBay auction:

No. 7 of 35 2013’s. New MSRP, set-up like this was just over $50,000. Original owner. Factory race exhaust (Euro) with 93 octane race ECU; extra carbon rear fender; lots of Ti and a Lithium Battery Tender. 500 miles +/-. Gentle street break-in miles only. Not quite fully broken-in. I am a retired championship winning racer/mechanic and treat my bikes with respect. Comes with all original parts as well as an uninstalled full Bazzaz system with the quick-shifter and remote. Comes with all the original parts.

I uncrated it last fall. It has never been in the rain. It has always been garaged or in my living room (all last winter). The engine is hand-built and full of exotic parts. This is literally a race-bike – with lights and mirrors. It has the most immediate power delivery of any street bike that I’ve owned (of well over 100). Original MSRP for replacement engine is $27,000+. The suspension is from Ohlins’ race catalog – not the normal street and track line which is less exotic. Excellent condition. One tiny stone chip in the clear coat.

I will include a 1/2 case of the required AMSOIL full synthetic racing oil and filter for the break-in service. Also all of the stuff that came with it including EBR tie-downs and the EBR crate tarp.

EBR’s new machines enticed some enterprise-level investors, but even 999 looks and Panigale performance couldn’t hold back the red ink for more than a couple of years. Though it’s a very together machine, and any savvy Aprilia wrench could make repairs, lack of support is factored in to the sensible BIN and low-ball bids. Probably better for a shop owner or their very good customer than a one bike garage. While we wait for Erik Buell’s next chapter to unfold, this -RS is a pleasant daydream…

-donn

Buell, Interrupted – 2013 EBR 1190RS Carbon Edition

Suzuki October 12, 2017 posted by Tad Diemer

Slab-Sided Collectible: 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited for Sale

It’s hard to imagine that, just a couple years before the introduction of the GSX-R750, Suzuki’s top-performing repli-racer was the stylish, but very last-generation GS1000S, a bike with twin shocks, handlebars, a center-stand, and a bar-mounted bikini fairing. The original “Slabbie” GSX-R750 that came along in 1985 brought modern endurance-racing style to the masses and codified the formula laid out by much rarer and more exotic machines like the Bimota SB2. This particular GSX-R750 Limited Edition claws back some exotic cachet from the Italian brand, and is one of just 299 imported to the USA to meet AMA homologation requirements.

The heart of the GSX-R was an oil and air-cooled inline four with dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder. It lacked liquid-cooling in a bid to save weight, reduce complexity, and improve reliability, but still had a few high-tech tricks up its sleeve: Suzuki’s Advanced Cooling System or “SACS” featured a double-chambered oil pump was designed to more efficiently circulate and cool the bike’s lubricant, along with oil jets that sprayed the bottom of the pistons. The aluminum frame used a mono-shock rear and four-piston brake calipers clamped triple discs. The Limited version added a very trick dry clutch, lightweight solo seat tail section, and the GSX-R1100’s electronic anti-dive forks.

The Limited was differentiated by the striking red, white, and blue paint seen here on the distinctive, slab-sided bodywork, compared to the standard white-and-blue or red-and-black available on the regular GSX-R. When new, the bike was the most expensive Japanese sportbike, and was priced at $6,500, a shocking $2,000 more than the standard model. Performance advantages were very minimal but that wasn’t really the point and this is, to my mind, the best-looking version of the early GSX-R.

From the original eBay listing: 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition for Sale

Race homologation special. It has 4545 miles. This bike is in as near perfect collectors condition for a 31 year old bike. Motorcycle was just fully serviced (ie carbs were serviced; all fluids changed; new tires added, as originals showed signs of cracking.)

These bikes have surged in price, exceeding $20K in most cases.

If you are looking at this bike, you know what it is, so NO LOW BALL OFFERS!!!!

The seller is correct that prices have surged, and his bike appears to be in excellent, very original condition that includes a stock exhaust that could be either “cool and retro” or “shockingly ugly” depending on your predilection for slotted heat shields. Certainly it’s of value to collectors. Unfortunately, while his $20,000 asking price is fair, it actually seems just a bit on the high-side, at least looking at Limited Editions we’ve featured here on RSBFS in the past. I’m not sure just how far off his asking price an offer would have to be before it qualifies as “a low ball offer,” but I have a feeling he may be disappointed. Will at least one buyer meet his asking price? It’s very possible: those same recent bikes I mentioned didn’t quite get to $20,000 but were very close.

-tad

Slab-Sided Collectible: 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited for Sale

Suzuki September 26, 2017 posted by Tad Diemer

JDM Gixxer: 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition

Honda’s famed RC30 was basically designed from the ground up for competition, and seemingly only sold to the public to satisfy production-based racing requirements. That’s one way to go about it, but if you don’t have Honda’s practically endless resources, how do you create a machine that will help your racers to compete at the top levels of production-based racing? You build something like this Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition. In recent years, “Limited Edition” has come to refer to things like luxury trim packages for Toyota Corollas, somewhat watering down the cachet of the term. But in this case, it was truth in advertising, with just a few hundred made to satisfy the regulations.

The regular GSX-R was already a pretty impressive machine and, considering that the Limited Edition was the most expensive Japanese sportbike of 1986, you’d be forgiven for thinking that the performance of this rare and exotic version is underwhelming. But the changes were designed to allow their inclusion on race machines, not make for a better roadbike. The LE was just six pounds lighter than the standard bike, most likely a result of the fiberglass solo-seat tail section. Power was very similar as well, since the engine internals were virtually identical to the stock GSX-R750, and flat-slide carburetors are great for producing maximum power, but they’re not really suited to everyday use. Fortunately, the LE’s lightweight vented dry clutch should produce enough rattle to drown out the supposedly noisy carburetor slides… Aside from those notable and very expensive upgrades, the bike also featured a revised swingarm for improved stability and the electronic, anti-dive forks from the GSX-R1100, although I wonder if many race teams actually used those. Photos of our recent GSX-R AMA Superbike suggest that at least some of them did…

So out of the box it didn’t necessarily perform any better than a stock bike, and was hideously expensive. But honestly, most manufacturers of homologation specials probably weren’t too concerned about selling them: I’m pretty sure the rules only required that they build the required machines, so if they sat in showrooms for a few years, manufacturers wouldn’t lose any sleep over it. Collectors and enthusiasts with the money to buy them still did so, regardless of cost, but the main goal was to get the right parts legalized for the racers.

From the original Craigslist Post: 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition for Sale

1986 GSXR-750 Limited Edition in Japanese Domestic Model Specification
Suzuki only produced 500 units world wide of the GSXR750 Limited Edition

The bike is imported from Japan.
Not registered yet in the U.S.
This bike is sold without title. (NO TITLE)

Start engine! Runs well
Flat slide carburetors
Dry clutch
Original FRP rear seat cowl

24,374 km (15,145 miles)
Engine Number R705-125561

$13,800

The last Limited Edition GSX-R750 we featured on the site was also a Japanese import in similar colors that were intended to celebrate Suzuki’s success at the 8 Hours of Suzuka, but this appears to be a different bike entirely. First-generation “Slabbie” Gixxers are already increasing in value, and nice Limited Editions are starting to command premium dollars. The lack of a title could prove to be a hassle, but many people considering a purchase will be looking to collect or display, not actually ride it, so that may not be all that much a problem. The $13,800 asking price seems in line with recent LE prices, but I wonder if the lack of title will have any impact on its value.

-tad

Suzuki April 23, 2017 posted by Tad Diemer

Rare Pair: 1990 Yamaha YZF750R OW01 and 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited for Sale

Just a quick Sunday post for you folks who can’t get out riding this weekend. Or for those of you on the East Coast, reading this early in the morning before heading out for the day… So here we’ve got a pair of rare homologation specials from the Age of the Seven-Fifty, where this now-forgotten class was the cutting edge of competition. Sure, the Big Four all had liter-sized bikes available, but while they more powerful, they were also heavier and much more road-oriented, while the 750s were that perfect balance of light weight, agility, and power. Today’s Yamaha YZF750R OW01 and Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited represent some of the very best-handling and most exclusive Japanese sportbikes of the era.

First up is the Yamaha FZR750R OW01, a bike that looks deceptively ordinary at first blush. It was designed to compete directly against the RC30 and in typical Honda fashion, they engineered a completely new solution for their homologation special, with a gear-driven V4, chassis, and single-sided swingarm shared with no other bike in their lineup. Yamaha’s bike shares its silhouette with the more common FZR750R, but is far more exotic than it might appear: titanium rods, twin-ring pistons, an aluminum fuel tank, detachable alloy subframe, quick-release axle clamps, and Öhlins suspension at the front and rear. The engine was almost radically oversquare, although it displaced the advertised 749cc, and used Yamaha’s five-valve head.

From the original eBay listing: 1990 Yamaha FZR750R OW01 for Sale

This amazing bike has been in storage in a large collection for the last 9 years, dry stored correctly it will need recommissioning by the new owner for road use, it only has 34,000 kilometers and is in great shape with the original exhaust, toolkit and manual with pouch.

It has a few blemishes from its road use as seen in the pics rather than take up a lot of space here with this models lengthy attributes please do your own research, only 500 of these were made, a lot less than the RC30 and were quite a bit more expensive than it these bikes are getting scarce and climbing in value.

Suzuki threw their hat into the ring with their GSX-R750 Limited Edition, the homologation version of the iconic “Slabbie” version of their sportbike. Like the OW01, it’s superficially similar to the standard bike, but features exotic parts intended for racing, like the lightweight dry clutch and electronic anti-dive forks. Lightweight bodywork, an aluminum tank, and a fiberglass tailsection differed from the stock machine, but the engine was still oil and air-cooled to save weight.

From the original eBay listing: 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited, GSX-R750, and GSX-R1100 for Sale

Selling off my collection of 1986 GSXR First Generation Slab Side bikes. This is the ultimate collection if you are looking for all (3) excellent condition original bikes. Bikes are to be sold as a package as I have had them a long time and would hate to break them up.

1986 GSXR 750 Limited, 4400 miles, Original bodywork, pipe, airbox, etc in excellent condition. Never been down and has not been a previous race bike.

1986 GSXR 1100- 8000 miles, Original bodywork, pipe, airbox, etc in excellent condition. This bike has aftermarket tinted screen.

1986 GSXR 750 Red/Blkw ith only 600 original miles. Yes that’s right only 600 true miles 100% correct and still has the OEM tires on the bike. I also have original bill of sale from dealer. This may be one of the lowest original bikes in the world. Pic does not show grab rail or front markers but I have those as well.

All bikes have lots of paperwork. Not looking to separate bikes at this time.

Both of these auctions end Monday, so move quickly if you’re interested. This is the second OW01 we’ve posted up recently and obviously will need some work if you want to use it on the road, but a new owner may just choose to preserve it as-is. The Suzuki is part of a collection so you’ll be picking up three bikes instead of just one, but they’re all in very nice condition with low miles so if you’re thinking of adding some classic Suzukis to your portfolio, you’re in luck!

-tad

Rare Pair: 1990 Yamaha YZF750R OW01 and 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited for Sale

Suzuki May 14, 2015 posted by Donn

Racer with lights – 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition

After it was started in 1976, the AMA Superbike Championship became a way to reach the sporty segment of the American motorcycle market. The 1983 rule change reducing maximum displacement to 750cc was the catalyst for a new approach, rather than racing road bikes, Suzuki tailored their racing machine for public use. Their light weight and simplicity won the championship in 1989 and launched a thousand privateer race teams.

1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition

Introduced in 1985, the GSXR-750 had an innovative alloy frame, and the bike was noticeably lighter than the competition. An evolutionary engine, the micro-finned inline-4 is primarily oil-cooled, a large oil radiator behind the front fender. The full fairing recalls the Suzuki endurance racers, and the riding position is decidedly racetrack oriented. Updates for 1986 include a more stable 25mm-longer swingarm and radial tires. Intended to homologate some components for the AMA championship, the Limited Edition had an alloy fuel tank, dry clutch, 310mm front disks, steering damper, electronic anti-dive, and remote reservoir rear shock. Special badging and colors, gunmetal grey engine paint and blue wheels distinguish the Limited Edition.

With quite low miles and very stock, the previous owner did not mess with perfection, apart from a pair of conformal front turn signals and a little de-reflectorization. Intact headlight fairing and the absence of more than a couple of nicks in the bodywork is encouraging.

From the eBay auction:

This is the bike that started the homologation wars. If you are looking for something special to show up at bike night on, this is it!
Bike is from my private collection and has been stored in a climate controlled environment being ridden only once or twice a year.
Everything works perfect and the motor runs flawlessly. Dry clutch functions as it was designed as well. This example is very close to stock with the exceptions of the windscreen and front turn signals. It does come with the stock from turn signals and three of the four side reflectors (one of the front ones is missing. It does have the front headlight bubble which is no longer available and is removable if you choose. The rear helmet lock is missing too, but still has the stock exhaust in great condition.
There are some small chips here and there but nothing major and the bike has no scratches on the lower fairing bubble which is a sure sign the bike has been dropped. The pictures should speak for themselves and if I were to rate this from 1-10, I would give it a solid 9.

A simple lightweight racer, this is the second year of the Gixxer dynasty, a no-nonsense star on the track, which became an undeniable movement on the road.

Racer with lights – 1986 Suzuki GSX-R750 Limited Edition

Ducati May 3, 2015 posted by Tad Diemer

White Elephant: 1988 Ducati Paso 750 Limited for Sale

The Paso has long been the low-cost entry into Ducati ownership, an often overlooked bike maligned for its slab-sided styling. Shockingly different when introduced and unfairly shunned by the oddly conservative Ducatisti, sales were disappointing.

But in spite of its red-headed-stepchild reputation, the bike has the usual Ducati pedigree: it was designed by Massimo Tamburini, named after the famous rider Renzo “Paso” Pasolini, and powered by the classic Taglioni-designed belt-drive Pantah L-twin. The 748cc version in the Paso made a claimed 72hp and could propel the Paso to 130mph top speed. The Paso even has Ducati’s traditional trellis frame hidden under all that bodywork, although it’s welded up from square cross-section tubing and not particularly nice to look at.

Unfortunately, Ducati owners Cagiva elected to use a Weber automotive-style carburetor in the Paso that caused no end of headaches. The 16″ wheels can also present a bit of a problem when selecting tires today. An upgrade to 17″ wheels is possible, but fairly involved, so if you like the Paso’s look but absolutely need top-shelf rubber, just go find a later, fuel-injected 907 IE that basically solved all the Paso’s mechanical quirks but kept the styling.

Today’s bike is the “Limited” model that came with very 80’s white bodywork. It has a few minor cosmetic flaws and does need a bit of mechanical attention, but the mileage is very low and the work that needs to be done is very straightforward and can be easily tackled by a half-decent shade-tree mechanic.

From the original eBay listing: 1988 Ducati Paso 750 Limited for Sale

TIMS has a very rare (only 50 imported into the us) 1988 Ducati Paso 750 Limited Edition for sale with only 5095 miles on it- this is the rarest of the US import Pasos made back in the day, a must for any collector- the bike runs great and everything works-it is mostly original including extremely nice OEM pipes- it does have the tri color Corbin seat and i do not have the original seat-it also has the upgraded flat slide carbs on it so that gets rid of the terrible factory carbs that came on the bike-there are a couple issues that need to be addressed -1 at around 6000 rpm the clutch starts to slip so it needs new fiber plates 2- there are some cracks in both mid fairing vents as well as the front windscreen fairing but I’m including a like new front fairing with the bike that only needs painting and you can source the mid fairing vents cheaply on eBay as well-the tires are like new and the chain and sprockets are in good condition also-the timing belts are 3-4 years old so they may need replacing in the near future -TIMS will help with shipping any way we can at new owners expense-don’t miss this rare low mileage Ducati as they definitely don’t come up for sale often

First of all, let’s clarify: “the timing belts are 3-4 years old so they will need replacing in the near future.” Conventional wisdom says 2 years or 12,000 miles for these items and the job is fairly simple, but very important: the Pantah twin is very durable when properly maintained, but snap one of those belts and you’ll lunch the motor. The clutch plates are a very straightforward job as well. Parts should set you back just a couple hundred bucks, although replacing the steel plates at the same time would make sense as well while you’re in there.

Also, those don’t look like the “OEM pipes.” Instead, they appear to be the F1 pipes that were a popular choice to replace the stock “Silentium” mufflers that unfortunately lived up to their name…

Flat-slides should fix that aforementioned carburetor issues and provide a nice boost to performance as well, although they usually end up deleting the choke and can’t just be whacked open at low revs. Many owners replaced the factory setup with a pair of Dell’Orto’s that should solve the rideablilty issues nicely and be a bit nicer for day-to-day use.

All-in-all, this is a rare, low-mileage Ducati from an overlooked era that just needs a bit of cosmetic TLC. I’ve always liked the Paso, and I think it’s aging pretty well and, considering what the earlier F1’s are currently trading for, now might be the time to snap up a nice example.

-tad