Ducati’s first motorcycle was the Cucciolo [or “puppy” in Italian], which was basically a simple engine strapped to a bicycle, an affordable tool to get the Italian population mobile and back to work after the end of World War II. Certainly a far cry from the frameless, race-inspired exotica they’re famous for today. This NCR…
Update 2.17.2017: Last posted in August of last year, this bike reached $34,101 reserve not met. Back on eBay and closes on Sunday. Links updated. -dc Prior to the RG500, two-strokes were found only in the smaller racing classes, and Suzuki was breaking new ground with this bike: no one had ever really built a…
The recent Honda and Yamaha race bikes we’ve featured have been factory racing motorcycles with real pedigree, and are collectible exotics as well as functional tools for going fast. This little YZ250F-powered Yamaha racebike is a mutt, with a tuned dirtbike engine, custom frame, and RS125 plastics, but we all know that mutts can make…
The second Honda RS125 that’s been up for sale in the past couple weeks, this looks like a more bare-bones offering than the last one we featured, although it still appears to be in decent shape. If you’re not familiar with the RS125, it’s no “race replica”: it’s an over-the-counter competition machine meant for racing,…
The very last post of 2016 is this slightly scruffy, but ready-to-race Honda RS125. It’s not a display bike, it’s a full-on racing machine, ideal for a new racer who’s learning the trade, or a veteran who just likes bikes that weigh less than they do… At just 160lbs partly-fueled, these offer up more performance…
Sure, it may be decades older than yesterday’s RS250, but the elemental simpicity of this 1980 Yamaha TZ125 and racing heritage visible at a glance, just as it was with that bike. The TZ125 was the successor to the earlier, air-cooled TA125 and was an over-the-counter racebike. Just add talent. The tiny, liquid-cooled two-stroke put…
Just so we’re clear: this 1998 Yamaha TZ250 is not to be confused with the road-going but also very cool TZR250. The TZ250 was Yamaha’s over-the-counter GP machine, a pure race bike. As such, “originality” is a relative thing, and these things have typically evolved over their racing careers with the goal of winning at…
eBay shows sold for $52,500. Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc Today’s featured listing is a bit older than the bikes we usually feature on this site, but you can’t argue that a Laverda SFC is both very rare and a sportbike. It was a machine from the era where you could pull your mirrors…