Posts by tag: SuperBike

Aprilia March 27, 2021 posted by Tad Diemer

Sadly Underutilized: 2002 Aprilia RSV Mille for Sale

Just a few hours left on this one, so I’ll keep it short. I’m actually wondering if this is the same bike we featured back in January. I mean, just how many fluorescent yellow 2002 Aprilia RSV Milles are there running around, or not running around, with just three hundred miles on the odometer? The language of the two posts is pretty different and this one looks like it’s been hanging out at a dealership its whole life, instead of in a garage next to a Cadillac, but who knows?

Either way, this Mille derives its name from the Rotax-developed v-twin powerplant’s approximately 1000cc displacement. The innovative design was compact, yet smooth and powerful, owing to the 60° layout and balance shafts. Power was 113hp at the rear wheel. Instead of a slipper clutch, the RSV used a “pneumatic power clutch” that used a vacuum-actuated system to perform the same function and help with rapid downshifts.

Styling certainly wasn’t as elegant as what was found on the bikes being offered by Ducati, but the components were at least the equal of the 998 and build quality was better: the Mille has an enviable reputation for reliability, something that generally cannot be said of Ducati’s beautiful superbike confections…

From the original eBay listing: 2002 Aprilia RSV Mille for Sale

COLLECTORS!

2002 Aprilia RSV1000R Mille – 2001 World Championship -Troy Corser – Race Replica Motorcycle with 300 ORIGINAL miles !

This motorcycle is in BRAND new condition and was stored and displayed properly at a local New Haven dealer for 19 years. Has been cared for and runs perfectly and is in 100% complete original condition with all books and keys.

Don’t miss your opportunity to own one of the most iconic motorcycles in history.

The seller might be stretching things a bit, describing the Mille as “one of the most iconic motorcycles in history…” Maybe “distinctive” is more apt? In any event, these are great bikes to ride, although part of the appeal to me has been their relatively low cost, and this one has an asking price of $8,500. I think that’s probably very fair price if you’re putting together a collection of Italian superbikes or are just a fan of the marque, but that same money will buy you a bunch of other very nice machines.

-tad

Sadly Underutilized: 2002 Aprilia RSV Mille for Sale

Ducati March 18, 2021 posted by Tad Diemer

The First Desmoquattro: 1994 Ducati 888 SPO Limited #063 for Sale

Sharp-eyed readers might be thinking, “Hey, didn’t you guys feature this bike back in February?” For a moment I thought so too, but it turns out this is another, similar bike, in very similar poses, from the same seller. And this Ducati 888 SPO Limited is also a bit rarer than the last bike we posted.

The precursor to the iconic Ducati 916, the 851 and 888 saw the introduction of Ducati’s first “Desmoquattro,” a liquid-cooled engine with four-valve heads. This engine allowed Ducati to compete on [mostly] equal footing, against Japanese superbikes since for the first time since… well, since superbikes were actually a thing. As such, they hold a special place for collectors, and values, especially for Sport Production Omologatos like this one, have been steadily increasing.

The titanium sprocket cover shown on this example is nice, but it’s not a part that came on the 888 SPO, not even on the LIMITED version: note that it’s emblazoned with the much later Ducati logo from the 2000s. And Yoyodine makes quality aftermarket clutch slave cylinders, but this bike certainly didn’t ship from the factory with one fitted, as the seller suggests. You do often see 888s with Termignoni slip-ons as well, but they are clearly branded as such. Possibly Termignoni also supplied the original parts, sans logos?

From the original eBay listing: 1994 Ducati 888 SPO LIMITED #063 for Sale

Here for sale is a very well care and maintenance DUCATI SUPERBIKE 888 SPO LIMITED #063 1994 with 19,050 miles on it.

THIS IS A LIMITED SPO #063, Ducati made like 100 of those, not the regular SPO.

Nice upgrades that you can see on the pictures, BRIDGESTONE tires look good but they are old 2013 year manufacturer (last picture), TERMIGNONI carbon slip on exhaust, Yoyodine clutch slave cylinder, DP Titanium Front Sprocket cover and another nice touches that only came on the SPO LIMITED versions.

Right side bar end and lever minimal scratches.

Bike it come with a CLEAN Title ready to be transfer. Major Last service done DEC 2019, Bike is not been ridden since then. (last 2 pictures)

Check all the pictures to determine condition and ask all the questions you have,we are here to make the transaction the smoothest way possible.

Nit-picking aside, this looks like a clean, very lightly modified example of a rare and apparently fast-appreciating Ducati superbike. $24,699 is pretty serious money for 90s Ducati, but recent SPOs, including the seller’s own regular-production example with lower miles sold for $17,500, so this actually seems like it’s pretty on-the-money for an 888.

-tad

The First Desmoquattro: 1994 Ducati 888 SPO Limited #063 for Sale

Honda March 15, 2021 posted by Donn

Middle Child – 2000 Honda CBR929RR

some lucky owner bought-it-now last night, but this CBR is still worth a look… Donn

When the liter-bike sweepstakes heated up, Honda stuck with a small displacement increase and concentrated on weight saving and tech. Here’s a KC example with low miles in super nice shape with a boatload of new parts.

2000 Honda CBR929RR for sale on eBay

The SC44 brought major changes, at least internally, with a more oversquare architecture, lightened hard parts and 152 hp. Leading edge devices controlled the intake and exhaust, 50 psi fuel feeding the 40mm throttle bodies, and a trick titanium valve that tailored the size of the exhaust collector to engine speed. Sideplates on the chassis were deleted in favor of the load bearing crankcase with a subframe to hold the swingarm and footpegs. Inverted forks were terminated with 330mm brakes, and finally a 17-inch front wheel. Bodywork included a triple headlight, making nighttime sorties less of a nail-biter.

Shown by the 2nd owner and friend of a FireBlade superfan, this 929 is wicked clean, and bristling with new factory components. Maybe the RC51 wheels are lighter, but they’re all but invisible behind the brakes. Multiple windshields and tailcones are on the list in the eBay auction:

– New Bridgestone triple compound tires

– 2002-06 RC51 SP2 wheels powder coated gloss black w/new bearings & hardware. These wheels look amazing on the bike!!

– Custom HRC wheel decals

– 520 RK Gold chain conversion with Renthal ultra light sprockets 2-up in the rear.

– New Honda turn signal rubber stalks

– New Honda brake pads and Core Moto stainless brake lines.

– New Honda fuel pump

– New Honda air filter

– New Honda clutch & throttle cables

– New Honda grips, levers, bar ends, and hardware.

– New Honda rear cowl last one available super unicorn, original was scratched (2 imperfect backups included)

– New Honda windscreen last one available super unicorn + you have a zero gravity clear screen as a back up.

– New Honda oil and filter

– New headlight & taillight bulbs

– Mint, stock exhaust + period correct, last available, super unicorn, Jardine bolt-on (sounds great), which is the system that factory Honda was running in superbike competition at the time.

– Extra Honda key

Reviewers quibbled with Honda’s horsepower and weight numbers, and either way the blue R1 wasn’t coming down off its pedestal. Competitive pricing and build quality made the CBR a safe bet, but not the winner Honda was hoping for, and engineers went right back to it and produced another update for 2002. Almost a collectible, the CBR929RR has great potential, especially as updated and presented here.

-donn

Featured Listing February 21, 2021 posted by Aaron

Featured Listing: 1997 Moto Guzzi Daytona RS

The 1997 Moto Guzzi Daytona RS is probably the pinnacle of MG’s powers, and it’s a true emblem of the storied marque’s steadfast dedication to doing its own thing, consequence and technology be damned. The Daytona line was released in 1993 to celebrate Goose’s racing success with a privateer in the 1980s. If you can find one from any production year, they are magnificent machines, but the ’97 RS model adds some handling finesse and power the older bikes lack.

For ’97, the v-twin got a 12-horsepower bump to just under 110 horsepower, thanks to better breathing heads, Carillo rods and forged pistons, a lightened crankshaft and upgraded EFI. Braking was now handled by Brembo, and adjustable WP suspension front and rear kept the 500-ish-pound brute headed the right direction. Other trick bits included Marchesini wheels and an Bitubo steering damper.

Complaints at the time included notchy fueling from the big twin, but this bike has had its issued smoothed out with a chip tune from Creedon. The mod should bump power slightly as well as cure the throttle response woes.

From the seller:

Asking price for this beautiful, rare beast is $14,500 and it shows 13,360 miles. It’s not Ducati quick, or as precise and capable as a Japanese bike, but neither of those machines carries the same panache. Unless you’re a member of a well-heeled Guzzi club, the chances you’ll ever see another at the local cruise night are nil. Contact Tim with your interest: guzzirider06@hotmail.com

Featured Listing: 1997 Moto Guzzi Daytona RS

Suzuki November 10, 2020 posted by Aaron

Featured Listing: 1999 Suzuki TL1000R

Update 1.18.2021: Tim has decided to keep this one and I can hardly blame him. Be well! -dc

Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace will cough up examples of Suzuki’s thundering, hairy-chested v-twin superbike bruiser if you really look, but they’re almost never worth a second glance. Generally, they’re wrecked, stretched, rattle canned or all three, and more often than not have been without a title since the Bush administration. The 1999 Suzuki TL1000R you see here is none of those things. In fact, if you’re looking for one, this might be your stop.

It’s a two-owner bike that has been ridden enough to show it was maintained and the bugs were duly dealt with. It looks clean enough to eat off of, and has been treated to an Ohlins rear damper, in place of the notorious factory piece. The seller says it has Penske springs front and rear. It also has Jardine exhaust cans, switched cooling fans, a Power Commander and a toggle switch for diagnostics. The paperwork for the suspension work is present, and the bike comes with a shop manual.

The TL1000R’s history as a race bike is, excuse the pun, checkered, as it didn’t quite measure up to contemporary Ducatis and Honda’s RC51 when it came time to put up or shut up. But the bikes don’t look like anything else on the road at the time, and are known as wonderful, brawny streetbikes and track toys. There’s more than enough power to get yourself into serious trouble, but none of the peakiness of an inline four.

From the seller:

I have 1999 Suzuki TL1000R I am looking to sell. I am only second owner and previous owner was a Suzuki mechanic so it has been adult owned it’s whole life. I have Ohlin’s dampener with Penske spring in back, and Penske racing springs up front. Jardine pipes, upgraded grips, a toggle switch in back that will read the problem codes as well as an auxiliary switch to keep the fans on while bike is turned off to cool oil. I recently rebuilt the original clutch so that is new. I also installed a new drive shaft seal as well as the pushrod seal (the pushrod seal is from an SV1000 and installed backwards…much better fit than the original part as this was a known oil leak issue). Also included are 2 head gaskets, 2 fuel pumps, a crank case gasket, full additional wiring harness and CPU’s, and a full set of shims for the bike. (not cheap stuff). It has just shy of 29k miles. I also have all original parts for it including the rotary dampener and springs, original muffler and additional items for maintenance. It will come with the full mechanic book as well as paperwork for suspension upgrades. It has been very well taken care of and runs perfectly with the power commander.

Seller Tim is asking $5,500 for this beast, which is an immaculate, two-owner machine that represents the pinnacle of the nameplate.

Ducati October 24, 2020 posted by Tad Diemer

Zero-Mile 1988 Ducati 851 Tricolore for Sale

The introduction of the 851 in 1987 was a watershed moment for Ducati. Their first liquid-cooled, four-valve engine displaced, naturally, 851cc and established a superbike formula that the company would follow until the introduction of their V4. The 851 didn’t need to rely on nostalgia to compete at the highest levels of racing and re-established Ducati as an object of lust among sportbike enthusiasts. The revised v-twin couldn’t generate the outright power of the inline fours produced by the Japanese manufacturers, but this Kit 851 Tricolore weighed in at around 363lbs dry and brought Ducati’s famed handling to the party, along with a fat wedge of midrange torque.

As is typical for Ducati, there were a couple different versions of the 851 available, a Strada or “street” version with 102hp, and the much higher specification Kit or Corsa version as seen here. With a claimed 120hp, the Kit bikes were intended to homologate the 851 for competition and were extremely rare, with just enough built to qualify them to race. At a glance, the two versions look almost identical but, as they say: the devil is in the details. The Kit version had a braced swingarm, close-ratio gearbox, race camshafts and ECU, magnesium wheels, and a number of other detail changes, including a dash with no speedometer. Because racebike.

From the original eBay listing: 1988 Ducati 851 Tricolore for Sale

1988 Ducati Superbike Kit Tri Color Racer. Number 34 of 250. 250 per Homologation rules for World Superbike. Never been started since it was uncrated. The only tire wear is from factory shakedown. Absolutely in perfect (new) condition!

The $89,500 asking price is eye-wateringly high but, with 250 built and only 20 imported to the US, there can’t be that many 0-mile 851 Kits out there. If that’s your thing, I’m sure you’re prepared to spend outrageous sums for time-capsule Bolognese homologation specials like this one. The rest of us will just have to grouse in the comments about ridiculous asking prices…

-tad

Suzuki September 19, 2020 posted by Mike

Pre-Marketing Replica: 1980 Suzuki GS1000S Wes Cooley

In the early days before serious motorcycle marketing, companies offered up “racer replicas” that often sported the race livery or the team colors of the manufacturer. These replicas were often quite anonymous, and did not utilize the star power available from team riders. Even the marketing juggernaut Ducati – who probably led the way with the Mike Hailwood themed bikes – offered up the green framed 750SS as a replica without a rider’s name attached. As the 1980s progressed, riders such as Hailwood, Roberts and Lawson started to appear on bikes in showrooms – and the tribute race was on! Today’s bike – a gorgeous 1980 Suzuki GS1000S – is often referred to as a Wes Cooley model due to the livery, however it was never marketed as such. Wes was a popular racer in Superbike and had some major success with Suzuki (AMA champion in ’79 and ’80), but failed to be honored with his own bike. Regardless, we still consider these models as Cooley replicas.

1980 Suzuki GS1000S Wes Cooley for sale on eBay

The GS1000S was yet another evolution of Suzuki’s mainstay GS model. Climbing out of the ooze of the naked standard, the GS1000S showed its sporting intent with sophisticated air/oil front fork, and gusseted swing arm, and the requisite bikini fairing. But the real magic was in the steel connecting those pieces together. The frame was more robust than that holding up many contemporary bikes, allowing for better handing for what was not exactly the most powerful or fastest bike of the day. At the race track, this meant everything, and Pops Yoshimura breathed his magic on the motor to make up for the rest. In stock form expect the 997cc air cooled inline four to produce approximately 90 HP.

From the seller:
1980 Suzuki GS1000S Wes Cooley replica
Motor and frame numbers correct as per registry.
Extremely low mileage.previous owner claims original but I have no way of verifying it.
Starts runs and drives perfectly.
I don’t have the original exhaust.
A rare bike.
Can ride anywhere.

This particular model GS – the 1000S line – was limited to a two year production run from 1979 to 1980. The blue/white paint was extra in the showroom, and the Cooley model was the most expensive GS offered by Suzuki for those years. There are some very subtle changes between the years, but the dead giveaways that are most visible are the stepped seat and the slotted rotors – those were 1980 model year items only. And while the original model offered a 4-into-2 exhaust, this one has been upgraded to a period correct (although not stock) 4-into-1. Otherwise, it looks clean and pretty much what you would want in a blue and white special from Suzuki.

This bike is located in Florida, and has a reported 9,900 total miles on the clock. It looks to be very clean, and must have been reasonably well cared for given the overall condition. The seller is not the original owner, but there does not seem to be anything wildly amiss here in the photos. There are some dedicated forums and clubs for this model, so those who are serious should do their homework. The seller has included the VIN which will help with research. Pricing for this Wes Cooley model is a pretty strong $14,000. The seller is open to offers, which might be a good idea given the pricing we have seen on these bikes in the past and the manner in which the market has been swinging. That being said, these are reasonably rare 2-year only models, and few with as low miles and clean in stature. Check out all of the details here, and Good Luck!!

Honda September 2, 2020 posted by Aaron

Featured Listing: 1986 Honda NSR400R

Two stroke engine, sticky tires, loud pipes in the raw and a classic Honda paint scheme. What more are you looking for in a back road tiny terror? This 1986 Honda NSR400R was treated to a very under the radar restomod a couple years back, with the goal of making an already awesome bike more modern-day user friendly. It has period aftermarket capacitors and an awesome, raw finish JollyMoto exhaust to wake the engine up a touch.

1986 Honda NSR400R for sale on eBay

The chassis has been treated to a Fox shock and custom, 17-inch Comstar wheels, which means it will accept all manner of modern track day-friendly tires. The forks got custom emulators at the same time. Its age and DNA dictate that it won’t run or ride like a modern machine, but if you’re looking for that, go bark up another tree. This bike will instead give you the best possible experience a mid-80s sportbike can.

From the eBay listing:

Selling my 1986 Honda NS400R that I imported from Canada ~7 years ago. ~2.5 years ago it completed a full restoration/subtle restomod done by the excellent team at RestoCycle in Tucson, AZ (I can send a link to all the details of the build to anyone interested – just send me a message). The entire bike was gone over from stem to stern to ensure that it was in tip top running shape. The subtle restomod that I had done were all aimed at a better riding experience – custom 17″ Comstar wheels so that you can use more modern rubber, an adjustable Fox shock (freshly rebuilt) for the rear, and custom emulators for the front forks by Cogent Dynamics. The bike runs, ride, handles, and looks great. I did not have it done to a concours level restoration, it was meant to be ridden and enjoyed, so there are a few small nicks and dings here and there, but, overall, the bike looks fantastic. And the sound from the Jolly Moto pipes that the second owner put on are awesome (and, iirc, the bike even visited the Jolly Moto factory when it spent a few years riding around Europe). The only current niggle on the bike is that the low oil light sometimes comes on erroneously (there is plenty of oil in the premix tank) – other than that it is in great shape and ready to go. Currently showing 52654 KM (~32.7k miles) on the odometer – mileage might go up a little as I might take it out for a short spin or two. Lots of spare parts that I will be listing separately once the bike is sold (spare gas tanks, carbs, bodywork, original comstar wheels, gaskets, spare oil pump, some spare bodywork parts, swingarm, seat pan, stock rear stand, etc, etc), but would be willing to sell as a package deal to the buyer of the motorcycle.

This is one of the best, IMO, 2 stroke motorcycles ever made.

Please send me any questions you might have.

Pulling back from a closeup of the mods, the bike is near flawless cosmetically, which is increasingly rare in any bike this age, but especially one of this ilk. The original pieces and spare parts, including the stock Comstars, spare carbs, bodywork and a spare gas tank, can be had as a package deal with the bike, but otherwise will be sold separately. Reserve is set at $10k.