[RideApart] - Top 5 Bike-uriosities – Week of 5/8

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Top 5 Bike-uriosities – Week of 5/8

At Bike-urious, we’re spending all of our time finding the most interesting motorcycles currently for sale for you to drool over (and maybe empty your wallet for). So let’s take a look at our five favorite offerings from this week!

1. 2009 Ducati 1098R Troy Bayliss Replica – 183/500


In 2002, Ducati released a Bayliss rep based on the 998S. Seven years later, they did the same (honoring his third and last World Superbike Championship), but with the 1098R. At the time, Ducati limited production to 150 examples in the US (500 worldwide) with an MSRP of $43,995. This one owner example is now being offered for about 75 percent of that original figure. For more on the 1098R Bayliss, check out this profile from Motorcyclist.


The 1098R was the highest-spec version of the bike, with carbon fiber bodywork, Marchesini wheels, Ohlins TTX suspension, and titanium connecting rods/bigger valves/higher-lift cams (good for an additional 10 horsepower) all added to homologate the bike for WSBK racing. The street bike was surprisingly close to the bike Troy actually raced, the main difference being the pistons. It had Ducati's first implementation of traction control on a production bike. It also had a separate ECU monitoring acceleration and lean angle. Each R came with a 'race kit' with carbon fiber Termi slipons and a performance ECU, which is good for another six horsepower (total of 186 at the crank) if you threw them on.


This particular bike was originally purchased at Modesto Ducati (now out of business) and most of the 3,302 miles were put on early in the bike's life. It is due for timing belts and the asking price includes this service at Hansen's in Medford, Oregon or a $500 credit at your dealer of choice. Find this Bayliss Replica for sale here at Automania GP in Grants Pass, Oregon for $23,695.

2. Rare Trike – 1983 Trihawk 304


Designed by Lou Richards, the Trihawk 304 (3 wheels, 4 cylinders) was an interesting trike capable of cornering forces similar to a Lamborghini Countach (.91G) thanks to the wide front wheelbase and the low center of gravity. Introduced in 1982, the company was able to produce 96 units before Harley-Davidson bought them out in 1985 and stopped production.


The front wheels of the Trihawk were powered by a 67 horsepower, 1,299cc boxer four from the Citroen GSA - not a lot of power but the wet weight is 1,370 pounds. According to 3 Wheelers, the suspension came from the Renault R5 and dashboard instrumentation came from Honda. It looks rather ridiculous, but this must have been quite an autocross competitor. Price of His Toys has a scan of a Trihawk brochure, if you're interested.

Or, here's a period PM Magazine video:

This Trihawk (VIN: 1P9T101A0DD038026) is #26 of 96 and it has 38,438 miles on the odometer. It's claimed to be in good shape, but some of the plexiglass from the removable top is faded and the parking brake handle is missing. The tires should be replaced due to age and the fuel gauge does not work.


Find this Trihawk for sale in Santee, California with an unmet opening bid of $200 or a BIN of $12,500 here on eBay.


3. 1954 Vincent Black Shadow


The seller of this Black Shadow doesn't give much information on the condition -- but it's a Black Shadow so I have no choice but to feature it. As a '54 it is a Series C with a 55 horsepower, 998cc V-Twin. For more on this legendary bike, check out this piece in Popular Mechanics by Jay Leno, who might just be the model's biggest fan.

What we are told is that it's a matching numbers bike and the engine has been rebuilt by a "respected marque specialist." It's claimed to run excellently and the seller shares a video of the bike starting and putting around:

There are plenty of photos, though, and they show 3,457 miles on the odometer, a set of panniers, and a whole bunch of tools and paperwork.

READ MORE: Family Dirt Day: Vibrant, Absurd, And Everything In Between | RideApart


Find this Black Shadow for sale in Saint Louis, Missouri with bidding up to $78,177 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay.


If you're hoping for some idea of the reserve price, note that this bike is also available directly from the seller's site for...$150,000!

4. Factory Reconditioned - Janus Halycon 50


The Halycon 50cc is a 2-stroke 50cc that is obviously inspired by what bikes looked like in the 20s and 30s. Thanks to 9.8 horsepower and a six-speed transmission, you'll be able to hit 55 miles per hour and get 60 miles per gallon.

The obvious complaint with this bike is the limit of the engine, and Janus has responded with a new line of 250cc bikes. In New York City this weekend? Looks like they're doing a demo day at Union Garage so you can try the bikes for yourself.

This example (#37) has 151 miles on it and it has been reconditioned from the factory so it should hopefully be like new. Find this Halycon 50 for sale in Goshen, Indiana here on the Janus Facebook page for $4,500.

5. Gary Nixon La Carrera Entrant - 1986 Kawasaki Ninja 250


La Carrera Costa a Costa was a race from Ensenada to San Felipe; a 140 mile pavement run that crossed the Baja Peninsula. According to the seller, this Ninja 250 was given to Gary Nixon by Kawasaki to compete with. Nixon owned the bike until he passed in August of 2011, and the current owner brought it back to life with an emphasis on originality.


For more on La Carrera, check out this August 1986 article from Cycle World in which they enter a Ducati Montjuich. It sounds like a crazy experience and it's well worth a read -- plus it should be noted that Cycle World says Nixon was on a KLR600, which casts doubt on the seller's story. Maybe Nixon rode the Ninja in the 1987 running instead?

READ MORE: Zero Below Zero - Zero Preparation | RideApart


This bike (VIN: jkaexme19gaoo2144) has about 16,900 miles, 15k of which -- supposedly -- came from Gary. The sale includes trophies and other memorabilia from Nixon's experience with La Carrera. The original engine was rebuilt in 2014 and the shifter is still in the race pattern -- presumably one up, many down.

READ MORE: How To Take A 1,500 Mile Trip On A 250cc Motorcycle | RideApart


Find this Ninja for sale in Coatesville, Pennsylvania with an unmet opening bid of $999 or a BIN of $4,995 here on eBay.


Which one would you put in your garage?

Discover the most interesting bikes you never knew you needed from Abhi at Bike-urious.

Check out the rest of Abhi's RideApart output here.


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