[RideApart] - Top 5 Bike-uriosities – Week of July 3 2017

[Ninjette Newsbot]

At Bike-urious, we’re spending all of our time finding the most interesting motorcycles that are currently for sale for you to drool over (and maybe empty your wallet for). Here’s our favorite finds from the last few days!

1. Restored – 1968 Norton Commando Fastback


The Norton Commando was an unexpected instant classic. Starting in 1968, its first year of production, the Commando earned*Motorcycle of the Year honors from Motor Cycle News. It then went on winning for five straight years. Here's a first-year example that won 1st Place at the 1994 International Norton Owners Association Rally.


At some point the bike underwent a full restoration, though it's unclear as to when that happened. Over the years, the bike received Superblend bearings, Lucas Rita electronic ignition, an oil cooler, Amal carbs, and the frame was re-welded - first year bikes are known for having frame issues and the factory responded with modified frames from 1969 on. Recently, the bike got new tires, an amp meter, exhaust, new paint and badges, Caswell lining in the tank, new foo tpeg rubbers, and a lot of new small parts.


Find this restored Commando for sale in Cedar Falls, Iowa with bidding up to $5,250 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay.


2. "Z Project" - 1981 Kawasaki Z1000ST Custom


With countless custom motorcycles being turned out every year all over the world it can be hard to create a machine that stands out as unique, but this polarizing Kawasaki "cafe racer" is undeniably just that. A creation of French moto-building duo Sur Les Chapeaux de Roues*- which translates roughly to "on the ground running" in French - this build entitled "Z Project" is a weirdo of a two-wheeler with quite a few mechanical and performance upgrades over the original '81 Z 1000 ST that gave its life for this project.


Starting at the heart of the Z, various changes were made to the powerplant during its rebuild. A 1166cc Wiseco racing kit was installed along with fatter valves, a racing camshaft, and a new electric ignition. The improved mill now inhales through a Mikuni carb and breathes out of a Kerker exhaust that definitely adds character to the build.

Modernizing the handling up front is a fork off a ZX-10R that retains the '81 Z's front wheel, while the swingarm was*replaced by a unit from a Yamaha XJR1300 that's been fitted with an EPM wheel. Avon tires grace both wheels. With a build of this caliber - as you'd expect - Z Project gets some trick bells and whistles in the form of Beringer controls, LSL rearsets, a custom hand-stitched solo-seat, and "Motogadget speed control". I'm not entirely sure if the seller means instrumentation here, but it sure sounds fancy. Though this may not sound like a big deal, I feel using premium parts in the places where we most frequently physically interact with a motorcycle gives the whole bike and riding experience a more top-shelf feel.

Taking their inspiration from an unreleased Cadillac design from the 1970's, the guys at "SLCDR" got to work designing the handmade aluminum body, head-fork, and "humped seat". The custom tank is hand-beaten steel.*Interestingly the machine's quirky front-end was largely determined by the location of the oil cooler, meaning there's more function to this cafe build's form than first appears.


The gorgeous main paint digs are made up of masterfully hand painted parallel horizontal lines that run from*dark blue to turquoise, with a few rogue lines running across the tail and tank. Said tail and tank also get cool SLCDR logos that look like they were done by the artist*KAWS. A new engine cover is also engraved with an equally cool "Sur Les Chapeaux de Roues" graffiti-esque typography. Aside from the front wheel, and rebuilt and seemingly polished engine, the frame was the only part from the donor bike that was left alone, so it obviously necessitated fresh paint as any old element would stick out like a sore thumb.

This unconventional Kawasaki finished in 3rd place at the 2016 AMD world championship of custom bike building in the Cafe Racer class, and landed on the cover of the French bike magazine*Cafe Racer Original's June 2016 issue.

You can find this stunning one-off 1981 Z1000ST for sale here on the Bike Shed in Quimperlé, France, at the mammoth price of €39,000 or $44,400.

This bike-uriousity brought to you by Tim Huber!

3. 1 of 246 - 1975 Ducati 900SS


Ducati offered the 900SS line between 1975 and 1982. The first year models were the rarest, as just 246 were produced. The '75 bikes had the gear shifter on the right side, per the original design, and it was unfettered by quickly-arriving emissions constraints. For many Ducati fans, this is the best year of the 900SS line. Here's #214, and it's ready for a new owner.


For more on the SS, check out this "Memorable Motorcycle" story from Motorcycle USA, in which Frank Melling says the motor, handling, and brakes were good enough to make up for "appalling" build quality. First year models shared the fiberglass tank from the 750SS, and they were well equipped with Marzocchi shocks, Borrani wheels, Dell'orto 40mm carbs, Brembo brakes, and a Conti exhaust.

This example has approximately 7,500 miles and, as the seller puts it, "the bike is amazing but not perfect and is priced accordingly." The tank was worn through due to ethanol which*caused deformation of the tank and some paint wear on the swingarm and a few other places. The tank has since been fixed but there are several minor cosmetic issues. The forks were*recently rebuilt, the Brembo brakes have new pads, and the bike was given a new voltage regulator and DMC electronic ignition. If you're looking for a rider and will accept some ugly spots in exchange for a discount, here's an auction that's worth following.


Find this early 900SS for sale in Manhattan Beach, California with bidding up to $17,690 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay.


4. 2007 AHRMA 500 Winner – 1972 Honda CL450 Racer


Back in 2007, this heavily modified CL450 won the AHRMA 500cc Grand Prix National Championship. Now it's got a new engine and is looking for a new rider to go racing with again. Will it be you?


The motor has a ported head with double valve springs, which allow for an extra 1,000 revs of power over*the stock torsion bar valve spring head. It also features Megacycle cams and Arias pistons. The oil cooler and lines are from Cappellini Moto, and per the seller, they deliver oil right to the head and camshafts. The new motor was built by Mike Riddle of RDL Racing and Terry Naughton of Team Hansen Honda.


Other nice components include PVL electronic ignition, Mikuni VM 38mm carbs, a custom 2 into 2 exhaust, 4LS front brake put together by Michael Morse at Vintage Brake (the seller notes that drum brakes are a class requirement of AHRMA 500 GP), Yamaha rear brake, CB750 front fork, Works rear shocks, and more. The frame is a stock CL450 K5 unit that has been reinforced with cross bracing and gussets. Thanks to all the work, the bike is over 120 pounds lighter than a stock CB450, weighing in at 319 pounds, 11 ounces dry. Per the seller, if you swapped out the steel gas tank with a lighter unit, you could probably get to a sub-300 pound weight. The seller has been vintage racing for years and he's letting this go to build and race "an exact replica of the Honda Factory DOHC 450 road racer that ran at Daytona in 1967."

Find this classic Honda race bike for sale here on Craigslist for $9,000 near Boulder Creek, California.

5. End of the Road – 2017 Honda Z50 50th Anniversary


In Honda's legendary lineup of motorcycles, one of the most iconic is the Z50 - affectionately known as the "monkey" bike because of how riders looked while on the tiny things. The first model was the Z50M, adorned in Shasta White bodywork with a Magna Red frame and a plaid seat. US riders rarely saw the original bike because they were initially just sold in Europe and Canada - it even took a few months before Honda offered it in its home market of Japan. The bike was unexpectedly popular and the rest is history.

Now, it seems that the model line is history, as well. Due to ever-tightening emissions regulations, Honda decided to kill off the monkey bike and give it one last run - a special 50th Anniversary model. 1,800 were built and they were only officially sold in Japan. Everyone else was forced to wait for bikes to be exported, knowing they'd have to pay a premium for the privilege. That situation describes this feature bike, which is one of the rare unclaimed examples left. Will it be yours?


The 50th Anniversary calls back to the original bike very well, with a similar white paint scheme paired with a red frame, headlight holder, fork tubes, and more. Don't forget the plaid seat, either!


The original Z50M. Photo by Holger Sahlmann, courtesy of Wikipedia.The new bikes get special badging to commemorate the anniversary and a fancy key. MSRP is approximately $3,200 but no examples are selling at anywhere near that. This bike is available out of Australia here from Raider Moto for $10,499 Australian Dollars (approximately $8,000 USD)


Which would you put in your garage?

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