[RideApart] - Top 5 Bike-uriosities – Week of 9/5

[Ninjette Newsbot]

Top 5 Bike-uriosities – Week of 9/5

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). So let’s take a look at our five favorite offerings from this week!

1. Rare Enduro - 1988 Suzuki DR750


The DR750 was also known as the DR BIG, meaning it's got one of the best model names in motorcycling history. It also had the world's largest single cylinder engine used in a production bike - at least until Suzuki bumped up displacement to 800cc! They were never officially sold in the United States, making this Illinois-based example a rare find indeed.


1988 was the first year for the DR BIG, which was a production version of Suzuki's DR-Z Paris-Dakar race bike. The 727cc, dual-carbed engine produced 52 horsepower. For more information, check out this summary from Suzuki Cycles.


This example has approximately 18,750 miles on it and it has new Kenda tires, a Laser exhaust, engine guards, luggage racks, and a center stand. Also included in the sale is the original exhaust, a service manual, and a few spare parts. Find this DR750 for sale here on Craigslist in Mount Vernon, Illinois, for $4,900.

2. 1987 Honda CBR600F Hurricane


The first year of the first generation - this is the bike that started the CBR line. It was quick enough to compete in 600cc racing, but user friendly to still enjoy on the street during the week. When it first came out, it was quite an improvement on the competition - Kawasasaki's GPZ600 (arguably the class leader at the time) was 28 pounds heavier and down 12 hp. This was the first 600cc sport bike capable of a sub 11-second quarter-mile.


This example is claimed to have been garage kept its whole life, which is why the cosmetics seem to be in great shape. It has 19,400 miles and is said to be in very good condition. In the last year, the carbs were cleaned, it got an aftermarket cam chain adjuster, new fuel pump/lines/petcock, slip-on exhaust, clutch plates, battery, chain, and plenty more. Unfortunately there is a small dent in the tank from when, the owner says, it fell over in a moving van.


Find this Hurricane for sale in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, for $3,650 here on Craigslist.

3. Kott Custom – 1978 Honda CB550


We all know how popular the Honda CB550 is for a Cafe Racer custom. Most of us know how talented Dustin Kott is with the genre (there are several examples on Bike-urious). The owner of this bike bought a CB550 because it was his first bike and convinced Kott to have a go with it.


Besides his normal wizardry at making everything on a motorcycle disappear except for the bits that are utterly essential, Kott cleaned up the lines on this CB550 and extended the swing arm to get the stance right. The headlight was chopped and tucked as close to the triple tree as possible and copper used for accent pieces with stunning black paint and everything else chromed and polished to the max.


Starting bid is $5,000 and the reserve is not met. You can find it in Los Angeles*here on eBay.


4. In Europe - Vee Two Ducati Squalo


In the late 70s, Brook Henry (an Australian Ducati expert) started Vee Two and established himself as one of the world's pre-eminent guys to make a Ducati go faster. In addition to a bevy of trick parts, Vee Two ended up creating a few bespoke models. One was the Alchemy, based on bevel head engines. Recently they've also made the Super Squalo, based on the 999S. But in the late 90s, Vee Two offered the Squalo, based on Ducati's 900 twin.


The Squalo was offered as a kit, though you could order a complete bike directly from Vee Two. Total production was less than 100 units. The frame weighed 16.5 lbs. and the swingarm added another 10. Because of the kit build nature, there was a lot of variation between builds - the average complete bike was around 330 lbs.


This example was originally sold in Europe and has covered 8,750 miles over three owners. Find this Squalo for sale here on Raider Moto in... uh... somewhere in Europe - the sellers are offering the bike including shipping costs to Australia for $27,200, who knows how much it'll be to get it to the United States.

5. Swiss Army Bike – 1974 Condor A350


The engine in this bike should look familiar to you - but everything else may not. It's a Condor A350, and it utilizes a Ducati 350cc single (valve springs, not desmodromic). Some 3,000 examples were built between 1973 and 1979, and they started trickling out into the civilian world around the turn of the decade.


Condor typically employed other manufacturers for powerplants, and this partnership with Ducati was no different. Ducati tuned the engine down to better cope with low-quality gas, and the package was rounded out with Grimeca wheels and brakes along with Marzocchi forks. For more information on the little design tweaks required to create a two-wheeled steed for the Swiss Army, check out a writeup from Rider Magazine.


Find this Condor for sale here on Craigslist in Englewood, Colorado, for $4,750.

So, which one would you want in your garage?

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