Top 5 Bike-uriosities - Week of March 20 2017

Top 5 Bike-uriosities - Week of March 20 2017

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).

1. Ad Hoc #24 – 2016 Yamaha XSR700

David Gonzalez is one of my favorite builders out there right now, thanks to the bikes coming out of his shop called Ad Hoc Cafe Racers. His newest is #24, and it's now available for sale. Ad Hoc already built a custom XSR in partnership with Yamaha, but I think this one is a better overall package.

This bike was built for Puig as a show bike for EICMA last year. As such, it's equipped with a lot of Puig parts - handlebar, grips, mirrors, turn signals, levers, tail light, rear fender, footpegs, and more. Non-Puig custom parts include Gears Racing rear suspension, SC Project exhaust, and of course the custom bodywork. All original parts will be included.

Find this custom Yamaha for sale here on the Bike Shed in Barcelona, Spain for $10,171.

2. Recent Restoration - 1956 Mondial 200 Sport

The glory years of FB Mondial were right at the beginning - they were founded in 1948 and immediately started winning GP World Championships. Specializing in high performance, small displacement bikes, FB Mondial hand built most of their motorcycles, resulting in production numbers between just one- and two-thousand per year. The FB Mondial 200 Sport was one of the few street bikes developed by the niche Italian manufacturer.

Around 1960, the company stopped producing engines in house, and that model stayed in place until they died out in the 80s. They were rebooted a few times since then, with not much success, but they're currently back in play with a new 125cc scrambler called...the Hipster. As before, they're using someone else's motor - the 125cc single comes from Piaggio. Whether or not this new attempt will be successful is yet to be seen. All we know now is that the old Mondial street bikes are rare and beautiful, making this a bike that's worthy of your attention.

This example (VIN: 3885) was restored last year in Italy and it has just 1.5 miles since. The fuel was drained as it is on static display by the current owner: Burt Richmond, a noted collector of small displacement Italian bikes and a founder of Lotus Tours. The seller notes that the original tire pump is missing at that the exhaust is a period-correct aftermarket unit.

Find this Mondial for sale in Chicago, Illinois with bidding up to $4,850 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay.

3. 20 Miles – 1981 Ducati 900 SD Darmah

Last week I featured an Aermacchi Ala Azzurra from Stuart Parr's collection - this week we've got another one of his gorgeous Italian motorcycles. This Sport Desmo Darmah is extra special as it has just 20-miles on the odometer. The name supposedly comes from an Italian cartoon tiger named Darmah, but I'm still waiting to see the original comic where this tiger actually comes from. The black and gold paint scheme was an all-time classic - Ducati themselves even honored the lovely livery with the 2007 Sport 1000 Special Edition, a limited run of just 100 bikes only made for the United States.

Compared to a 900SS, the Darmah isn't as popular - as the seller notes, "this is probably the cheapest 900 Desmo you can own, ride, collect." But as a classic Italian rider, this is a great option. It's a looker with a reasonable riding position, sufficient power (~70 ponies), and even decent gas mileage (41 mpg). And if kicking a bike over no longer appeals to you, it's got an electric starter. The styling was backed up by quality components including lightweight Campagnolo wheels, Bosch electronic ignition, and Brembo brakes. For more information on the SSD, check out this article on Ducati Classics.

This Darmah (VIN: 951427) is obviously highly original (it's still rocking the original tires), and it's had just one owner. The paint work looks great and the seller includes a few underside shots as well. I'm betting this ends up in another collection - or is anyone brave enough to give the bike a thorough inspection, throw on some new tires, and put this bike on the road?

Find this low mileage Darmah for sale in New York, New York with bidding up to $5,500 and the reserve not yet met here on eBay.

4. 1969 Triumph Trident

Triumph Tridents are particularly rare, but this is the very rare early 1969 model, one of the first 200 produced. In addition, the collection this one comes from has a history of offering quality motorcycles for fair prices. So it's worth sharing! As early as 1962, Triumph began considering multi cylinder engines to improve performance and market share. By 1965 they had settled on the three cylinder design and the 1969 Triumph Trident (and the BSA Rocket 3) were rolled out - right into the teeth of Honda’s introduction of the CB750.

The first 200 were sent one each to North American dealers to get feedback from their customers on the new model. The public jury returned a bad verdict: ugly and expensive. Triumph immediately introduced a ‘beautification kit’ (based on the Bonneville) but the bike was destined to always cost nearly double the price of a Bonnie.

The Trident soldiered on through several model years, but the high price with no electric starter and the torrent of Japanese fours sent the Trident and Triumph/BSA to its ultimate end.

The 1969 Triumph Trident used a 741cc air-cooled four-stroke transverse mounted inline three cylinder motor that made 58-horsepower. A four-speed transmission with a dry diaphragm clutch with a single downtube frame gave the bike a dry weight of 460-lbs. Brakes and suspension were the Bonneville standard items.

This particular 1969 Triumph Trident (VIN# T150T 169) is in the Hamilton Triumph collection in Apache Junction, Arizona. The bike is listed as a 7500 mile original with the only exception being the paint on the tank and side covers having been freshened. The bike is currently bid to $6,001.00 here on eBay.

5. 1977 MV Agusta 800 America

As you can tell from the name, this bike was built for the American market. MV's US importer convinced the corporate office to take the European 750S and bore out the motor for more power. The result was the 750 America - one of MV's most important motorcycles and one of the most beautiful bikes of the 70s. It was introduced in 1975 and just 600 were sold over three years. In other markets, the bike evolved into variations with larger displacements. This bike started in Europe and then jumped to Japan for a couple of decades before it came to the United States last year.

I actually think it's a slightly confusing motorcycle - the ergonomics, 37 stars on the gas tank (representing each of MV's GP championships) and style (an optional fairing was available) suggest that it's a racer for the road, but the shaft drive, 500+ pound weight, and 6 gallon fuel tank suggest otherwise. No matter, because it is capable of 130 miles per hour and the exhaust note is delightful. It's a thoroughbred.

For more on the America, check out this article on Hemmings. Jay Leno has a 750 America which he adores - if you want more information you can watch him talk about it here (or skip to 5:00 to hear the bike itself):

This example (VIN: MV7502210507) has 2,876 miles and is said to be ready to go (but note that it has not yet been titled in the US so it comes with the required US Customs importation paperwork). I'd ditch the reflectors and add a mirror before I got it on the road, but otherwise this motorcycle makes me happy. Find this MV America for sale in New York, New York with an opening bid of $1,000 here on eBay.

Which would you put in your garage?