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“The flying brick! An excellent tourning bike. I bought this for $2500 a year ago, I’ve only put freeway miles on it. Has extra auxilary headlamps installed plus some leds in back for safety. LOTS of cargo space. Well maintained, injectors were just cleaned. Service manuel comes with it. You can’t see in the pictures but it needs a new windshield, it’s cracked. Price is negotiable.  $1,500″

 

This is my Pick of the Week, easy. Now, this may be dependent upon how many miles are on the ol’ brick, I mean the ol’ girl. I figure it’s cool as long as it’s under 80k miles. Hopefully, they’re lovingly referred to as The Flying Brick, and it’s not a nicknamed earned by salty mechanics. I personally know zero about the fine motorcycles from Bavaria, but getting acquainted with them via a capable, revered touring classic like the K100LT for a sweet grand-and-a-half may be what does it for me.  While this 1988 BMW K100LT has been sold, are there more BMW K100LTs? Let’s see here…

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Recession Special

>>1982 suzuki 650 touring bike rusty&mossy – $100 (lake city)<<

“sat next to the house for years, no title. i can write you a bill of sale if you like. it rolls thats all i know. Must be some good parts still. not a project for the faint harted. I think its all there. i can deliver for another 50$.”

When I saw this posting, I had to highlight it here. Usually, one doesn’t see the adjective ‘mossy‘ in motorcycle classified ad headlines. I used to have a WTF? category, and this listing makes me consider reviving it. But I don’t understand… is he offering someone $100 to come take it off his property? I ask, because not five minutes ago, I emailed a guy who is advertising his 2007 BMW K12 for $15.

But, damn, if only this was April Fools Day, this would be my Pick of the Week. It is a touring bike. Mushrooms are growing in the cylinders and a family of chipmunks have taken over the gas tank, I’m betting on it. The AFTER image is what I’m looking forward to seeing.

I want someone to go over there and ask him if he’d discount for the low tire pressure. Can you see that? “I don’t know, the treads look a little worn. Can you go, maybe, $75?”

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“I have got a V-65 1100 up for sale at an unbeatable price…been well taken care of and has an after market supertrap pipes.sounds and runs excellent..the price is $3,000 to sell quik…no low ballers and first with the cash can have it…”

I love a V65 Magna from the 1980s. And it’s probably a terrific motorcycle he has for sale here… but the price ain’t exactly as low as he thinks it is, and I doubt it will really “sell quik” [sic]. To prove my point, here’s a screen capture of the most recent completed sales of Honda V65 Magnas from eBay, and his price of three grand, is, contrary to his argument, indeed quite beatable (-click the image to see in full size-):

I’m not saying this bike can’t be worth $3,000 – it very well could be, I haven’t seen it. A ‘quik’ sale would be at a $2,400 price point, in my opinion. But his desired price isn’t in the neighborhood of unbeatable. But since he says “no lowballers” I guess you shouldn’t check the bike out unless you have three large, end of story. He’ll have to sell it to someone who doesn’t want to do any research on the bike’s selling history.

**UPDATE, 4/16/09: The seller has reconsidered his price, it’s now $2,800.

>>Click Here<< to contact the seller of this 80’s-vintage Honda V65 Magna. If the bike’s image at the top of this posting is gone, or the craigslist ad is no longer there, the bike may no longer be for sale. And I’m sure there are more V65 Magnas for sale here:

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If you haven’t checked out the new 2009 lineup from Honda motorcycles, well, you probably won’t want to after you read my screeching.

90% of Honda street bikes for 2009 are over-the-fucking-top plastic chrome croozers. I swear to God, I can’t tell a 21st century V-Star from a Boulevard from a Shadow from a Vulcan. Seriously, will some metric manufacturer get a spine and make something that looks different from all the others? Sheesh. Triumph and Buell are looking better year by year.

Honda croozers: four choices, essentially: a Rebel 250, a 750 Shadow, a 1300VTX monstrosity, and an 1800 VTX it-better-not-fall-over-or-there-it-will-sit-forever 800 pound behemouth. Hell, the Rebel will run you four thousand dollars in 2009. I got my CM250 Custom in 1984 as a junior in high school, think it cost about a grand out the door.

But the real reason I decided to write this post is to get an answer:

What The Fuck Is This?

From Honda’s website:

“It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen on two wheels. And for good reason: no other motorcycle maker is as stupid as Honda to torpedo a few million in its R&D.” [italics mine]

This shark-nosed bubble-fest scooter with big tires is the Honda DN-01. They call it a ‘Crossover’. Apparently, when you ‘cross over’ from a sane person capable of chewing your own food to an openly drooling buffoon with fifteen grand burning a hole in your pocket, this is the bike for you.

Engine size: 650cc. Hell, the seat is bigger than its engine. Probably as exciting.

Its speedo cluster is as big as a Buick’s.

Styling: part scooter (top half is all Silver Wing scooter, no?) part ST1300 (at the nose).

Oh, and it’s an Automatic. Yeah, because so many of us were thinking during our last two wheeled jaunt, “I really love the experience of motorcycling, but this pesky shifting is really crampin’ my style. If only I had kept that Honda CM400 automatic from 1981.”

No. No one says that. Ever. Don’t want to shift? Let me show you the scooter section. Pick out a lovely toothpaste-colored Vino or something. When you locate your testicles (or Virtual Testicles for the women), we’ll sell you a real motorcycle (*cough*Aprilia*cough*.)

The price of this DN-01? Oh, that’s the best part: $15,599. That’s more than half of the way to sixteen thousand dollars. It is four hundred dollars less than the ST1300 sport tourer.

I found this ‘motorcycle’ on Honda’s website when I briefly entertained the idea of walking my fat butt over to the dealership to see what’s up and consider a new bike this year. Hell, I have a good job finally, and the credit card debt is nearly all paid off. No better time to incur more debt than in the midst of a RECESSION. I live dangerously.

What’s my favorite bike from Honda for 2009? The XR650L at $6499. Which is nine hundred dollars more than Kawasaki’s KLR650 and eight hundred more than Suzuki’s ho hum DR650SE. I guess Yamaha is pretty much giving up all but the croozers category, and the R-1 and R-6. That’s Yamaha in the 21st Century. Four bikes.

I’m looking to create a decent review library of motorcycles written by their riders.

• Do you own or have you owned a motorcycle from the 1980s or 1990s?
• Can you write decently?
• Want an easy fifteen bucks?
• Have a PayPal account?
• Publish your article on this website!

I’m soliciting review articles and I will pay $15 (maximum of two articles per writer, more if I like your stuff). Original content only! I know how to cut and paste from other review sites, that’s called plagiarism, and I won’t pay for something that’s not of your own hand. You don’t have to be a motorcycle veteran; if you’re just starting out and can write about your riding experiences and review of your motorcycle, that’s just as good.

Your review should include the good and the bad of your motorcycle of choice. If it was ultra-reliable, did wheelies at a snap, all-day riding comfort; did it see the inside of a repair shop more often than it was worth, were you unhappy with the controls, did its performance wane as the years went by…?

Around 400 words (this posting you’re reading is close to 500 words) and a picture or two of your ride. Must be about a specific motorcycle model, and I am more interested in mainstream motorcycles – Yamaha FJs, STs, Concours, Nighthawks, Bandits, Interceptors, GPzs, ZRXs, KZs, Rebels, Eliminators, Viragos, Magnas, older GoldWings, Calvacades, Sabres… If your motorcycle costs as much as a brand new SUV, chances are neither I nor my reading audience won’t be interested in it. And, while our readers don’t come here to read about motocross or off road bikes, I do want some articles about dual purpose bikes – off road bikes that were designed and made to be street legal too, like Honda XL/XRLs, Kawasaki KLRs, Yamaha XTs, Suzuki DRZs, for example.

If I choose to use your article, your article becomes mine that I can publish in its entirety, or quote from, as I wish. I do reserve the right to make little modifications or edits to your article. If you have a blog or webpage, I can link to it. I will give you writer’s credit within the article, of course. Don’t want your name published? Then provide or allow me to come up with a pen name for you, say, Grumpus McPuppybottom.

You must have a PayPal account, because that’s how I’ll pay you. Email me and inform me of your motorcycle’s make and model – I don’t want you to go to a lot of trouble to write about your $10,000 Ural sidecar, because frankly, that’s not what I nor my readers really interested in. Then, submit your written product and I’ll paypal you fifteen bucks. That is a couple free lunches, or a few tanks of gas, for writing about your love.

“Selling a classic ride, and a bike that still rivals some of the fastest bikes out there! 20,000.00 original miles. Bike comes with many extra’s, after market f1 exhaust, with original exhaust pipes in like new condition in a box, also comes with tank bag and brand new givi trunk, new street grip tires. This is not the bike for me any more getting to old. $2,995″

>>> Go to the Craigslist Ad to see pictures and contact the owner of this Yamaha FJ <<< . If this Yamaha FJ is gone, then the motorcycle is no longer available for sale. Try this link here to see if more Yamaha FJs are available nationwide.

The fellas at whybike.com have written an article giving tips about buying your next bike at an auction. You can get a truly great deal IF you know what to look for and what to avoid.

Attend the pre-sale to go over the bike very well. Bikes sold at auction are as-is with zero refunds, and if you don’t know enough about motorcycles or what to look for, that price you pay could just be a down payment with further payments to be made to the mechanic to fix what was wrong.

Also, don’t forget that buyers usually have to pay a premium commision – usually 5% to 10% over the ‘hammer price’ – what the final bid is – that you need to figure for in your final price.

“Turn key VF750F classic crotch rocket 30,000 miles good rubber and brakes. This bike runs strong and sweet and even has a radar detector. $1,500″

Aftermarket F-1 exhaust pipes are clearly seen in this classic sportbike’s picture. $1,500 seems like a great deal; the mileage is no problem. It goes nice and stops nice, the owner says. A great collectible non-tariff displacement Interceptor here.

>>Click Here<< to go to the owner’s Craigslist ad for this Honda VF750F Interceptor for sale in Puyallup, WA. If the picture above or the ad is gone on the craigslist site, the bike may no longer be for sale.

More Interceptors for sale nationwide? Yep! Here they are:

So, you go to the nearest Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki dealership, I’ll bet you that right now there’s probably a Shadow 600, a full dress tourer, 19 dirt bikes, a scooter or two, and a quad mule for sale.

Try a different seller: Red Label Mot

What makes them stand out is the absolutely exhaustive descriptions and history of every bike they sell. Here’s a snippet from an Aprilia Futura they currently have:

“This bike has never tipped over, crashed or been damaged in any way. Unless you count the scuffs on the saddlebags as “damage”, which I will cover later. Always parked indoors and very well taken care of, this is a clean Aprilia sport-tourer.”

The seem to specialize in exotic, high quality, even vintage cycles. They may command a premium price, but you get what you pay for. Didn’t know that Laverdas still made motorcycles? Just recently, they’re selling a Laverda Ghost Strike.

Enjoy browsing their inventory. They’re located on Capitol Hill in Seattle if you want a closer look at that “I’ve never seen that bike before” bike.

s

From the auction: “1984 Honda V65 Sabre. Great condition. Bike has under 15,000 miles. New tires,Battery, Fork seals,Resent tune up, High pressure oil mod installed at 9500 miles. Cams and valves in exellent Condition. Only normal ware for 25 years old. You would be hard pressed to find a cleaner low milage Sabre around. Buyer responsable for pickup and delivery.payment to be collected before delivery”

Love a mid 80’s V65 Sabre. Put a windscreen on it and you have a motorcycle for the rest of your life.

**UPDATE** The auction for this lovely V65 Sabre has ended, and it fetched a damn respectable $2,600! I myself entered a few bids on it – suffice it to say, there were others willing to pay a bit more for it than I was, and I congratulate the seller and auction winner.  My loss.

Any more Honda V65 Sabres for sale anywhere else? If there are, they’re right below: