Art Bike: 1981 Puch Magnum LTD Mk2

If you watch any of those home flipper shows on HGTV, when the work of flip is done, the last major element is the staging for the sale.  In looking at that other car site that has become nothing but auctions, the better the staging as far as the photograph locations, the better the price.  Avoiding locations where the object for sale is lost in the picture is rule #1.    See if you can find this 1981 Puch Magnum LTD Mk2 for sale in Foothill Ranch, CA for $2,200 via craigslist.
Tip from Rock On!

Taco Tuesday: 1966 Bultaco Matador Mk2

One of the consequences of vehicles becoming so valuable that they become art is that if you used them for their primary purpose, you'd diminish their value.  This bike is beautifully turned out and is probably better than it was when it left Spain over 50 years ago.  However if you were to get it to run and rode it down some single track, you'd probably be out half of the asking price.  Sad, really.   Find this 1966 Bultaco Matador Mk2 Model 16 for sale in Olympia, WA for $7,950 via craigslist.

Little smoker: 1982 Honda MB5

In most states in the Union, any two wheeler with 50cc's or smaller can be ridden on the street without special endorsement. (although you might need special bravery pills).  Most things under that 50cc limit are either small scooters or things with a set of pedals in addition to an ICE.  However for one year in 1982 you could have walked into your friendly Honda dealer and bought something that you wouldn't be embarrassed to ride with a full face helmet.  Find this 1982 Honda MB5 for sale in Graham, WA for $2,300 via craigslist.

Hardly: 1970 Harley Davidson M65 Sport

What could be more 'Murican than throwing your leg over a Harley and riding it in your local 4th of July Parade?  But what if you really aren't into big heavy bikes but still want to ride an H-D?  This piglet is for you.  Find this 1970 Harley Davidson M65 Sport for sale near Bellevue, WA for $1,250 via craigslist.

Buzzy Bee: 1972 Yamaha DS7

It's always nice when you find something old that has escaped the clutches of the modifiers and "ride it hard and put it away wet" types of owners.  That is especially cool when it is a one year only model of limited production.  Here's one that is celebrating it's 45th birthday this year.  Find this 1972 Yamaha DS7 for sale in Lake Stevens, WA for $2,200 via craigslist.

Street Taco: 1970 Bultaco Matador Mk III

I have to thank E-i-C Vince for taking my Taco Tuesday spot last week while I was visiting the Kingdom of the Giant Mouse.  Now back to our regularly scheduled programming featuring a Taco you can ride on the street and is the business (but not a business).  Find this 1970 Bultaco Matador Mk III for sale in Montrose, CO for $3,500 via craigslist.

Voted Off The Island: 1974 Kawasaki G3SS

I read this great article in Motorcycle Classics a few years back about the adventures of purchasing "classic" bikes off The List of Craig.   The whole premise of the article is that with the advent of CL and free internet ads, finding a classic bike has gotten a whole lot easier, but since it no longer costs the seller $25 for 40 characters, you can put your junker on CL for an outrageous price and wait for months for that rube to fall off the turnip truck.  Just embellish your ad with the words barn find, survivor and rare, and the Benjamins will fall from the sky.  Find this 1973 Kawaski G3SS for sale in Entiat, WA for $1,500 via craigslist.  Tip from JB1025

Rally Like Erik: 1966 SAAB 96 Special

We all know Thorsday is the best day of the week. How can you have Thorsday without awesome Swedish steel? You can’t, so for your consideration is this example of a car with an engine that sounds like a nest of angry bees, needs oil, and may possibly smoke more than a middle school student behind the teacher’s lounge. With emission standards tightening it is hard to find two stroke marine engines and weed eaters let alone automobile engines. The rules are making it harder, and I submit conspiring, to prevent us from unleashing our inner Erik Carlsson and beating the likes of Porsche, MG, and fellow Swede Volvo in a rally stage with an underpowered car. But wait! Here is your opportunity as some hero has listed this 1966 SAAB 96 Special on Craigslist in Upton Massachusetts for a mere $6,000.00. That price is of course U.S. Dollars and not Swedish Krona.

Monkey Ward: 1967 Benelli Cobra

Back in the days before you could order anything off the web and have it delivered by drone a minute later, people leafed thru heavy catalogs made of dead trees and filled out forms by hand they sent away via mail.  Montgomery Wards was one such vendor that sold everything from guns to motorcycles, rebranded under their name.  Find this 1967 Benelli Cobra, otherwise known as the Montgomery Wards Riverside 125 for sale in Des Moines, WA for $2,250 via craigslist.

Calling Collect: Vintage Motorcycle Collection

A lot of cool old stuff that was just an affordable old car a few years ago has turned into a collectible automobile with prices to match.  Blame Barrett-Jackson, the Fed, Brexit, QE and QE2, or whatever, but amassing a collection is going to take you a few bucks as well as space.  Motorcycles haven't - for the most part followed cars - yet - and storing 16 bikes is a hell of a lot easier than 16 broken down old cars.  Find this Vintage Motorcycle Collection of 16 bikes including this 1973 Bultaco Alpina for sale in San Rafael, CA for $21,500 via craigslist.

Grand Tiddler: 1974 Suzuki GT185

Nowadays whenever a noob asks about a starter bike on a biker forum, 750 and 1,000cc's are acceptable sizes; a 500cc bike will soon be outgrown.  Back 40 years ago, no one batted an eye if experienced riders chose two wheelers in the 200cc class.  Find this 1974 Suzuki GT185 for sale in Everett, WA for $2,500 via craigslist.

Ride it or hide it: 1973 Kawasaki F6

The tag line for Motorcycle Classics magazine is "Ride them, don't hide them".  With our next subject, the original owner seems to have chose the hide it option. I've always said that classic motorcycles are cheap to buy right now, so here's the optortunity to get in on the ground floor for appreciation (if that is your thing).  Find this 1973 Kawasaki F6  with 248 miles on it for sale in Seattle, WA for $1,850 via craigslist.

El Snore: 1974 Honda CR250M Elsinore

It is said that the Honda Motor Company's founder, Soichiro Honda claimed that Honda would never make a two stoke motorcycle.  For some reason unknown to me, Mr. Honda disliked the noise and smoke of the two stroke.  When motocross became hot with the other Japanese manufacturers in the late 1960's, Soichiro had his engineers build a four stroke 125cc MX-er, and was badly beaten by his two stroke competitors.  If you can't beat them, join them.  Find this 1974 Honda CR250M Elsinore for sale in Silver Lake, OR for $2,000 via craigslist.

Kenny was a race bike rider: 1985 Yamaha RZ350 Kenny Roberts Edition

One would think that if you were the first American to win the GP motorcycle World Championship and then you went on to win it two more times, you'd be a household name.  Add to that if you won the AMA Grand National twice and are one of only four riders to win the AMA Grand Slam, you'd still be talked about today.  Kenny Roberts did in the 1970's, but you've probably never heard of him or his signature bike.  Find this 1985 Yamaha RZ350 Kenny Roberts Edition for sale in Anchorage, AK for $7,499 via craigslist.  Tip from Zach Z.

Wart's Up?: 1976 Hodaka Road Toad

Nowadays we call them dual sports - Swiss army knife bikes that can do both on road and off road.  Back in the 70's we called them enduros after the enduro events like the International Six Day Trial, where competing bikes had to be street-able as well as able to handle the rough stuff.  When the nuts at Hodaka finally built an enduro, of course it had to have a wacky name, and it did:  Road Toad.  Find this 1976 Hodaka Road Toad for sale on Fox Island, WA for $3,900 via craigslist.

Catching some Z's: 1974 MZ 250

I was thinking the other day that one of the smaller effects of the cold war in the US, is that we didn't have much chance to sample consumer products of a true socialist state.  It might have dulled the current enthusiasm for restricting choices of deodorant.  If you'd still like to give it try, there are a few examples of iron curtain engineering out there.  Find this 1974 MZ 250 for sale in Anchorage, AK for $1,500 via craigslist.  Tip from Zach Z.

Old Stoner: 1970 Bridgestone TMX100

We live in an age of choice.  Compared to 50 years ago, we have numerous choices in our living arrangements, snack foods, apps on our smartphone and even which restroom you want to use. However, one place where is less choice today is in motorcycle brands.  Today, you can choose from the major names from Europe and Asia, but off beat brands, like Bridgestone (yes the tire company) are no longer part of that choice.  Find this 1970 Bridgestone TMX100 for sale in Portland, OR for $1,200 via craigslist. Tip from JB1025.