If you're a fan of rare Japanese imports that weren't sold in the US when they were new, then you’re going to want to check out what Iconic Motorbikes just got in. As of March 31, 2023, they aren't available to bid on just yet, but when they are, they'll be offered with no reserve.
Due in no small part to its tiered licensing scheme, Japan has long offered interesting small-displacement bikes that don't typically come to the States. Since virtually every other market is more amenable to small-displacement bikes than the US, some of these bikes might have been sold elsewhere in Asia, Europe, or Latin America, but definitely not always.
According to Iconic, all eight (!) of these bikes come from a friend who last had them all running at the 2019 Barber Vintage Fest. They may or may not be running now, as they have basically all sat since then. At the very least, they will likely need things like their carbs and batteries attended to, as well as fluid flushes and a good general check to see if anything else is needed. They range from the 1980s to the early 2000s in age, so a variety of attention (and possibly consumable replacement items like gaskets and o-rings) may be needed.
What's here? More complete details on each bike will be listed on its respective auction listing once it's available. For now, though, here's a list of what we can look forward to:
- Kawasaki GPX400R
- 1986 Suzuki GSX-R 400
- Yamaha RZ250R
- Honda NSR75
- 2000 or 2001 Yamaha Lanza
- Yamaha Mate 80
- Honda Clubman GB250
The NSR75 came out of Honda’s collaboration with Spanish OEM Montesa, and it appears that it may have originated in the Montesa factory. The Lanza, as Abhi tells us in this video, was the first time that Yamaha put a rudimentary traction control system on one of its bikes. We've had a long chat with you about the Yamaha TownMate in the past, which is a direct relation to the Mate 80 (and why they didn't just go all the way and call it the Matey is a mystery for the ages). The Clubman GB250 is the rarer younger sibling of the GB500, and the larger version was never offered in red.
Now for the bad news (of a sort). Only the GPX400R and GSX-R 400 come with titles. The rest of these bikes will be sold on a bill of sale only. However, all of these will be sold with no reserve, which is pretty exciting for a certain type of nerd (present company very much included).
