Welcome to Craigslist Crapshoot, our weekly search for the most bizarre, awesome, and/or terrible vehicles that the online classifieds has to offer.
I’d like to say that small car makers, what we oftentimes refer to a cottage car makers, are the backbone of the industry, but that’s simply not true. In fact, they are more of a collar bone or maybe Fibula of the industry: we’re not sure what they do, but we’re glad to have them until they break. We went looking for cottage cars (TVRs, Loti and the like) last week. We’ll see some of those that were dredged up in a sec, but first this week’s noble quest.
Is this Two-Wheel Tuesday? No? Well, no matter, today we’re still going to be searching for motorcycles, in fact turbocharged motorcycles. We all know that motorcycles can be dangerous, let’s see if we can’t find those that may be a little more so because they’re blown.
As always, we want your finds to go down in infamy and not in the site’s spam filter. Since we’ve changed commenting systems, you may need to update your commenter account. Make sure you have a Disqus account – they’re free and easy to get – and then comment away.
Got that? Good, now let’s get small (car maker!)
They say that genetics is the foundation for what makes you what you are. Similarly, Ginetta provided the foundation for last week’s results, as more examples of that cottage maker’s wares were represented than any other. Also, surprisingly, no Lotuses made their way to our list.
We’re going to start off with a car that’s near and dear to my heart, because I own one, a Jensen Healey offered up by oldcarjunkie. Yep, Jensen was one of the cottage-iest of small car makers, over the years demonstrating a decided lack of enthusiasm for things like quality or fiscal acumen. Fuhrman16 gave us a cheap and pointy TVR, while engineerd and Inliner proved that the British Isles were not the exclusive home for small car makers with, respectively, an Israeli Sabra GT and a Laforza SUV.
OA5599 won the coveted Kewpie Doll award for locating a Siata Spring, while Andrew_theS2kbore took the opposite tack with a Dart-block equipped racing Panoz. Where is Ginetta in all this? I’m glad you asked. A G15 was brought to us by outback_ute. I always loved those for the clever crank-up headlights that could be dropped for the track and then raised for the drive home. If you need something a little more wild then you could go with this SSC Stylus track car, rocking an FC RX-7 drivetrain, or if you like your Ginetta a little more on the streetable side then you’ll more appreciate our winner, the Ginetta G40R, which comes with a boot. Both of those were offered up by crank-case who takes home this week’s cottage cheese prize.
Congrats to crank_case, and thank you all for your most excellent participation. Now, let’s go look for some two wheeled bad decisions.
Craigslist Crapshoot
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23 responses to “Craigslist Crapshoot”
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Let’s start off with something retro – a 1982 CX500 Turbo, with 43,000 miles, for only $1900:
https://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/mcy/6046633164.html
Even the hazy pictures evoke retro memories!
https://images.craigslist.org/00b0b_drpumv55RzN_1200x900.jpg-
I don’t know, my cheapo camera back then wasn’t fuzzy, it just produced slightly-off colours
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Damn you! I was going to use that one.
I was tempted by these and the 650, way back when. Fortunately, discovered the XL600V and ST1100.
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Now for those that really have a death wish, can I interest you in a 2004 Turbo Hayabusa, only $6500? In the text it says he’d like to get $10k (huh?).
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ftw/mcy/6044638767.html
https://images.craigslist.org/00Z0Z_3oewywPVgRz_1200x900.jpg
https://images.craigslist.org/00101_eCs4wkEOan7_1200x900.jpg-
I’d like to get 10k, too. Don’t we all?
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You can’t expect coherent logic from anyone who’d throw his leg over that.
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Stretching the definition of motorcycle here with this KTM450 SXF Aerocharge snobike…but it certainly checks the ‘it will kill you’ box
$17,000 asking price. Hmmm, that’s also about the going rate for a well done funeral.
https://images.craigslist.org/00505_407LSl5cNCt_600x450.jpg
https://minneapolis.craigslist.org/csw/mcy/6011214202.html -
I know very little about bikes, but I’m pretty sure that this 1982 Honda CX500TC has a Turbo.
https://images.craigslist.org/00z0z_iIJ5qqNugwO_600x450.jpg
https://images.craigslist.org/00707_3ZsUftuCJDB_600x450.jpg
https://atlanta.craigslist.org/wat/mcy/6054378263.html-
Gawd, for its age, that’s clean.
Missing the slim Hondaline saddlebags, but I’m sure those can be found.
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Yamaha’s entry in the early ’80’s turbo war was the Seca 650 turbo; here’s one for $1600.
https://sfbay.craigslist.org/scz/mcy/6063689589.html
https://images.craigslist.org/00D0D_563EszqORLb_600x450.jpg-
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rode one of those once, on a curve in the freeway I gave it a large handful, the turbo kicked in, it stood straight up and shot up a fortuitously placed off ramp instead of into the crash barriers the bastard thing was obviously aiming for
took it back to the bike shop i’d borrowed it from only to be told öh yeah, its got a bent frame…
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Turbo H-D Dyna Wide Glide for $9k?
https://images.craigslist.org/00X0X_6TMGcUglmhU_600x450.jpg
https://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/mcy/6039802364.html -
Turbo Harley! If you’re lucky, it will break down before it kills you.
https://fortcollins.craigslist.org/mcy/5996562866.html
https://images.craigslist.org/00f0f_hKJV0xDSLjI_1200x900.jpg-
+1 for the ray alone, caused by a smudge on the lens.
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It’s on a mission from God
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I’d like to see a dyno test proving that 174hp.
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This turbo Harley might be a little more reliable, but I’d be a little nervous about the exhaust routing. On a rebuilt title (already claimed its first victim?), for $11,500.
https://dallas.craigslist.org/ndf/mcy/6013483900.html
https://images.craigslist.org/00X0X_hMLk2iHHeg9_1200x900.jpg-
(believe it was a garage drop that snapped the left peg)
I’m sorry but that doesn’t total a bike. Not even a V-Rod.
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Kwak Kwak! GPz 750 Turbo, ad posted last November, but it’s possible it’s still for sale, not a lot of demand.
http://cars-trade.com/details.php?id=2102
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e23ca38d961251326d2edc47b93746568cbd6b7c5bd4ed588d361e654fa3d40d.jpg-
Consensus at the time was that these were the best of the Japanese Turbo bikes – indeed very nearly as good as the competing Kawasaki GPZ 900 Ninja, which made the point moot.
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I’m not on Facebook but… thumper turbo, yo!
Yamaha WR280X Turbo $6500-
I feel like this should have tire warmers on in the pictures. I’ve ridden a few high powered dirt bikes 50hp/100mph dirt bikes. And all I can think of with this is.
“I bet if you hit boost it will light that rear tire on asphalt in any gear. Unless they are warm, then it will want to wheelie all the time.”
Tire warmers mean you would skip straight to the second phase. What I would call the “loss of license” phase.
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