Second-hand treasures

The second-hand motorcycle market is comparable to a Moroccan bazaar: at first glance it’s all a bit overwhelming and everything looks very similar. There’s a plethora for sale, some shiny and expensive, others shiny and cheap. The exotic and wondrous are mixed in with workhorses, and donkeys. And some things just stink. Browse long enough though and you’ll be sure to find some treasure.

It was a different story before the internet. Anyone who’s old enough to remember when phones still had cords, and aerials for that matter, will recall that buying a used motorcycle involved a vastly different process to what we’re now accustomed to. Often it revolved around a bloke called Kev who you’d met in the pub after a few jars. Kev’s mate Keith happened to have a bike for sale so off you’d traipse to some unfamiliar suburb to admire and scrutinise. Eventually you’d haggle a price, largely based on the value of a similar bike that had appeared in the classifieds section of the local paper three months earlier. A very dependable method, obviously.

Nowadays the likes of bikesales.com.au offers access to a host of used two-wheeled machines which range from humble Honda ‘posties’ to BMW HP4 dream machines, all at the click of a button or two. Hours can be spent browsing the eclectic variety of models, imagining how much fun an R 1200 GS would be on a circumnavigation of the world or thinking up the best way to justify the purchase of a track bike. Yes, most of these bikes are just figments of our desire -- mere pipe dreams, for want of a better phrase – but isn’t dreaming what it’s all about?

Our shortlist of second-hand treasure aims at conjuring a little sparkle in the eyes of anyone browsing our sites (particularly the sportsbike section) in the hope of one day owning a handful of bikes worthy of filling any garage.

Exotica: MV Agusta F4CC
Used price guide: Upwards of the €100,000 it cost off the production line

In 2007, MV Agusta decided to ask itself how to better one if the most exquisite bikes ever produced, its F4 superbike.

Named after charismatic MV president Claudio Castiglioni -- the man responsible for resurrecting the Italian thoroughbred stable -- the resulting F4CC was undoubtedly designed to be a statement. Castiglioni himself would die a few years later but not before his team of geniuses had come up with something rather special to crown his reign and eternalise his contribution to the industry.

The F4CC was nothing short of phenomenal. Almost every everything was changed from the standard model, with most parts being built as a one off. To give it Special Edition performance, the engine was big-bored by 3mm to 1078cc, helping produce a whopping 197hp.

The F4CC also looks as special as it is, with carbon fibre and titanium spanning the length of this glorious machine. There's even a platinum plate to tell you which of the 100 individual bikes you own, just in case you forget.

The F4CC was launched just prior to the global financial crisis with a price tag of €100,000 (almost $145,000 with today's exchange rate though it equated to more at the time). As a result, a few were initially unsold but the model remains one of the most sought-after special editions of recent years. Expect second-hand prices to continue rising, if you can get your hands on one.

Mythical Mirage: Foggy Petronas FP1
Used price guide: Name a price, and then double it. Chances are it’ll be more than what an average house costs…

The Foggy Pertonas FP1 started life in 2001 as a 989cc in-line triple funded by the Malaysian oil conglomerate, Petronas. A seemingly bottomless pit of cash, paired with four-time world superbike champion Carl Fogarty lending his name to the project was set to be a match made in heaven.

With initial intentions to go racing in MotoGP, plans were altered and a new focus switched to world superbikes. However, results were poor and the racing venture was eventually dropped in favour of a road bike production project.

Though this never officially got off the ground, some of the 150 bikes that were originally made to homologate the FP1 for racing were set to go on the public market. Of the 75 which were later shipped to Malaysia, two were sold in 2005 but the whereabouts of the others remains mostly unknown.

Since then, it’s been discovered that around 60 more bikes have been found in a secure lock-up in the UK but the present owners are bound by a confidentiality agreement with Petronas.

The frenzy which would ensue if these ever make it to market will be well documented but until then, the chances of landing an FP1 for your garage are slim-to-nil. Hidden treasure hunt to find the rest anyone?

The Classy Classic: Honda CB1100R
Used price guide: $15,000+ (for a good one)

The best classic class was perhaps the hardest to consider, given the vast number of cherished models to choose from. What’s more, classics tend to be very personal and one rider's treasure may be another's garbage. For some, the ultimate classic may be a 1950 Manx Norton, for others a humble BSA Bantum D1 -- just because the sound it makes evokes a nostalgic fuzzy feeling inside.  A number of bikes came very close to featuring in this list, including the Ducati 916, Suzuki RG500, Moto Guzzi Le Mans, Laverda Jota and Honda CBR900RR to name but a few.

In the end it was a far more understated motorcycle which prevailed. The Honda CB1100R topped list because of its prowess as one of the best, but most affordable, classic sports bikes ever produced.

Born as a result of the mark's four-stroke race machines which dominated the GP class in the 1980s, the GP1100R was developed for the production classes. The road going version, complete with its classic lines and stylish design, is the very epitome of a sportsbike from the time.

Though it was originally labelled as big and heavy, nowadays you'll be hard pressed to find a better classic which, whilst modest, is packed with grunt. This is a bike that is more than capable of chewing up miles on the way to that classic bike meet. You’re also guaranteed to look good en route too--- and unlike all the other bikes on this list, insurance will be reasonable as it won’t be valued with a six figure number.

The Rare Beast: Britten V1000
Used price guide: You’d be lucky. And probably a millionaire

In 1991, New Zealand petrol head and bike nut John Britten set about building a superbike in his garage. In many ways, it was a story akin to the garden-shed origins of Harley-Davidson. However, unlike the iconic all-American brand which now boasts a global monopoly, Britten’s efforts would remain a much smaller operation until his untimely death in 1995.    

A total of 10 carbon fibre V1000 models were designed and built from the engine up. The mark went on to win the New Zealand Grand Prix along with the Battle of the Twins at Daytona, setting a number of world speed records along the way. These feats cemented Britten’s name in motorcycling history but it was the bike itself which lauded the praise.

The water-cooled 999cc, 60 degree V-twin was brilliantly built and many reports cite Britten as a genius. His use of titanium, composite materials and pioneering engineering (the bike features double wishbone front suspension and frameless chassis) help make the Britten V1000 one of the greatest motorcycles of all time.

The Dream Machine: Ducati Desmosedici RR
Used price guide: $60,000-$100,000

Ducati’s Desmosedici RR tops our list as the ultimate dream machine for good reason.  

For starters, it’s relatively affordable (for the closest thing to a road-going MotoGP bike), especially considering only 1500 were made. It’s also hands-down one of the most exotic bikes you’re likely to see on the road thanks to the full carbon-fibre bodywork, coupled with some of the best engineering in the history of motorcycles. The small matter of 197hp also helps.

Originally announced in 2004 before its launch two years later at the Italian MotoGP event in Mugello, the Desmosedici RR was always going to be big news. Customers eventually took receipt of the first bikes 2008 and the media frenzy around the model at the time was nothing short of pandemonium. The Desmosedici RR was undoubtedly the bike of the decade.

This road-legal racer (yes it has lights) features the same chassis layout, bodywork and 989cc V4 engine which Loris Capirossi and Sete Gibernau rode in the 2006 Moto GP world championship. Needless to say, the Desmosedici RR makes the Suzuki Hayabusa look like a pussy cat.  

Outrageous power (which is actually relatively manageable), grunt by the bucket load and a better chassis than Beyonce’s make sure the Desmosedici RR retains a legendary status amongst sportsbike riders the world over.