Dan Crouch Blog » Suzuki

Catching up with RareSportBikesForSale.com and GermanCarsForSaleBlog.com

Dan — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:50:55 +0000

Forgive me: I'm guilty of cheating on this blog with a number of other blogs. But before we get too far ahead, let's get caught up on some great looking German Cars and Rare Sport Bikes that have been listed for sale over the past several weeks.

Beautiful 1983 BMW e21 320i For Sale in Oregon - Paul went so far as to say he was almost considering buying this car himself, but was instead inspired to continue the work on his own classic BMW after seeing Richard’s car! Considering he’s only asking $3200, someone should snap this up cheap!

1983 Alpina B9 #312 For Sale in Florida - The $14.5k buy-it-now option seems like a pretty good deal. There are very few real Alpina’s in this country anyway, and this one still has almost all of it’s original details. While I’m not an experienced collector, I have to imagine that 5-10 years from now, this car will have appreciated considerably. Then again, with over 100k miles and an approachable entry price, maybe it would be better to enjoy immediately. Can you imagine the response at your next BMW club day when you roll up in this?!

1985 Honda VFR400 NC24 - First things first, this is not an 85. According to this Wikipedia article, the NC24 wasn’t introduced until 1987, and this bike definitely sports all the important features of the later NC24 model. But when I first saw the listing as an 85, it made me wonder if the 25 year rule works the same way it does for classic cars in the U.S. - no import or registration issues with models not previously imported. Anyone know for sure? Also, was there a Rothmans edition of the NC24? It’s a cool bike for $3500 either way though!

Irish Green Porsches for St. Patrick's Day - As you can probably gather by now, I think the 912 is definitely the better value; especially at $15k! Of course a 912 is not a substitute for a 911. But it’s also not to be dismissed as anything less than a fantastic sports car. Add the fact that this one has an expensive rebuilt motor assembled with such focus and dedication, you can tell that this car is at least 85% of the experience of a 911 of the same era.

Two Very Low Mileage M3’s, $60,000 Each! - Not to play that overused ‘economy’ angle yet again, but these seem like high prices to me in today’s market. On the other hand the owners clearly know the rarity of their cars and are counting on educated and wealthy buyers. Who knows when we’ll see examples like these for sale again.

1986 GSX-R 750R Limited (GSXR750 RG) - Don’t you just love homologation specials?! The very best of everything and no expense spared. And when they’re nearly 25 years old and never raced, AND hardly even ridden, they’re truly a rare find. This one is currently at $12k (appears reserve has been met) with about 4 days to go.

1988 BMW e30 M3 in Diamondschwartz - The owner even has a picture of him doing a compression test on the motor. Assuming the car needs a few things here and there and you had to drop two or three grand into it right away; could be a a really nice car in a pretty desirable color.

Lovely and Original Alpine White 1991 BMW e30 M3 For Sale with 64k miles - You know me, I’m a sucker for low miles. Make sure the maintenance has been tended to with a thorough pre-purchase inspection by a qualified BMW technician. This car is already over $17k, reserve not met. With 3 days to go, make your predictions!

1993 Honda CBR400RR For Sale in San Fran Area - It has the all important title, but with that kind of mileage is $5k too high? Leave a comment with your experience.

Porsche 996 Prices are Dropping - It’s no secret the 996 is not one of my favorite Porsche 911’s. That said, I’m a big fan of the Boxster of the same generation; and when the the 996 and Boxster suddenly share the same price point, well let’s be serious, which would you really rather have? My thoughts exactly.

1985 Yamaha RZ500 with Clean U.S. Title - Wouldn’t hurt to have a description on this listing, especially with the high opening bid of $12,500. This one is a bit higher than other RZ500’s listed on this blog, but the pictures sure do look good! 4 days left, bid now!

Not 1, Not 2, But 3 Wes Cooley Replica GS1000S Suzuki’s For Sale! - $4900 doesn’t really seem that bad for such a cool and historic bike. I got up close and personal with a GS1000S at the Barber Motorsports Park Museum earlier this year, and it was a standout for sure!

Stay tune for some more sweet news about where I've been hanging out other than on dancrouchblog.com...

It’s Been Quiet Around Here, But It’s Been Going Off Over at RareSportBikesForSale.com I know my personal blog has really been neglected this...

German Cars and Rare Sport Bikes Round Up: Better Late Than Never Edition!

Dan — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 00:12:54 +0000

Back from the dead, I'm wrapping up a little vacation to Georgia to see my buddy FastEddieGTi for his birthday. Having just ate an enormous steakhouse burger from the Vortex in Atlanta (kick ass burgers!), I have some downtime to catch up on some blogging chores while my food digests!

Without further ado, here are the catch up links to GermanCarsForSaleBlog and RareSportBikesForSale:

1993 Honda NSR250 MC21 SE For Sale - At only $5500, this would be a cool addition for the track or the weekend backroads!

Low Miles 1988 BMW M6 For Sale in Montana - $22.5k sounds like a pretty good deal with this kind of mileage, and documented maintenance and upgrades. And the blue on gray with the M5 rims… Yum!

1985 Yamaha RZ500 For Sale in San Diego - At $7900, this falls right in line with other RZ500’s listed previously.

2001 Porsche Carrera Cabrio - Too Cheap to be True? - So why the skeptism? 996’s of any variation start in the high teens, and those have at least twice the mileage of this car. But heaven forbid this is the real deal… well I just can’t believe it is, but it’s fun to imagine.

A Pair of Ducati 900SS Superlight’s For Sale - These are pretty rare bikes and I think it’s an interesting opportunity for a prospective buyer to consider a well worn example or the museum piece.

1993 Ducati 888 SPO: Yep Another One!! - With a $10888 asking (clever), this is one of the more expensive triple eights to be listed on this blog. While most Ducatisti will agree this where they should be, I think this seller may have a long wait before finding a buyer considering what other examples here in the states have been going for.

Two More Titled MC 21 NSR250 Honda’s For Sale in California - Judging from the pictures alone, I like the Rothmans replica better from the point of aesthetics alone. For around five grand, neither one seems like that bad a deal considering they both have titles!

Is This The Cheapest Alpina For Sale in the U.S.? 1984 BMW Alpina 2.8 B6 For Sale - Now I’m sure “Big Ron” is a reputable guy and all, but I don’t expect this car to be a real B6 considering it’s condition and thorough listing on Craigslist. But if it is a Euro car, and it looks like it could be, and it has Alpina pieces, it’s probably worth that much in parts anyway. Could actually be a really cool basis for a project car. And heaven forbid it’s a real Alpina… It’s probably the cheapest Alpina for sale in the country.

1994 Honda CB400 Super Four - Now granted that’s 47,845 miles and no title. But with all the 2 strokes that have been showing up with titles, surely it can’t be that hard to pull off. This would be such a cool in-town commuter bike!

1990 Ducati 851 Loaded With Expensive Upgrades - It’s sacrilege to even suggest it, but parting this bike could probably turn a tidy profit. Of course that would be a shame because this bike looks so well sorted, and for $5k it’d be a real pleasure to the ride balls off of it!

1991 Porsche 911 Carrera 2 For Sale in New Mexico - I’m having a tough time trying to decide between a Boxster and a 964. My thinking lately is that there are far more Boxsters than 964’s, and that 964 prices might be more stable over the next couple years as a result.

4 Special Edition Ducati Race Replicas For Sale Right Now - I’m really not knowledgable about the values of these bikes. But they are obviously collector examples that will command some premium in the market. Which one would you pick as best value?

1991 Honda NSR250 MC21 For Sale in Vegas Baby - These are getting cheap enough that it’s getting harder and harder to make excuses about why there isn’t one in my garage. Obviously with the sheer numbers of 2 strokes listed on this site, you know I’m a fan. Talk me out of a gray market 2 stroke… or can you at these prices?

2001 M Coupe For Sale in Virginia - 27k miles and an asking of $24k? What could possibly be wrong with this car? I like all the modifications, but they do tend to devalue a car in the eyes of enthusiast buyers. And it also has that terrible two tone interior, red and black leather. But at this price, I’d consider it a bargain purchase and have the leather dyed!

1991 Suzuki RGV 250 VJ22 For Sale in California - $6k doesn’t sound too bad, especially considering it’s plated. And are those Arrow pipes? Yum!

BMW 2002 with Dual Webers, 5 speed, LSD, and Genuine Alpina Wheels - For the asking price, and the pile of rare parts that come with it, this could be a great little driver, a potential fixer-upper, or maybe even a weekend racer project. In any case, it’ll be a load of fun!

1984 Volkswagen GTI For Sale: Clean, Original, and Affordable - As a long time MK1 and MK2 VW fan, I’d have to say it’s been since high school since I saw a Rabbit GTi this clean and original. While $4500 may seem like a lot to some, good luck finding one this nice for less.

It’s Been Quiet Around Here, But It’s Been Going Off Over at RareSportBikesForSale.com I know my personal blog has really been neglected this...

1993 Suzuki GSX-R Promo Video

Dan — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 06:05:10 +0000

This is a really well done promotional video for the Suzuki GSX-R, circa about 1993. Take a look:

Find a vintage GSX-R for sale now on RareSportBikesForSale.com

Source: Hell for Leather

Steve Hislop Onboard at Isle of Man TT 1994 Check out this fantastic lap ridden and narrated by Steve...

Manufacturers Withdraw from Major Motorsports Arenas

Dan — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 15:08:51 +0000

They're falling like domino's with two more announcements today: Subaru and Suzuki are out of the World Rally Championship and Porsche is leaving the American Le Mans Series. Earlier this month, Audi declared they were also leaving ALMS this season, which followed Honda's decision to pull out of the pinnacle of auto racing, Formula 1. And yesterday, Honda announced it was also pulling out of AMA motorcycle racing next year as well.

With this many high profile exits, I wonder how many more will jump ship before the 2009 season begins?! Do you think it will cause the collapse or consolidation of any major racing series?

{sorry for all the inline linking, but I wanted to note sources}

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The German Car and Rare SportBike Blogs Round-Up For Early December

Dan — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 06:27:57 +0000

Here are my picks for early December from RareSportBikesForSale.com and GermanCarsForSaleBlog.com:

Do you have a model you'd like me to keep an eye out for? Leave a note in the comments and I'll check it out!

1968 Porsche 912 For Sale in Bahama Yellow: The owner of this car has dropped the price $1100 in less than a month’s time and would seem to indicate a motivated seller. While the motor isn’t the original, it is rebuilt. And this isn’t going to be a concours car anyway. His website has many articles on the model and the classified ad on Pelican Parts is refreshingly honest. Personally if I were buying, I’d keep it as is if the rust was livable and drive the balls off it!

1989 Honda VFR400 NC30 in Alabama: Interesting for sale posting to say the least. But the bike looks really sharp and clean. He goes on to explain that it’s titled and tagged in Alabama.

1991 Porsche 964 Carrera RUF RCT Conversion: A really rare opportunity without question. But only serious collectors are likely to get excited considering the $69900 buy-it-now listed on the ad.

1989 Yamaha FZR 400 For Sale in Vegas: The FZR400 has an aluminum frame compared to the steel frame of the FZR600, which is cheaper and heavier. Many FZR400’s were snapped up by club racers and never to be seen on the street again. But apparently there are more out there ready for street duty than I thought!

1999 Alpina B12 6.0 For Sale in Spain: The BMW e38 really is a fine platform and I can only imagine what the Alpina version brings to the table. According to the Alpina Archive website entry on the B12, it’ll do a standing quarter mile faster than a Ferrari 355!

Beautiful and Original 1986 Suzuki GSX-R 750 For Sale: The red and black is a really stunning combination and I can’t say the last time I saw an 86 this clean and original. And it’s not like these are going to become easier to find…

1988 BMW e28 M5 For Sale with only 41k Miles!: In the U.S., the e28 M5 really is more rare than the e30 M3. Can you imagine what a 44k mile e30 M3 would have for an asking?!

1998 Ducati Superbike 996RS: They Don’t Get Much More Rare Than This!: Collector race cars and bikes are not really an arena I’m well versed in, but one thing is for sure: It’s a very rare machine anyway, and it’s been ridden by Troy Bayliss. It’d look great parked under the Christmas tree I’m sure!

2000 BMW e39 M5 For Sale with only 4k Miles!: I’m just saying, if my lotto ticked gets punched this week, I’d take this over the newest version. If I remain mortal without the winnings, I might still think a well looked after used e39 M5 might be in the cards considering they now hover in the low 20’s for asking price.

Two Porsche 944’s For Sale: Less Than 50k Miles Combined!: I realize the prices are steep, but the pictures really seem to demonstrate two really clean and original cars. Those interior pictures could be from a brochure. Considering these cars are practically new, they could be considered a cheap means to nearly new Porsche ownership compared to the MSRP of today’s new Porsches!

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German Cars and Rare Sportbikes, For Sale Round-up

Dan — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 06:33:04 +0000

It's been a while since I've posted an update on other rides for sale that I post elsewhere. Here's a recap from the past couple weeks.

1985 Ruf BTR For Sale: The Ultimate Tuner Porsche 930? - The yellow 930 Ruf is the most infamous, but how cool would a Ruf tuned 930 be in black?
1991 BMW e30 325iT Wagon For Sale in Calgary - The dog car we've always wanted but will probably never be able to get.
1995 Honda RVF400 NC35 For Sale in San Diego - Such a sexy bike and comes with a title!
Well Maintained 1985 Yamaha RZ500 For Sale in Seattle - Another two stroke beauty right here in the PNW!
A Pair of Low Mileage Porsche 968’s For Sale - Don't see many low mileage 968 coupes at affordable prices too often.
Super Low Miles BMW e30 M3 For Sale - Not the e30 M3 bubble car, but close!
2 Laverda Formula’s For Sale Right Now - Interesting and rare finds that aren't really that expensive.
1991 Honda NSR 250 MC21 with 4k Miles - Great looking prospect with a title!
1991 BMW e34 M5 For Sale in Red with 47k Miles - Love the mileage and color on this e34 M5.
1978 BMW e21 320i with 3.2L Big Six Swap: Is This Really the Second Car Dinan Ever Built? - Perhaps one of the first cars Steve Dinan ever built.
Two Great Mercedes 500E cars For Sale: One for $26k and one for $9k - Two 500E Porsche assist engineered cars for sale; at either ends of the spectrum.
1990 Suzuki GSX-R 750 For Sale in Red, White, Black - Another great original survivor for sale!
1989 Suzuki Katana 750GSX: Oh the Memories! - Paul once had one that looked EXACTLY like this one. What a flashback!

I hope you enjoyed the summary and thanks for reading!

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Weekend Wrap Up: Posts from GermanCarsForSaleBlog and RareSportbikesForSale

Dan — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 12:36:15 +0000

Here are my picks for this week's online classifieds highlights:

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Announcing the MotoringBlogs Automotive and Motorcycling Blog Network

Dan — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 04:00:27 +0000

First I want to say how much fun I've had bringing readers at dancrouchblog.com the diamonds in the rough over the past 4 years. I have really enjoyed connecting with like minded enthusiasts and I look forward to making that experience even more meaningful moving ahead.

Now it is time to take my career more seriously, and that means making a transition from passive enthusiast to eventual full-time automotive and motorcycling, web and blogging specialist. I'm a bit premature in the announcement of this plan, but I want to keep dancrouchblog.com readers in the loop!

The most immediate and visible change is that I am splitting the topics that are most popular at dancrouchblog.com into their own blogs: German Cars For Sale Blog and Rare SportBikes For Sale. If you're a fan of dancrouchblog.com, you'll love these two blogs! They both follow the familiar "best of for sale" listings and resource guides you're used to at this site, but both have much nicer .rss and email subscription options than I have utilized before. I hope you'll consider subscribing. If not, don't worry, I'll still be highlighting these new blogs on dancrouchblog.com on a regular basis.

These two blogs are the first to be part of my new automotive blog network, MotoringBlogs. My hope for the network is two fold:

Provide greater focus and detail to the automotive and motorcycling niche that the enthusiast searches for. The ability to provide more than a highlight reel or summary of information, and instead cater to the intense and educated enthusiast with detailed and opinionated editorial blog content.
Build a network of authors, websites, and enthusiast readers that grow together to gain access and knowledge via an entertaining and informative blogging style to address sports cars, motorcycles, amateur motorsports, and the latest in breaking industry news.

The MotoringBlogs concept is in it's infancy, but will grow quickly. More details will follow in the coming months. I will of course keep dancrouchblog.com readers informed first!

I hope you'll find MotorBlogs to be an even better resource than dancrouchblog.com has been and I welcome your feedback in the comments below.

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Motorcycling Trips to be Remembered: Sonomafest 1995

Dan — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 05:24:13 +0000

We attended the AMA Superbike races at Sears Point 13 years ago when we made a week long trip down to Sonoma to catch Sonomafest. If I recall correctly, we decided on this trip after reading the recent Cycle World magazine, which features our favorite automotive and motorcycle journalist, Peter Egan and his account of the trip the previous year. Sitting on the porch (the tiny concrete pad in front of door) of my duplex, we once again let beer decide, and we were going. Unfortunately we didn't meet Peter that year, but did pull a great motorcycling and camping trip that we haven't really duplicated since. Recently our motorcycling trip to the Olympic Peninsula was our chance to relive that trip.

Suddenly it seems like an eternity ago (see, there it is again), but years ago our trip began by suiting up for our 2 day trip to the bay area from Corvallis, Oregon. Looking back, I was hardly prepared for such a trip, but that naive and youthful nature is what makes the trip even more special to remember.

{Note: time stamp on photos is incorrect.}

When we arrived for Thursday evening practice, tent camping inside the racetrack hadn't opened yet. We were pointed to another track campground called '40 acres'. Turns out this was only a mowed field that served as overflow parking for the NASCAR event to accommodate the 100k+ fans that turn out for their biggest weekend of the year at Sears Point. Or in other words, no services, including honey buckets. We were the only fans to show up that early and had the entire field to ourselves in fact. All the other early fans stayed in Sonoma a few minutes away. Needless to say, our budget working pizza jobs didn't accommodate such luxury. It was actually just us and our tiny tent, and a half rack of Coors Light, whom we later decided had sponsored our camping weekend. Amazing the creativity of 21 year olds with a marker and a stack of beer cans!

Best I can recollect, we made the trip in 1995 when Sears Point legend Miguel Duhamel was still the man to beat at that track. Upcoming stars that year included Ben Bostrom, Nicky Haden, and my favorite, Australian Anthony Gobert. Here's a pic with Doug Polen, Miguel Duhamel, and a very young Nicky Haden. In the very back it might be Eric Bostrom. Either the Superbike or SuperSport class. Hard to know without notes and help from the internet. I tried though. If you can help, please comment below!

That shot was taken from the campground when campsites were still located in the middle of the track in the carousel complex. You would literally wake to the sound of the street sweeper and then the first run group at 8:00AM every morning. Ready or not, here come 30-50 high strung motorcycles, all screaming around the back of your head. Talk about a wake up call! I distinctly remember wishing I hadn't smoked so many cigarettes the night before!

Here are some more shots of us that weekend:

There are many more memories from that trip, like the massive Cycle World group ride that rode more like a GP race and resulted in Editor Edwards getting a fat ticket! But really it serves as a reminder that sweet road trips have been few and far between since graduating college. I'm going to have to make some changes to tour more often, on two wheels or four. A great memory awaits that won't be experienced from the couch.

Paul and I Visit the 2009 Seattle Ducati Club BBQ I've been meaning to attend the DesmoNorthwest BBQ for at...

More Gray Market, 2 Stroke Goodness: RGV250 Lucky Strike, NSR250, and RZV500R Replica

Dan — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 18:48:42 +0000

I was chatting with a Ducati.ms forum member about his RGV250, and had to hit eBay to see what kind of 2 strokes were available. My search didn't disappoint. Check out these 3 beauts for sale right now, all in the U.S. with titles from what I can tell:

1991 Suzuki RGV250 w/ custom Lucky Strike Paintwork on eBay (CA):

THIS LUCKY STRIKE PAINT JOB IS UNIQUE / ONE OF A KIND, I HAVE NEVER SEEN A LUCKY STRIKE WITH AS MUCH DETAIL AND PERSONALITY AS THIS ONE, TANK PAINT IS ONE OF A KIND AS WELL AS FT FAIRING STRIPES.ALL DECALS ARE CLEAR COATED. THIS IS THE BEST LOOKING LUCKY STRIKE YOU WILL FIND PERIOD!
REAR SHOCK IS FRESH LOW MILES WITH A FRESH CHARGE OF NITROGEN LAST MONTH
NEW BR8ECM PLUGS, GEARBOX OIL CHANGE, COOLANT FLUSH, POWER VALVES WERE DOUBLE PINNED AFTER I PURCHASED IN 2001. CYLINDERS WERE REPLACED BEFORE MY PURCHASE. THIS BIKE WILL KICK BUTT FOR A LONG TIME!

1989 Honda MC28 NSR250 w/ Tyga Bodywork on eBay (CA):

TYGA front upper and lower, headlights
Custom TYGA tailsection with lockable trunk.
Integrated LED stop and turn signals
Custom rear subframe
Polished frame and swingarm
TYGA exhaust
Carbon reeds
Jetted (extra jetting set included)
Open air filters
Racing rearsets
Gold CRG levers (tip has some road rash)
Ohlins steering dampener
Battery removed, self powered after kickstart
Gold chain and tire is fairly new
and the Swiss army clock

1985 Yamaha RZV500R Replica on eBay (CA):

I'll update with final auction results next week.

It’s Been Quiet Around Here, But It’s Been Going Off Over at RareSportBikesForSale.com I know my personal blog has really been neglected this...