2-Wheeled Masterpieces

Owner: Keith and April Milne

In 1987, Ducati released three special-edition F1 racing bikes, one of which was called the Laguna Seca. It was built to commemorate former Grand Prix racer Marco Lucchinelli's win of the Battle of the Twins at Laguna Seca Raceway in 1986. The Laguna Seca is a rare bike — only 200 were built, and just 50 came to the United States. While most Ducati F1s were street-legal, the one pictured here was built just for racing. It is also unrestored. And it gets ridden: "It's a strong track bike, and lots of fun to ride," owner Keith Milne says.

View Slideshow:  Big Bucks for 2 Wheels

Owner: Gary Wasserman

In its time, the R69/S was BMW's top performer. A sport bike, not a racing bike, the R69/S had more power and better road manners than any other motorcycle in Bimmer's storied stable. It was designed to compete with the more powerful Japanese bikes that were becoming popular in the mid to late 1960s. This R69/S is a special blueprinted restoration and is accurate in every way, all the way down to the gray fuel line. With just 17,000 original miles, this is a beautiful example of this classic bike.

Read:  Rough Riders

Owner: Alan Chalk

A true racing bike, the Bultaco TSS250 comes from Spain and has had considerable success on the Grand Prix circuit. When owner Alan Chalk purchased this model 35 years ago, it already had two previous owners, and both of them raced it. Chalk didn't want to be left out of the fun, so he too raced it a few times. With 35 horsepower and a curb weight of just 175 pounds, he says it was quite fast and fun to ride. He restored the bike in 1990, and now it's just a show bike. Too bad.

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Owner: Gary Kohs

MV Agusta -- MV stands for Meccanica Verghera — is one of the most versatile bike manufacturers, building everything from mopeds and scooters to world-champion racing bikes. This Ovunque scooter is at the smaller end of that scale. It became popular right after World War II when there was a shortage of cars. However, today they are rare. Gary Kohs, who owns more than 125 MV Agusta bikes, went to the far end of Sardinia to find this particular model. While this bike was used as basic transportation, it wasn't unusual for owners to soup them up for racing.

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Owner: Gary Kohs

Designed for women, this 48cc moped is one of the rarest MV Agustas. As Kohs explains, it wasn't that only a few were built — around 125,000 were produced — but that they were completely worn out. The one pictured here was found in a small town on the Adriatic Sea. An 87-year-old former MV Agusta dealer had the moped stored in the back of his shop, which had been closed for 20 years when Kohs got there. The bike was restored and is 100 percent accurate as to what it would have looked like new from the factory.

Bing: Mopeds

Owner: Gary Kohs

This Germano Sport was an unusual bike for MV, and not just because it looked like a sport bike but had the power of a moped. This was the only bike in the history of the company to rely on an outsourced engine, in this case from German company DKW. The switch was made to reduce costs and help speed the product to the market. Available in Gran Turismo, Sport and America versions, the Germano was competitively priced at less than $200. Total production was more than 4,500, a big seller for the small company.

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Owner: Gary Kohs

Kohs says this is one of the most sought-after collector bikes. Fewer than 1,000 Sports were built, and even fewer with the 750cc engine like the one shown here. It was originally purchased in California, and the buyer requested a unique one-off aluminum fuel tank. The stock tank was shipped in the box with the bike, and when Kohs ultimately found the bike in a New York City loft, the original tank was with it. It's now installed on the bike, putting it back in original condition.

Bing Images: Agusta Motorcycles

Owner: Gary Kohs

The MV Agusta F4 1000 was the company's hottest and fastest street bike. With 183 horsepower, it has a reported top speed of 194 mph. This particular bike was set up for racing. Kohs took it to the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah in August 2006 with the intention of setting the land-speed record for a 1000cc production bike. His top speed was 185.882 mph, good enough to get in the record books. Unfortunately, the record was short-lived.

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Owner: Robert Jordan

This fine example of a Triumph T110 Desert Sled was originally owned and raced by pro racer Bob Rickard. In 1960, Rickard won a contract to race for Honda, so he put the T110, along with a Triumph TR6 Trophy bike, on mothballs in his shed. About three years ago, after Rickard had passed away, the shed collapsed and both bikes were discovered. While the bike has a factory frame, Triumph did not build the racing bikes; they were put together by those who raced them. Owner Robert Jordan has restored the bike back to "almost" stock guise. He says the bike is powerful, starts easily and runs well.

Bing Video: Triumph Motorcycles

Owner: Michael Brokaw

The BSA Spitfire is a rare bike, so it was a treat to see this beautifully restored Mark IV. The last in the series of Spitfires, the Mark IVs were also among the most powerful. With 53 horsepower, the sport bike was quick. Michael Brokaw has owned the bike for about five years, and it took four of those years to restore it. The paint and styling of the bike is unique. Brokaw says that it is more a "gentleman's motorcycle" than a racing bike, but that it's still fast and he loves riding it.

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Perry Stern began his automotive career as an advisor at a vehicle consulting firm. One of the original staff members of CarPoint, Microsoft's automotive Web site that launched in 1995, he became editor of the site in 2002, which is now known as MSN Autos. Stern has also contributed to MSNBC and various MSN properties in Canada, Japan and Europe.

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