Karl on Cars

Karl, no guess about the cycle, just a few comments about Sonett III. You were lucky to have owned and enjoyed such a truly nifty car. Back when they were new, I struggled to justify and finance a Sonett III, but could never pull it off. They were wonderful, fascinating cars with real practicality (well, as practical as a very small two-seater could be) and a high fun-factor. Easier to justify than the Alfas and Fiats of the day.
 
Sonetts attracted a particular breed of pilots, in autocross and on the highway I found them to have an especially high emphasis on precision and skillful, courteous driving. One winter I routinely made a long and difficult commute through the mountains, many days running in tandem with a Sonett III at high speeds, always cleanly and safely driven, an exhilarating and keenly-anticipated high point of the day.
 
Saabs were truly special cars back then.
 
Fun cars, but obviously not an investment years after their heyday.
 
Careful on that bike, now.

Only a $1000 a year loss, so don't beat yourself up. Consider it the rental fee. And, imagine the folks that bought brand new Escalades before GM redesigned it. I laugh when I see some sucker trying to sell his '05 on Craigslist St. Louis for around 42k. No way, buddy. KBB says it's just 29...
 
As for the cycle, I'm thinking MV Agusta? It's one of the rare ones with 4 cylinders.

Karl, the old Saab Sonett's were one of those special cars that very few people Knew. Now they are as rare as an Opel GT I think.
 
About the motorcycle guess I can tell is a Japanese-Italian.... BIMOTA.
 
Enjoy your new toy :))

It's not Italian, or British.

Congratulations, Karl, on both the sale of the Sonett and the purchase of your new toy! I don't know much about motorcycles, so I won't even take a stab at guessing what you got. Perhaps we'll meet in passing one day if you ever come down to San Diego County to drive Palomar Mountain. It's a favorite of the San Diego Miata Club as well, and we have learned to co-exist peacefully with the sport bikes on that mountain.
 
On another note, you wished me good luck a few weeks ago on a really cheap '91 RX-7 Convertible that I mentioned I was thinking about. Well, it looked like I was too late in my response to the seller, but I eventually got a call from him saying the other guys ahead of me never showed up. So, I looked and bought!
 
It was only $800, and it does need a lot of work, but it's not nearly as bad as you would think for that low price. For one, the car is completely stock... no modifications at all except for the radio. That makes it rare right off the bat. The engine runs really strong off idle and doesn't smoke at all, which is really good for a rotary with 172,000 miles on it. Idling is a different story--it does, but not very well. I'm positive it's a vacuum leak and exhaust leak. The clutch slips, so I'm going to pull the engine and transmission to fix that and overhaul everything except the engine internals. It needs a new top as well, and the leather has seen far better days. The body is in great shape except for some oxidation on the trunk lid.
 
So, here is my restoration project. From what I have been researching, these are becoming popular for restoring and remanufactured parts abound. As usual with any of Mazda's flagships, it has a lot of unique features other than the rotary engine itself. I've never seen a convertible top like this, with its rigid, removable targa panel and soft rear section. And the parallelogram flip-up headlights that can flash the highbeams without raising, or the individually adjustable headrest speakers. There were even some surprises in the trunk, like the convertible boot in perfect condition, and the padded and lined storage bag for the targa panel still sealed in the factory plastic bag!
 
Anyway, I can't wait to get it overhauled and back out on the road. From the little driving that I did with it, it handles like a dream even though it's short on power. I'm surprised to see how much people are asking for RX-7 Convertibles in excellent condition ($8-$10k), but their prices are rising, so that's good for me. Maybe in seven years, I can sell it to help finance my next toy too! Perhaps I can talk Jay Leno into selling me his ultra-rare 1970 Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S... well, probably not.

Didn't I read a story recently that values of collector cars were down across the board? No more equity in homes to tap to pay for toys was the reason given.
 
I guess the bike is a Ducati superbike of some flavor.

Not Italian or British, eh?
 
V4 config of the Saab and what appears to be white rims has me thinking a Honda VFR race bike from the late 80s?
 
Alright, I think it's this:
http://www.motorcycle-usa.com/photos/HondaRC30Portrait7.jpg
 
An '88 Honda RC30. Do I win a free trip to La La land and a free ride?

Aren't those Honda GP colors on that bike?

Good guess speedtriple. It's actully a 1990 Honda RC30 (the only year Honda brought them to the U.S. -- and only 300 of them that year). No free trip, but respect from me for being able to identify it so quickly (sorry, not much market value there...).
 
jstandefer -- Sounds like you scored! That's the kind of car my older brothers (both very accomplished mechanics) would love. All the really expensive stuff (body/paint) is solid, and even the engine is basically good, just in need of much refurbishing. Those rotary engines were notorious for vacuum leaks. Find it (or them) and you might get the smooth idle back. Have fun with it!

"Good guess speedtriple. It's actully a 1990 Honda RC30 (the only year Honda brought them to the U.S. -- and only 300 of them that year). No free trip, but respect from me for being able to identify it so quickly (sorry, not much market value there...)."
 
I'm happy with respect. Hey, it's far better than what I get on performance reviews--being told year after year that they're 'raising the bar on what Meets Expectations' means, so be happy with that rating, etc.
 
Enjoy the new racebike. Will this one get more attention (miles) than the Saab?

Hopefully more attention than the Sonett got. I'm still a little worried about riding position. I could handle the Ducati 851's riding position when I owned it for nine years...but that was one decade ago. I think the RC30's position is slightly more relaxed than the 851, but certainly more aggressive than the three old Triumphs I have (though maybe not too different than the Legend).
 
If all goes well I'll drive it about once a month on the excellent riding roads near my house. As a Honda (versus an old Triumph) I'm expecting it to be far easier to keep running right...

Unfortunately, we had to sell our 1985 Porsche 911 targa for the same reason: it didn't get out enough. But hey, I wouldn't mind getting one for my 16th birthday!