1968 Honda S90

Owners: Abhi Eswarappa, Founder/Director of Bike-urious, & VyVy Nguyen, Actress
Location: Culver City, CA

The Story: "I can't trust it 100%, but despite the fact that it doesn't make any practical sense, I love it," said Abhi Eswarappa from atop the Baldwin Hills Scenic Overlook in Culver City. Abhi, a motorcycle enthusiast by every sense of the word, always wanted to get his girlfriend VyVy into riding too. After she took a course and learned the ropes, he took her to check out a few bikes. They quickly discovered a problem. VyVy is a diminutive 5'1" tall and it seemed like every bike she tried was way too big for her. She knew she liked the way the older bikes looked so when they finally found this S90 on Craigslist a year and a half ago, they knew it was a perfect match. It's not an easy bike to ride, though, especially in city traffic. And it doesn't have an electric start so VyVy has to kick it over every time. In the longterm, Abhi says he'll find something a little more modern for her that still fits her size.

Abhi owns several bikes, but the S90 stands out from the rest. "It's the oldest bike I've ever had and I find that inherently charming, but there are little gifts of ownership that remind me that it's not brand new," he said. The fork boots have disintegrated and there was a period of time when it was blowing fuses left and right, forcing him to carry spares at all times. Getting the historical license plate was no walk in the park either. It took three trips to the DMV and an argument with a disgruntled government employee, but eventually he got it.

VyVy isn't the only one who likes the look of older bikes. This one drew a crowd during our photo shoot, and a few people even asked to have their picture taken with it.

Future Plans: While other bikes in Abhi's collection may come and go, this one is staying put. "I'll ride it until it dies on me and then bring it back to life. It's almost 50 years old so any life it gives me at this point is just a bonus."

Abhi runs Bike-urious, an online community designed to help users find rare, unique, and interesting motorcycles from all around the country at reasonable prices. If VyVy looks familiar, you may have seen her in featured roles on shows like ABC's "Grey's Anatomy" and NBC's "Parenthood."

1989 Toyota Land Cruiser

Owner: Markus Rutledge, Creative Director
Location: Los Angeles, CA

The Story: "My dad had the same car when I was a kid, and I always dreamed of having my own one day." said Rutledge, from the roof of his parking garage in downtown Los Angeles. That dream came true four years ago when he found this one on eBay. He stayed up all night to win the bid, then took the train to Santa Barbara to pick it up.

It has low mileage (139,000 miles) because the previous owner developed an illness and was unable to drive it, keeping it garaged for many years. The gas mileage is terrible; about 11 miles to the gallon on a good day. It's slow when it comes to climbing hills, but it'll tow anything. Rutledge likes taking it camping as he and his English Mastiff, Baby Huey, can sleep comfortably in the back.

The Land Cruiser is famously reliable. It was once the official car of the United Nations, and has been used worldwide by many other humanitarian organizations since 1954.

Future Plans: He has absolutely no plans to sell it and hopes to replace the engine. He'd rather spend the money to keep it running than buy a new car, and we can't say we blame him.

Check out Rutledge's blog. His show "Christmastown, USA" airs Sunday, Dec 14 at 7PM & 7:30PM on Travel Channel.

1986 Honda V65 Magna

Owner: Sean Brogan, Writer/Producer
Location: Los Angeles, CA

The Story: Brogan found his Honda six years ago on a spontaneous trip to a family friend's garage to "check out a bike for sale." It had been sitting in heated storage for a decade, its first owner having hung up his helmet to raise a family. Unfamiliar with the model, Brogan and his father assumed it was similar to a Honda Shadow cruiser: big, heavy, sluggish, and safe. A good starter bike. It wasn't until after money was exchanged that a Google search revealed otherwise.

He'd actually purchased a terrifying 1100ccs of high performance engineering. In fact, the V65 Magna was the fastest production motorcycle in the world from 1983-1986, (the result of a power-cruiser Cold War against Yamaha's V-Max). It's extremely powerful, going a quarter mile in just under 11 seconds. Overzealous throttle twisting turns the front wheel into an ornamental accessory, and Brogan, being a sane person, is positive he'll never get close to experiencing the bike's near-180mph top speed. To say the engine is big is an understatement. It doesn't even fit in the frame.

Brogan had it shipped from Boston to LA, and even though it's technically an antique, it's only logged 20,000 miles. He loves it because at the end of the day, it's a really impressive machine. It's not sexy, it's not stylish, it's scary. And it's still above his skill level this many years in. However, despite its power, it's remarkably quiet. It may not wake up his neighbors in the morning, but it could still beat a Ferrari in a drag race.

Future Plans: He has no plans to sell it, and since it's never going to increase in value like a Harley or a Triumph, he can ride the hell out of it guilt-free. While it may not be the safest choice, it's the only bike he's ever had and he feels like any other bike would just be a downgrade.

You can see Brogan's bike featured in videos from Charney and Drop Trou. Check out this original ad for the Magna from 1983.

1980 Fiat Spider 2000

Owner: Lane Compton, Actor
Location: Los Angeles, CA

The Story: Compton's former girlfriend Roberta found the Fiat on Craigslist about four years ago. She needed a car to get around town, and being Italian herself, she felt a fondness for the car the moment she saw it. When Compton accompanied her to check it out in person, he fell in love with it too. With an offer already on the table from a potential buyer in Chicago, the couple knew they had to act fast. They bought it on the spot.

Years later when their relationship came to an end, Roberta moved back to Italy and was sadly unable to take the car with her. It sat for almost a year until Compton resurrected it for daily use when his other car was totaled while parked on the street.

Having an older car does come with its fair share of headaches, as Fiats have been given a few unflattering acronyms over the years; "FIAT: Fix It Again Tony" or "Fuck It All Transmission." As Compton says, "It's a pain in the ass and it needs a lot of work. The wiring is like a terrible plate of spaghetti and fuses are constantly blowing." But despite all its problems, it's still a blast to drive. "I've never owned a car that makes me smile every time I get behind the wheel. When it's running at its best, it feels so good." And with the wipers working for the first time in three years, it's ready for action.

This particular car has had the same mechanic since it first came over from Italy more than 30 years ago. "At this point," Compton says, "it's more the mechanic's car than mine, and he's building a new top for it as we speak."

Future Plans: It'll need more repairs as time goes on, and possibly a new paint job in the near future, but Compton will keep it alive as long as he can. "I'll drive this car until it won't drive anymore. It makes me happy so it's worth it." And with people stopping him almost every day to tell him how much they love it or how they had the same car when they were younger, it's obvious that this car has made a lot of other owners happy too.

You can see Compton and his ride featured in Funny or Die's "Heart Transplant with Kelsey Grammar" directed by Ian Pfaff, and on his IMDB page.