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Wood Rotax 560 Four-Stroke – 1984 KTM 504 MX

In Austria, Less than 5k, Off-Road, Race by Tim HuberLeave a Comment

At the dawn of the 1980s, a myriad of manufacturers were experimenting with producing a competitive four-stroke motocrosser, though dethroning the mighty two-stroke was a major uphill battle. Quite a few marques put their faith in Rotax, who had then recently debuted an impressive 498cc four-stroke single. Seeing the potential of the half-liter thumper, KTM worked out a deal with …

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1990 Honda Transalp XL600V

In Dual-Sport, Japan, Less than 5k by Mathieu Guyot-SionnestLeave a Comment

Following the release of the R80GS by BMW and the birth of one of the greatest races of all time (the Paris Dakar), manufacturers started to add a new kind of bike to their product range. These new “adventure” bikes were road legal adaptations of off road racing motorcycles used primarily for the P-D. During the 80’s, Honda won the …

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Wacky Kwacky – 1995 Kawasaki KLR250

In Dual-Sport, Japan, Less than 5k by Tim HuberLeave a Comment

In 1984, Kawasaki debuted a pair of new dual-sport models that quickly proved to be major hits with the motorcycling world. The larger of the models was the KLR600, which was bumped up to 650ccs, where it remains to this day as one of Kawa’s best-selling models, and (as of 2015) the best-selling dual-sport period. The smaller of the two …

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Baby Sidecar Crosser – 1995 Rokon Scout

In America, Dual-Sport, Less than 5k by Tim HuberLeave a Comment

The history of the Rokon Company is riddled with rumors and falsehoods involving a particularly clever gas station attendant and a few hunting trips to Kenya that never actually happened. In a nutshell, the real story is that the original machine was invented by one Charlie Fehn in Southern California. Fehn’s bike, dubbed the Trail-Breaker, boasted two particularly nifty features, …

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Bevel Drive Single – 1965 Ducati 160 Monza Junior

In Italy, Less than 5k, Standard by Tim Huber1 Comment

Brothers Joseph and Michael Berliner played a highly influential role in the motorcycle industry for several decades starting in the 1950s. Their company, the Berliner Motor Corporation, was the US distributor for a number of European marques such as Norton, Moto Guzzi, Zundapp, and Ducati. With the American moto market being one of the world’s biggest purchasers of bikes, the …

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Kitted Cub – 1966 Honda C100 with Roadster Kit

In Japan, Less than 5k, Small Displacement by Tim HuberLeave a Comment

While Honda found success with its small step-through models in most markets, the Japanese marque struggled to sell scooters in the same numbers in the US. Honda looked to change this with the introduction of what it called the “Custom Group”, consisting of four different add-on kits (the Roadster, Rally, Boss, and Student) designed to make little runners like the …

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1976 Yamaha RD400

In Japan, Less than 5k, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

In 1976, Yamaha made the RD350 a little bigger with a displacement bump up to 399cc. Thanks to 44 horsepower, the hooligan motorcycle du jour was capable of hitting the ton with a top speed of 105 miles per hour. Most people know the 400 simply for being an easier to ride upgrade over the 350, but it was also …

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1991 BMW K75S

In Germany, Less than 5k, Standard by AbhiLeave a Comment

Those of you that have read some of my older travel reports probably know that I have a soft spot for the BMW K75. It’s not a particularly exciting motorcycle but I’m biased because a K75C showed naive young me what motorcycle touring was all about after 4 years and 75,000 miles with only one issue (which was my fault). …

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First Year in North America – 2003 Honda Ruckus

In Japan, Less than 5k, Scooter, Small Displacement by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: this Ruckus sold for $1,151 after 13 bids on Goodwill. The Honda Ruckus is a very unique modern scooter which combines distinctive styling, a CVT transmission, and excellent fuel economy (114 mpg) to become a popular in-town runabout. Here’s an example with just 660 miles that’s been donated to a Goodwill, so you can feel good about …