The Two-Stroke Extravaganza frequently happens the same weekend I’m out at Barber for the Vintage Festival so it’s been five years since I last got to attend, but that changes this weekend as I’ll be at the 2026 event…will you?
1990 Yamaha XT600E
In a big trailie comparison story in the 1990 issue of Motorcyclist, the Yamaha XT600 was described as follows: “After ending up king of the dirt last year, Yamaha’s XT600 turned away from its roots and focused on the street. Electric starting, a swoopy new look and a more accessible seat height make it more attractive to all-surface novitiates who …
426 Miles – 1986 Honda Elite 250
When Honda introduced the Elite 250 to the United States in 1985, it became the largest displacement scooter offered in America.
2026 BMW R 12 S
BMW recently released the R 12 lineup, which includes a cruiser, the G/S adventure bike, and the R 12 nineT retro standard. For a limited time they also offered the R 12 S, which their tribute to the legendary 1974 R90S in Daytona Orange.
2015 MV Agusta Stradale 800
A “lightweight touring” evolution of the Rivale 800, the Stradale got a longer wheelbase, shorter seat height, larger fuel tank, windshield, and factory luggage.
2 Miles – 2005 Honda Rune
When it was first released in 2004, the public was a bit stunned – most people did not believe that this concept would actually make it to production. Though all the visual indicators give the impression that this bike is heavily raked and would be a handle to deal with, Honda’s engineers were able to make it fairly manageable despite …
Spondon Framed – 1977 Yamaha TZ750
Yamaha’s TZ750 is one of the legends of factory and privateer motorcycle racing. Cycle World called it one of the six greatest motorcycles of all time, and part of that honor came from the fact that a TZ750 won the Daytona 200 nine years in a row. Here’s one that “was purposefully built to compete in speed contests and to …
Reader Poll – Best Year To Buy?
It’s been a little while since I’ve polled you guys and gals, and I’d like to change that thanks to a conversation I had with a stranger on a plane yesterday: what model year would be your sweet spot to buy a bike from?
$7k Trailer Face-Off – 2008 BMW R1200RT or 2012 Moto Guzzi Norge
I’ve gone months without seeing a bike/trailer combo and today I randomly saw two that were nearly the same price. I’ve never ridden one of these and I don’t have any motivation to do so but they are interesting in their own way. Which would you choose?
1985 Suzuki RG400 Walter Wolf
After Suzuki introduced the RG Gamma series in 1983, the line grew to span displacements ranging from 250-500cc. Of particular note was the RG400 Gamma Walter Wolf, as it was a two year only model that was exclusively sold in Japan.
Who’s Going to Barber Next Month?
Tens of thousands of motorcycle nuts will be descending upon Birmingham, Alabama next month (October 8-11) for the Barber Vintage Festival…and I’ll be one of them! Will I see you there?
Deus Ex Machina “The Mono” – 1978 Yamaha SR500 Custom
9-12-26 Update: When I originally featured this back eight months ago, the common feedback was a high asking price at $28k. Well, now it’s done to $12k – do you think that’s reasonable now or still too high? Either way, you can find it with the new ask in Manhattan Beach, California here on Craigslist. Original Post: January 14th, 2026 …
Original Owner – 1984 Honda VF700F Interceptor
Honda’s excellent VF750 Interceptor was scaled down to 700cc in 1984 to get around the newly implemented import tariffs on large cc bikes in the United States. Honda achieved this with a shorter stroke on the crank, leaving the rest of the bike mostly untouched.
Video Intermission – The NCR New Blue
Back in 2015 I featured an incredible race bike built by NCR based on the Ducati Paul Smart called the New Blue (a tribute to the legendary Old Blue racer of Cook Neilson and Phil Schilling).
1992 Aprilia Climber 280
A cost efficient way to get into trials riding (or a really great way to have slow speed fun off-road), this Aprilia Climber features a 276cc Rotax engine.