By 1981, England was almost irrelevant in the international game of motorcycle production. So Thomas Alexander Fermor-Hesketh (how’s that for a name?), an actual Lord and Baron who had already started a racing team, decided to start his own motorcycle company. You can guess where he got the name from.
8 Miles in the UK – 2003 Ducati 999R
Someone in the UK has a 999R that’s claimed to only have delivery mileage, it’s said to be “unregistered and unridden since 2003 pre-delivery test inspection.”
Video Intermission – 2026 Two Stroke Extravaganza
While I was at the Two Stroke Extravaganza this week, my priority was filming a video for the Iconic Motorbikes YouTube channel. With that said, I was also able to get some short clips for social media as well as a bunch of photos. Combining them all into one post would be way too long, so I’m going to split …
1991 Harley-Davidson FXDB Sturgis #461
In 1991, Harley released a customized FXDB to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Sturgis rally. One year later, they did the same to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the rally in Daytona. 1,600 and 1,700 of the limited models were released, respectively – here’s #461 of the former.
Pick a Size – 1989 Honda NX125 and NX650
The Honda NX125 was the smallest of the NX’s, which were only imported for a few years. The combination of XR-roots with a slightly more street friendly composition made it an excellent all-rounder. Offered in the states in 125, 250, and 650cc versions, the NX650 was by far the most popular in the US. In this post I’ve got a …
Abhi Buys A Buell XB12Ss Lightning, Part 1 – Intro
I mentioned this in a recent post about a XB12 for sale but after 20+ years of riding I have finally added an American motorcycle to my collection: I got myself a Buell XB12Ss Lightning!
JDM Model – 1970 Honda CB750
I’ve featured plenty of CB750s over the years, but we have one on the auction site right now that caught my interest because it is a Japanese Domestic Model!
Video Intermission – TDC/BDC Podcast
You’ve presumably heard by now that Cycle World is no longer, and one of the saddest parts of that development was the loss of the Cycle World podcast, which featured Mark Hoyer and Kevin Cameron. Well, good news is that they’ve started up a new podcast themselves: Top Dead Center-Bottom Dead Center!
Rare Project – 1956 Cabton FXN 500
Cabton was a Japanese motorcycle company that built bikes between 1934 and 1960 – per Bonhams, it was “Japan’s largest motorcycle manufacture and supplied Japan’s armed forces throughout WW2” and they were the first Japanese manufacturer to utilize telescopic forks.
Event Preview – 2026 Two Stroke Extravaganza on Sunday 9/27
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 …