AIMExpo (American International Motorcycle Expo) is wrapping up today. While the biggest news was probably the debut of the new R6, there was a whole lot more to see. AIM recapped each day with a video summary, so click through if you want to see what happened.
1 of 250 – 2002 Ducati 748S
Post Sale Update: After 32 bids on eBay, this 748S sold for $8,100. Officially, Ducati called this special grey/white/red paint scheme Titanium Grey, but Ducati fans have called it something slightly different over the years. They call it the “Semi Senna”, as it harks back to the officially licensed Senna 916 from the mid 90s. The 748S variant was not …
Rare Fairing – 1983 Yamaha XV500 Virago
Post Listing Update: This Virago did not meet reserve with 13 bids up to $820. The Virago was Yamaha’s entry into the V-Twin cruiser market. It debuted in 1981 with a 750cc engine but Yamaha soon added 900cc and 500cc versions – here’s one of the latter that’s equipped with a rare factory Yamaha X-1 front fairing.
Night at the Museum – Yamaha at Barber
Editor’s Note: More tales from Bob Kelly from his time at Barber. This time around it’s about a “Night at the Museum”, an event put on by Yamaha at the Barber Motorsports Museum. Read on to learn more about how Yamaha was feeling a bit generous…
1993 Honda CBR900RR
Years from now, pristine early Fireblades will bring silly money at the big bike auctions. One of the most important sport bikes of the 90s, it changed expectations of the market by coming in at an insane 76 pounds less than its lightest competition. It weighed just 4 pounds more than its little brother CBR600F2. As Motorcycle News puts it, …
1986 Honda Helix Custom
A cheap Honda with custom seats and a body kit? It’s the Fast and Furious of scooters!
Guess That Bike Revealed – Mad Scientist Edition
Congrats to Facebook commenter John W, who was the first to identify this crazy contraption as a naked Suzuki Burgman.
2013 MV Agusta F4RR Corsacorta
When the 2013 F4RR was offered to the public, it got one of the most thorough electronics packages riders had seen to date. It was the first production road bike to offer an electronically-assisted shifter that would let you downshift without using the clutch (and automatically blip the throttle for you, as well). Despite all that and the gorgeous styling, …
Thunderball Repro – 1965 BSA Lightning
10-15-16 Update: Tom W notes that this bike is back up for sale. Even though no one seemed to want it at $10,999 8 months ago, the seller is now asking for $13,999 or best offer here on eBay. Post-Listing Update: This Lightning reproduction got no interest at $10,999. One of the coolest motorcycles to appear in the Bond franchise …
Video Intermission – HEATER featuring Colton Haaker
No fancy effects or silly gimmicks – this is just Colton Haaker having a hell of a lot of fun on a motocross track. Enjoy…
1977 Harley-Davidson XLCR 1000
When it was released, the Harley-Davidson XLCR (CR stood for Cafe Racer) was supposed to be an instant success powered by Harley’s most powerful production engine to date. It was a jet black departure from HD’s usual chrome fare. It didn’t sell well at all, and now it’s a cult classic.
2016 Ducati xDiavel S
My favorite cruiser available today is easily Ducati’s xDiavel S. I had the pleasure of riding around on one for a few weeks this summer, and then I put Nathan on one to do 1,000 miles in 24 hours. Here’s an example that has just 1,800 miles – and you’ll be able to enjoy a ~$7,000 discount if you’re willing …
Picture Intermission – More Bikes of Barber
Neal M. wasn’t the only Bike-urious reader having a great time at Barber (and there’s more stories coming from his trip soon)! David N. also went out there and shared some photos of great bikes that I know you’ll appreciate staring at.
Out of Slumber – 1968 Norton 750 Ranger
Back when desert racing was the sport of kings in the southwestern United States, Rob Blair (Norton’s California distributor) shoehorned a 750cc Atlas engine into a Matchless 85CS frame. When Norton found out about it, it became “Project 11”, which was dubbed P11 when Norton officially released it in 1967. A year later the model was slightly modified to become …
1955 Mustang Stallion (Model 8)
Mustang Motorcycle was a division of Gladden Products. They started developing motorcycles during WWII and shortly after bought Busy Bee Company to guarantee the supply of motors for their motorcycle division. The 1947 Mustang Model 2 is said to be the first motorcycle manufactured in the US with a telescopic front fork. The Model 2 was the basis for almost …