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1967 Bridgestone GTO 350

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

The Bridgestone GTO 350 was the scrambler version of the absolutely incredible GTR, a bike that could leave 650 and 750cc bikes in the dust in the quarter-mile. What did Bridgestone think would be required to turn a street bike into a scrambler? The only change was the high exhaust pipes. The GTO was the much rarer variant of an …

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Jetski Body – 2016 Honda PCX 150

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

The seller of this contraption has a heck of a description: “this is the pinnacle of engineering, you literally can’t go anywhere without strangers throwing themselves at you. Lee Health has asked me not to ride this because it’s breaking peoples necks trying to look at it. If you want to own a piece of what makes this country great, …

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1987 Honda Super Magna

In Cruiser, Japan by AbhiLeave a Comment

For the 1987 model year, Honda added some dragster style to the Magna to compensate for the slight displacement reduction due to the ’83 motorcycle tariff (which expired in 1988). In other markets, this generation of the Magna was offered with a 750cc engine, but Americans got a 700cc motor. I’ve featured a couple of these before and both times …

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What Do You Want To Know? 2025 Honda Grom

In Japan, Small Displacement by AbhiLeave a Comment

Tomorrow morning I’m hopping on a plane to head back to one of my favorite places in the US: the Barber Motorsports Museum. Every year they put on something called the Small Bore, which is a “weekend-long celebration of small-capacity motorcycling and culture.” This year, Honda’s piggybacking on the festivities to introduce the newest version of their popular small bore …

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1998 Yamaha TRX850

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

The TRX850 was a little bit of a ‘parts bin’ special – it was a blend of the TDM850 and the FZR that came together in an attempt to challenge Ducati’s 900cc SuperSport (note the trellis frame). This bike was never officially sold in the US, so if you’re looking to stand out with your ride among people in the …

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First Ride Review – 2024 Yamaha MT-09

In Japan, Reviews, Standard by AbhiLeave a Comment

Normally when a company does a mid-cycle refresh on a bike, you get some minor updates like a new dash or LED lighting. Yamaha made sure they took care of those but they also brought something bigger to the table: a philosophical shift in what the MT-09 should feel like. After a 110-mile ride with it, I’m convinced they made …

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2x Honda VTR250s

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Sold in the US for three years, the Honda VTR250 has become a cult classic for riders that love small bikes. The liquid cooled 250cc engine was paired with a six-speed transmission, and interestingly, an inboard front disc – though by 1990 the front brake would change to the industry standard. Someone in Wisconsin is selling a pair of them …

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1979 Dunstall/Suzuki GS1000 Competition Special

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Paul Dunstall is a legend in the classic motorcycling world. Originally a motorcycle racer, he set up a workshop where he turned Nortons into world-beaters with engine and cosmetic modifications. Fast forward to the 1970s, Dunstall’s business had expanded to a point where he was shipping complete bikes directly to dealers in the US. At this point, he was splitting …

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2023 Bimota KB4

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Bimota’s latest model is the KB4 – it features the 1,043cc inline-four (good for 142hp and 82lb-ft of torque) pulled from a Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX. Bimota calls the KB4 a sport-tourer, though it only has one seat and no luggage.

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1994 Yamaha TZ125 with Yamaha WR250 Engine

In Japan, Race by AbhiLeave a Comment

Yamaha’s TZ125 production road racer was offered between 1980 and 2010 – Yoshiaki Kato won the All Japan 125cc Championship on one in 1993. It utilized a 2-stroke 124cc single cylinder engine paired with a 6-speed transmission, but that doesn’t matter in this case as today’s example utilizes the 4-stroke 250 out of a Yamaha WR250X supermoto!