There’s something strangely appealing to me about metric cruisers from the 1980s to 2000s. On one hand, you might argue that they were lazy attempts to cut into Harley’s dominance of the US market. On the other hand, they may have helped push the game along when Harley didn’t have much competition.
McGrath Replica – 1991 Honda CR125
1991 was the first year for Pro Circuit’s race team in what would become one of the most successful independent efforts in Supercross history. They won both the 125 West and 125 East championships that year thanks to riders like Jeromy Buehl, Steve Lamson, Brian Swink, and of course: Jeremy McGrath. Here’s a cool replica that you can put on …
9 Kilometers – 1985 Honda Elite CH150
The Honda Elite is one of the most common scooters of the 80s. It was introduced in 1984 as a 125cc model, though the next year it became a 150. It was sold in the US for another three years. – this one’s in Canada and it stands out as it’s only covered 9 kilometers!
SoS Racer – 1994 Yamaha TZ250 with Raptor 660 Engine
The seller of this bike makes quite a claim: “Beat Kramer’s for 1/4 the price!” That obviously caught my attention as a Kramer owner, and while I don’t know how accurate his statement is, I will say that this is an impressive hybrid which combines two famous Yamahas – a TZ250 frame with a Raptor ATZ 660 engine (which has …
1968 Bridgestone BS90
There’s something exotic and charming about a bike from a long-defunct brand or manufacturer. It’s a sort of moving, rideable “I Was Here” from people who sank their time and effort into the thing several decades ago.
1988 Honda Hawk NT650
Honda was ahead of its time when it debuted the Hawk GT, also known as the NT650. It was one of the world’s first modern naked bikes but it was a commercial failure. Over the years, many riders have realized what the Hawk offered, and it’s become a cult classic.
1973 Kawasaki Z1
You won’t be buying this bike. Which is just fine with the seller. He’s priced his acceptable-but-definitely-not-showroom-condition Z1 at $79,000 precisely because he doesn’t want to sell it. “I am only listing it at my wife’s insistence,” the seller explains. “I promised her I would list it, but would only sell it for the price listed.”
1997 Honda Dream 50
Over on the auction site we’ve got an example of one of my favorite small-displacement four-strokes: the Honda Dream 50. This is an homage to their CR1100 race bike, Honda’s first 50cc GP racer. It was built for a couple of years in the Japanese market (and then for one year in the US with a race-only variant). This is …
First Ride Review – 2025 Yamaha YZF-R9
View PostA Trio of Yamaha Roadracers
Here’s an interesting package of Yamaha factory road race bikes – a 1967 TD1-C, 1972 TR3, and a 1974 TA125!
1993 Yamaha WR500Z
Built by blending the YZ250 and YZ490, the WR500 was a rare offering (1,000 sold as 1992 and 1993 models) that was best served as a trail bike that could mix it up on the race track every once in a while.
2010 Honda NT700 Deauville
“I’ve had a NT700V Deauville for the last three years,” wrote reader Luke Rogers in response to my offhand comment about the model in a post on the NTV600 Revere. “It’s everything everyone says: boring, underpowered, utterly bulletproof… It’s the most boring motorcycle I’ve ever owned. It’s the best form of transport I’ve ever owned.”
Buy My Bike With No Reserve – 196x Honda CB175
OK – I know that I owe you some updates on my “racing a CB160” story but the short version is that it went…not as well as my Kramer racing went. With that said, I’m switching things up for this year’s AHRMA season and going with a bigger bike that I can actually fit on: a BMW R75/5. I’ll explain …
2006 Suzuki RM250 Ricky Carmichael Edition
2005 marked the last time that a two-stroker won an AMA Supercross championship, and the feat was accomplished by Ricky Carmichael on a Team Makita Suzuki. To commemorate the feat, Suzuki announced a limited edition model for the following year.
1987 Honda NSR80 With 62 Kilometers
US minibike enthusiasts will be familiar with the Honda NSR50. Japan got a 80cc variant that was never sold in the US, but here’s an example that’s somehow made it across the ocean.