Back on Track (formerly known as Rookies of ’79) is a non-profit charity founded in 2009 to provide financial assistance for injured motorcycle racers and their families when a racing injury/accident occurs. This year they’re running a sweepstakes to help raise some funds and the prize at stake is a 2024 example of the sadly-discontinued Indian FTR 1200. Read along …
1953 BSA Gold Star 500
One of BSA’s most famous bikes of all time was the legendary Gold Star – they were used for a variety of disciplines including road racing, trials, scramblers, dir track, hillclimbs…you name it, and that’s why the seller of this bike calls it “possibly the most versatile motorcycle ever built.” I like this particular example as this 72-year-old appears to …
2003 Derbi GPR50R
Until I came across this bike, I had never heard of Derbi – the Spanish (or Catalonian, depending on your geo-political perspective) brand that started producing small-capacity bikes in the early 1940s. The story of the company started, however, in 1922 when Simeón Rabasa i Singla opened a bicycle shop in Mollet del Vallès, near Barcelona. That business would go …
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.”
1978 BMW R100RS
The BMW R100RS was the flagship of BMW’s late 70s lineup. With the world’s first full factory fairing, it was Germany’s answer to Japan’s big tourers like the Goldwing.
1987 Cagiva Alazzurra 650 SS
A quick look through the archives of Bike-urious suggests that Cagiva’s Alazzurra 650 SS is an acquired taste. Which is a polite way of saying that bikes highlighted in 2017 and 2016 struggled to find buyers. With its ostensibly low asking price, you would think this particular piece of Italian history might have a chance, but who knows? The only …
1944 Harley-Davidson E Model
There are a few questions to be asked about this particular bike, and considering its price tag I reckon they’re worth asking.
1977 Harley-Davidson FLH Electra Glide
Harley-Davidson motorcycles aren’t particularly unique, of course. But finding one that isn’t a victim of a previous owner’s questionable taste can be challenging. Perhaps only Suzuki’s Hayabusa falls victim to the bling stick more quickly than a Harley. So, that’s what makes this 48-year-old Electra Glide special: the machine you see here is pretty much the same one that AMF …
1981 Ducati Pantah 500SL
One of the lesser-known bikes in Ducati’s history is the distinctively-styled Pantah 500SL, a replacement to the 350/500 parallel twins that stunk up the marketplace. They’re hard to find in original or restored condition – this is one of the latter. Basic specifications included 45 horsepower at 9,000 rpm, a top speed of 115 miles per hour, and a wet …
In England – Supercharged Triumph Speed Triple RR
Here’s a bit of psycho exotica from the UK: a supercharged 230 horsepower (at the wheel) Triumph Speed Triple with just 250 miles on the clock. I’ve actually seen this bike racking up a few of those miles, about two years ago at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I have the good fortune of living in a tourist town just …
2023 BMW M1000R
Yes, I know it’s another BMW and it’s almost new, but there’s no denying that this thing is unique. “Wild… stupid power and wings.” That’s how the UK’s Bike magazine described BMW’s M 1000 R supernaked. When MCN Deputy Editor Emma Franklin rode one last year her response was: “Thanks for that. You’ve ruined other bikes for me now.”
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 …
Toaster Tank – 1973 BMW R75/5
BMWs are not an unfamiliar sight here at Bike-urious, and the R75/5 is a model that shows up with a certain regularity in the archives. But it’s been several years since an original R75/5 has been featured. Most have been customized or dramatically modified in some way. Whereas this beauty is pretty much the same bike that rolled off the …
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.
123K Miles, One Owner – 2001 BMW K1200LT
BMW’s marketing department would tell you that the “LT” in K1200LT stands for Luxury Touring. My favorite BMW mechanic would always tell me it stood for “Light Truck.” This isn’t a bad thing, though he (and I) do prefer bikes that weigh less than ~850 pounds. But as our buddy Greg Shamieh of Rolling Physics Problem would tell you, “nothing …