For the majority of the today’s fastest Grand Prix racers, their racing careers began on pocket bikes, or as they’re better known around the world: minimotos. Some riders started as tots on micro-displacement dirt machines, but most of today’s champions all honed their skills by dragging their knees in local parking lots that served as impromptu circuits thanks to a …
Honda vs. Kawasaki – 1982 250cc MX Racers
For decades, two-stroke MXers were big business. Production versions of factory competition machines became desirable off-roaders, leading to some of the most iconic quarter-liter off-road racers of all time. Two of those machines are undeniably the Honda CR250R and Kawasaki KX250. Both bikes were “out of the box racers” that were instant classics, receiving various updates over the years in …
Restored Period Custom – 1972 Norton Commando Combat
In 1986, a New England yacht builder decided to turn his Combat Commando into a show bike by fabricating his own replica Production Racer fairing and front fender out of carbon fiber. While he was in the customizing mood, he also built rearsets and brackets for the seat and fairing out of stainless steel. He turned to Gus Kuhn for …
Marlon Moto Build – 1997 Ducati ST2 944
This Ducati ST2 build is the epitome of a professional job as it boasts a lot of character and the builder seems to have paid attention to every little detail, opting to spend time, energy, and money on minute details such as aftermarket brake reservoirs and narrow full brass piping that houses the various lines running around the bike, coiling …
Bavarian Cruiser – 1999 BMW R1200C
BMW builds a variety of different types of motorcycles, many of which are considered to be some of the best touring machines. Having said that, cruisers aren’t exactly what come to mind when the German marque is mentioned but nonetheless, here is an example born of out BMW’s foray into the lucrative cruiser segment: the R1200C. This was BMW’s first …
Clean & Classy – 1997 Ducati 900SS Cafe Racer
When Ducati brought back the 900SS at the end of the 1980’s, it was already technologically and mechanically dated compared to the other offerings being sold towards the end of the decade. It boasted a retro style that was powered by an equally retro engine. For this reason, the 900SS is a terrific candidate when looking for a donor machine …
All Original Survivor – 1967 Honda P50
First introduced in 1966, the P50 would only have a three year production run before being replaced by its successor: the PC50. The P50 – also known as the P25 or “Little Honda” – was an important bike in Honda’s history. To the best of my knowledge, this little scoot was the first Japanese moped to be imported to UK …
Harley MXer – 1975 Harley-Davidson SX250
In 1969 Yamaha released its wildly popular 250cc DT-1, selling around 50,000 units in its first couple years of production. Other manufacturers took notice of this, including Harley-Davidson. They would toss their hat in the MX-ring the following year in an effort to nab a piece of the lucrative late-’60’s/early-’70’s off-road segment. Harley had recently purchased a large stake in …
Triumph and Tribulations – Exploring the UK, Day 4
June 20th, 2017 – Christchurch, England to Cardiff, Wales: ~120 miles Missed Day 3? June 19th, 2017 – London, England to Christchurch, England: ~120 miles Here’s the next day of our summer UK trip to tide you over in case I can’t get service during Saturday’s 24 hour race…
1968 Aermacchi Harley-Davidson Ala Verde
Aermacchi and Harley-Davidson produced a number of solid machines over the course of their partnership after Harley bought up a 50% stake in the Italian manufacturer. In contrast to Harley’s heavy, relatively poor-handling cruisers, the Italian/American moco-partnership made many nimble low-displacement motorcycles with superb handling and quintessential 1960’s Italian style. The Ala Verde, which was produced from ’59-’72, is a …
1975 BMW R90S
Post Listing Update: This R90S did not meet reserve with 21 bids up to $13,000. One of the personal bikes of Angus Dykman, this gorgeous R90S has less than 15,000 miles and it’s claimed to be “an exceptional original example.” Thanks to the excellent photography, that sure looks to be the case!
1985 Moto Guzzi LeMans 1000 Mk. IV
The fourth of five generations of Guzzi’s iconic LeMans, the Mark IV got a bit of a reputation as a weird handler due to the 16″ front wheel. Part of the problem was that Guzzi didn’t change any other aspects of the steering geometry of the bike to compensate for the two-inch reduction in front wheel diameter. This example has …
Rare Marque – 1947 La Ray Power Cycle
La Ray Motorcycles had a brief history with supposedly only a single year of production about 70 years ago, which makes finding information on the short-lived manufacturer a difficult task. Different sources make different claims, but supposedly the Milwaukee-based manufacturer produced motorcycles somewhere between ’46 and ’48 before the factory was shut down by the IRS for back taxes. The …
2008 BMW G650X Xcountry
Last week I featured a BMW Xmoto, one of the three G650X variants BMW Motorrad produced starting in 2006. While the Xmoto only saw a single year of production, BMW made the Xchallenge for four years, and Xcountry for six. Despite a half dozen years in production, Xcountry “Xamples” are surprisingly rare as it appears not that many were made, …
FJR1300 Powered – Home Built Reverse Trike
Motorcycles have the potential of serving as sensible utilitarian vehicles, but reverse trikes like the Can-Am Spyder and Polaris Slingshot epitomize impractical recreational vehicles. While enclosed motorcycle-powered three-wheelers typically cater to a slightly more affluent demographic than standard two-wheelers, this example boasts a far more accessible price tag while still offering much of the raw performance and canyon carving fun …