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Rebirth – 1988 Harris Matchless G80

In England, Standard by AbhiLeave a Comment

Regular readers of this site should be familiar with the Matchless G80, the classic British single which was built between 1946 and 1966. What you may not be familiar with is the Harris G80, a ‘new Matchless G80’ developed by Les Harris after he decided to stop making Bonnevilles under license.

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1965 Matchless G12 CSR

In England, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

With the acronym CSR (which stood for Competition/Sprung/Roadster), the G12 CSR was a high performance bike thanks to upgraded cams and higher compression. Here’s an example that’s apparently been ‘fully restored to original factory specifications’.

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1982 Yamaha Seca XJ550

In Japan, Standard by AbhiLeave a Comment

It would be easy to assume that the engine in the XJ550 was just a destroked 650, but that ain’t fair. It was almost an all-new design, with a 6-speed transmission, chain final drive, and a new cylinder head with Yamaha’s YICS system that enabled 50+ mpg fuel consumption. It was a solid mid-sized motorcycle with a love it or …

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1956 MV Agusta CSTL

In Italy, Touring by AbhiLeave a Comment

The MV Agusta CSTL was the Italian firm’s first production four-stroke. Here’s an example with rough paint (which I find endearing in this situation) but solid mechanicals – to me, this is classic bike heaven.

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1969 BSA Rocket 3

In England, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Sharing its roots with the Triumph Trident, the BSA Rocket 3 was a 750cc triple that was designed to extend the model line beyond 650 twins. It was specifically built for the US market, which wanted larger displacements and less vibrations. BSA’s financials suffered with the production of this bike, but nearly 27,500 of the Trident/Rocket 3’s were produced between …

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Nice Price – 1982 Honda Ascot VT500

In Japan, Less than 5k, Standard by Abhi6 Comments

Named after Ascot Park, a former flat-track raceway in Los Angeles, the Honda Ascot (also known as the VT500) was a V-Twin standard that was styled after flat-track bikes. I used to think the front headlight looked silly, and in the process I unfairly over-looked the Ascot. It didn’t sell well, but owners are passionate about this bike – an …