Post Listing Update: This XLV750R did not meet reserve with 2 bids up to $5,200 on eBay. Honda has a fairly illustrious history of big dualies – the Africa Twin, Varadero, Big Red Pig, Transalp…the list goes on. Yet the family lineage goes back to a bike that not many people know about – the XLV750R. It was not a …
1972 Bultaco Alpina 250
After the success of the Sherpa T, Bultaco released the Alpina 250, a bike specifically built for enduro riders.
AMA Raffle – 1975 BMW R75/5 Custom
Every year, the AMA raffles off “off one or more historically significant motorcycles to raise money for the charity.” At the 2016 Mama Tried show in Milwaukee, they auctioned off this R75/5 which had been heavily customized by Tony Prust of Analog Motorcycles. Analog calls it the “AMA BMW R75GS.”
Restored – 1968 Norton P11
Back when AMC owned Norton and Matchless, the latter sold a bike called the G85CS, which was competitive in European motocross. The US west coast distributor sold several but thought they were a little slow for the ‘scramble’ racing that was happening in America, before MX took off. After requesting that AMC put a more powerful Norton Atlas engine in …
CA Plated – 1989 Honda CR250R
Honda’s CR250R is one of the most legendary models in motorcycling. As Dirt Bike Magazine put it, “In the auto world there was the Mustang. In aviation it was the P-51 and in bicycles there was the Schwinn Sting Ray. There are timeless classics in each field, and in the dirt bike world, there’s nothing that has reached that status …
No Reserve – 1999 ATK 490 Enduro
By sleeving down their 605, ATK created a 490 lineup around a belt-driven Rotax motor that included a XC (cross country), dirt tracker, and enduro models. Each bike was equipped with serious hardware – Paioli forks, Ohlins PDS shock, Excel wheels, Pro Taper bars, SuperTrapp muffler, and even billet hubs and triple clamps.
1986 Moto Morini Camel
The Moto Morini Camel was an incredibly rare dual sport built to capitalize on the dual sport craze that flared up as the Paris-Dakar rally got popular. The Camel featured a 500cc V-Twin – its little brother, the Kanguro, got a 350cc engine.
Cycle World Build – 2019 KTM 790 Adventure R
My buddy Justin Dawes is the Senior Editor at Cycle World, and he’s letting of his personal 790 Adventure R, which was built to “narrow the gap between dual sports and large-bore adventure rigs” in a “quest for the ultimate one-bike garage.”
2006 BMW HP2 Enduro
The HP2 Enduro was the perfect bike for riders who thought the R1200GS was capable but too heavy. Thanks to a trellis frame and conventional telescopic forks, the HP2 saved 53 pounds of weight from the standard GS.
In Canada – 1990 Suzuki DR800
Here’s a rare example of the DR BIG (introduced in 1988 as the DR750), a production version of the DR-Z (a Paris-Dakar racer piloted by Gaston Rahier). The DR750 featured the world’s largest single cylinder engine in a production bike – only to get topped by the DR800 in 1990. Neither version was offered in the US.
First Ride Review – 2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660
Last week I was in Sardinia to cover the launch of the new 2022 Aprilia Tuareg 660 for RevZilla. If you’ve been interested in this model, my review is now up!
4-Speed – 1971 Honda CT70H
For many CT70 enthusiasts, the “H” models were desirable as they came with 4-speed transmissions and a manual clutch (as opposed to the 3-speed semi-automatic transmission of the non-H models.
2009 Kawasaki M1030M1
KLR fans, take a close look at that motor. If it looks different than what you’re used to, it’s because this is a diesel-powered Kawasaki built by Hayes Diversified Technologies for the US Marine Corps. Hayes actually built 3 military Kawis – a gas-powered bike based on the KLR250 (M1030), another gas-powered bike but based on the KLR650 (M1030B1), and …
1981 BMW R80GS Paris-Dakar
Hindsight has shown that the introduction of the GS model line was one of the best things BMW did for their Motorrad business. But at the press launch in 1980, journalists (and the public) shared a general sentiment of “what’s the point of a large, heavy dual-purpose bike?” Modern cynics still have the same complaint as the bike seems to …
Two Of A Kind – 1972 Yamaha JT2
A seller in Montana has a pair of JTs that are claimed to be original (unrestored) and appear to be in quite nice shape. They were built in the same month with VINs within 50 of each other, and both have less than 800 miles each. These were popular mounts for many first riders, and Yamaha sold plenty of them. …