OK – it’s a bicycle and not a motorcycle. But it sure seems like a good way to get a kid into motorcycling!
1969 Moto Morini Corsarino 48
The Moto Morini Corsarino was sold between 1963 and 1977 in Sport, Touring, and the Scrambler version seen here. The adorable name translates to “Little Pirate,” (arguably, a little Corsican pirate) which explains the logo on the sidecover.
2000 Moto Guzzi Quota
Moto Guzzi took their well-known 1,064cc twin and threw it in an ADV package to compete against BMW’s GS bikes. The result was as you’d expect – too heavy and under-suspended for serious off-road work, but very capable as a sport-tourer that could also play on fire roads or light trails. This example is well-modified for touring and it’s had …
1968 Moto Morini Corsaro
In 1959, Moto Morini introduced the Corsaro (Italian for Pirate), a 125cc sportster that produced 7.5 horsepower.
AK-1 Racer – 1991 Kawasaki EX500 With Custom Frame
Last month I shared an interesting RD400 build from Julian Farnham – he unfortunately passed away so his widow is selling his collection. This fascinating creation is what Julian called the AK-1, a $4,750 chassis kit that enabled buyers to utilize the EX500 motor with a seriously upgraded frame and modern components.
1990 Honda Transalp XL600V
In the late 80s, Honda offered both an AT and a TA – the Africa Twin and the Transalp. Both were ahead of the times, though the latter was more street-biased. Consider it a jack of all trades sort of bike with a cult following. The US only got the Transalp between ’89 and ’91, and it was much more …
1962 Tote Gote Model B
The Tote Gote was developed by Ralph Bonham, who built it to make his life easier while on hunting trips in Utah. Production ran from 1958-1970 and over that run a wide variety of models were created but the core concept was the same: Briggs & Stratton engine in a rugged steel frame for people that wanted some cheap utility …
49 Miles – 1979 Honda Express II
The second generation of the Honda Express, the NA50 was sold between ’79 and ’81. It shared the 49cc two stroke and automatic transmission of every other Express model, but featured a slightly bigger gas tank and a more comfortable seat and handle bars.
1987 Yamaha SRX250
For decades, Kawasaki ruled the 250cc ‘sport’bike market – though Honda has recently taken a chunk of the market with their CBR250R. Honda also challenged the little Ninja in the 80s with the VTR250, though it did not have much commercial success. For one year in the States, even Yamaha threw their hat into the ring with the Yamaha SRX250.
Dirtbag Challenge Build – 1977 Yamaha RD400 Chopper
The Dirtbag Challenge was an interesting event in which entrants would have limited time and budget to build a chopper that also has to be ridden at least 100 miles on the day of the event. Here’s an oddball entrant from a few years ago that started as a Yamaha RD400!
1984 Di Blasi Folding Scooter
Every time I feature a Di Blasi, I feel obligated to share their website, which looks like it hasn’t been touched since the 90s. But beyond that, it’s always cool to see a quality folding two-wheeler!
170 Miles – 1995 MZ Saxon Country 500
In 1990 (soon after the fall of the Berlin wall), MZ was privatized. The new owners realized that they needed a four-stroke motor if they were going to sell bikes in Europe and the US, so they called up Rotax and got themselves a 494cc single. Then, they designed a family of bikes around it, like the Silver Star retro …
2000 Moto Guzzi Quota 1100ES
Moto Guzzi took their well-known 1,064cc twin and threw it in an ADV package to compete against BMW’s GS bikes. The result was as you’d expect – too heavy and under-suspended for serious off-road work, but very capable as a sport-tourer that could also play on fire roads or light trails. This example is well-modified for touring and it’s had …
1971 Moto-Ski Moto-Skeeter 450
Founded in 1964, Moto-Ski was a Canadian snowmobile manufacturer that was acquired by Bombardier in 1971. In ’76, Bombardier moved production to a different facility, but before that happened, they dabbled in mini bike production with a bike called the Moto-Ski Moto-Skeeter.
1999 Kawasaki Drifter VN1500
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.