Troy Siahaan (Road Test Editor for Motorcycle.com) is one of my favorite people in the motorcycle industry, and he’s letting go of his Gixxer track bike because he’s too busy racing the Lightfighter.
497 Miles – 1986 Honda Gyro S
Introduced in 1982, the Gyro series of scoots are three-wheelers (one in the front, two in the back) where the body is able to lean up to 40 degrees compared to the rear axle! GYRO is actually an acronym, which stands for “Great Your Recreation Original”. Well, the translation’s not great, but you get the idea. The initial designs were …
2003 Ghezzi-Brian Folgore Supertwin
Ghezzi-Brian was founded in 1995 by Giuseppe Ghezzi and Bruno Saturno. Within a year they won the Italian SuperTwin championship, thanks to first place finishes in 9 of the 32 races. They took their SuperTwin and built a small run of road-legal replicas with the drivetrain from a Moto Guzzi Sport 1100i. Most of the production run stayed in Italy, …
Zero Miles – 2006 Triumph Daytona 675
Introduced in 2006 as the successor to the four-cylinder Daytona 650, the three-cylinder Daytona 675 has been a favorite of riders and the press ever since it debuted. MCN summed it up with: “Silky, compact handling, allied to kick-ass engine power and a howling exhaust note, make the Triumph Daytona 675 a real winner on the road, or track.” Here’s …
2002 Ducati 998S Troy Bayliss #393
2002 was the first year of the 998, which featured an all new Testastretta motor that produced 123 horsepower (up 11 from the 996). Ducati offered the base 998, the 998S, and the 998R. The middle-of-the-road “S” model got an Ohlins shock and steering damper, carbon fiber belly pan, revised brake calipers, and color-matched mirrors.
1986 Honda VF1000R Restomod
When it was released, the VF1000R was a bit of a revelation: it was Honda’s flagship, designed to showcase what the Japanese firm was capable of. It was also a huge tease to US riders, because it was initially only released in Europe only – America got the VF1000F instead, which was designed to be more of a touring bike. …
1972 Honda CB500 Custom
This CB was built by Alchemy Motorcycles in San Diego, California, who say that the bike came to them as a runner but it “needed work on the aesthetics side.”
1999 Suzuki Hayabusa
In the 1990s, motorcycle manufacturers competed in a technological arms race, with each brand vying for a leg up in what became known as the “speed wars”. This prompted a slew of new models with ever-increasing top speeds in a bid to earn the title of world’s fastest production motorcycle. Kawasaki’s ZX-11 reigned supreme for a period, until Honda stepped …
1972 Yamaha G7S
I think this little scrambler is absolutely beautiful, though I’ve struggled to find good information on it. The simple story is that it’s an evolution of Yamaha’s popular FS1 with a 80cc engine and a scrambler pipe.
Built by Dick Mann – 1960 BSA DBD34 Gold Star
In 1956, BSA released an updated version of the Gold Star. Known as the DBB34, it featured a new head, 38mm Amal carb, swept-back exhaust, and clip-on handlebars. That year, BSA won both the Clubmans Senior TT and Clubmans Junior TT races at the Isle of Man – but the Gold Star wasn’t just successful on pavement. BSA also created …
1968 Honda CB450 K1 Desert Sled
The K1 CB450 was a one year only bike, and it was the last Honda to rock chrome panels on the gas tank. Here’s one that’s been turned into a desert sled.
2008 BMW K1200R
“Gorilla in a Tuxedo.” That’s how Motorcycle.com described the K1200R, a naked version of BMW’s K1200S sportbike. It was big, fast, and a bit quirky – it was also the most powerful production naked bike available when it was released. As MCN put it, “The BMW K1200R is another from the latest-generation Beemers that blow away the firm’s reputation for …
1973 BGW Trakcycle
Introduced in 1972, the Trakcycle was a creation of BGW Industries in Mansfield, Ohio – a October 1972 issue of Popular Mechanics says that the Trakcycle “represents just about the ultimate in all-season, go-anywhere ruggedness and versatility. Its rubber-ribbed, cord-reinforced track belt is nearly a foot wide and heavily treaded, giving the bike tremendous traction.”
2009 MV Agusta F4 1078 RR 312
Over on the auction site we’ve got one of the last examples of the first generation of MV Agusta’s legendary F4 1000. You wouldn’t be alone if you though the MV Agusta F4 was the world’s most beautiful motorcycle – but styling is subjective. What can’t be argued is speed, and the F4 R 312 was, when released in 2008, …
191 Miles – 2010 Ducati 1198 S Corse
The 1198S was a phenomenal machine – MCN called it “one of the best V-twins ever made” and “truly one of those motorcycles that everybody should be allowed to ride once in their life.” For those of you that want a dash of exclusivity, Ducati produced a special cosmetic package called the Corse between 2009 and 2011. Here’s one that’s …