Today’s become an unofficial “Guzzi Day” on Bike-urious, though this one did not come directly from Mandello del Lario. Ghezzi-Brian is an interesting shop that produces Guzzi-powered specials. Their debut model was the SuperTwin, a production version of the racer they won the 1996 Italian SuperTwin championship with. Their second model was what you see in front of you, a …
2004 Moto Guzzi V11 Coppa Italia
One of the rarest versions of the V11, the Coppa Italia was built to commemorate Guzzi’s challenge for the National Naked Bike Championship of the Roadster Cup in their home country of Italy in 2003. To properly pay tribute to a racer, this Coppa Italia was adorned with top of the line components like Brembo Gold Line brakes, Ohlins forks, …
1983 Kawasaki GPz1100
In 1983, Kawasaki gave the GPZ1100 a serious redesign with new bodywork, anti-dive forks, and the Uni-Trak rear suspension. Power output was also bumped to 120 horsepower (104 at the rear wheel), though this was gained at the expense of low-end torque.
#168/400 – 2008 Ducati Monster S4RS Tricolore
Over on the auction site we’ve got a well-preserved example of my favorite Ducati Monster of all time – the S4RS Tricolore!
1981 Ducati Pantah 600SL
The Ducati Pantah 600SL (actually a 583cc) was the first Ducati to use a hydraulic clutch. Other upgrades included Bosch ignition, Paoli forks, and a tougher gearbox. The engine was good for 57 horsepower at 8,500rpm and it was paired with a 5 speed transmission and Dell’orto carbs.
In Japan – 1983 Laverda RGS 1000 Custom
The Laverda RGS 1000 is one of the last versions of the big triple, which tamed the “peaky” Jota engine, isolated the rider from vibrations with rubber mounts from the engine, and added the half-fairing. It was a true sport tourer, best on fast roads with long sweepers, taking you from city to city in style and with ease. This …
2001 Moto Guzzi V11 Sport
An evolution of the incredible V7 Sport, this Moto Guzzi V11 Sport was a heavy (546 pounds wet weight) bruiser of a sportbike that was distinctive and rare.
1980 Kawasaki Z1R
The Kawasaki Z1R was the brainchild of Wayne Moulton, known as the “Father of the Japanese Cruiser.” His belief was that a solid motorcycle could be moderately tweaked to form four versions, one of which is a sport-tourer. So he took the KZ1000 and turned it into this! The first year of production was 1978, and all the bikes were …
“NorStar” – 2004 Norton Manx Frame with BSA Goldstar Engine
We’ve shared all kinds of hybrids with fun names here on Bike-urious beyond the usual “Triton” – Norvin (Norton frame, Vincent motor), Esquire (Norton frame, Ariel Square Four motor), a Narley (Norton/Harley) and even a Burton (Norton/Buell). But here’s a first on these pages – a combination of a Norton frame and BSA Gold Star engine called the NorStar.
400 Engine – 2005 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Over at Iconic we’ve featured all kinds of top-tier and expensive machinery, but to me this little sleeper is one of the most interesting motorcycles we’ve ever featured. This is a Kawasaki Ninja 250 which had a blown motor and was replaced with the drivetrain from a new-ish Ninja 400!
2002 Ducati 998 Custom
Built by Johnny Nguyen of Upcycle Garage in Huntington Beach, California, this Ducati 998 has obviously been highly customized – what do you think about it?
1986 Moto Guzzi LeMans 1000
As 1984 wrapped up, Moto Guzzi introduced the next generation of their iconic Le Mans with a bigger motor, Lario-inspired styling, and a 16″ front wheel. The front wheel change was polarizing as the frame had been designed around the 18″ front wheel of the previous generation but no changes were made to accommodate the smaller rim. By ’87 Guzzi …
1,434 Miles – 2002 Ducati Monster S4 Fogarty Edition
For the 2002 model year, Ducati offered up a special version of their Monster as a “tribute to mark the retirement from active racing of an extraordinary champion who left an indelible and deep impression on the history of motorcycling racing and Ducati.”
1 of 250 – 1978 Kawasaki Z1R-TC
TCC stood for the Turbo Cycle Corporation, and it was created to sell bolt on turbos for motorcycles built by American Turbo-Pak. The founder of TCC was a former Kawasaki USA employee named Alan Masek, and he used his contacts to help develop the first ‘production’ turbocharged bike. Kawasaki’s Z1R was their top of the line bike but Alan figured …
2007 Ducati 1098S Tricolore
Just for the debut model year of the 1098 (2007), Ducati offered a limited edition “Tricolore” variant of the already-impressive 1098S. The S model came with lighter Marchesini wheels, a dollop of carbon fiber, and Ohlins suspension. Expectations were high for the follow-up of the controversially-styled 999, and Cycle World was impressed by the S: “on the road the 1098S …