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.
1,500 Miles – 1997 Yamaha YZF1000R Thunderace
The Yamaha YZF1000R, known outside of the US as the Thunderace, was an interesting parts-bin bike that somehow came together to make an excellent sports-tourer that only sold in the US for just one year.
1984 Honda Interceptor VF1000F
Launched in 1984 in response to America’s desire for a bigger Interceptor, the Honda VF1000F was the flagship of the V4 line…until Honda brought us the VF1000R just a year later.
1993 Bimota DB2
One of the few 100% Italian Bimotas of the 90s, the DB2 featured a 900cc 2 valve Ducati engine (best known for its usage in the 900SS).
No Reserve – Honda NSR250 MC21/MC28 Display Engine
Over on Iconic we’ve got an engine from one of my favorite 250 2-strokes: the MC21/MC28 generations of the Honda NSR250! It’s for display purposes only and you won’t be able to make it run in a cost-effective manner but I think it’d be an excellent display piece for a two-stroke nut.
No Reserve – 1990 Honda CBR250RR MC22
Nowadays you can get all kinds of 250-400cc entry level sportbikes in the US, but back in 1990 the entire market was basically the Kawasaki Ninja 250 and the Honda VTR250. In Honda’s home market of Japan, things were a bit more exciting. That’s where they offered the CBR250RR, affectionately known as the Babyblade. The 250cc inline four engine produced …
1978 Moto Guzzi Le Mans Mk1
Arguably the successor to the V7 Sport, the Moto Guzzi 850 LeMans was named after the famous race in France. Guzzi took a modified version of the 850T engine and wrapped it in interesting styling that has led to it becoming a cult classic.
1 of 300 – 2002 Husqvarna NOX
Just 300 examples of the NOX were built, and depending on who you ask, 14-15 were originally imported to the US. It debuted at the 2000 Intermot show in Germany and it caught a disproportionate amount of eyeballs thanks to the carbon fiber bodywork and a sprinkling of exotic blue-anodized aluminum and titanium. Interestingly, Husky sold these bikes directly via …
245 Miles – 2008 Ducati Hypermotard 1100S
The first time I met Bike-urious reader Glen Irani, he let me take his Ducati Hypermotard 1100S out for a spin – I’ve been in love with the air-cooled model ever since. They’re incredibly fun to ride, which is why it’s surprising to see one with just 245 miles on it.
1993 Horex 644 OSCA
Established in the early 1920s, Horex was a German motorcycle manufacturer that has seen several ups and downs over the decades – including several different owners over some turbulent times. Some partners included Floyd Clymer (who tried to sell these under the Indian name in the 50s) and Friedl Munch (who famously built the Mammut/Mammoth). In 1989, Horex partnered with …
329 Miles – 1990 Honda NSR50
The NSR50 was in Honda’s lineup for decades before they blessed the USA with a chance to officially try it for ourselves in 2004 with the NSR50R. Before that year, Americans had to either order one directly from HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) or try to import one through the gray market. It was well worth the effort, because Honda used …
2021 Ducati Superleggera V4 #425
Over on Iconic, we’ve got one of the most impressive Ducatis ever built – the the Superleggera (Italian for “super light”) variant of the Panigale V4!
1973 Honda CB750 K3
Given the number of CB750s to be found on the internets, you’d be inclined to believe that every single one of the bikes made in the the 1970s survives to the modern day. Unfortunately, quite a lot of them have been tinkered beyond recognition. Finding one that hasn’t been permanently scarred by previous owners’ questionable choices is a challenge. Step …
Salvage Title – 2008 Bimota Tesi 3D
The name Tesi comes about because this motorcycle was actually the designer’s (Pierlugi Marconi) Mechanical Engineering thesis – on paper, at least, there are technical advantages to hub-centric steering. The simplified story here is that hub-centric steering completely isolates braking forces from suspension travel, which should improve mechanical performance of both aspects. This is one of the Limited Edition “Concept” …
1988 Honda Hawk NT650
Honda was ahead of its time when it debuted the Hawk GT, also known as the NT650. It was one of the world’s first modern naked bikes but it was a commercial failure. Over the years, many riders have realized what the Hawk offered, and it’s become a cult classic.