The Desmodromic valve system has become a Ducati trademark, though it goes back to at least 1910 where the English brand Arnott created the first Desmo system, “a shaped annular cam”. It remained in the racing sector until Ducati started using it. In fact, after Ducati’s first usage in 1956 on a 125 Grand Prix at the Swedish GP, the …
First Ride – 2019 Honda Monkey
View PostPress Release – Hugo Moto Partners with Kenda Full Gas Sprint Enduro to add Scrambler Class
It’s rare that I get a press release that truly captures my interest – most of the time it’s something similar to “here’s a bike that makes 2 more horsepower than the previous generation thanks to a new airbox design” and I’m yawning after the first sentence. But when I hear from the guys from Hugo Moto, I’m inclined to …
Piece of Art – 2001 Ducati MH900e
We can easily say that the 1990’s and even the 2000’s were not a golden era of motorcycle in terms of design. But obviously, there were some exceptions. By 2006, the Paul Smart was a wonderful tribute to Ducati’s victory at the Imola 200 in 1972. But that was not the first limited series tribute made by the Italian brand. …
MT660 Heritage Scrambler” – 2008 Yamaha MT-03 Custom
Back in 1976, Yamaha released the XT500, the company’s second attempt at a four-stroker. It was the first in a long line machines that can trace their roots back to the Dakar-winning half-liter XT. One of said machines was the MT-03, and though it’s now based on the R3, early versions of the bike (2006-2014) were powered by the same …
1985 Yamaha BW200
Post Sale Update: This BW200 sold for the BIN of $2,250 on eBay. Built between 1985 and 1989, the BW200 (BW stood for “Big Wheel”) was part of a series of off-roaders with…big wheels. Other displacements were 80 and 350. The motor pushed 15 horsepower and 10 pound-feet of torque through a 5-speed transmission, which is plenty to move a …
Guess That Bike – No Picture Edition
I recently got an email from Jeff M, a reader in the Bay Area. I met up with him during my last trip to SF and we had a discussion about how no motorcycle manufacturer makes the exact bike he wants. Well, after some careful consideration it turns out there was actually one bike that checked all of his boxes, …
No Reserve – 1972 Honda CB350
Post Sale Update: This CB350 sold for $2,624 after 39 bids on eBay. The CB350 was one of Honda’s most popular motorcycles – they sold over a quarter of a million of them! Here’s a well preserve examples that’s being offered with no reserve.
Great “Body” – 1998 Harley-Davidson Springer Softail Custom
Riding a motorcycle can have multiple purposes. Some use it to feel speed and adrenaline. Some use it to go from one point to the other quicker than a car. Some use it because it is easy to park. But ultimately, some use it for style. Makers like Harley-Davidson have proven their ability to produce bikes full of style, but …
2018 Jack Daniel’s Limited Edition Indian Scout Bobber
Post Listing Update: This Indian did not meet reserve despite 27 bids up to $12,403 on eBay. In 2016, Indian Motorcycle started a partnership with Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey, and that has led to an annual tradition of creating a limited edition based on an existing Indian bike. The first year celebrated the 150th anniversary of Jack Daniels with the …
What Do You Want To Know? 2019 Honda Monkey
View Post2003 MZ Baghira Black Panther
Normally a manufacturer releases a bike with multiple color options and it’s not a big deal. But when MZ wanted to update their “Street Moto” model called the Baghira with different colors on the plastics, they created separate model names such as the “Forest” for a military green or the “Black Panther” for…well, you can guess.
1998 Suzuki Katana 750
With teasers from Suzuki suggesting a new Katana is on the way, presumably to compete with Kawasaki’s modern classic Z900RS, it seemed appropriate to feature this blast from the past. The Suzuki Katana was a friendlier version of the GSXR-750, with a retuned engine and a seat that should actually be comfortable for a passenger. It fits best into the …
2016 Harley-Davidson V-Rod
Post Listing Update: This V-Rod did not meet reserve despite 3 bids up to $6,200. As some of you may have noticed by now, especially if you read my bio here, my tastes lean towards the performance end of the motorcycling spectrum. I have always loved what Harleys stood for, but every time I rode one I couldn’t help but …
1965 Harley-Davidson FLH Electra Glide
1965 was the last year of the Panhead and the first year of the electric starter – the latter is what led to the name of “Electra Glide”. 6,900 examples of the FLH were built that year.