Congrats to KellyF, who correctly guesssed that this was the tank from a Honda NR750! It’s not every day that you get to see a NR without the bodywork, so here’s some additional photos for those of you that are curious:
Picture Intermission – Megola
On the way back from the Quail, I stopped at the Solvang Motorcycle Museum. I hadn’t been there in about a decade and it was well worth the detour in our trip. I’m going to share some of my favorites over the next few days and I think I’ll start with the weirdest one: a 1922 Megola.
What Do You Want To Know? 2024 Yamaha MT-09 and MT-09 SP
Update: Here’s the review! The last time I reviewed a MT-09 (in 2020), I said that “I wondered if Yamaha’s legal department was on vacation when the MT-09 was in development.” It was a ton of fun, but it lacked refinement in certain areas. This week, I’m in Northern California because Yamaha has revised the model for 2024. What would …
Picture Intermission – DR Moto Yamaha R1
My favorite bike at the Aprilia Racers Days event at Circuit of the Americas this year wasn’t an Aprilia – though there were several cool ones (including three XTrentas!) No, this year my favorite was a Yamaha (sort of). It’s owned by one of our clients at Iconic Motorbikes and it’s an amazing build around a 2014 British Superbike Spec …
1980 Moto Guzzi Le Mans CX100 Custom
Over on the auction site we’ve got a lovely take on one of Moto Guzzi’s ugly ducklings – the CX100. In the states, however, not even that was enough. To satisfy the American mantra of “no replacement for displacement” and to compete with the BMW R100RS, Guzzi took the 1000cc engine and lower fairings from the 1000SP sport tourer and …
2004 Moto Guzzi Breva
Originally available as a 750, the Breva was given a bigger engine just as Moto Guzzi got an infusion of cash from Piaggio. The Breva was designed to be a modern naked tourer, and with the 1100 engine you could expect 72 horsepower at the rear wheel and 56 pound feet of torque.
Guess That Bike – Fuel Tank Edition
As the youths say, it’s “been a minute” since we’ve done a Guess That Bike post. Let’s fix that!
1970 MV Agusta 250B
The “B” stands for “Bicylindrico”, as this MV Agusta utilizes a 250cc four-stroke twin cylinder motor.
2x Honda VTR250s
Sold in the US for three years, the Honda VTR250 has become a cult classic for riders that love small bikes. The liquid cooled 250cc engine was paired with a six-speed transmission, and interestingly, an inboard front disc – though by 1990 the front brake would change to the industry standard. Someone in Wisconsin is selling a pair of them …
1979 Dunstall/Suzuki GS1000 Competition Special
Paul Dunstall is a legend in the classic motorcycling world. Originally a motorcycle racer, he set up a workshop where he turned Nortons into world-beaters with engine and cosmetic modifications. Fast forward to the 1970s, Dunstall’s business had expanded to a point where he was shipping complete bikes directly to dealers in the US. At this point, he was splitting …
1987 Moto Morini Camel 501
The Moto Morini Camel was an incredibly rare dual sport built to capitalize on the dual sport craze that flared up as the Paris-Dakar rally got popular. The Camel featured a 500cc V-Twin – its little brother, the Kanguro, got a 350cc engine.
2020 Bandit9 Arthur
Based out of Southeast Asia, Bandit9 is run by Daryl Villanueva. He offers a series of customs – all of which are built in production runs of 9. The “Arthur” was built as a collaboration with Royal Enfield – the British firm asked them to create something special based off their Continental GT 535.
Picture Intermission – Razee’s Motorcycle Center
A couple of days after Adam and I checked out the Newport Car Museum, we also had the chance to meet Gordon Razee (the son of Ralph Razee) and the man behind Razee’s Motorcycle Center.
2024 MotoGP Austin – Preview
Tomorrow I fly out to Austin for one of my favorite weekends of the year – MotoGP at Circuit of the Americas! There’ll also be some quality time at the Handbuilt Show and I’ll be riding the track the day after the GP race with Aprilia Racers Days. Let’s take a look at what to expect:
2023 Bimota KB4
Bimota’s latest model is the KB4 – it features the 1,043cc inline-four (good for 142hp and 82lb-ft of torque) pulled from a Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX. Bimota calls the KB4 a sport-tourer, though it only has one seat and no luggage.