Over on the auction site we’ve got one of the lowest-mile VF750Fs you’ll ever see. Bonus points because it’s a UK import so it’s got a livery that was never offered in the US, either!
Story Intermission – Making New Britten Engines!
There’s a very interesting thread over on ADVRider that recently got created and it’s not getting enough attention – some folks involved with the original Britten story are continuining it by making three more engines to support the folks who are still riding these out on the track!
2024 Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+
A couple of years ago, I had the pleasure of attending the press launch for Yamaha’s newest generation of the Tracer. The big news was the addition of radar, which allowed for adaptive cruise control and assisted braking. It came with a $1,600 price bump (up to $16,499), and in my conclusion I felt like the radar wasn’t worth the …
VIN #1 – 2000 Aprilia Pegaso 650 Cube
The Aprilia Pegaso was an excellent dual sport that suffered the same fate as most Aprilias in the 90s/00s – it was poorly marketed and under appreciated, though it was a great bike. Aprilia developed this bike in tandem with BMW, so the latter’s F650 is mechanically almost identical. Aprilia added a few extras that the BMW did not receive, …
Meet a Reader – Ian Short
It’s time to learn more about another Bike-urious reader – this time the Meet a Reader series continues with Ian Short! I’ve noticed some impressive comments from Ian over the last few weeks (including photos from a quick peek he had into Norton’s “works shop” at the 1990 Isle of Man TT) and I thought he would have some interesting …
Still New – 2025 Husqvarna FE 450 Heritage Edition
For 2025, Husqvarna announced a limited-edition line of what they called their Heritage models – a special livery offered on all ten models (four MX, six enduro) with blue radiator shrouds, a matching seat, and a colorway that pays homage to what you’d see on Husky race bikes from the 1980s. Here’s a still new example with tons of extras …
Picture Intermission – Motorcycles in Thailand
Vy and I belatedly watched the season finale of White Lotus recently and it made us think of when she went to Thailand for a month last year to film on The Sympathizer. When she was there she sent me photos of some bikes that caught her eye but I never got around to sharing them – now seems like …
1986 Yamaha TT350
Yamaha’s answer to the recently-retired Honda XR350R, the TT350 was a hybrid between their XT dual-sport and the YZ motocross bike. Yamaha marketed it as “Dirt Tough, Street Wise” and “a purpose-built machine that’s perfect for tackling the toughest enduro…or riding to work!” They only sold it for two years, making it difficult to find nowadays.
1965 Yamaha YM-1 Cross Country Sport 305
Described in Yamaha’s marketing materials as a “Cross Country Sport”, the YM-1 was an evolution of the YDS-3 and it was the top of the line Yamaha sportbike of the time.
Deeley Exhibition – 1885 Daimler Reitwagen Official Replica
Getting back to my visit to the Deeley Motorcycle Exhibition in British Columbia, here’s something that goes waaaaaay back in time…sort of.
1965 Fuji Rabbit Superflow S601
I don’t feature scooters much, but the Fuji Rabbit Superflow is definitely worth a look. An impressive 75,000 units left the Fuji Heavy Industries factory, but it’s very hard to find any now. Why is this scoot so interesting? Well, at the time, it was as luxurious as you could get with a scooter.
1959 Ducati 200 Turismo
At the request of their US importer (Berliner), Ducati bumped displacement of the and Super Sport models from 175cc to 200cc – really 204cc, but who’s counting? Berliner sold the model as the Americano but the equivalent in Europe had sleeker styling and a much more international name: the Turismo.
1989 Honda CB-1
Originally built for the Japanese market, the Honda CB-1 was a beautifully balanced motorcycle that lost out in an American market that was obsessed with having as much horsepower as possible. A colleague recently explained to me that these 400cc bikes from Japan are incredibly well developed due to a combination of regulations, licensing rules, and taxes that came together …
1999 Buell X1 Lightning
Post Sale Update: This X1 sold for $3,100 plus the 7% buyer’s fee ($250 minimum) for a total of $3,350 on Iconic Motorbike Auctions. In 1999, Buell updated the S1 Lightning to create the X1 Lightning. Here’s one in excellent shape with a very low reserve that’s already been met!
Video Intermission – Vapor Blast Canada
Iconic has expanded to Canada (specifically British Columbia), so one a recent visit to check out the new digs our new partner Mark took me to meet some of his friends. One surprising stop was at Vapor Blast Canada in Chilliwack, a DIY spot for media and vapor blasting that’s hiding an awesome collection of motorcycles in the back!