MV Agusta calls their Brutale the “king of hypernaked bikes thanks to the absolute quality of the components, the advanced engine and benchmark electronics.” MCN called it “the best MV have produced in a very long time,” adding that “underneath its layers of shiny paint and away from its designer labels, decadent styling and fancy electronics it’s a well-sorted, involving, …
Video Intermission – Klaus Huenecke’s Krauser Domani #001
When I was at the Handbuilt Show this summer, there were two bikes that really stood out to me. One was the Bimota V-Due of our buddy SBK Stash, and the other was a Krauser Domani (which I had never seen in person before) belonging to Klaus Huenecke. Here’s a quick video I filmed of the latter!
1996 KTM 550 MXC
1996 is right about when the big bore two-stroke dirt bike was dying off, which makes this KTM 550 a rare and nostalgic find.
Blue Collar Bobbers Kit – 2004 Kawasaki Ninja 250
Based out of Sandy, Utah, Blue Collar Bobbers produces bolt on kits to give people an easy way to customize their bike “into an old school, nostalgic hot rod.” Here’s a Kawasaki Ninja 250 that’s equipped with the BCB Cafe Racer kit (no longer available new).
Spondon Frame – 1979 Honda CBX Custom
The paint job on the tank tells you what you need to know – this interesting custom pairs a British frame with a Japanese engine…plus a whole bunch of other goodies!
Two Stroke Turbo – 1990 Yamaha RZ350 Land Speed Project
If you’re looking for an intriguing winter project, there’s a Canadian-spec RZ350 in Utah with a turbocharger on it that needs some TLC…
1989 Yamaha XTZ600 Tenere
11-7-25 Update: One year later and this bike is still for sale though the price has dropped a bit. You can now find it with a BIN of $5,500 or best offer and a slight location adjustment to Okeechobee, Florida here on eBay. Just look at the paint scheme on this thing. It makes you want to cut the sleeves …
Video Intermission – Three Special Arrivals at Iconic Motorbikes!
We recently had three special motorbikes come to Iconic from all over the world: a Bimota SB8K Ultimo from New Zealand as well as a Suzuki GSX-R400 SP and Yamaha FZR400RR SP, both from South Africa! I got to pop them out of their crates and I figured I’d record the moment so you could join me…
Cheaper By The Day – 1987 Cagiva Elefant 650
The Cagiva Elefant is an interesting odd-ball – an Italian dual-sport with the heart of a Ducati. Available with a 900cc or 650cc engine, this is definitely the most unique option compared to the KLR, DRZ, and XL/XR options available from Japan. The seller of this example is ensuring that it will sell as he’s going to knock off $100/day …
Picture Intermission – Handbuilt Show LA 2025
Revival Cycles brought the Handbuilt Show back to Los Angeles this year and I had a chance to stop by to check it out for my first time (I missed it last year). Here were some of my highlights!
Pichler Fairing – 1981 BMW R65
The R65 has been one of the less popular Beemers over the last few decades, and I couldn’t really tell you why. Is it the relative lack of power compared to the rest of the BMW family? If having “just” 50 horsepower isn’t a problem for you, this could be a fun runabout for some lightweight touring as it’s equipped …
267 Miles – 1983 Honda VF750F Interceptor
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, …