Express Werke AG (AG = Aktiengesellschaft: a type of German corporation that’s owned by shareholders and is often publicly traded) had a 75 year history of producing bicycles, mopeds and small-displacement motorcycles, starting all the way back in 1884. Express Werke utilized engines produced by ILO and Sachs to power its lightweight scoots for a good deal of its time …
1 of 1,470 – 1980 Harley-Davidson FXB Sturgis
The FXB Sturgis is probably best known as a limited production model built to honor the legendary annual rally, but it may actually be notable for another reason – the “B” in FXB. That denoted the use of a belt drive, as this was Harley’s first application of the technology. The other letters of FX tell you that this was …
18,500 RPM Redline – 1993 Yamaha FZR250R
Post Sale Update: After 10 bids on eBay, this little Fizzer sold for $2,800. Officially sold only in Japan, Yamaha’s FZR250R was a little screamer that offered joy to riders that preferred momentum and high entry speeds to face-melting acceleration. The horsepower figure wasn’t bad (45 hp) though the torque was underwhelming (18 lb-ft), but both of those numbers pale …
Blast From The (Not-So) Distant Past – 2004 Triumph Daytona 600
In the early 2000’s, when Triumph was being referred to as an “upstart moco”, the iconic revived British manufacturer surprised the world by entering the wildly competitive and state-of-the-art supersport 600 market. Japan was dominating in this class and with sales booming the technological arms race was at full steam, so it was seemingly a questionable – or bold, depending …
Frame #1 – 1975 Sparton 500
In the latter-half of the 1970’s, manufacturers were pouring massive amounts of funds into the R&D of race machines. Yet for a time, the most powerful racer was a machine built in a chapel’s workshop in Caernarvonshire in the UK. Sparton Motorcycles was a collaborative effort between Spondon Engineering and Barton Motors. From 1974 to 1982, the engineering companies joined …
Ur-Tuono – 2001 Aprilia Falco Street Fighter
The Aprilia Tuono has been a truly amazing motorcycle since its introduction in 2002 – frankly, I constantly have thoughts of selling a couple of my bikes and picking up a new Factory because it’s some of the most fun I’ve ever had on two wheels. But before the Tuono was born, Aprilia tested the naked bike concept by pulling …
200 Miles – 1976 Harley-Davidson SS175
One of the several models offered by Harley during the dark days of the AMF partnership, the SS175 is never going to be high up on the collectibility scale of two-wheelers with the Harley-Davidson logo on the tank. Despite that, this example stands out as it is in impressive condition – it has only done 200 miles over the last …
Fully Restored – 1987 Yamaha YZ250
Yamaha’s YZ series – more than any other bike – has arguably had the most profound impact on American motocross in the last couple decades. The YZ boasts a laundry-list of firsts for production MXers, including reed valves, single-shock suspension, and power valves. To the best of my knowledge, the YZ250 is the longest running production dirt bike. Interestingly, the …
Bike Review – 2017 Honda CB500F
Editor’s Note: Kyle Hyatt is new to the world of motorcycling and I’ve been enjoying his perspective as a newbie. You may remember that he is a co-host for the Petersen’s podcast, called Car Stories. At one point I was on an episode, and part of my discussion with Kyle was about his pursuit of his first motorcycle. Honda recently …
AHRMA Champion – 1967 Rickman Triumph Metisse 500
A Rickman Metisse with a 500cc Triumph motor is already pretty special – particularly when it’s adorned in British Racing Green. But this example truly stands out as it has been ridden to multiple AHRMA championships by Chad McIntosh.
<1,000 Miles - 1978 Honda CB750 Hondamatic
In 1976, Honda introduced the “Hondamatic” variant of the immensely popular CB750. The model was known as the CB750A and it featured a two-speed torque converter that allowed a rider to switch between Low or Drive (shown on the dash as 1 or 2) while stopped. It wasn’t very popular, and after 1978 the model was killed off. Only 1,700 …
Story Intermission – Two Small ADV Bikes up California’s Highest Road
About a month ago, my buddy Charles Fleming at the LA Times let me know that he had an idea for a story: the highest motorable road in California is a dirt route to Barcroft Station on White Mountain. They open the road twice a year to the public – would I want to join him for a ride to …
Ultimate 600’s – Pair of FTR Moto2 Racers
I don’t hide my love for motorcycle racing. I’ve always been attracted to race machines being the pinnacle of two-wheeled performance, and the excitement that comes with watching racers go wheel to wheel on these machines. Though MotoGP machines are in theory the biggest and best, and it is admittedly my favorite kind of racing to watch, I personally prefer …
Why Buy New? 1989 Yamaha TW200
Post Sale Update: This TW200 sold for $1,526 after 28 bids on eBay. Over the years, Yamaha’s TW200 has barely changed – they just announced the specifications for the 2018 model a couple of months ago and it’s still going to be rocking carbs instead of fuel injection. In fact, over a 30+ year model run Yamaha has only given …
A 30 Year Collection of Bikes For Sale
A seller outside of Reading, Pennsylvania is selling off a collection that he’s taken 30 years to accumulate. There aren’t any steals, but it’s a well curated collection of bikes that savvy motorcycles should appreciate.