First offered in 1938 the Triumph 5T Speed Twin was designed by Edward Turner and was the first successful English parallel twin motorcycle and was the standard for every other English manufacturer. Sold in 1938-40 and 1947-66 (WWII intervened) it was originally manufactured in the Coventry plant which was completely destroyed in an air raid in 1940. The 5T was …
Not Your Average Cafe Racer – 1982 Honda CX500/650 Custom
A lot of “cafe racers” these days are just a cleaned up old bike with some bodywork removed, clip-ons added, and maybe an aftermarket seat unit. Don’t get me wrong – that is, after all, how the whole genre was created back in the 60’s and 70’s. What makes one special is when you can assemble all those parts in …
The Future of Motorcycling? BMW Motorrad VISION NEXT 100
I used to think RevZilla knew what they were doing, but then they foolishly asked me to cover BMW’s debut of their VISION NEXT 100 concept vehicle. It’s a glimpse at what the German firm thinks bikes will look like after we’re all dead. Want to know what I had to say? Head on over to RevZilla’s Common Tread!
Ex-Doug Henry Racer – Yamaha YZ450F Supermoto
According to the seller, this is the bike that Doug Henry campaigned in the AMA Supermoto Championship seasons of 2005 and 2006 (he placed 2nd in 2006). I’d want to see some proof of that, but the photos show a serious level of kit.
750cc Update – 1962 BMW R60/2 Custom
This bike started as a BMW R60/2, but it has received the drivetrain from a R75/5. In the seller’s words, this makes the bike the “best of both worlds” as you get “a modern electric start 750cc motor with the classic looks of a 1960’s BMW.” Do you agree?
Dual Sport Conversion – 2009 Kawasaki ER-6n
Finding a ER-6n in the US is already difficult considering how poorly they sold. But if you really want to stand out, here’s one that’s been converted into a dual-sport. The builder’s goal was to make the bike look OEM, and he hasn’t done a bad job with it. Would you ride it?
“Burt” – 2002 Ducati Monster S4 Custom
The name isn’t elegant, but the bike sure is. Called “Burt”, this custom Monster S4 features an impressively long list of modifications, dominated by the Berlina Black/Imola Orange repaint.
2 Weeks In The West – Day 10
View PostNice Price – 1975 Norton Commando 850 MkIII
It has not been started since 1990 and the seller says it needs some work, but I’m not sure you can go wrong for $3,000 or best offer for this Norton…
1967 BSA Hornet
The Hornet is one of the rarest of the BSA offerings, it was sold from 1964 through 1967 and almost exclusively in the US. Aimed at the US off road market it was known as the Spitfire Hornet in ‘64 and ‘65 but the ‘Spitfire’ was dropped for ‘66 and ‘67. The bike was sold with no lights or mufflers, …
“ADV Cafe Scrambler Tracker” – 1984 Honda VFR700
Built to mock the stereotypes of biker builds that have taken over in some circles, this ridiculous Honda allows you to “grab your flannel, beard oil and PBR and get a taste of the NW moto scene astride one of the most unique and tastefully constructed steeds you will ever lay your eyes on.” Ever ridden a bike with a …
Built to Teach – 1990 Honda CB125T
Post Sale Update: After 33 bids on eBay, this CB125T sold for just $601. For just one year, Honda made 2,000 examples of a 125cc twin specifically designed for US rider’s education schools. They were built without VINs so they should not be street legal, yet this example is claimed to have a VIN…
Guess That Bike – Not a Harley Edition
When he was at Barber last week, Bob K found a bike that thought he would make for a good Guess That Bike feature. Let’s see if he’s right!
Video Intermission – Highlights from AIMExpo
AIMExpo (American International Motorcycle Expo) is wrapping up today. While the biggest news was probably the debut of the new R6, there was a whole lot more to see. AIM recapped each day with a video summary, so click through if you want to see what happened.
1 of 250 – 2002 Ducati 748S
Post Sale Update: After 32 bids on eBay, this 748S sold for $8,100. Officially, Ducati called this special grey/white/red paint scheme Titanium Grey, but Ducati fans have called it something slightly different over the years. They call it the “Semi Senna”, as it harks back to the officially licensed Senna 916 from the mid 90s. The 748S variant was not …