This one’s probably more for you East Coasters (where I’m currently posted up) – after 40 years of service, Roger Lyle of Motorcycle Xcitement is retiring and selling his road racing school/track day organization/pretty cool way to write off motorcycle expenses.
1939 Triumph Tiger 70
When Edward Turner was moved from Ariel to become the General Manager and Chief Designer of Triumph, one of the sweeping changes he made was to update the naming of the 250, 350, and 500cc Mk.5 singles. There were other changes but the bikes got an actual name of “Tiger”, which a suffix hinting at the what the claimed top …
South Dakota With Motorcycle.com
A couple of months ago, I got a few text messages from Evans Brasfield and Ryan Adams over at Motorcycle.com asking if I wanted to join them as a guest tester for an adventure bike story in South Dakota. Here’s a summary post so you can access the entire story from one place!
1987 Ducati 750 F1 Laguna Seca
Built as a tribute to Marco Lucchinelli’s success at the 1986 Battle of the Twins race at Laguna Seca, this limited edition of the 750 F1 features a decal of Marco’s signature on the tank. It’s nearly the same as the Montjuich, except for little changes like different cylinder heads, the plastic rear fender, some changes to the clutch mechanism, …
1-Owner, CA Plated – 2002 Honda XR650R
Also known as the Big Red Pig, Honda’s XR650R is a legend in desert racing and the Baja 1000. Even though it was killed off in 2008, the bike is still race competitive and it enjoys quite a cult following. Here’s one that stands out as it’s California-plated and also has a street setup (as pictured).
Evel Knievel’s Stratocycle – Harley-Davidson XLCH
8-28-23 Update: Two years later and it’s still up for sale, but now it’s back up to $200k. We’ll see how that goes…find the Stratocycle in Los Angeles here on eBay. 7-21-21 Update:Another 3 years later, Tim Huber notes that this famous Harley is now for sale by Heritage Auctions. They’re accepting offers for another couple of weeks, and the …
1953 Moto Guzzi Galletto
Carlo Guzzi was one of Moto Guzzi’s three co-founders back in 1921, and he was the brainchild behind a scooter/motorcycle hybrid called the Galletto (cockerel in Italian). Over approximately 15 years of production, 75,000 units were sold.
1948 BSA B31
BSA’s first new model after WWII, the B31 was a single-cylinder four-stroke designed to be used as basic transport. The 17 horsepower engine was sufficient to get the bike up about 70 miles per hour.
South Dakota With Motorcycle.com – Days 5 and 6
May 16th, 2023 – Keystone, South Dakota to Keystone, South Dakota: ~150 miles Featured Photo: I get a little air on the Ducati DesertX.
3 Miles – 1974 Can-Am TNT 125
Canada’s attempt at the MX world, the Can-Am TNT 125 was one of many dirt-oriented bikes produced during the short but very sweet lifespan of Can-Am. An acronym for Track ‘n’ Trail, the TNT bikes shared the same chassis and engine as the MX bikes, but utilized lower compression for easier riding traits on trails. Here’s one that stands out …
South Dakota With Motorcycle.com – Day 4
May 15th, 2023 – Keystone, South Dakota to Keystone, South Dakota: ~150 miles Feature image: I get a little air with the Tuareg 660.
Recently Restored – 1968 Bultaco Metralla Mk2
8-23 Update: Six years later and this bike is back up for sale – this time with Iconic. The current owner is a long time Bike-urious reader and I’m excited to see it up for sale! Find it waiting for the opening bid in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey here on Iconic Motorbike Auctions. Post Listing Update: Despite 4 bids on …
South Dakota With Motorcycle.com – Day 3
May 14th, 2023 – Keystone, South Dakota to Keystone, South Dakota: ~150 miles
BSA Framed – 1964 Velocette MSS 500 Custom
First released in 1935, the Velocette MSS was a semi-stalwart that was built until 1968. The long production run is a little misleading, as the MSS was interrupted by World War II. The model was relaunched in 1954 with the same name but a complete redesign – it featured a MAC frame, optional bags, and sidecar mounting lugs on the …
South Dakota With Motorcycle.com – Day 2
May 13th, 2023 – Keystone, South Dakota to Keystone, South Dakota: ~150 miles Did you miss Day 1? We get settled in and the bikes get delivered. Though the bikes were very much not dry when we woke up the next morning, the rain had backed off for a bit. The priority today was for us to get familiar with …