In 1992, Ducati took their 900 Supersport and added several choice extras to create a limited edition called the Ducati Superlight. The following year they backtracked a bit and removed several of the goodies, leaving just the solo seat, composite Marvic wheels, and fully floating rear brake to differentiate the limited edition from its less exclusive brother. Still, it’s an …
Full Kit – 2003 Aprilia Tuono Racing
The modern Aprilia Tuono is a perennial shootout winner, but one of my favorites of the model goes back to the beginning – the limited production Tuono Racing.
Bought On Bike-urious – 1971 Suzuki 250 Salt Flat Racer
It’s time for another round of my favorite posts to share: Bought on Bike-urious! This time we’ve got an unexpected salt flat racer that started as a Suzuki 250! Now it’s in the collection of Bike-urious reader Chris T!
1984 Zoe Zipper
In 1983, Zoe (rhymes with Maui) Products of California licensed a three-wheeler from Mitsuoka Motors of Japan. The Zipper featured a 49cc Honda engine (5 horsepower) paired with a CVT with an electric reverse gear. Zoe claimed 45 miles per hour and 112 miles per gallon.
1988 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10
Built between 1988 and 1990, the ZX-10 (known as the Ninja in the US as well as the Tomcat in some other markets) was the fastest production motorcycle in the world when it was first released. It was able to hit 165 thanks to the 135 hp, 997cc inline four engine and improved aerodynamics in the bodywork. This example (VIN: …
1951 Vincent Black Shadow
The Black Shadow might just be the most famous motorcycle ever built, with an iconic history thanks to moments like Rollie Free’s bathing suit speed run on the Bonneville Salt Flats. Black Shadows were handmade, and less than 1,700 were built in total. In the words of Hunter S. Thompson, “If you rode the Black Shadow at top speed for …
Ending Soon – 1994 Honda Cub EZ90
The Honda Cub EZ90 was a quirky flashback to the days of “you meet the nicest people on a Honda.” Designed to make motorcycles more friendly, the Honda EZ90 hid all of its mechanicals inside the futuristic plastic bodywork, and it even offered an electric start in addition to the kicker. Sold between ’91 and ’96 for off-road use only, …
1959 Zundapp Super Sabre
Powered by a 250cc two stroke, the Super Sabre was the top of the line Zundapp at the time.
Street Tracker – 1967 Bridgestone 350 GTR
“Bridgestone’s 350 GTR was undoubtedly the finest of the 1960s mid-sized two-stroke motorcycles in both quality and innovation and as a testament it created one of motor-cycling’s greatest myths – that the big four Japanese motorcycle companies forced Bridgestone to stop manufacturing motorcycles.” That’s how Old Bike Australasia opens up their description of the 350 GTR, a bike that all …
GSX-R1100 Paint Job – 2000 Suzuki Hayabusa
Also known as the GSX1300R, the Hayabusa was an instant legend when it was introduced in 1999 thanks to a top speed between 188-194 miles per hour. That made it the fastest production motorcycle in the world, and thanks to a gentleman’s agreement among manufacturers to keep top speeds under 186mph in 2000, it held that title until 2007 when …
1983 Honda XLV750R Limited Edition
Before the Transalp and the Africa Twin, there was the XLV750R – Honda’s first attempt at a touring bike that could get a little dirty. Honda originally planned to sell this bike only in Europe (not including England), though they eventually offered it to Australia and New Zealand. 500 of the first bikes were also put away for the Japanese …
Video Intermission – Wouter Jan Van Dijk at the Baja 1000
If you weren’t following the Baja 1000 this year, there’s one person you have to hear about: Wouter Jan Van Dijk. He’s a Dutchman living in Australia (with extensive off-road experience) that flew to California, bought a 2015 KTM 500 in San Diego, rode the bike down to La Paz, and then raced the Baja 1000 in the Ironman Class …
#132 of 300 – 2015 MV Agusta F3 800 Ago
New for 2014, the F3 800 was more than just an evolution of the F3 675 – Cycle World said, “the 800 simply feels like a completely different animal.” Some of this was due to refinements to the engine management software, but the bigger motor was less peaky and made more power (148 hp at the crank compared to 126).
Unexpected Quad – 1987 Honda Hurricane 600
’87 was the first year of the first generation of the CBR600 – it was quick enough to compete in 600cc racing, but user friendly to still enjoy on the street during the week. When it first came out, it was quite an improvement on the competition – Kawasasaki’s GPZ600 (arguably the class leader at the time) was 28 pounds …
No Reserve Project – 1966 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.