Moto Beta was almost 50 years old when they expanded from bicycles into motorcycles. They’re probably best known for their trials bikes of the 90s – Dougie Lampkin won the World Championship in ’97, ’98, and ’99 with the marque. In the 70s, some Moto Betas were imported to the US under the Premier name, like the little off-roader you …
A Good Start – 1975 Moto Guzzi 850T/V7 Project
What started as a running 850T is now almost a replica of a V7 Sport. Of course, the problem is in the word ‘almost’. It’s time for a new owner, so hopefully you can finish the job.
Interview – Zack Loucks, Ye Olde Cycle Shoppe
As I research the bikes that are featured on Bike-urious, Ye Olde Cycle Shoppe has proven to be a valuable source of information, thanks to the extensive library of vintage motorcycle road tests and advertisements. It’s run by Zack Loucks, so I thought I should hit him with the usual questions!
2003 Moto Guzzi V11 LeMans Rosso Corsa
Post Sale Update: This Rosso Corsa sold for $6,700 after 32 bids on eBay. For the second straight day, we’ve got a 1-in-50 Guzzi. But this time it’s featuring red bodywork instead of a red frame. Based on the previous generation of the venerable LeMans, this bike was the pinnacle of a model known for classic Italian cafe racer lines …
Cover Girl Survivor – 1975 Honda 550F
Today’s mid-size motorcycles are sporting 800-900cc engines, but there was a time when the class was closer to 500cc. After Honda’s stunning success with the first-gen 750F, the next stop would be the smaller 500K in 1971. True to Honda fashion, this was a new design, not a shrunken 750. The finished product was a jewel to behold and a …
2009 BMW HP2 Sport
The swan song of the oil cooled BMW boxers is the HP2 Sport. A MCN review of a modified one called the HP2 Sport, “As desirable and pointless as a carbon-fibre Spitfire” although it had higher praise when the bike first debuted. While it was never as fast as anything with a Ducati badge on it for the same money …
“185cc Monster” – 2013 Honda Grom
The seller of this Grom has spent over $10,000 turning it into a “beastly 185cc monster.” It’s got plenty of trick parts, but the best news is that this bike can now finally break the speed limit on the highway!
Verde Legnano Special Edition – 2015 Moto Guzzi V7 Racer
In 1971, Guzzi introduced the instant-classic V7 Sport, and they made the first 150 models extra special with green bodywork and red frame. The initial bikes were known as Telaio Rosso (red frames), and some people consider them to be the prettiest Guzzis ever built. You may not agree, but you can’t deny that they were special. To commemorate that …
Picture Intermission – Ural Tour of Europe
Last summer, Mihai Barbu and his girlfriend wanted to ‘show their four year old son the world’, so they embarked on a 17,500 mile, four-month-long trip around Europe. Why you’re hearing about it here is because they took this trip with a Ural Ranger, and have shared a whole bunch of great photos.
God Save The Queen – 1977 Triumph Bonneville Silver Jubilee
For some reason, Triumph decided to honor the 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) of Queen Elizabeth’s reign with a limited release of the Bonneville. They sold 1,000 examples each in the US and UK and another 400 for the Commonwealth of mostly former British colonies.
1991 BMW K1
Prior to the S1000RR, BMW had been trying to get into the sport bike market for years with limited success. While they tried many times, they never succeeded in competing with the Japanese bikes. Maybe the most interesting of all these iterations of German sports bikes was the K1.
NCR Engine in Greece – 1978 Ducati 900SS
Post-Sale Update: After 29 bids on eBay, this 900SS sold for $21,600. NCR was named after its founders, Giorgio Nepoti, Rino Caracchi and Luigi Rizzi. The NCR name became synonymous with Ducati after Mike Hailwood won the Isle of Man on a NCR prepped Ducati 900, and it lives on even though Rizzi left early on and the other two …
The Gasbox – 1965 BSA Custom
The GasBox is a vintage moto shop in Ohio run by Jesse Bassett, who won a previous Ultimate Builder AMD Championship Series satellite competition in the freestyle class with the BSA custom.
1995 Ducati 900SS/SP Custom
Offered exclusively to North American customers, the SP (Sport Production) variant of the 900SS was a limited production bike equipped with upgrades like carbon fiber fenders, adjustable Showa suspension, and more. The limited numbers mean it’s not a common platform for custom builders, but that didn’t stop whomever tackled this bike. How would you say it ended up?
Scoot With a Roof – 2002 BMW C1
Ever wanted a machine that oozes sex appeal? No? Well here you go.