Along with some options from Norton and the Hercules W2000, the Suzuki RE5 was one of the rare rotary-engine bikes that actually made it to market. The Suzuki was the most ‘popular’ of the rotary bikes, with slightly over 6,000 examples built. Nowadays, mention of a rotary engine usually makes gearheads think of the Mazda RX-7 and RX-8, but in …
1973 Ducati 750 Sport
A highlight of Ducati’s historical lineup, the 70s 750 Sport was a primary inspiration for the ahead-of-its-time 2006-2010 Sport Classic 1000 line up. Here’s one that’s been on display for years and has been recently serviced so it’s ready to ride.
1989 Suzuki RGV250 SP VJ21
Last week I shared a fun VJ22 SP that we had over on the auction site, and I think this predecessor from the same seller is visually even better. I guess I like soda over cigarettes?
ELR Tribute – 1981 Kawasaki GPz550
Kawasaki’s Eddie Lawson Replica is a memorable motorcycle of the 80s, which also means it’s become a pricey collectible nowadays. Here’s a fun way to get some ELR style on a budget.
Picture Intermission – LEGO BMW M1000RR
Last year, LEGO introduced their most detailed motorcycle model to date – a 1,920-piece version of the BMW M1000RR. One year later, it’s still their most detailed bike model thanks to features like front and rear suspension to support the 2+ pounds of weight, three different dash options (stickers), and a functional transmission with 3-speeds and neutral. Vy and I …
1 of 21 – 2003 Cannondale S440
In the late 90s, Cannondale (the well-known bicycle manufacturer) tried to move into motorsports, with an off-road bike, a supermoto, and an ATV. Long story short, it was a disaster. $80 million later, the company declared bankruptcy, having left behind an interesting story of what happens when you can’t live up to the hype. Most people know about the dirt …
1962 Honda 240 Port Cub
The Honda Cub is fairly ubiquitous, but this variant is hard to find nowadays. Built for just a couple of years, it was designed to be cheaper and thus have a wider market appeal than the Super Cub. It had a slightly different pressed steel step thru frame and the plastic leg shield was removed.
“Team Suzuki” – 1991 Suzuki RGV250 VJ22 Lucky Strike
Tobacco advertising has led to some of the greatest liveries in motorsports, but some countries were quick than others to ban advertising from cigarette companies. One such country was Australia, which stopped allowing such advertising in the early 90s. In response, race teams and advertisers often came up with alternatives that swapped out certain words but tried to keep the …
Video Intermission – How the Aerostich R-3 Suit Is Made
You all probably know by now that my single favorite piece of protective gear is my Aerostich R-3 Roadcrafter suit, so I’m excited to share this video that Aerostich has released which shows off how they build them.
Gene Romero Tribute – 1972 Trackmaster Triumph T120R
Over on the auction site we’re mixing things up a bit with some great flat trackers and dirt bikes from a local collector. This one’s my favorite – a T120R engine (with a 750cc Routt big bore kit) stuffed inside a Trackmaster/Ray Hensley frame that’s been built as a tribute to Gene Romero’s 1972 National Championship-winning bike.
Ride With Me – SoCal Track Days 2/4-2/5
The owners of Chuckwalla Valley Raceway also own SoCal Track Days, which organizes track days at Chuckwalla with a twist – there are no sessions. So once the track goes live, anyone can start or stop riding at their discretion, getting as much track time as they wish. I’ll be out there with a few buddies on February 4th and …
2 Kilometers – 2002 Ducati MH900e
Over on the auction site, we’ve got a never-ridden example of one of the most visually-extreme Ducatis in the last 30 years. Originally a sketch from the legendary Pierre Terblanche, the design got Ducati plenty of positive feedback so they decided to post a survey on their website to see if their passionate fans would actually buy a production version. …
Original Police Paint – 1953 Harley-Davidson FL
The seller of this bike is seriously lacking details in the listing, but this Panhead is claimed to be a California Highway Patrol bike that’s still got the original paint. This example (VIN: 53FL3547) shows 51,000 miles on the odometer and the seller makes no claim as to if it runs, simply asking you to contact him if he’s interested …
1995 Kawasaki GPz1100
Post Sale Update: This GPz sold for $4,250 after 19 bids on eBay. In 1995, Kawasaki brought back the GPz moniker for something that MCN called “more sporty tourer than sports tourer.” This was partially because it was built to a price, and partially because the motor was a detuned unit from the Ninja ZX-11 that was dominating American highways …
1991 Honda EZ90 Cub
The Honda EZ90, also known as a Cub, was produced from 1991 until 1996. Designed for off-road use only, lots of Cubs were used as pit bikes (even by Honda’s ChampCar and IRL teams) as well as runabouts strapped on the back of RVs and campers.