Before the Suzuki Hayabusa swept in at the turn of the century to claim world’s fastest production bike status, the Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird ruled the top speed roost. When it came out in 1997, the Blackbird, named for the Lockheed SR-71 spy plane, stopped the motorcycling press in its tracks. 2002 Honda CBR1100XX Blackbird With…
When Paul Smart rode a green-framed 750 to victory at Imola in 1972, Ducati history was made. No longer a bit player with smaller bikes, Ducati proved that they could compete on the world’s stage. And since that 1972 victory, Ducati has hunted down championship after championship. They have also reached back into the land…
Update 11.2.2017: SOLD to an RSBFS reader! Thank you to buyer and seller for supporting the site! -dc We seem to have been awash with slab-sided early Gixxers of late, as the magnificent, watershed beasts enjoy a renaissance of interest and value. Prices for the limited edition bikes are nudging the stratosphere, especially for aging…
Cagiva bought the rights to the shuttered MV Agusta in 1991, and in 1998 introduced their first new motorcycle in fifteen or so years. Designed and built to set the world on its ear, the F4 750 had many race-derived components and a pricetag to match. This Oro is number 227 of 300 and has…
By the early 1990s, pretty much everyone making a hard-core sportbike was using an inline four engine for their regular production motorcycles. And why not? An inline four is a relatively compact engine, is capable of making excellent power for a given displacement, is smooth-running, and can achieve much higher revs than configurations using fewer,…
The Yamaha FZR 400 is the kind of bike that manages to get ignored by wide swathes of the motorcycling population, but instill deep devotion in those who have discovered its fantastic chassis, sprightly engine and general friendliness. 1988 Yamaha FZR400 for sale on eBay 1990 Yamaha FZR400 for sale on eBay That appears to have…
A small-displacement motorcycle with a four-cylinder powerplant like this Kawasaki ZXR250 really makes no practical sense: singles and parallel-twins are simple to manufacture, inexpensive to maintain, easier to package, torquey, and fun to ride. Up to a certain size, where the weight of a single piston and connecting rod create unacceptable vibrations that irritate the…
Yet another two-stroke from the land of Craigslist, this 1985 Suzuki RG500 Gamma wears the brand’s iconic blue and white superbike livery and looks very nice, despite its fair share of scratches and scuffs. Further signs of the bike’s age and use are cracked bolt holes at the mirror mounts on the cowl. With the…