Set the way-back machine for 1975 and attend EICMA (Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori) in Milan, there you’ll see the original bikini-faired Moto Guzzi 850 Le Mans, the iconic basis for the long line of Le Mans-badged machines. The torquey long-wheelbase heavyweights were ( and are ) the cornerstone of Guzzi’s line-up. 2003 Moto…
2002 Honda RC-51 SP2 on eBay The 90s were a tough time for Honda on the racetrack. World Superbike regulations allowed v-twins a displacement increase up to 999cc to make up for the horsepower “advantage” that the four cylinder motorcycles had. The Ducati 916 used this to thoroughly dominate WSBK to the tune of five championships in…
1997 Yamaha YZF-750R on eBay As a YZF-750R owner myself, I’m always looking for them and at them. They don’t turn up very often. Unfortunately the YZF-750R will always be overlooked as it comes in between the legendary FZR-750 OW-01 and the drop dead sexy Yamaha R7 and also the revolutionary Yamaha R1. However, it really is a…
Just 500 of the classically-proportioned Ducati Paul Smart 1000LE bikes were imported to the US, with silver half-faired bodywork and a blue-green frame intended to recall the bike ridden to victory by Paul Smart at the Imola 200 in 1972, a win without which Ducati might not exist. Modern retro-styled bikes often use their throwback…
Yamaha made a name for itself in the US building giant-killing two-stroke parallel twins that powered the RD and later RZ models like this 1985 RZ350. The 347cc engine reatured liquid-cooling and made over 40hp stock, with plenty more available with careful tuning. While Honda largely focused on their heavy, but very sophisticated two and…
Unless you have access to one of NCR’s Desmosedici-based bikes, there is quite literally nothing on the road like the Ducati Superleggera. The idea is simple: take the Panigale 1199R and take a cost-no-object approach to making it perform better. Basically one-off every mass-produced component, un-cut every corner. I wonder if there’s even any steel…
This naked superbike appeared recently and expired without a bid. When it was re-listed, it seemed worthy of a closer look. An bikini-faired 998 Superbike, the numbered edition Tri-Colore was only available in 2008 and shares a lot of the go-fast engineering from the faired 998’s. 2008 Ducati Monster S4RS Tri-Colore for sale on eBay…
Built between 1994 and 2004, the Aprilia RS250 has justifiably developed a cult following among dedicated corner-carvers and track rats. It’s the quintessential “giant killer,” wrapping an impossibly lightweight frame and sleek bodywork around a very compact, 250cc powerplant yanked straight out of Suzuki’s RGV250, with brakes designed to stop a much heavier motorcycle. That…