The 1982 Suzuki Katana is a beautiful example of a manufacturer using the time-honored tradition of raiding the parts bin to make a machine whose impact multiplied the sum of its parts. With its running gear filched from the GS line, the 1982 Katana was a race-bred little brother to the GS1100 bruiser, but it…
Following the 750 Interceptor to the showroom but actually descended from the diminutive VF400F, the 499cc version was just about right for an intermediate rider ( or cognoscenti ) in the American market. Most got ridden to a fair-thee-well but this New Hampshire example shows beautifully with just over 6,000 miles. 1986 Honda VF500F Interceptor…
Bimota is known for taking the road less traveled – in order to travel that road faster and with more exclusivity. And while Bimota has had some brilliant successes and failures, it was the SB6R that promised mainstream potential. Housing a GSX-R1100 powerplant magically wrapped in aluminum and fiberglass, the SB6R weighed less than the…
Update 11.18.2019: This bike has SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc Eddie Lawson won the AMA Superbike championship in 1981 and 1982. That alone should be enough to cement his name in the history books. But “Steady Eddie” did not stop there. He went on to become a 4-time 500cc GP champion, bettering the…
Speaking of 400s… This grey market Honda VFR400R NC30 looks for all the world like it’s bigger, 750cc brother, the superbike homologation special VFR750R, also known as the RC30. The two machines can be pretty hard to tell apart, and just the smaller headlights and narrower real wheel give the game away without looking closely.…
Even Bimota was not immune to the siren call of Yamaha’s 130 hp FJ1200, producing one of their only biposto models. This example has been carefully preserved in South Africa. 1987 Bimota YB5 ( South Africa ) for sale on eBay Yamaha had recently given their air/oil-cooled four a big displacement bump and tuned it…
Practical sportbikes like the Yamaha FZR400 generally weren’t babied and pampered, or cherished in the way that seems so common with Italian superbikes: for an FZR400 fan, “to cherish” means to flog mercilessly on a canyon road or tight track, passing bigger bikes around the outside on that skinny 140-section 18″ rear tire… But nice,…
During the 80’s heyday, Honda showed a graduated selection of displacements with two- or four-stroke engines in various configurations. The early CBR250R was destined for an upscale beginner and came to the U.S. only via the grey market. This 1988 four cylinder 250 looks good and its black/gold livery doesn’t stretch the truth with racey…