While Europeans have always been neck-deep in the whole Moto GP-thing as embodied by bikes like the Aprilia RS250, here in the US where flat-track and drag-racing are king, fans of whippy two-stroke race-replicas had to work a bit harder to get their fix, at least before the advent of the internet… But even US…
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…
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…
The MV Agusta F4 1000 pretty much represents the bargain of the decade, with nice examples of the very sleek, and genuinely very fast F4 trading for right around $10,000. Which is about what a nice 2013 GSX-R600 will set you back. For commuting or track days, that Gixxer is very likely the better choice:…
Enough ink has been spilled complaining about the design of the Ducati 999, but two things are clear: it is a far more practical, useable motorcycle than the classic 916, with ergonomics that at least took actual human physiology into account and the controversial looks of the bike are aging well. To be honest, as…
So, this is one for the riders, not the collectors. This bike has no historical value whatsoever: it’s a mongrel roadracing single-cylinder track bike based on Honda’s four-stroke CRF450 dirt bike. But it’s a very well put-together mongrel, and one that looks like it’d be a ton of fun at the track! This sort of…