Laverda was one of the unfortunate casualties of the Japanese onslaught of the 1970’s. Confronted by reliable, affordable multis from Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha, and Honda, many Italian and British companies found themselves in dire straights, unable to compete in showrooms or on the street. And while many marques have seen short-term resurrections courtesy of…
Well here’s a one-of-a-kind opportunity, if ever there was one: for sale is the actual Ducati motorcycle that won at Daytona in 1977 and helped to cement Ducati’s reputation in America. These days, Ducati has their hand in virtually every style and at every level of motorcycle racing, although their Moto GP efforts have been…
Although they’re often overshadowed by bigger, badder, modern superbikes, or vintage racebikes with history and links to famous riders, bikes like this Metrakit PreGP 125 are where it all starts for riders of the future. A tool they’ll use to start writing their own stories. If you’re not familiar with MetraKit, they’re a Spanish company…
The 1981 Yamaha TZ250 more than just an evolution of their 250 GP machine, it was a complete reworking that shared almost no parts with the older bike. It included an entirely new engine designed around features from the proven TZ500 that were intended to increase both power and reliability. Keep in mind: the TZ250…
Introduced in 1994 to replace the VFR400R, the RVF400 used a smaller, 399cc version of Honda’s gear-driven V4 powerplant with a 360° firing order. The updated model featured a revised fairing with cat-eye headlamps replacing the earlier bike’s round units, distinctive air tubes leading from the fairing to the front of the tank to feed…
The road-going Ducati 750F1 that was based on their 750cc-class racing machine was the very last bike developed before Ducati’s purchase by Cagiva, making it desirable for that reason alone. Earlier 600cc Pantahs were dominant in TT2 classes, winning championships from ‘81-’84, and although the larger 750 that followed in 1984 wasn’t nearly as successful…
Update 1.14.2015: First posted in October last year, this LE is back on eBay. Previously a no sale with bids reaching $7,200, this time the bid is at $7,500 at current and reserve is not met. Links updated. -dc Prior to 1985 and the introduction of the GSX-R 750, Japanese sport and race bikes were…
Some more 80’s Honda action this week, only this time the bike is in much better condition and has all of its parts included! Modern sportbikes often obsessively address issues of weight while clawing at ever-higher horsepower numbers, worshiping at the temple founded by Lotus founder Colin Chapman and his philosophy that, “adding power makes…