Known variously as the Kawasaki ZX-6, ZX-6E, and eventually the ZZ-R600, depending on the year and market, the 600 Ninja’s specifications were virtually indistinguishable from its competitors at the time: 599cc, four cylinders, four valves per cylinder, dual overhead cams, and liquid-cooling, with a six-speed gearbox. But unlike the CBR600 and FZR600, the Ninja brought…
Update 6.3.2020: This bike has SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc Kawasaki’s ZX-7R is finally getting its due and clean, low-mile examples are getting pretty hard to find anywhere near the rock-bottom prices they fetched not too long ago. Older, 1970s and early 1980s Kawis like the KZ1000R have found their collectible niche as…
I’m not always a fan of race-replica graphics, but it’s hard to argue that some just look right: Rothmans and Repsol Hondas in particular just drip with style and authenticity. KTM’s RC8R lends itself to wild graphics as well, since it’s anything but restrained, even in regular production colors. Even slathered in all-black aftermarket carbon…
The Ducati Superlight I posted up a few days ago was a classic barn-find, with an incredible 300 miles on the odometer and all the dust and neglect you might expect from a bike that has barely turned a wheel in nearly 30 years. The first of today’s two Ducatis is nearly the exact opposite,…
The Ducati Superlight is a far-cry from today’s “limited edition” superbikes like the Superleggera that have a performance envelope well beyond most owners’ ability to fully exploit. The Superlight isn’t a particularly fast bike, but it is very collectible, and rewarding to ride at speeds normal humans can enjoy without risking license, limb, or achieving…
First sold in 2008, KTM’s RC8R superbike came at the tail-end of the analog superbike era, just as things like ride-by-wire, traction-control, and cornering ABS were becoming the norm. After some initial issues with a crunchy gearbox that were quickly resolved, the RC8’s four-valve, twin-plug 75° v-twin was increased from the initial 1148cc to 1195…
If you’re looking for a track bike, your best bet is something as modern as possible, with broad parts availability. A reliable tool for going fast as effortlessly as possible. Something completely disposable. There’s a reason you see a ton of GSX-R600s and 1000s, R6s, the occasional SV650, even a new crop of Ninja 400…
A rare sight here in the US, the Aprilia RS50 was pretty common overseas, where strict licensing laws made these a must-have for aspiring sportbike pilots who didn’t yet qualify for the overwhelming power of a 600 or even 400cc machine… Of course there are plenty of good reasons to ride an RS50, even if…