The original Suzuki GSX-R750 that was introduced in 1985 may have been a “race bike for the road” in theory, and it certainly gave privateers an excellent foundation on which to build a pretty competitive machine. But there are always areas where compromises are made for production efficiencies, so there’s always room for improvement when…
Honda’s seminal CBR900RR remains a desirable 90s sportbike, and remains one of the most collectible motorcycles of the period. Subsequent versions of the “Fireblade” were always incredibly polished and competent motorcycles, but somehow failed to capture the original’s lightning in a bottle. So what made the original so special? Most importantly, the CBR900RR was designed…
We’ve been a little Ducati-heavy this week, but there’s no way I was going to skip this one: an Eraldo Ferracci-prepped and tuned Ducati 916 SPS. Sure, this might look like yet another boring 916, but the SPS is one of Ducati’s fire-breathing homologation specials, and this example has been endowed with a highly-tuned stroker…
Update 6.18.2020: This bike is SOLD! Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc We don’t post a ton of “classic” sportbikes here, but some motorcycles transcend the era in which they were built: the bevel-drive Ducati 900SS, the Moto Guzzi V7 Sport, Norton Manx, Vincent Black Shadow, Kawasaki ELR, Honda CBX, and this bright orange Laverda…
After a long, slow fall from grace into obscurity, Triumph had some soul-searching to do. Once, a premier manufacturer of sporting motorcycles, the storied brand needed a brand new strategy when businessman John Bloor chose to resurrect the company, instead of turning their facility into upscale condos… Instantly creating a line of motorcycles to topple…
The history of rotary motorcycles is relatively short and includes a few technologically interesting, but largely unsuccessful motorcycles by Hercules, Suzuki, and Nortons. I’ll admit that I’m stretching the definition of “sport bike” much more than I usually do with this Norton Commando P52 police bike, but it’s such an oddball I had to post…
Chasing the ever-changing rules of production racing can be rough on smaller companies. They spend years developing a machine that can be sold to the public, but also meets the stringent requirements to compete in racing, and then the formula changes, leaving the new machine high and dry, unable to race competitively. Larger companies can…
When you see “Oro” in a motorcycle name these days, it immediately conjures images of low-production, high-spec exotics like the MV Agusta F4 750 Serie Oro. This little smoker was really anything but “limited-production” or “high-spec,” and Aletta Oro translates to “golden wing.” Of course, it’s obvious that it has nothing in common with Honda’s…