An MV Agusta F4 750 Senna “signed by the master” would normally mean that it was signed by its creator, Massimo Tamburini. In this case though, the “master” in question is Giacomo Agostini, the famous rider who rode MVs to victory in so many races during the marque’s heyday. The F4 was to be their…
This time of year, really interesting sportbikes can be a little thin on the ground, so our online searches naturally take us farther afield. In this case, all the way to Japan for a 1983 Suzuki RGB500 that was the Grand Prix racing inspiration for the two-stroke RG500Γ. This Mk8 version was highly-developed, although the…
All right, all right. I know it’s probably not technically a sportbike. But all Confederates are extremely rare by their nature, and the very definition of exotic. The X132 Hellcat is more musclebike in terms of looks and riding position, the components list looks like an exotic owner’s Christmas wish list: BST carbon-fiber wheels, Berringer…
MZ’s history is more significant than the average enthusiast realizes, especially if you’re a fan of this site and/or grey market two-stroke sportbikes. “Why is that?” You might ask. Or more likely, “Who is that?” MZ, formerly MuZ was an East German manufacturer of two stroke motorcycles. Engineer Walter Kaaden actually pioneered the use of…
Look, I need to get this out of the way up front: this Aprilia Tuono 1000R Factory is a very ugly bike. The proportions are strange, the details are overwrought, there are creases and angles everywhere… Honestly, the only really positive thing you can say about the bodywork on the Aprilia Tuono 1000R is that…
Yamaha’s R7 was among the last in a long line of machines from the Age of Homologation Specials, where the manufacturers competing in AMA and World Superbike racing created limited runs of insanely expensive bikes that looked like production models, but were chock full of trick bits like adjustable steering heads and exotic engine internals.…
Update 3.14.2018: Turns out this one sold faster than we could post it. Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc A modern literbike is a relatively peaky beast: chasing horsepower without increasing displacement means ever-higher revs are required, and a six-speed box makes sense. It’s telling that bikes like today’s Featured Listing Yamaha’s FZR1000, one of…
Update 4.15.2018: Now listed on eBay for $18,500. Good luck to buyers and seller! -dc These days, Moto Guzzi is pigeonholed as the Piaggio Group’s resident bearer of the sporty retro banner, building the Italian equivalent of Triumph’s classic Thruxton, Speed Twin, and Bobber. Which is a damn shame, given Guzzi’s history of legitimately competitive…