Faced with the onslaught of powerful, dead-reliable motorcycles from Japan, many of the storied British and European motorcycle brands folded and Triumph was among them, although the story of their eventual resurrection is suitably British. These days, they’re famous for their characterful performance machines, but it took them years to earn that enviable reputation. This…
The second Honda RS125 that’s been up for sale in the past couple weeks, this looks like a more bare-bones offering than the last one we featured, although it still appears to be in decent shape. If you’re not familiar with the RS125, it’s no “race replica”: it’s an over-the-counter competition machine meant for racing,…
The MC21 was the third generation of Honda’s lithe NSR250R, their entry into the quarter-liter two-stroke class that had been hotly contested by the major Japanese manufacturers since the mid 1980s. Power was modest, at least in stock form, but handling was cutting-edge, and the bike was packed with the usual wealth of Honda tech:…
The very last post of 2016 is this slightly scruffy, but ready-to-race Honda RS125. It’s not a display bike, it’s a full-on racing machine, ideal for a new racer who’s learning the trade, or a veteran who just likes bikes that weigh less than they do… At just 160lbs partly-fueled, these offer up more performance…
One of the most desirable sportbikes of the 1980s, the Suzuki RG500Γ was in a class of basically two with the Yamaha RZ500. Powered by a two-stroke square four it shared with no other bike in Suzuki’s lineup, the Gamma was intended to evoke their Grand Prix racebikes, which led to an interesting dilemma: two-strokes…
If you want a machine with charisma, humane ergonomics, and a dash of tradition, the early 90s Ducati 900SS is a modern classic that offers a less frantic experience than similar bikes from Japan. Straight-line performance for the two-valve v-twin is modest, but these were all about midrange power and torque. Powered by a 904cc…
From the “jeez, if you’re going to post your bike for sale, couldn’t you at least wash it” files comes this Honda NSR250R MC28. Early NSRs have become relatively common on this site recently, with containers full of them coming over from Japan, now that they’ve become relatively easy to register in some parts of…
Built for 1987 and 1988, the NC24 version of Honda’s VFR400 was powered by a 399cc V4 with a lofty 14k redline, although it used a more conventional 180° crank instead of the later bike’s 360° “big bang” unit, which should give the bike more of an inline-four sound but with the added bonus…