Today’s Yamaha TZR250 has a couple interesting things going for it. In addition to the unusual, reversed-cylinder configuration of this Japanese market 3MA, it’s also available in this interesting black/grey/red color scheme: almost all the 3MAs we’ve featured on this site have been white with red speed-block graphics. Earlier TZR250s from 1986-1988 used a conventional…
Guzzi is one of the oldest and most storied motorcycle manufacturers in existence, but they’ve drifted pretty far from their sporting roots in recent years, owing to their purchase by Piaggio, a move that has kept them afloat, but forever relegated to building vintage-styled and cruisers to prevent them competing with more sports-oriented bikes from…
I once saw Penn & Teller perform and, after their last illusion was complete, the pair appeared onstage, illuminated by a single, overhead spot. They were both casually smoking cigarettes and Penn [obviously] talked a bit about how they both like to indulge in a cigarette after a show. However, he acknowledged that smoking is really…
With a dry weight of under 300lbs and a responsive engine that rewards the skilled rider, Honda’s NSR250R MC21 is especially desirable here in the USA where two-stroke sportbikes died with the Yamaha RZ350 in the mid-1980s. They’ve cropped up pretty regularly recently, but are still difficult to find in good condition, as they were…
This Japanese-market Yamaha RZV500R is a bit of a double-edged sword: one one hand, the bike came with a lightweight aluminum frame instead of the steel frame found on bikes destined for other markets. But, on the other hand, power output was restricted, down from 88hp to 64. From a pure performance perspective, the ideal…
By the late 1970s, it was pretty obvious that Ducati needed to update their line: performance wasn’t really all that much of a problem, but their famous L-twin was very expensive to manufacture. So when the time came… They simply tossed the whole thing out the window and started over, with a parallel-twin that used…
Shaft drive has well-known advantages in terms of maintenance and reliability but is rarely seen in the sportbike world as it limits gearing choices and generally adds too much weight to a bike like this Moto Guzzi Daytona Racing. In a world where every ounce counts and bikes are pared to the bone, sacrificing durability…
Although the very last MC28 version of the NSR250R is often considered the most desirable of the line today, with high-tech electronics, handling, and gorgeous good looks, obviously owes its existence and success to the original Honda NSR250R MC16. These are becoming a bit less the unicorns they’ve been here in the USA up until…