The 1980s were a very exciting time in the motorcycling world, especially for fans of Japanese bikes, and a huge variety of machines were available in a dizzying array of configurations: two-strokes and four-strokes, singles, twins, triples, fours, and even six-cylinder engines. And it wasn’t just engines that saw the application of innovative new technologies:…
Fans of modern machinery may not understand how Moto Guzzi, with their clunky driveshafts and pushrod v-twins, is allowed even a grudging membership to the sportbike club. Of course, a look back a bit further shows Guzzi was very successful in a variety of racing classes throughout the 40s and 50s. But they wanted to…
Giving K-bike riders an S of their own, BMW introduced the K1200S in 2004 and never looked back. The K1200S was BMW’s first transverse inline-4, a development project on the road to the S1000RR, but a great supersport and rival to the Hayabusa and ZX-12. In late 2005, a stock K1200S famously set records at…
It’s a shame we’ll probably never see a modern Moto Guzzi sportbike, since they’ve been nominated official “heritage brand” for the Piaggio Group. Especially disappointing, since Guzzi was active and successful in a variety of racing classes up into the 1970s. Guzzi even had a modern superbike in the works intended to compete head-to-head with…
KTM’s booming orange RC8 was a bit flawed when it was introduced, but still represented a hugely impressive effort by the first-time superbike maker. They’d worked out some of bugs of the new 75° v-twin using their earlier 990 Superduke that was a bit of a half-step between the supermoto Duke and the superbike RC8.…
During the 1980s and early 1990s, the Japanese manufacturers engaged in heated competition in the quarter-liter class, creating some of the most exciting small-displacement motorcycles of all time. They were lightweight, highly-developed, and looked great. Unfortunately here in the USA, we didn’t really get to experience them at the time, as ever-tightening emissions regulations effectively…
eBay has been awash this summer in rare and exciting two-and four-stroke quater-liter bikes from Japan, a testament to the collector market for these bikes, which are neither common nor terribly easy to import. This 1990 Suzuki RGV250SP is at least the third of its kind we have posted this summer, and it is offered…
A one-year wonder, the numbered edition S4RS Tricolore put some pizazz in the 2008 Monster line-up. The heavily oversquare testastretta engine brings 130 hp to the party, up at 9,500 rpm. Well-finished despite being naked, the 998cc V-twin also has components on the superbike level. 2008 Ducati Monster S4RS 101/400 for sale on eBay The…
