The Suzuki TL1000R was famously underwhelming when released. It was a bit too fat, didn’t handle as brilliantly as the Italian competition, and while it looked appropriately Suzuki-ish, styling wasn’t considered a high point. Sort of like the designers were watching a lot of platypus porn while they were styling the bike… In fact, all…
Performance is a moving target. In the 1970s, the Norton Commando was a “beast” with 750cc, around 60hp, and a 115mph top speed. These days, many entry-level machines can match those performance targets, and you can pick up bikes with engines as large as 2500cc and power north of 200hp. But at the time, Honda’s…
If you bought a mid-size two-stroke Yamaha streetbike in 1975, you got the very, very good RD350. You also got shortchanged, because buyers who waited just a year got the 1976 Yamaha RD400C, which Cycle World lauded as the perfect motorcycle, and which carried way more improvements than a simple displacement bump. 1976 Yamaha RD400…
Aprilia boarded the naked train in 2002 and shortly switched tracks to a more streetfighter-ish vibe. This 2008 model is super-clean and has some nice accessories. 2008 Aprilia Tuono 1000R for sale on eBay Based on the Mille superbike, the Tuono ( thunder, to you ) used the investment-grade Rotax 999cc twin, somehow making 139…
Update 7.26.2019: Dave has renewed his Featured Listing for his OW01. It is now available on eBay and he also notes that spare body work is also available at additional cost (pictures added to gallery). Thanks for supporting the site, Dave, and good luck to buyers! -dc There was a time in the late 1980s…
The 1980s were wild time of experimentation. There was a technology explosion as liquid cooling, computerized fuel injection and other performance enhancers hit the scene. The sport bike battleground became a dizzying array of different configurations, each manufacturer vying for top honors on the racetrack and the showroom. Nowhere was this more evident than the…
Late July we should be focused on tall drinks with a lot of ice and a splash of seltzer, when a bargain-priced lightweight pops up. This restorable rider sponsors thoughts of a ( well air conditioned ) van trip to Georgia. 1989 Yamaha FZR-400 for sale on eBay Yamaha had been pursuing separate F3 and…
Laypeople often love cars and motorcycles with gratuitous stylistic frippery: air vents leading to nowhere, extraneous “engine beautification” panels to cover up the oily bits and wiring, unnecessary surface details to break up large panels. They don’t really understand the function of all those parts, or aerodynamic styling, so if it looks right, it is…