Known as the ZX-7 in the United States and the ZXR750R in other markets, Kawasaki’s answer to the 1990s class of 750cc superbikes came in a wide variety of specs over its 14-year production cycle, but the early race special bikes are the ones that truly capture imaginations. In 1993, Kawasaki churned out a few…
The original Benelli triple in the Tornado displaced 898cc and couldn’t really compete head-to-head against the other comparable superbikes of the era. It was a good bike, with sound engineering and a quirky layout that located the radiators and fans in the tail of the bike. But it wasn’t quite good enough and, when WSBK…
Honda’s second generation small V-4 took the successes of the VFR-400R / NC30 and modernized them for the late 1990’s. Having never been sold new here, all are gray market imports with metric speedos. RSBFS reader Jae has this super-clean example tuned for the high country. Sticking with the winning formula, Honda made evolutionary changes…
Used to be factories could build race replicas by throwing on a garland sticker, some reservoir shocks, a rorty pipe and a loud paintjob. Just basic mods and some raucous pigments got you looking a lot like Eddie Lawson back in 1983, though getting near his lap times still required a pile of special parts,…
The Honda RC51 had a short lifespan as a factory-supported superbike contender, but it made its years count, taking home World Superbike titles in 2000 and 2002. The latter was a special year for the big twin Honda, as Nicky Hayden also captured the AMA Superbike championship aboard one. Honda celebrated the feat in 2004…
Going Moto Guzzi has always been a choice. These v-twins are an interesting alternative to the high-strung offerings of those other Italian marques. Character is plentiful, as is an abundance of low RPM torque. Quality is high, at both the component as well as the build level. Performance is adequate – but far more relaxed…
For a flagship superbike, the Suzuki GSX-R1100 looked relatively primitive on paper: oil/air cooled engine, twin cradle frame, five-speed gearbox… But the sledgehammer personality of the early GSX-R1100 makes it more collectible today, next to comparatively polished in-era competition from Honda and Yamaha. It may not have been the most sophisticated bike, but it did…
Update 6.20.2019: We last saw this bike in March of 2018 and bidding ended just shy of $10k. It’s back on eBay with a buy-it-now of $17,875. Links updated. -dc Ducati has come a long way in terms of service costs and reliability. The four-valve Bologna twins have always offered good power and a bulging…
