Somehow, in spite of their achievements, performance, and reliability, Aprilias generally qualify as “bargain exotica” instead of blue-chip collectibles. But if you were looking to bet on a particular Aprilia that might qualify as collectible, other than the RS250, the RSV1000R Nera might be worth a look. The upstart Italians were dipping their toe into…
Update 3.15.2019: Now relisted on eBay with a buy-it-now of $37,900. Good luck to buyers and seller! Links updated. -dc Before Honda and Suzuki engineered machines with turbocharged engines in the early part of the 1980s, Kawasaki pioneered the idea by using forced induction to make their musclebound Z1R a truly brawny street machine. By…
Pretty much the only way this Honda NSR250R could be more desirable would be for it to be in Rothmans colors. Honestly, I’m not even the biggest fan of race-replica schemes, but nobody does them like Honda, and the Repsol colors are a close second. But even in its “generic” colors, the MC28 version of…
When I got into bikes, it was easy for me to indulge my existing bias towards European machinery, since Japanese bikes were garishly colored and festooned with neon graphics, with silly names [Ninja? Katana? Really?], owned by posturing riders who thought t-shirts, sweat shorts, and high-top sneakers were appropriate riding attire. Welcome to New Jersey,…
The mighty CBX is one of those bikes that don’t really make a lot of sense to some riders. While a liter bike in size, that size is really the problem. Rather than a twin or even a four-banger, the CBX is a bona fide six lanes wide when viewed from the front. A wild…
For the Suzuki RGV250’s last few model years, Suzuki gave the popular machines a thorough redesign, with updated fairings and a brand-new 70-degree v-twin replacing the long serving 90-degree mill that helped make the bikes famous. In most trims, they were choked down to around 40 horsepower. But a limited number of Lucky Strike liveried…
For those readers of a certain age, the 1980s were an amazing time to ride. Motorcycles were making quantum leaps in terms of performance, and technology was reshaping the design elements that we take for granted today. Take for example this wonderful 1986 Suzuki GSX-R1100. Only two years previous one of the top dogs of…
Ducati’s original “round-case” v-twin may be one of the most beautiful engines of all time but, while tower shafts and bevel gears may be a very precise way to operate valves, they sure aren’t an economical one. Think about the shimming that must be done during assembly; it’s a very labor-intensive way to construct an…