When it came to Grand Prix racing, the Yamaha TZ250 was a class-leading act. Through the late 1970s and early 1980s, Yamaha was a force to be reckoned with, and the privateer racer was the prime beneficiary. Mere mortals – with some racing creds and a pile of cash – could purchase something very close…
Pop Quiz time! Say you live in the United States and want a voluptuous, import grey market bike that can’t be easily found on our shores. Where do you go? Canada, of course! Just feast you eyes on this sexy NC30 – baby RC30 if you so care to call it – and wonder why…
Motorcycling history is littered with storied nameplates undone by economic changes, and many have tried and failed to resurrect those brands, but one of the enduring success stories continues to be Triumph. Sunk by a changing economy, a changing market, and an inability to compete with the reliable, affordable, high-performance bikes from Japan, Triumph’s long,…
There is something about big Guzzis that set them apart. It’s not just one thing, either; it’s the overall package that sets the mind wandering. Italian, long legged good looks, wonderful booming V-twin sounds, some degree of exclusivity due to relative rarity, and a reputation for longevity and long ownership. Moto Guzzis evoke class, elegance,…
Values of Honda’s overbuilt homologation special VF1000R have been shockingly low up until very recently, but these red-white-and-blue beasts are starting to see a significant increase in price. They’re not lightweight or nimble at nearly 600lbs with a tank of fuel, but Honda’s build quality and engineering prowess are on display throughout the bike: the…
Sometimes, the amazingly low-mileage bikes that we stumble across surprise me. I mean, who at the time it was new would think to ferret away a pristine Yamaha FZR400? Of course it was always a cool bike, but the kind of thing you’d buy and preserve as a collectible? Seems strange, but the upside is…
Competition between the Japanese manufacturers in the 250cc sportbike class was fierce, with each trying for some small advantage in terms of performance, given the limited displacement and government-mandated power cap. On paper, they all seem to follow a pretty standard template: a compact two-stroke twin cylinder engine, power-valves of one sort or another, and…
Different motorcycle manufacturers have different ways of mining riders’ nostalgia and their own history: Triumph makes motorcycles that look like they rolled straight out of the 1960s but perform like modern machines, while Harley Davidson makes actual 1960s motorcycles, only heavier and with 1980s brakes and electronics. Ducati’s retro bikes manage to straddle the…