“Like any habit that becomes a vice, you think you can handle it. Just the one. That’s what you tell yourself. As a man of fortitude and strong character, you can take it or leave it. But before too long you’ve crossed a line. You don’t even know where that line was and now you’re…
These days, it’s longer to tell what’s not onboard the RZ-350 than what is. One of the last two-strokes in the U.S. market, there is no ECU, no 3-way adjustable dampers, no anti-dive, no traction control, no speed shifter, no fuel injection, no anti-lock brakes, etc., etc. Just 375 lbs., 50 ponies, and maybe you.…
The iconic GSX-R750 looked ready for endurance racing right off the showroom floor. But while it set the standard in terms of racy looks, there were plenty of compromises made for production, and the 1986 GSX-R750R Limited Edition helped rectify that. The homologation LE included the regular production ’86 bike’s change to a longer swingarm,…
Almost 20 years on since the introduction of the V7 and the big V-twin was still the basis for the Moto-Guzzi range. Alejandro De Tomaso took a personal interest in the machine, displacement was increased from 850 to 1000cc, and the front wheel size reduced to 16 inches in the interest of quicker handling. In…
It was clear that Ducati had a lock on the “sexy v-twin” market in the mid-90s, selling basically every 916 they could make at a very premium price. But, aside from the funky, springless valves, they weren’t really offering anything all that innovative, and Suzuki figured they could do something much better for cheaper. And…
At some point, you may get to thinking, “These modern sport bikes are going to kill me.” It’s a pretty logical conclusion. It’s bad enough we have to dodge car drivers on cell phones, off-leash dogs, deer, moose, apparently coyotes… We have to watch out for road debris, sand, rocks, wet leaves, and sometimes discarded…
As the 1990’s wound down Bimota ventured into powerplant development, and produced a race-derived 500cc two-stroke mill for their 1997 V-Due. Not for the meek however, fuel injection difficulties forced a recall and Bimota re-fit the entire production with carburettors, leaving them mostly outside emissions regulations for street machines, and ultimately forcing the partners to…
Based on YZF750 race bikes from 1987 and 1988, the Yamaha FZR750R OW01 went head-to-head with Honda’s RC30, although on the surface it may have seemed less exotic. While Honda’s machine used a gear-driven V4 configuration with a striking single-sided swingarm, the Yamaha mostly looked like a garden-variety FZR750. But under the skin, it was…