Although the 750cc class is basically dead today, there was a time when middleweight sportbikes were the bikes to have, and competition between the Japanese Big Four was fierce in showrooms and on track. Kawasaki’s ZX-7, known elsewhere as the ZXR750 was perhaps The People’s Middleweight Sportbike of the era, a far more accessible and…
If you wanted a lightweight backroad weapon decorated with speedblock graphics in the late 80s and early 90s, your choice was clear: a Yamaha TZR250. The first TZR was powered by a liquid-cooled parallel twin and the last had the familiar 90° v-twin layout shared with Aprilia, Suzuki, and Honda. In between, Yamaha’s 1989-1990 3MA…
Update 2.19.2016: I have received word from the seller that this bike is sold. Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc Well, I knew these Honda CBR250Rs existed, but I’ve never seen one for sale before. If you’re thinking, “Oh jeez, so what? It’s a four-stroke 250. A learner bike.” Keep in mind, this is a…
With pre-1990’s vehicles becoming easier to import than ever, there’s a strong market for slightly thrashed 250cc two-stroke sportbikes here in the US. These weren’t especially uncommon overseas but bikes like this Honda NSR250R are about as rare as the proverbial hen’s teeth here. So while some might be annoyed at the opportunists cashing in…
Other manufacturers had to scramble a bit when Suzuki pulled the rug out from under them with their thoroughly modern GSX-R750. But they recovered quickly, and the Seven-Fifty Wars of the late 1980’s and 1990’s produced some terrific motorcycles like this Kawasaki ZX-7 that have been neglected for a long time. They weren’t particularly rare…
Although the ZXR-750/ZX-7 H1 often gets overlooked in favor of the GSX-R from the same time period, the Kawasaki was a worthy competitor. The bike was powered by a 749cc inline-four that produced 105hp, a number that looks unimpressive in light of today’s sport bikes, but was on par with the Gixxer and YZF. Interestingly,…
This Honda RS250 is not a road bike. It was never a road bike. It’s not a streetbike stripped of lights or a “race replica”: it was never meant to be used anywhere but the track. An over-the-counter GP250 machine from Honda, it is powered by a slightly undersquare 249cc two stroke v-twin and weights…
Sometimes overshadowed by the GSX-R750 and a bit of an late arrival to the endurance-racer party in the late 1980’s, the Kawasaki ZXR-750 sold well, but few are around today, especially in such beautiful condition. The styling is very handsome, although it obviously helps if you’re a fan of Kawi’s lurid green paint… Powered by…