It’s not a new thing to scan a sportbike forum and find a subset of self-professed sportbike cognoscenti espousing the virtues of supersport 600s over literbikes for daily street use and getting the most out of yourself on a mountain road. The big bikes, they argue, are almost too much for most racetracks, let alone…
For connoisseurs, the Ducati 851 is the Bolognese superbike to have: it’s not as obvious or uncomfortable as a 916, and it was the first of the four-valve breed, the speartip of Ducati’s new push to be relevant to the modern sportbike world. The air-cooled, two-valve Pantah may be a classic, charismatic engine, but it…
Racing fans naturally gravitate towards sportbikes that feature graphics and colors associated with their favorite racing teams. Since those designs are often chosen for their visibility over any concerns about taste, it’s rare that a design stands out for being both striking and classic. It’s a shame that some of the most memorable and iconic…
With lightweight bodywork held on by just a few bolts [note the one-piece tank-and-tail unit] and a plastic fuel cell, the Bimota YB8 used plenty of tricks learned on the racetrack and was pretty far ahead of its time. Based on the previous YB4 and YB6 but powered by the larger FZR1000 engine, approximately 250…
With a dry weight of under 300lbs and a responsive engine that rewards the skilled rider, Honda’s NSR250R MC21 is especially desirable here in the USA where two-stroke sportbikes died with the Yamaha RZ350 in the mid-1980s. They’ve cropped up pretty regularly recently, but are still difficult to find in good condition, as they were…
Look, just to be clear: if you’re in California, you’re not getting this bike. The seller is most emphatic on that point. See below. It’s not that it’s completely impossible to find or to title a grey-market import Suzuki RGV250Γ in California, it’s just that you’re not getting this particular bike: apparently the seller tried but didn’t…
Looking to start your own vintage race team? Well today’s brace of 1991 Yamaha TZ250s and a whole raft of included spare parts is ready to help you do just that, just add trailer. And talent. Sports two-strokes from the 80s ands 90s are very rare and desirable these days, with fresh imports from Japan…
The impossibly exotic Gilera CX125 still looks futuristic today but, while the fully-enclosed bodywork and unusual suspension appeared radical when new, the underlying mechanical bits are surprisingly pedestrian. Sure the bike handled well, but the 125cc two-stroke single powering the CX is far from the exciting, sophisticated engine you’d expect, considering the bike’s striking design.…