In the early days of motorcycle design, there were a variety of alternatives to the telescopic forks that have become the standard in an industry evolving towards efficiency but, unfortunately also towards homogeny. Even the S1000RR that followed today’s HP2 Sport as BMW’s flagship sportbike is evidence of this: that striking asymmetrical bodywork is wrapped…
Before the introduction of their conventional, but devastatingly effective S1000RR, BMW was known for their durable, quirky motorcycles and “old man in a Roadcrafter suit” image. But in the lead-up to the introduction of the RR, BMW attempted to revive their forgotten, but very legitimate sporting image with the limited-production HP2 Sport. BMW already had…
Back when two-strokes ruled the entry-level sportbike class in Europe, Aprilia’s RS125 was designed to appeal to new riders who wanted something sporty, but were limited in terms of displacement and outright power by strict licensing laws that prevented the purchase of bikes that in the USA would be considered “learner bikes.” Sponsor logos and…
Update 2.20.2017: Price is now $17k and links are updated. -dc Regardless of how you feel about the Ducati 999, it was a significant failure in terms of sales for the company, something they could ill-afford for their flagship product. Although it was an improvement in virtually every way when compared to the outgoing 998, Ducati’s conservative…
Although the American motorcycling community seems divided along impractical bikes at either end of the spectrum, journalists and riding enthusiasts long bemoaned the lack of real performance nakeds like this second-generation Aprilia Tuono: bikes that had the performance of a sportbike with all-day ergonomics. A bike you could ride to the twisties and then in…
Starting with their DB1, obviously, and continuing through the present day, Bimota has a long history of using Ducati engines in their bikes. And while other Ducati-powered Bimotas have generally used the torquey but relatively low-power air-cooled versions of their classic v-twin, this Bimota DB7 is powered by the liquid-cooled, four-valve Testastretta version, which gives…
With so many “paint and tape” special editions, it sometimes seems like there were very few standard MV Agusta F4s actually built… But the 1078 RR312 is more than just some flat-black paint with a famous name slapped on it. The RR312 throws any pretense at race-eligibility out the window with a big-bore motor and…
Update 2.15.2016: Now on eBay. Good luck to buyers and seller. -dc Designed to bring sex appeal and sales success back to Ducati after the aesthetically disappointing 999, the 1098 was a visual restyle and mechanical evolution of their four-valve superbike line introduced in 2007. Although styling is subjective, it’s pretty clear that the redesign…