Ducati is responsible for some of the most iconic motorcycles in the world. They are also purveyors of more marketing ploys than any other manufacturer, as evidenced by the endless parade of Limited Edition models. Therefore, words like “special” and “rare” are used so often as to appear meaningless. But limited numbers aside, Ducati has…
Moto Guzzi cross-pollinated their 1990’s unfaired sport model with the newly developed 992cc four-valve V-twin, the result being the V10 Centauro. Calendar-girl bodywork surrounds the air and oil-cooled beast within, tuned down from the Daytona 1000’s peak but still happy to rev to the 8,400 rpm limit and crank out 95 hp. This one has…
“Ram air” was a very 90s gimmick with dubious benefits, especially on the road, but they gave bikes of the 1990s like this Suzuki GSX-R750 SRAD a distinctive style, with oversized fairing nostrils and large intake tubes that curved through the rider’s view and into the top of the tank to pressurize the airbox. Well…
You are looking at what Cycle magazine dubbed the fastest motorcycle of 1985. Ripping off a quarter mile faster than liter bikes of the day, the Kawasaki GPz750 Turbo took the latest fad and turned it into a very sharp weapon indeed. Easily the most potent of the Turbo set, the GPZ750 Turbo pushed the…
Imagine the scene in Honda dealerships back in 1982: Buck Rogers – your bike is ready. One can only imagine what the buying public thought of a futuristic, turbocharged rocket ship that offered liter-bike power in a 500cc format. Unfortunately, the reaction from the general public was not to immediately rip open their wallets and…
Taking the sportbike fight right downtown, Triumph’s all-new 600 made a valiant run at the big four. Light weight, nice handling, and quality components, it unfortunately had to be shipped before the fuel injection could be adequately tweaked. And though software updates have corrected the throttle response issues, the damage to the reputation caused the…
Using the innovative Daytona 1000 engine, and occupying a more boulevard bike place in the line-up next to the 1100 Sport, Guzzi’s V10 Centauro was fun as a styling exercise and a powerful grocery getter. Though the basis for the modern V-twin was designed in 1971 by Lino Tonti, a significant upgrade was made in…
A dentist turned Moto Guzzi racer, Dr. John Wittner won several titles in the mid-1980’s, and lent his hard-earned expertise to the factory during the development of the 1000cc Daytona. Along with some consulting from Raceco ( an English racing tuner that had worked on the exciting Daytona racing prototype ), the collaboration produced the…