The Honda RVT1000 SP-2 might lack the drop-dead sex appeal of a Ducati, but Honda’s legendary reputation for build-quality and reliability offer up a charm all their own. Back in the mid-1990s, Ducati was seeing unprecedented success on and off track with Massimo Tamburini’s brainchild, the 916 and its derivatives. On-track, it could be argued…
Today’s classic and very striking Honda CB1100R was based on the CB900F and built to homologate Honda’s big-bore sportbike for endurance racing. It was powered by a 1062cc version of their air-cooled four that featured plenty of exotic go-fast bits, made 115hp, and motivated a claimed 520lbs dry. That figure sounds pretty portly by today’s…
Although the Honda NSR two-stroke sportbikes were by no means “starter bikes” and were very high-performing motorcycles, they were still relatively affordable and often bought by riders not flush enough to afford the taxes on bigger bikes. Basically: young hooligans bought them. Because of this, nice examples are pretty thin on the ground in their…
An update of the earlier 1988 MC18, the 1989 Honda NSR250R model saw evolutionary changes to the bodywork and styling of this small-displacement sportbike. But the most impressive feature was the highly-evolved PGM-II electronic control unit. As brutally simple as two-strokes are in concept, there is real art in the tuning, and Honda’s PGM-II orchestrated…
If you’re in the market for a high-performance, quarter-liter two-stroke, then this is the one to have. As cool to look at as it is to ride, Honda’s NSR250R is a two-stroke race replica splashed with one of the most evocative paint-and-graphics combinations of the modern era, made ever so sexy by the dangerous, forbidden-fruit…
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…
A precursor to the iconic NC30 that was a sort of “mini RC30,” the VFR400R was powered by the a 399cc, gear-driven V4 and had the bigger model’s same ELF-designed Pro-Arm single-sided swingarm. Visual differences compared to the later NC30 include a more conventional, street-bike styled single headlight and bodywork, along with four bolts to…