Godfather: 1998 Ducati 916

In 1994 Ducati unleashed the equivalent of a nuclear weapon in the face of a sport bike field full of conventional weaponry. That year Ducati introduced the legendary 916 – and commenced an enviable run of WSBK world titles (four within a five-year span). Simultaneously offering a quantum leap in twin-cylinder performance (horsepower, rev limits,…

Tropical Depression: 1988 Honda CBR250R

Deep in the vaults of exotic hardware purposely kept from the shores of America include examples such as this magnificent 1988 Honda CBR250R. There were extremely rare in the US during the late 1980s and 1990s – which is amusing since the venerable 250 Ninja was imported during the same period of time. But the…

Late-century modern: 1999 Honda CBR 900RR

This is what a sportbike should still look like, if you ask me. Loud, high-contrast, aggressive graphics wrapped around a stubby, purposeful chassis carrying more engine than makes sense. There are, of course, a ton of newer bikes that hit the right aesthetic notes, but none have the same Air Jordan vibe of the mid-late…

A Nordic Natural: 1988 Honda VFR750R RC30

The multiple motorcycle auctions in Las Vegas in January each year are somewhat of a bellwether for prices overall. Sure, pricing is a bit over-inflated due to peer-pressure, bidding competition and the general excitement of the auction atmosphere, but what sells high at these auctions will generally do well on the open market. If you’ve…

Partly Lucky: 1992 Suzuki RGV 250

Pity the US-based two-stroke fan. Few models were ever officially imported into the US, and those that did hit our shores only lasted for a couple of years. And while we should be happy we ever got them at all, vitally missing were the hard-edged smokers and the big bore machines. Casting eyes northward, we…