The mighty RC8R was started as an internal pet project wtihin KTM R&D. This was no mere “sporty bike” project. Rather, the RC8 lineup was designed with racing in mind – Superbike competition and more. The culmination of that project was the “R” model RC8 – with top-shelf components and exclusive performance that rivaled the…
It may take you a little bit to pry yourself away from this first picture. It’s OK, I’ll wait a moment. Yes, that is an honest-to-God, freaking *original* Kawasaki KR-1R. The rarest of the rare of the quarter-liter smoking set has arrived, and this is your chance (and likely your only chance) to score one…
Update 7.30.2017: Seller has notified us that this bike is now sold. Congratulations to buyer and seller! -dc In the glorious 1990s, big tobacco made motorsports run. Cigarette sponsorship was everywhere, and every major series and team was titled by a cancer stick hawker; The Winston Cup, The Camel GT series (as well as the…
In the hardcore world of RSBFS, two strokes rule and four strokes drool (oil). The simple reason is power to weight: Take this 1990 NSR250R as an example: a 250cc v-twin producing approximately 45 HP in Japanese restricted configuration, has only only 290 lbs of bike to move. Similar four strokes have 10-15 less HP…
In the mid-1990s when Ducati was dominating World Superbike racing and the all-important bedroom-wall-fantasy-poster competition, it seemed like everybody wanted to get into the v-twin market and “beat Ducati at its own game.” It shouldn’t have been that hard, right? I mean, Ducati made fast bikes, but part of why they were so successful in…
The Honda NSR150 SP is an interesting bike. A solid step above the sub-250cc scooters one might see in major Asian metro areas, the SP provides the bits and pieces to make this a steed worthy of the Repsol livery: single sided swingarm, perimeter aluminum frame, cast wheels, liquid cooling, power valve, and dual-piston front…
There was a time when the alphanumeric naming of a motor vehicle actually meant something, a time when a BMW 535 was obviously a 5-Series car sporting a 3.5 liter inline six, or when you could tell just from the name that a Ferrari 360 Modena was powered by a 3.6 liter version of their…
The 400cc class of bikes is a special one. In the 1980s and 1990s these sub-middleweights provided a rare mix of compact geometry, light weight and just enough horsepower (if there is such a thing). The resulting motorcycles were outstanding rider machines, race-worthy platforms and lusted after by world markets. The US was privy to…