Things were coming up Max Biaggi in 1996, as the Roman was in the middle of a string of three 250cc Grand Prix world titles and his storied rivalry with Valentino Rossi was still nearly half a decade in the future. The Italian claimed his trophies aboard Aprilia’s fantastic RS250GP, so the factory threw some…
This auction ended as the post was being edited, but the pictures of this super example are still available. Happy Thanksgiving ! In a rare maneuver, Honda sent the dainty VTR250 Interceptor to the U.S. – only and first – in part to keep Kawasaki’s 250cc plans in check. From 1988-1990 it was only here,…
There were a lot of things that led to the Bimota V-Due’s inauspicious fall from grace, mostly related to costs and hype that would ultimately spell disappointment when the bike finally broke cover. But by far the bike’s worst flaw was its positively heinous fuel injection system, which was designed to keep the bike in…
As special editions to begin with, Ducati Paul Smart 1000LEs generally see duty as garage queens, left largely stock and original. This one certainly has led a pampered existence thus far, but clearly was owned by someone who did not know the phrase “leave well enough alone.” 2006 Ducati Paul Smart 1000LE The list of…
Origami, if you’re not familiar, is the Japanese art of paper folding, and the resulting creations look like angular, abstract animals. KTM’s RC8R takes folded paper style to extremes, with elemental shapes and broad, flat panels that would look more at home on a concept bike than a production machine, like an origami Ducati 916.…
Unlike Honda’s NSR250R, the RS250R was Honda’s over-the-counter race bike intended for privateer teams. Of course, if you were a factory outfit, you could get your hands on something like the NSR250 or RS250RW, which honestly gets a bit confusing. Especially the fact that the NSR250 and NSR250R are completely different bikes, and the one…
One school of thinking about fast bike riding posits that the goal is speed, and that the motorcycle itself is a mere tool for achieving that end. But although a track-day GSX-R makes plenty of sense from a purely practical point of view, practical can be a little boring, so why not go fast with…
By 2002, the evolution Ducati began with the 916 was nearing the end of its rope, as age and the need to advance took their toll on the range. That didn’t stop Duc from taking one more stab at making the bikes faster and more competitive, though, and the year saw the release of the…
