Looking very much like a mid-1970s 750S, this Moto Guzzi 1000S was retro before retro was cool. In possibly the most Moto Guzzi-ist move ever, the company beat the classic styling craze by decades simply out of necessity. Faced with an outdated product line, Guzzi needed a sporty machine to fill the gap before the…
On the upswing in the later 20th century, Erik Buell was a sharp engineer who developed a succession of street machines from his weakness for race bikes. The RR1200 Battletwin was based on the classic Harley-Davidson twin, expanded to 1198cc, used Buell’s own “isoplanar” engine mounts, and had a contemporary streamliner body. This example has…
Considering it’s one of the most iconic motorcycles of the modern era, prices of Ducati’s 916/996/998 are almost shockingly reasonable, although there are plenty of dogs and ex-race bikes out there that should be avoided unless you’re handy with a wrench or have lots of room on your credit card. There’s something for everybody, from…
More than just a model, Moto Guzzi’s V11 was a nice collection of special editions made from 1999 to 2006. The tri-colore Coppa Italia commemorates the firm’s participation in the Italian naked bike championship in 2003. This 2004 has been lightly ridden and upgraded and appears to want only a healthy owner. 2004 Moto Guzzi…
Some motorcycle enthusiasts are looking for a perfect, time-capsule example of their favorite bikes. Me? I’m glad perfect examples are out there for collectors, but I want something I can ride and enjoy without being worried that a tip-over or low-side or just a few extra miles on the odometer will destroy the value of…
Update 9.15.2017: Bike has been sold. Congratulations to buyer and seller! Contact information removed. -dc Unlike some retro-styled motorcycles that sacrifice performance for style, Ducati’s SportClassics really allow you to have your cake and eat it too: they look great, with a nice blend of classic and modern styling cues, excellent handling, and enough power…
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…
The history of the quarter-liter sportbike seems to be one of convergent evolution: twins obviously make sense given the size and capacity, or even triples, if we go back to the 1970s and consider a Kawasaki S1 a “sportbike.” But early bikes could be powered by parallel or vee configurations, and by the time the…