With the other manufacturers building their exotic turbocharged 80s confections around more sophisticated four-cylinder designs, why did Honda base their CX650 Turbo on a bike that was so ugly, the British press dubbed it the “plastic maggot”? Well even though a simple, pushrod v-twin seems to go against the high-tech theme these motorcycles embodied, the…
Given the Bimota SB8R’s exotic reputation, you might be surprised to learn just how affordable they can be. They’re one of the most commonly-seen Bimotas and offer up Ducati noise and performance with looks that you’d never confuse with anything else. The slightly odd styling certainly matches the exotic brand and the bike uses Suzuki’s…
Today’s Yamaha TZR250R hails all the way from South Africa, although that shouldn’t surprise fans here in the US. The USA tragically never officially received any of these 250cc two-strokes that battled it out like tiny, raspy versions of the bikes that endlessly battled for sales in the 600cc and 750cc classes. Frames were trick,…
In the middle of its ten model-year life, the RGV250 was nicely updated and a critical and popular success. The lightweight 250 was equipped like a superbike, and with the right rider could keep up with one. Though the two-stroke era had already ended here, grey market machines pop up occasionally and have almost a…
A practical, naked standard, the DB6 Delirio is a pretty far cry from Bimota’s roots. The company made its name building barely streetable racebikes with lightweight trellis frames, wild styling, improved suspension, and a raft of racebike details. The DB6 definitely has top-shelf suspension and innovative details, but it was designed as Bimota’s “entry-level” model.…
In the 1990’s several manufacturers brought big V-twins out, hoping to share the thunderbikes’ successes. Suzuki had some neat innovations aboard the 1997 TL1000S and its racier sibling -R, the 996cc engine had cam drive with gears and chain, and separate rear spring and rotary shock. The company returned to its inline four roots in 2002, but the TL1000S was a…
One of the shining stars of the two-stroke GP era, the hugely popular Kevin Schwantz and fellow American Wayne Rainey made headlines for their epic rivalry and “winner-take-all” on-track brawls. Although he actually raced an RGV500, a number of Suzuki’s road-going RGV250s were created with replica paintjobs to capitalize on Schwantz’ racing success riding with Lucky Strike…
Available for just three years here in the USA, between 1988 to 1991, the Honda Hawk GT sold pretty poorly. Introduced in an era when American buyers were snapping up fully-faired sportbikes, the Hawk was slower, more conventional-looking, and fairly expensive, so buyers here just weren’t sure what to make of it. Exactly what was…