The road-going Ducati 750F1 that was based on their 750cc-class racing machine was the very last bike developed before Ducati’s purchase by Cagiva, making it desirable for that reason alone. Earlier 600cc Pantahs were dominant in TT2 classes, winning championships from ‘81-’84, and although the larger 750 that followed in 1984 wasn’t nearly as successful…
The Aprilia Tuono is bike with a style only an engineer or a racer could love, someone who truly appreciates what something does, rather than how it looks. I’d like to call it “form-following-function,” but Aprilia always manages to include plenty of random styling bits that seem to do neither, so I won’t. But it…
Update 1.4.2015: The seller has alerted us that this bike is back on the market. There have been some updates since our first post in June 2014 and all new pictures as well. Links updated. Good luck to buyers and seller. -dc Hey, speaking of British bike magazines, here’s one you’re probably not too familiar…
Here’s one from Craigslist in South Carolina, a Honda NSR250. The NSR250 was a roadgoing two-stroke v-twin sportbike that’s been largely forgotten here in the Land of “Bigger is Better,” where two-strokes have long since vanished from the road. But among those in-the-know, they’re much sought-after by collectors and fans of the two-stroke Moto GP…
1987 saw the introduction of a new four-valve, water-cooled L-twin engine in Ducati’s new 851. While the air/oil cooled two-valve motor was and continues to be a motor with impressive tuning potential and durability, it had hit its performance limit in racing, and something new was needed to compete against the four-cylinder bikes from Japan.…
In 1992, Ducati introduced a limited-edition of their air/oil-cooled 900SS called the Superlight that featured distinctive Marvic composite wheels, cast-iron front rotors, a vented clutch cover, bits of carbon fiber bodywork, a solo tail section, and high-mount pipes to increase cornering clearance. Unfortunately, there was no engine performance increase as delivered. Available in yellow or…
Moto Guzzi is famous for manufacturing quirky, long-legged sports machines like this Daytona RS. The Daytona featured Guzzi’s 992cc four-valve, SOHC engine that was also found in the bizarrely-styled Centauro. Fans fast Moto Guzzi’s from the 1990’s are probably most familiar with the Sport 1100, the lower-spec, lower-cost version of this machine that was fitted…
So here’s a bold statement: if the Ducati 916 had never existed, the 999, along with its little brother the 749, would be considered a masterpiece. It’s a superlative machine in almost every way, and was possessed the typical Ducati virtues: a thumping v-twin with a wide powerband, stable handling, and glorious noise. But it…
