I had never heard of HPE Muskin until I saw this ad, but it turns out I’ve ridden one of their bikes. HPE Muskin was a California-based company that specialized in making swimming pools. But ─ because why not? ─ they also manufactured a range of motorized ‘toys’ in the 1960s and ’70s: minibikes, mini dune buggies, go karts, and …
1985 Garelli Monza GT
Garelli is not a well-known marque in the world of motorcycling, but this moped was released while they were in the middle of an impressive run of 6 consecutive 125cc 2-stroke World Championships from 1982 to 1987.
1973 Triumph X75 Hurricane
Behold: a unicorn. Less than 1,200 of these were ever made. Designed specifically for the American market but inherently unable to succeed there, this bike is, in a way, an encapsulation of the weird and tumultuous period of British motorcycling history in which it was made. Fast and uniquely styled, the X75 Hurricane is the sort of bike most of …
2018 Yamaha Star Venture Transcontinental
I’ve mentioned before that I am a sucker for a stupidly big touring bike. So, it goes without saying that the Yamaha XV1900 Star Venture ─ with an overall length of just under 9 feet and a wet weight of 963 lbs. ─ would be the sort of thing to set my heart all aflutter.
1984 Moto Guzzi California II
The California is easily one of Moto Guzzi’s best-known and best-loved models. It was born of a collaboration with the Los Angeles Police Department back in 1969, and built around Moto Guzzi’s equally iconic V7 roadster. The bike was a hit and found itself added to the fleets of a number of other police departments. But it wasn’t too long …
1969 BSA Rocket 3
If you’re thinking this bike looks a little like a Triumph Trident of the same era, that’s because they were basically the same machine; Triumph and BSA were, at the time, basically the same company.
1983 Yamaha Virago 750 Midnight Special
On the surface, there’s not much that’s special about a Yamaha Virago. But perhaps that’s part of what makes it special. The Virago was an everyman metric cruiser that was offered in pretty much every engine size imaginable over the course of its 26-year model run (1981-2007). Depending on the specific year and the specific market, versions were offered in …
1967 Bultaco Metralla 250 MKII
Sometimes in life you’ll encounter something that will befuddle you, that you’ll look at and think: “What was the starting point for this? Surely this wasn’t the original idea.” An example of this phenomenon is the seat on this 1967 Bultaco Metralla MKII. Surely what they ended up with is not what they initially had in mind. How did this …
1966 BMW R50/2 with Steib Sidecar
I’ll admit it was the sidecar that really caught my eye, particularly the gorgeous red upholstery. There’s something very Dita von Teese about it. But, unquestionably, the motorcycle ─ completely rebuilt by the previous owner, according to the seller ─ is a thing of beauty, too. Collectively, this is one of the prettiest rigs I’ve found since I started writing …
R90S Inspired – 2012 BMW R1200R
Last week, BMW unveiled its new R 12 S, a boxer-twin heritage model that overtly draws inspiration from the R90S that was manufactured from 1973-1976. With that bike very much on my mind, I went searching for one to highlight on Bike-urious. I found a few good examples (all with considerable asking prices), but the machine that stood out to …
Tracker-Style Custom – 2016 Indian Scout
Almost as soon as Indian Motorcycle revealed its modern Scout cruiser back in 2014, riders were lamenting the fact the brand had chosen to put an enthusiastic, revvy V-twin in a platform that had the cornering ability of a refrigerator. (And, quite possibly some of the worst OEM tires imaginable). This feeling was exacerbated when Indian drafted in Roland Sands …
1992 Harley-Davidson FXRT Sport Glide
I can’t decide whether I love or hate the paint job on this FXRT. It’s the blessing and curse of Harleys that the vast majority of them carry the decisions of their owners, meaning any potential buyer of a secondhand model has to come to terms with someone else’s choices. So, would I want a bike that looked just a …
1972 Ducati 750 GT
I’m not sure I’d want to touch its $20,000 Buy It Now asking price, but there’s no question this iconic Ducati is a beauty. The first of the L-twins, the 750 GT was manufactured from 1971-1974. Designed by Ducati legend Fabio Taglioni, its engine would go on to be a defining characteristic of Ducatis for decades to come. This bike …
In England – 1989 Honda NTV 600 Revere
Here’s a quirky one. This particular bike is being sold in the United Kingdom and I doubt very much that you’re going to travel to get it. Heck, I doubt there are that many people in the UK who are willing to travel for it.
In Australia – 1997 Drysdale 750 V8
One of the craziest motorcycles I’ve ever featured on Bike-urious was the creation of Ian Drysdale – it was called the 2x2x2 because it was a “two wheel drive, two wheel steer, two wheeled bike.” Ian also created a Superbike but even in a more traditional situation he still went crazy – he built his own V8 engine!