Ducati has recently made waves with their power cruiser, the Diavel. But the Italians tried their hand at a cruiser over 20 years before, with the Ducati Indiana. Like most of the featured bikes on Bike-urious, the Indiana was an incredibly interesting motorcycle that ended up as a commercial failure.
2009 Aprilia SVX 5.5
The Aprilia SVX 5.5 is a absolute rocket of a dual-sport supermoto. With a V-Twin engine that produces nearly 70 horsepower, and less than 320 pounds of curb weight, this bike is an incredible performer that is probably one of the most hooligan friendly bikes produced in the last twenty years.
1966 Moto Guzzi Dingotre
The Moto Guzzi Dingotre was a three-wheeler pickup powered by a 49cc single-cylinder engine. Designed as a delivery carrier for use in small Italian villages, the small motor size and three wheels enabled individuals without a license to legally operate it.
2002 Aprilia Caponord
The Aprilia Caponord, internally designated as the ETV1000, was Aprilia’s response to the surge in demand for big adventure bikes. Production began in 2000, with a detuned, but more robust, version of the Rotax 1000cc V-Twin used in the RST Futura. The Aprilia Caponord is a rare sight on American roads, but its owners are very passionate about it and …
2011 TM 250 MX
The TM 250 MX is a rare sight in the United States. Based out of Italy, TM has been selling motorcycles since 1977 and has been producing exotic (and expensive) two-stroke machines with well-designed engines. TM’s engine designs were so good that they’ve been adopted by many teams in the World Karting Championships. After a brief hiatus starting in 2005, …
2011 Aprilia Dorsoduro 750
The Aprilia Dorsoduro is Aprilia’s first road-going supermoto, a mid-sized 750cc that hits the sweet spot between weight and power. Reminiscent of the Ducati Hypermotard, with Italian heritage and a mid-sized V-twin engine, the Dorsoduro (Italian for ‘hard back’) provides incredible fun in short bursts. And when we say short bursts, we mean it – you can trigger the low-fuel …
1998 Aprilia RS250
Post Sale Update: After 17 bids, this Aprilia RS250 sold for $9,950 on eBay. The Aprilia RS250 is by far, the most race-oriented of the street-legal 250s sold in the US. Built from 1995-2002, it was designed to pay homage to Aprilia’s success in the 250 GP championships. Powered by a modified Suzuki 250cc originally designed by Rotax, Aprilia made …
Tricolore – 2006 Bimota DB5R
The Bimota DB5R represented an interesting shift in corporate philosophy for the niche Italian motorcycling manufacturer. Instead of trying to create the ultimate track bike – the DB5R was built to be more of an upmarket street bike that’s at home carving canyons or doing track duty. The engine donor was easily identifiable by the first letter in the model …
1975 Benelli Quattro
The Benelli Quattro, introduced in 1973, was Benelli’s version of the Honda CB500 – it even had the same bore and stroke. Produced for 10 years, this bike featured an air-cooled inline 4 cylinder engine fed by four(!) Dell’Orto carbs that was capable of 45 horsepower. This specific example is unfortunately not a runner – it needs a new battery …
2008 Aprilia Bol D’Or RSV1000R
Post-Sale Update: This Aprilia Bol D’Or RSV1000R has sold, final price unknown. The Aprilia Bol D’Or was a very limited production bike built to commemorate Aprilia’s particpation in the Bol D’Or, a 24 hour endurance race that occurs every spring at Le Mans. I have to admit, the idea of creating a bike to celebrate participating in a race as …
2006 Ducati Paul Smart LE
This Ducati Paul Smart LE was a limited edition bike inspired by the Ducati race bikes of the 1970s – one of which was piloted by Paul Smart to a win at the Imola 200 in 1972. Limited to only 2,000 units worldwide, this is one of the more desirable modern classics to come out of Ducati – and prices …
1996 Ducati 916
The Ducati 916 needs no introduction, but for a teenage boy who didn’t know much about motorcycles, it was a revelation. The dual projector headlights, the SSSA, and the underseat exhausts all caught my imagination and even to this day, have never let go. Designed by Massimo Tamburini, the 916 has become an icon in the sportbike world. I’ll leave …
2007 Benelli TNT Cafe Racer
We go from old Benelli’s to new ones… In the 80s, Benelli was merged to become part of Moto Guzzi, and it was pretty much shut down. In the mid 90s, however, Andrea Merloni brought Benelli back and they came back with a vengeance, with very distinctive looking bikes. By the designs, you would never be able to tell that …
1965 Benelli 200 Sprite
Sold for a whopping $629 when new, the little Benelli 200 Sprite was not very popular, and as such, you don’t see much information about them nowadays. With that said, they were to be the Italian answer to Honda. This 200cc was one of the larger engines Benelli made in the 60s, and featured refinements like “extra heavy cables”. That’s …
1988 Ducati 750 F1
I’ll open by saying I try to avoid listing bikes currently available at dealers, but this is an exception worth sharing. One of the most stunning creations of its time, the Ducati 750 F1 remains one of the most highly sought after bikes in Ducati history. So while you’ll have to pay the dealer premium to get your hands on …