View Post

What Do You Want To Know? 2025 Honda Grom

In Japan, Small Displacement by AbhiLeave a Comment

Tomorrow morning I’m hopping on a plane to head back to one of my favorite places in the US: the Barber Motorsports Museum. Every year they put on something called the Small Bore, which is a “weekend-long celebration of small-capacity motorcycling and culture.” This year, Honda’s piggybacking on the festivities to introduce the newest version of their popular small bore …

View Post

1998 Yamaha TRX850

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

The TRX850 was a little bit of a ‘parts bin’ special – it was a blend of the TDM850 and the FZR that came together in an attempt to challenge Ducati’s 900cc SuperSport (note the trellis frame). This bike was never officially sold in the US, so if you’re looking to stand out with your ride among people in the …

View Post

First Ride Review – 2024 Yamaha MT-09

In Japan, Reviews, Standard by AbhiLeave a Comment

Normally when a company does a mid-cycle refresh on a bike, you get some minor updates like a new dash or LED lighting. Yamaha made sure they took care of those but they also brought something bigger to the table: a philosophical shift in what the MT-09 should feel like. After a 110-mile ride with it, I’m convinced they made …

View Post

2x Honda VTR250s

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Sold in the US for three years, the Honda VTR250 has become a cult classic for riders that love small bikes. The liquid cooled 250cc engine was paired with a six-speed transmission, and interestingly, an inboard front disc – though by 1990 the front brake would change to the industry standard. Someone in Wisconsin is selling a pair of them …

View Post

1979 Dunstall/Suzuki GS1000 Competition Special

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Paul Dunstall is a legend in the classic motorcycling world. Originally a motorcycle racer, he set up a workshop where he turned Nortons into world-beaters with engine and cosmetic modifications. Fast forward to the 1970s, Dunstall’s business had expanded to a point where he was shipping complete bikes directly to dealers in the US. At this point, he was splitting …

View Post

2023 Bimota KB4

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Bimota’s latest model is the KB4 – it features the 1,043cc inline-four (good for 142hp and 82lb-ft of torque) pulled from a Kawasaki Ninja 1000 SX. Bimota calls the KB4 a sport-tourer, though it only has one seat and no luggage.

View Post

1994 Yamaha TZ125 with Yamaha WR250 Engine

In Japan, Race by AbhiLeave a Comment

Yamaha’s TZ125 production road racer was offered between 1980 and 2010 – Yoshiaki Kato won the All Japan 125cc Championship on one in 1993. It utilized a 2-stroke 124cc single cylinder engine paired with a 6-speed transmission, but that doesn’t matter in this case as today’s example utilizes the 4-stroke 250 out of a Yamaha WR250X supermoto!

View Post

No Reserve – 1983 Suzuki XN85 Turbo Project

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

On the market for less than a year, Suzuki XN85 was the first factory bike to feature a 16-inch front wheel – previously reserved for race bikes. That wheel, combined with low clip-ons and a Suzuki Full Floater rear suspension made it a nearly peerless handler for the time. It also featured a low pressure turbo that helped boost power …

View Post

485cc – 1984 Yamaha RZ350 Custom

In Custom, Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

The last street-legal two-stroke sportbike officially imported into the US, the RZ350 is very much a sought-after collectors bike in the US. Only sold in the states from 84-85, these bikes were incredibly fast for 350cc, and absolutely look the part. As you can tell from the headline, this one’s been the recipient from quite a bit of custom work.

View Post

1984 Kawasaki KDX200

In Dual-Sport, Japan by AbhiLeave a Comment

As Dirt Bike Magazine put it in their model history of the KDX200, “To this day, no one can clearly define the Kawasaki KDX200. Was it a beginner bike designed to teach wives and kids the fine art of off-road riding? Or was it a Navy SEAL of a bike built for the toughest enduros and the most grizzled riders? …

View Post

1984 Kawasaki GPz1100

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

In 1983, Kawasaki gave the GPZ1100 a serious redesign with new bodywork, anti-dive forks, and the Uni-Trak rear suspension. Power output was also bumped to 120 horsepower (104 at the rear wheel), though this was gained at the expense of low-end torque.