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Nice Price – 2004 BMW R1100S

In Germany, Sport by Abhi17 Comments

Thanks to the S1000RR, the idea of BMW making a true sportbike is no longer a laughing matter. Back in 1999, however, BMW took the most powerful boxer engine it had at the time and made their most aggressive looking bike so far, the BMW R1100S. Despite the looks, this is more of a sport-tourer than an outright sports bike.

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1960 Heinkel Tourist 103 A2

In Germany, Scooter by Abhi2 Comments

After Germany lost World War II, Heinkel was banned from producing airplanes by the Allies. They decided to try their hand at personal transport with the production of vehicles like microcars, bicycles, and scooters like the Tourist you see here.

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1983 Honda CB1100F Bol D’or

In Japan, Sport by Chris Cope12 Comments

Based on the popular CB900F (1979-1983) and driven by the same 1062cc air-cooled inline four engine that drove the CB1100R (“but with less of the hand-crafted attention that made the 1100R so much of a cult bike,” according to Classic Motorcycle Mechanics), the CB1100F was sold from 1982 to 1984. Different markets saw different versions, and this example, paying homage …

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Lonesome Road Choppers – 2009 Harley-Davidson Custom

In America, Custom by Chris Cope6 Comments

Well, this looks like a particularly interesting way to end up in the hospital. It’s effectively a bicycle with a knock-off Harley-Davidson panhead engine. If you’re looking at that V-twin and thinking,”That looks kinda like a Twin Cam,” you’re not wrong. The engine maker, Ultima, acknowledges as much on its website. Confusingly, the engine is from the company’s “Ultima Evo” …

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2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800 America

In Italy, Sport by Chris Cope3 Comments

You may have caught the news recently that MV Agusta has managed to buy its way out of its partnership with the deeply troubled KTM and is, in its own words, “back to running on its own.” “This is a moment of pride for all of us at MV Agusta,” a press release quotes CEO Timur Saradarov as saying. “Regaining …

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1973 Suzuki GT550

In Japan, Standard by Chris Cope7 Comments

You may have seen recently that Kawasaki is bringing two-strokes back. Whether it is promising a street bike (probably not) or something more off-road focused is uncertain. It’s been quite a while since two-stroke engines featured in street bikes. Even 52 years ago, when this GT550 was produced, it was clear that the end was nigh. Or, well, it was …

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1916 Cleveland 1-B

In America, Vintage by Chris Cope10 Comments

I have some questions about this bike, so proceed with caution. It was listed on eBay back in December and doesn’t appear to have been sold. Now, in addition to being listed on Auto Barn’s site, it can also be found on Facebook with a minimalist description: “All original complete running bike.”

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1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 A2

In Japan, Sport by Chris Cope7 Comments

It’s probably the Kawasaki owner in me that loves these bikes so much. Back in November, I drew your attention to a customized 1978 KZ1000 A2. But here’s an example that’s much more in line with what the manufacturer originally intended. The bike has been restored, but the seller says that it’s been kept “as stock as possible.” Without question, …

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3 KM in Germany – 2006 Bimota DB4

In Italy, Sport by Abhi2 Comments

The Bimota DB4 Tricolore followed the Italian firm’s modus operandi of taking a well established engine from another manufacturer and surrounding it with beautiful Italian bodywork. Using a frame similar to the Bimota Mantra, this successor wasn’t much of a technological advancement. Think of it instead as a moving piece of art.

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1987 Yamaha SRX250

In Japan, Sport by Abhi5 Comments

For decades, Kawasaki ruled the 250cc ‘sport’bike market – though Honda has recently taken a chunk of the market with their CBR250R. Honda also challenged the little Ninja in the 80s with the VTR250, though it did not have much commercial success. For one year in the States, even Yamaha threw their hat into the ring with the Yamaha SRX250.

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2003 Suzuki SV650S

In Custom, Japan, Sport by Abhi3 Comments

Other models have surpassed it since but the SV650 has been a favorite of many riders for over two decades – it was introduced in 1999 and is still offered in showrooms today! In 2003 and 2004, Cycle World praised the SV650 and the SV650S as the Best Standard Bike, noting that “SV” could have stood for “Suprisingly Versatile.” This …

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1974 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport

In Italy, Sport by Chris Cope9 Comments

The V7 remains as Moto Guzzi’s most iconic platform, with a history stretching back to 1964, when it was initially created to serve as a motorcycle for Italy’s Polizia Stradale (highway patrol). Two years later, in 1966, Moto Guzzi started producing models for foreign markets. Interestingly, it didn’t produce V7s for Italian riders until 1967. Back then, the V7 was …