Back on Track (formerly known as Rookies of ’79) is a non-profit charity founded in 2009 to provide financial assistance for injured motorcycle racers and their families when a racing injury/accident occurs. This year they’re running a sweepstakes to help raise some funds and the prize at stake is a 2024 example of the sadly-discontinued Indian FTR 1200. Read along …
Rally Raid – 2023 BMW G310GS
I’ve featured a few bikes in the past that had suspension upgrades from Rally Raid out in the UK as it’s one of the best modifications you can do to the current batch of small/cheap ADV bikes like the Honda CB500X. Here’s a German take on that receipe – a baby GS with the Level 2 Suspension Kit and several …
DENALI Show Bike – 2019 BMW R1250GS
Packed with tons of extras from Denali Electronics and Twisted Throttle, this GS has barely been ridden as the odometer shows just 133 miles!
Homemade Jet Ski Scooter
Here’s something we can all agree on: a Sea-Doo that’s been jerry-rigged into a scooter is both wonderfully terrible and terribly wonderful. Even the police officer who pulls you over for not having a license plate will be heartened at the sight of this thing.
1989 Yamaha XTZ600 Tenere
Just look at the paint scheme on this thing. It makes you want to cut the sleeves off your T-shirt and travel around the world listening to Ratt. Abhi has posted a handful of 1990s XTZ750 Super Teneres lately ─ or, excuse me, Ténéré ─ but this is the original beast. Powered by a 595cc single-cylinder engine capable of 46 …
1992 Yamaha Super Tenere XTZ750
10-9-24 Update: Four years later, this Super Ten is still in Mill Valley and it’s still up for sale, but this time the ask is up to $8,200 and you can find it here on ADVRider. Will this be the listing that gets it sold?
1985 Yamaha XT350
“Between the small and the large, though, there is a perfect size that enhances the multi-functional nature of these “dual-purpose” motorcycles. That balance seems to be right around 350cc. This is enough displacement so that freeway travel won’t spin an engine’s heart out, without the weight and bulk that can limit off-road use mainly to smooth dirt roads.” Those are …
2002 Yamaha WR250F
Featured here is one of the cleanest 20+ year old dirt bikes I’ve seen in a while, thanks to the fact that it’s only been ridden once since a frame-up “overhaul” in 2023.
Ex-Military – 2016 Christini 450
You’ve seen two wheel drive bikes before thanks to companies like Rokon. But thanks to a fancy mechanical system enclosed within the head tub and frame, Christini has been the most successful manufacturer of two wheel drive bikes that can go anywhere and do it quickly. They’re also the only one who had any success (though limited) with selling bikes …
1975 Suzuki TS400 Apache
Built between 1972 and 1979, the TS400 was the largest of Suzuki’s two-stroke off-road family. Suzuki had a wide range of “T” bikes – TM was for motocross, TC, was for trail, TF was for farm, and TS was the enduro. The 400 produced 34 horsepower and 29.7 pound-feet of torque. Dry weight was 277 pounds, and Suzuki guaranteed their …
1965 Bridgestone Mountaineer 90
In 1964, Bridgestone introduced a series of 90cc motorcycles – there were 9 different models based around 4 primary designs. One of the designs was the Mountain, and you can probably guess by the name that this was built to go off-road.
Restored – 1976 Yamaha XT500
Yamaha’s XT500 was an instant sales success and it led to a full series of XT bikes. Thanks to the big thumper of an engine and the ample ground clearance, it was good for just about anything you could throw at it. This enduro bike was produced for 15 years, eventually leading to an entire range of “XT” bikes of …
Agricultural – 1974 Yamaha AG175
Built for Australia and New Zealand, the AG175 was Yamaha’s creation for the agricultural market – specifically designed for the needs of people like ranch hands.
Bumblebee in Canada – 1989 BMW R100GS
The black and yellow livery of the R100GS earned it the affectionate name of “bumblebee,” and today we’ve got a lovely Euro-spec example (kick starter and larger carbs) up north with lots of upgrades and extras.
1991 Yamaha Super Tenere XTZ750
Right now you can walk into a Honda or Yamaha dealership and get a modern Africa Twin or Super Tenere. But in the US, the same couldn’t have been said a couple of decades ago. You can occasionally find ’90s examples of the AT and ST thanks to grey market imports, but the latter is much harder to source.