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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? …

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1986 Honda Reflex TLR200

In Dual-Sport, Japan by AbhiLeave a Comment

In 1986, Honda offered two trials machines to the public. The “RTL” was built by HRC and was the version for riders who were looking to compete and didn’t mind spending plenty in the process. But Honda also offered the “TLR”, which was the easier to buy (and easier to ride) option. The latter was solely built for the 1986 …

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1982 Honda Motra CT50

In Dual-Sport, Japan, Small Displacement by AbhiLeave a Comment

In the 80s, Honda offered what they called a “heavy duty” minibike called the Motra. Unlike the Z50 or original Monkey, the Motra was designed to be loaded up with gear and ridden just about anywhere you could imagine. A commonly-shared-but-unverified tale says that “Motra” is a combination of Motorcycle-Truck because the Japanese pronunciation for truck is “Torakku”.

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1968 Benelli Mojave Scrambler 260

In Dual-Sport, Italy by AbhiLeave a Comment

Back in the 60s, you did not necessarily have to go to a motorcycle dealership to acquire a bike. Indeed, superstores like Sears or Montgomery Ward imported and sold motorcycles themselves. While Sears notably imported Vespas, Montgomery sold Lambrettas and Benellis, including the Mojave 360…and the rarer 260 variant (offered in Tourer and Scrambler options).

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2007 BMW G650 XChallenge

In Dual-Sport, Germany by AbhiLeave a Comment

A slightly tangential evolution of the F650GS, the BMW G650X XChallenge was arguably the German firm’s most dedicated off-roader. With help from Aprilia and an engine from Rotax, the XChallenge (pronounce Cross Challenge) was defined as a “hard enduro.”

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10 Miles – 1999 Harley-Davidson MT500

In America, Dual-Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

One of the rarest bikes ever built by Harley-Davidson, the MT500 was originally built by the British in the 80s. Rights to the design were sold by Armstrong-CCM to HD, who sold just 355 copies of the MT500 in 1999, and a few more the following year. Only select HD dealerships were allowed to sell these bikes.

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1973 Honda CL450 Scrambler

In Dual-Sport, Japan by AbhiLeave a Comment

The dual-sport cousin of the Black Bomber, Honda’s CL450 was the best selling of the scramblers of the day. Because of this, you can find one with relative ease even though they haven’t been made in 40+ years…unless it’s a highly original example with just 2,642 miles on it!

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102 Miles – 2005 Honda XR650L

In Dual-Sport, Japan by AbhiLeave a Comment

Post Sale Update: This XR650L sold for $5,002 after 36 bids on eBay in Star, Idaho. Introduced as a 1993 model, the XR650L was a revelation that was considered by many to be the best dual-sport ever. Impressively (or depressingly, depending on your outlook), the bike has just about stayed the same as it’s still offered new from Honda with …

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1981 BMW R80GS

In Dual-Sport, Germany by AbhiLeave a Comment

Hindsight has shown that the introduction of the GS model line was one of the best things BMW did for their Motorrad business. But at the press launch in 1980, journalists (and the public) shared a general sentiment of “what’s the point of a large, heavy dual-purpose bike?” Modern cynics still have the same complaint as the bike seems to …