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2000 Harley Davidson MT500

In America, Dual-Sport by Abhi1 Comment

This Harley Davidson MT500 is one of the rarest bikes to ever come out of the HD factory. Originally developed by Armstrong-CCM of Britain in the 80s, the rights to this bike were eventually sold to Harley, who sold just 400 copies of the MT500 in 1999 and 2000. Made for the military, the Harley Davidson MT500 is a dual …

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1969 BSA Firebird

In Dual-Sport, England by AbhiLeave a Comment

The BSA Firebird was the swansong of the Birmingham Small Arms company, before the motorcycle division went belly up in 1973. Though it’s not as popular as the Gold Star, this 650cc Scrambler was arguably the best bike BSA made, and in some eyes, this was the ultimate version of the original dual-sport machine. By all accounts, this Beezer should …

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1993 Yamaha TDM 850

In Dual-Sport, Japan by AbhiLeave a Comment

The Yamaha TDM 850 is definitely an oddball…a well-rounded bike in a US market that seems to prefer hyper-specialization. Sold in the US for only two years (1992-1993), there aren’t very many of these bikes still around, but the TDM definitely has a cult following. Well suited for tall riders, Yamaha designed this bike to enjoy mountain roads and also …

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1994 BMW R100GS

In Dual-Sport, Germany by AbhiLeave a Comment

BMW pioneered the ‘adventure-bike’ market back in the 80s with the R80GS. Several years later, BMW released the R100GS as an update to their trailblazing bike. Here we have one of the later R100GS models, a 1994, in the popular “Bumblebee” paint scheme – though it is missing the delightfully 80s-styled decals. Many riders consider this to be the best …

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1989 Honda NX125

In Dual-Sport, Japan by AbhiLeave a Comment

The Honda NX125 was the smallest of the NX’s, which were only imported for a few years. The combination of XR-roots with a slightly more street friendly composition made it an excellent all-rounder. Offered in the states in 125, 250, and 650cc versions, the NX650 was by far the most popular in the US. Despite the knobbies and the general …

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2000 Cagiva Gran Canyon

In Dual-Sport, Italy by AbhiLeave a Comment

Cagiva is an interesting phenomena in the states – they sold poorly, they’ve withdrawn on the US market so dealer support is basically non-existent, and even though they sourced Ducati engines, they never really made the kind of power you’d expect them to. Yet there’s something about these bikes that a niche group of riders finds irresistible, and owners are …

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2000 Moto Guzzi Quota

In Dual-Sport, Italy by AbhiLeave a Comment

As a R1150GS owner myself, I’m a big fan of large displacement dual-sports, particularly of the opposite-cylinder variety. This big V-Twin checks all the right boxes for an all-rounder, with the added benefit that you’re going to stand out from the GSes with a bike this rare. A concern with rare bikes is always going to be maintenance and parts …