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Modern Two Stroke – 2024 Langen 250

In England, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Right now, if you want a brand new two-stroke motorcycle in the US then your only bet is to go dirt biking. But in the UK, a company named Langen has brought two-strokes back to the road. Their limited (run of 100) creation is expensive, full of top-notch components, and unfortunately…not legal in the US. Still, here’s one of the …

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2007 KTM 690SM

In Austria, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Sold between 2007-2011, the KTM 690SM was an excellent option for riders who wanted the handling joy of a supermoto racer that was toned down enough to be street friendly. These bikes won’t win any all-around competitions, but if you emphasize agility and don’t spend a lot of time on the highway, it’s hard to do much better.

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“OEM Plus” – 1990 Suzuki GSX-R1100

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Introduced in 1986, the Suzuki GSX-R 1100 was a speed demon’s dream thanks to 137 horsepower and a wet weight of 434 pounds. Even better, it was released right after the United States lowered the import tax on bikes above 700ccs to 24.4 percent (from over 39 percent), so it actually felt like bargain to American riders. The seller of …

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Dunstall Kit – 1974 Norton Commando

In Custom, England, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Paul Dunstall’s motorcycle business was humming by the time the 70s rolled around, and he was so successful that he had started shipping completed motorcycles over to contracted delaers in the United States. By the mid 70s, he was almost exactly splitting his production between Norton and Hondas, though he was definitely more famous for his work with the British …

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1998 Honda NSR50

In Japan, Small Displacement, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

The NSR50 was in Honda’s lineup for decades before they blessed the USA with a chance to officially try it for ourselves in 2004. Before that year, Americans had to either order one directly from HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) or try to import one through the gray market. It was well worth the effort, because Honda used components that made …

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2004 BMW R1100S Boxer Cup Replika

In Germany, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

The base model R11S was a wonderful all-around streetbike similar to the Honda VFR800. BMW went above and beyond with a couple of limited editions, including the Boxer Cup Replika as featured today. BMW created a spec series to race these bikes, and 300 examples were released as a homage. They were equipped with Ohlins suspension, Laser exhaust, and custom …

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1993 Ducati Superlight 900

In Italy, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

In 1992, Ducati took their 900 Supersport and added several choice extras to create a limited edition called the Ducati Superlight. Unfortunately, for reasons unknown, in 1993 they removed almost all the extras, leaving just a fully floating rear brake to differentiate the limited edition from its less exclusive brother. Today we feature a beautiful example of one of those …

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Power Cup Parts – 2008 BMW K1200R

In Germany, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

In the past, BMW has offered a few one-make races such as the BoxerCup with the R1100S. The successor was the Power Cup for the K1200R, and non-racers could get a kit of hop-up parts from certain dealerships in the US. As you guys and gals probably know, I own a BMW K1200R with 89k miles on it and I …

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2007 BMW R1200S

In Germany, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

“Born in heaven, raised in hell.” That was one of the slogans BMW used when they introduced the R1200S, an evolution of the R1100S that fell much more on the ‘sport’ side of the sport-touring equation. It was the sportiest boxer twin BMW had ever built, and they emphasized the point by initially omitting factory luggage. A year later the …

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1986 Yamaha TZR250 1KT

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Loosely based on Yamaha’s TZ250 racer, the TZR was a 2 stroke sportbike built between ’86 and ’99 – in 1986 it was the first production 250cc motorcycle to lap Isle of Man’s TT course at over 100 miles per hour.

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Great Extras – 1982 Honda CX500 Turbo

In Japan, Sport by AbhiLeave a Comment

Depending on how you define “production”, Kawasaki was the first motorcycle manufacturer to roll out a turbocharged motorcycle. But as this excellent article on OddBike points out, Kawasaki’s effort was more of a quasi-aftermarket creation, and it wasn’t well-thought out either. Honda’s CX500 Turbo is more deserving of the ‘first production turbo bike’ title, as it truly started the forced …