Laverda is one of those ‘rabbit hole’ brands, as in: you can spend a lot of time wandering down internet rabbit holes when learning about it. You find some interesting things down there, though. Can you guess how this Italian motorcycle ties to flamboyant dancing in 1700s Spain? We’ll start a little closer to the present, in Breganze, Italy, in …
First Ride Review – 2025 Yamaha YZF-R9
View PostNo Reserve with Eight Miles – 2002 MV Agusta F4 750S EVO2
Over on Iconic we’ve got a beautiful MV F4 that’s been sitting since it was basically new – will you get it back on the road?
1953 BSA Gold Star 500
One of BSA’s most famous bikes of all time was the legendary Gold Star – they were used for a variety of disciplines including road racing, trials, scramblers, dir track, hillclimbs…you name it, and that’s why the seller of this bike calls it “possibly the most versatile motorcycle ever built.” I like this particular example as this 72-year-old appears to …
2003 Derbi GPR50R
Until I came across this bike, I had never heard of Derbi – the Spanish (or Catalonian, depending on your geo-political perspective) brand that started producing small-capacity bikes in the early 1940s. The story of the company started, however, in 1922 when Simeón Rabasa i Singla opened a bicycle shop in Mollet del Vallès, near Barcelona. That business would go …
1981 Ducati Pantah 500SL
One of the lesser-known bikes in Ducati’s history is the distinctively-styled Pantah 500SL, a replacement to the 350/500 parallel twins that stunk up the marketplace. They’re hard to find in original or restored condition – this is one of the latter. Basic specifications included 45 horsepower at 9,000 rpm, a top speed of 115 miles per hour, and a wet …
In England – Supercharged Triumph Speed Triple RR
Here’s a bit of psycho exotica from the UK: a supercharged 230 horsepower (at the wheel) Triumph Speed Triple with just 250 miles on the clock. I’ve actually seen this bike racking up a few of those miles, about two years ago at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. I have the good fortune of living in a tourist town just …
2023 BMW M1000R
Yes, I know it’s another BMW and it’s almost new, but there’s no denying that this thing is unique. “Wild… stupid power and wings.” That’s how the UK’s Bike magazine described BMW’s M 1000 R supernaked. When MCN Deputy Editor Emma Franklin rode one last year her response was: “Thanks for that. You’ve ruined other bikes for me now.”
1987 Honda NSR80 With 62 Kilometers
US minibike enthusiasts will be familiar with the Honda NSR50. Japan got a 80cc variant that was never sold in the US, but here’s an example that’s somehow made it across the ocean.
Nice Price – 2004 BMW R1100S
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.
1983 Honda CB1100F Bol D’or
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 …
2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800 America
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 …
1978 Kawasaki KZ1000 A2
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, …
3 KM in Germany – 2006 Bimota DB4
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.
1987 Yamaha SRX250
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.