A few weeks ago I shared some photos from a visit I took over to Jeff Skinner’s place, Best West Fasteners. The first bike I shared was an interesting Suzuki GS850 that had been painted to look like a Wes Colley Replica…and now it’s for sale!
1967 Bridgestone 175 Dual Twin
One of the many high quality (and somewhat pricey) small displacement bikes from a company we now only associate with tires, the Bridgestone 175 Dual Twin was basically a baby sport bike with two of their 90cc single engines merged together.
1962 Aermacchi Chimera 250
The Chimera was a bit ahead of its time – despite rarely seen features (for the time) like a single rear shock and the futuristic styling, Aermacchi was only able to sell 119 examples of the 175cc variant and 177 examples of the 250cc. Here’s a rare example of the latter that’s in the US.
1993 Moto Guzzi Strada 1000
Here’s a model I wasn’t familiar with previously: the Moto Guzzi Strada 1000. Based on the limited information I’ve been able to track down, these were built between ’92 and ’94 and it was a combination of the Mille GT and the SP III. Do you have any information on it?
First Ride Review – 2024 Yamaha MT-09
Normally when a company does a mid-cycle refresh on a bike, you get some minor updates like a new dash or LED lighting. Yamaha made sure they took care of those but they also brought something bigger to the table: a philosophical shift in what the MT-09 should feel like. After a 110-mile ride with it, I’m convinced they made …
2004 Moto Guzzi Breva
Originally available as a 750, the Breva was given a bigger engine just as Moto Guzzi got an infusion of cash from Piaggio. The Breva was designed to be a modern naked tourer, and with the 1100 engine you could expect 72 horsepower at the rear wheel and 56 pound feet of torque.
1970 MV Agusta 250B
The “B” stands for “Bicylindrico”, as this MV Agusta utilizes a 250cc four-stroke twin cylinder motor.
325 Mile Project With No Reserve – 2005 Triumph Bonneville T100
The T100 generation of the Bonneville was notable for the way it blended classic styling with modern tech – the best example of which is the fuel injection system that was specifically designed to look like carbs just kidding – as noted by Gee S, that didn’t happen for a few more years! Triumph sold a boatload of them, so …
No Reserve – 2001 MZ Skorpion Tour
The Skorpion was an example of what an international economy can achieve – a East German manufacturer brought together Japanese motors (from Yamaha) and a British design firm (called Seymourpowell) to create something that worked well on paper and on the road. It wasn’t a huge commercial success, but nowadays it’s definitely a cult classic.
No Reserve Project – 1967 Honda CB450P Police
I have a weakness for older ‘service’ bikes, like this previously featured Honda Dream Fire Bike and today’s featured Honda CB450P Police Special, which may have also been officially called the Honda CP450. According to the AMA, just 25 were imported to the US to pilot an entrance into the police motorcycle market.
2016 Honda CB500F
Back in 2015 I mentioned a wonderful blog called Rolling Physics Problem by Greg Shamieh (a frequent commenter here at Bike-urious). He’s selling his CB500F – what he calls “the great grandson of the famous CB450 ‘Black Bomber’ – only with the benefit of more than 50 years of technical evolution.”
In Poland – 1943 BMW R12
The BMW R12 was an evolution of the iconic R7 concept and it was the first motorcycle in the world with hydraulically damped telescoping forks. BMW produced roughly 36,008 over a production run between 1935 and 1942.
Flying Dragon Tribute – 1972 Honda CL350
In ’72 and ’73, you could order an incredible set of alternate bodywork for CL350 or CL450 models – an idea that came from Honda’s paint department because they figured us crazy Americans were obsessed with tie dye, and some would want a similar scheme on their motorcycles. The Flying Dragon was born, but it didn’t sell well. That just …
1983 Benelli 900 Sei
When the Sei was introduced (as a 750), it was the first production motorcycle featuring a six cylinder engine. By ’78, the Sei got a bump up to 900 and a redesign that included many parts from Moto Guzzi (De Tomaso owned both companies at the time). You had to pay to play – MSRP was $5,406 in ’83 – …
1959 Zundapp Super Sabre
Powered by a 250cc two stroke, the Super Sabre was the top of the line Zundapp at the time.