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1969 Triumph Tiger 650

In England, Standard by Chris Cope10 Comments

My father-in-law had a late ’60s Triumph Bonneville when he was a young man in the 1970s ─ hurtling down country lanes in England’s West Country and occasionally strapping a bag to the seat to make his way to France to watch the Bol d’Or. “I loved that bike,” he once told me. “But I was replacing parts on a …

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1964 Ducati Diana Mark 3

In Italy, Standard by Chris Cope16 Comments

Do you like beautiful things? Of course you do. Do you like beautiful things that are temperamental and may cause you to set fire to your garage? Then you’ll want this 60-year-old Ducati Diana Mark 3. First, though, let me save you the trouble of getting lost in a bunch of internet rabbit holes due to confusion caused by how …

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Whitehouse Kit – 2014 Honda CB1100

In Japan, Standard by Abhi3 Comments

In 2014, Honda updated the CB1100 with a new dash and a six-speed transmission. The styling remained the same – bodywork that was designed to evoke the classic lines of the CB750. But a company in Japan called Whitehouse enabled owners to make their bikes look even more like the CB750 with a bodywork kit that included the tank, fenders, …

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1979 Suzuki GS850

In Japan, Less than 5k, Standard by Abhi7 Comments

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!

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1967 Bridgestone 175 Dual Twin

In Japan, Standard by Abhi2 Comments

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.

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1962 Aermacchi Chimera 250

In Italy, Standard by Abhi3 Comments

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.

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1993 Moto Guzzi Strada 1000

In Italy, Standard by Abhi10 Comments

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?

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First Ride Review – 2024 Yamaha MT-09

In Japan, Reviews, Standard by Abhi21 Comments

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 …

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2004 Moto Guzzi Breva

In Italy, Standard by Abhi5 Comments

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.

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No Reserve – 2001 MZ Skorpion Tour

In Germany, Standard by Abhi3 Comments

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.

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No Reserve Project – 1967 Honda CB450P Police

In Japan, Standard by Abhi7 Comments

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.

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2016 Honda CB500F

In Japan, Less than 5k, Standard by Abhi4 Comments

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.”