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2 Miles – 1975 Norton Commando Interstate

In England, Touring by Abhi4 Comments

Post Listing Update: This Commando Interstate was pulled off of eBay “due to an error in the listing.” As you might be able to tell from the name, the Interstate was a Commando variant which was designed to increase comfort for longer journeys with a 5 gallon tank and a bigger seat. This one hasn’t really served its intended purpose, …

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1979 Kawasaki KZ1000ST

In Japan, Touring by Abhi3 Comments

In 1979, Kawasaki brought two shaft-driven models to the US – the six-cylinder KZ1300 and this somewhat rare variant of the KZ1000, the ST. Similar in many ways to the big bad MkII, the ST had completely different bodywork (such as a larger fuel tank) and even a wildly different wiring system. Only built between 1979-1980, the ST can be …

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2013 Triumph Tiger Explorer XC

In England, Touring by Jeffrey PamerLeave a Comment!

Jeff Pamer: The Tiger moniker has been used by Triumph for a very long time, and its history is a bit convoluted. The vast differences in bikes that have held the Tiger name make it a hard line to follow. Not only is the current Tiger vastly different from the original bike that held the name in in 1936, the …

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2017 Motus MST

In America, Touring by Jeffrey Pamer15 Comments

Motus Motorcycles were forced to shut their doors in September of 2018. Not an uncommon end to many smaller motorcycle companies, but when you take a closer look at what Lee Conn and Brian Case created, to me it’s one of the more disappointing. Their drive was to create an American made, sport touring motorcycle that would rival any on …

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1983 Laverda RGS 1000 Executive

In Italy, Touring by Abhi11 Comments

A true sport tourer, the Laverda RGS one of the last manifestations of the big triple, though it was much tamer than the beloved Jota unit thanks to different crankshaft timing and rubber engine mounts. Some felt that the engine lost a bit of character in the process, but it became a much easier bike to tour on – especially …

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2015 Motus MST-R

In America, Touring by Abhi4 Comments

Post Listing Update: This MST-R did not meet reserve despite 16 bids up to $15,100. Depending on who you ask, the Motus story is inspirational, depressing, or possibly a combination of both. While the company recently went out of business, you can still enjoy the insanity of the “Baby Block” motor in a package that requires your brain and your …

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2001 Aprilia Futura RST1000

In Italy, Sport, Touring by Abhi6 Comments

For many, the Aprilia Futura was poorly named – the angular design felt more “80s anime” than “bike of the future”. Still, it was a sport-tourer with an emphasis on sport, and it was powered by a motor based on the unit found in Aprilia’s repli-racer RSV Mille. Combine that with a comfortable seat and factory hard bags and you …

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Fully Faired Fazer – 1986 Yamaha FZX700

In Japan, Touring by Abhi8 Comments

Also known as the Baby V-Max, the Yamaha Fazer FZX700 was quite a revelation when it was released – the styling was distinctive and it was quicker than riders expected. No one complained about the speed, though not everyone loved the looks, and the bike didn’t sell tremendously well. Thanks to a large fairing, the styling of this example is …

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1928 BMW R52

In Germany, Touring, Vintage by Abhi2 Comments

Designed to be a tourer, the BMW R52 featured a 486cc boxer twin that generated 12 horsepower. The three-speed transmission had just been redesigned for this model, during a time frame when BMW was constantly making changes. Due to this, BMW switched to pressed-steel frames by the end of 1929, meaning the rare R52 was produced for just two years.