The F4 is special because of the performance (which other bikes have surpassed) and the beauty (which I’d say other bikes have not). In 2005, MV Agusta updated the F4 series with a 998cc engine, which bumped power up to 166 horses and top speed up to 184 miles per hour. The upgraded engine was surrounded by quality components such …
No Reserve – 1958 Yamaha YE-1 Project
Yamaha’s first motorcycle was the 1955 YA-1, and there’s plenty of information about that model out in the digital world. But I’ve been hard-pressed to find any real information on the YE-1, another motorcycle from Yamaha’s early history. Do you know anything about it?
2002 Ducati ST4S
The seller of this bike calls it the “Best ST4S in the US!” I have no idea if he’s right, but it sure is a nice one! A sportbike with practicality, the ST4s was introduced in 2001 as Ducati’s top-of-the-line touring bike, distinguishing itself with the 4-valve 996cc superbike motor and Ohlins rear shock. That was paired with fully adjustable …
Picture Intermission – 7/30 Iconic Sunday Ride
I had a bit of a surreal day this past weekend – within the span of a few hours I got to ride my personal Bimota Tesi 3D, our shop’s Bimota Tesi H2, and something I never thought I’d be able to ride…a Honda RC213V-S belonging to a very trusting client!
Aprilia Racers Days – Circuit of the Americas
Aprilia not only makes some of the best sportbikes in the business, they also have a wonderful program that they call “Racers Days” where they host track days all around the country so that you can sample their line-up while enjoying some of the coolest courses in the United States (plus one in Canada). I’ve done two of their events …
1984 Tritan A2 Aero Car
No, it’s not really a motorcycle. But that’s how it was classified because of its three-wheeled nature, and we’re going to run with it. The Tritan A2 was notable for having an incredible drag coefficient – just 0.15. Compare that to a period Toyota MR2, which had a Cd of 0.35. Amusingly, the only commercial “success” the A2 had was …
Gift Intermission – LEGO Technic Yamaha MT-10 SP
Last year, LEGO created a Technic set of the BMW M1000RR and Vy and I had a wonderful time putting it together. Impressively, it featured a functional 3-speed transmission (with neutral). I actually was a bit bummed out that you couldn’t see the internal workings of the transmission (as well as the engine, which had a crankshaft/pistons and spun at …
Who’s Going To AHRMA at Laguna Seca?
I’m taking off this morning to Laguna Seca as I’ll be riding at the Aprilia Racers day event on Monday, but I’m going up a couple of days early because Laguna is hosting AHRMA racing and I want to see some cool vintage race bikes! Will any of you be there?
457 Miles – 1995 Bimota SB6
Post Sale Update: This SB6 sold for $14,980 (including the 7% buyer’s fee) on Iconic Motorbike Auctions. In the early years, Bimota’s formula was to take a powerful and reliable Japanese engine and then replace the adequate frame and suspension with a bespoke Italian chassis and quality components. Some reviewers argue that the SB6 is the last of the old-school …
Video Intermission – First Impressions of the 2023 Kawasaki ZX-4RR
Kawasaki recently had the press launch of their headline-grabbing ZX-4RR sportbike, and reviews are generally positive. The main complaints seem to be the price and the tune – Kawasaki had to neuter the bike above 11k rpms in the US for noise requirements. This is obviously easily fixed with an ECU flash, though that voids the warranty. With that said, …
Abhi Wants A Moto Guzzi 1200 Griso 8V – Part 2
Back in January I mentioned that I was on the prowl for a Moto Guzzi Griso 1200 so that I could turn it into a custom street bike with some track aspirations thanks to a kit from Guareschi Moto in Italy. Looks like that dream may be dead in the water because it seems that Guareschi is no longer making …
1985 BMW K100RS
BMW’s K100RS is a tried-and-true sport-tourer, though even when it was new no one was overwhelmed by the power. A previous owner of this example has rectified that with one of the 200 turbo kits that were produced by RB Racing on behalf of Luftmeister!
1992 Gilera RC600 Dakar Replica
In the late 80s, Gilera made a push to compete in the Paris-Dakar Rally and they had some success in the production-based “Silhouette” class with the RC600, which utilized a 600cc single good for 48 horsepower. Here’s an interesting replica of Gilera’s final 600-based racer (before they went to a 750 motor in 1993).
1970 Triumph Trackmaster 750
Trackmaster frames can trace their roots back to the 1960s, when Triumph Motorcycles approached Ray Hensley and commissioned the famed race tuner and engineer to build a handful of bespoke chassis to be used in competition. Henley’s earliest frames were chromoly steel units with much more race-oriented geometry compared to the stock Bonneville chassis of the era. In the years …
Isle of Man 2023 – Day 5
June 1st, 2023 – London, England to Castletown, Isle of Man: ~ 325 miles – we finally get to the Isle of Man! Did you miss Day 4? We check out the Crighton CR700W rotary superbike. The area we were staying in had lots of expensive cars go through, several of which had been ruined with over-the-top body kits modified …