“Born in heaven, raised in hell.” That was one of the slogans BMW used when they introduced the R1200S, an evolution of the R1100S that fell much more on the ‘sport’ side of the sport-touring equation. It was the sportiest boxer twin BMW had ever built, and they emphasized the point by initially omitting factory luggage. A year later the …
Video Intermission – Condor A580 at SoloMoto
This week I shared a behind-the-scenes look at a wonderful shop in Connecticut called SoloMoto. In addition to that video, I also filmed a feature of a very interesting bike that they had up on a lift – a Condor A580 that was getting a 12V conversion, among other work.
Ex-Military – 2016 Christini 450
You’ve seen two wheel drive bikes before thanks to companies like Rokon. But thanks to a fancy mechanical system enclosed within the head tub and frame, Christini has been the most successful manufacturer of two wheel drive bikes that can go anywhere and do it quickly. They’re also the only one who had any success (though limited) with selling bikes …
Video Intermission – SoloMoto
I’m flying back home to LA after some time on the East Coast to check out a couple of collections and then check in with my wonderful mother, so I wanted to share some stuff from my trip. Here’s a look at a shop I’m a big fan of: SoloMoto in Greenwich, Connecticut – run by Carlos Escudero.
1986 Yamaha TZR250 1KT
Loosely based on Yamaha’s TZ250 racer, the TZR was a 2 stroke sportbike built between ’86 and ’99 – in 1986 it was the first production 250cc motorcycle to lap Isle of Man’s TT course at over 100 miles per hour.
Great Extras – 1982 Honda CX500 Turbo
Depending on how you define “production”, Kawasaki was the first motorcycle manufacturer to roll out a turbocharged motorcycle. But as this excellent article on OddBike points out, Kawasaki’s effort was more of a quasi-aftermarket creation, and it wasn’t well-thought out either. Honda’s CX500 Turbo is more deserving of the ‘first production turbo bike’ title, as it truly started the forced …
1998 Muzzy Raptor
In 1997, Rob Muzzy debuted the Raptor: aka what happened when Kawi gave him a Ninja ZX-7R and told him to go nuts. The Raptor immediately competed in Formula USA, and Muzzy decided to produce 50 to offer to the general public.
1988 Yamaha TZ250 With Honda XR600 Motor
Thanks to the motor from a Honda XR600, this Yamaha TZ250 is ready to compete in AHRMA Soudns of Singles 1…the same class I raced in with my Kramer. Nudge, nudge.
1975 Suzuki TS400 Apache
Built between 1972 and 1979, the TS400 was the largest of Suzuki’s two-stroke off-road family. Suzuki had a wide range of “T” bikes – TM was for motocross, TC, was for trail, TF was for farm, and TS was the enduro. The 400 produced 34 horsepower and 29.7 pound-feet of torque. Dry weight was 277 pounds, and Suzuki guaranteed their …
No Reserve – Team Cycle World/Attack Performance 1993 Yamaha YZF750SP
Before the new-fangled internet changed everything, motorcycle magazines had some serious budgets that allowed for fascinating stories and for expensive projects – like racing. Over at Iconic we’ve got a relic from the good old days. We’ve had it for over five years and it’s time for it to find a new custodian so we’re offering it up with no …
1965 Bridgestone Mountaineer 90
In 1964, Bridgestone introduced a series of 90cc motorcycles – there were 9 different models based around 4 primary designs. One of the designs was the Mountain, and you can probably guess by the name that this was built to go off-road.
Video Intermission – Abhi’s First Race Weekend
View Post2021 Krämer HKR Evo2-690S
A couple of days ago, I shared a Bimota Tesi 3D Final Edition that’s for sale – here’s another model for sale that’s dear to my heart as it’s in my personal garage: a Kramer 690!
Picture Intermission – Vanson Leathers
Vanson Leathers is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year, and I’m ashamed to admit that I don’t know enough about their legendary company. But earlier this month, Adam and I were excited to have the owners of Vanson (the wonderful Mike and Kim van der Sleesen) come by Iconic’s east coast place for a July 4th party that we threw, …
2002 Di Blasi Express
I’m featuring this scoot for two reasons. First, it’s hard not to appreciate the engineering required to build a vehicle that folds up into a bag. Second, the delightfully 90s website is worth checking out.