The 488cc Dick Mann-Developed Two-Stroke Twin Desert Racer and Enduro… In the late 1960s, before “adventure bike” was even a phrase, a small company in Schenectady, New York set out to build something radically different: […]
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Lightweight Boxer: BMW “R100R改” Scrambler
“A lightweight Airhead BMW that an ‘old guy living in the countryside’ could use to explore nearby mountains…” The new-for-1992 BMW R100R was a classic-style roadster built on the BMW R100GS adventure bike platform. The […]
Hooligan V-Twin: Honda NV400 Scrambler / Tracker
A V-Twin Honda Hooligan from GDZH Custom Cycle… The Honda NV400 was a small-displacement V-twin cruiser sometimes known as the Steed or Shadow 400. The liquid-cooled 52-degree V-twin produced 33-35 horsepower, and the bike weighed […]
AJS Stormer 370: Two-Stroke British Motocrosser
Before European and Japanese motocross machines reshaped the sport in the 1970s, a handful of British manufacturers were still pushing hard to stay competitive. One of the most interesting — and often overlooked — examples […]
Evolution of an Icon: Yamaha “670XTE” Restomod
Big Bore Retro: Motorieep turns the XT600E into a 60-hp monster… In 1990, Yamaha introduced the XT600E, an electric-start version of their fabled 595cc air-cooled single-cylinder dual-purpose machine. The original XT500 was a legend in […]
The First 300-MPH Motorcycle: Silver Bird Streamliner
Don Vesco’s 300-mph Silver Bird / Lightning Bolt Streamliner Heads to Auction… The Bonneville Salt Flats have long been a proving ground for engineering audacity. Over the years, riders have chased timed-mile milestones the way […]
Gravel Express: Suzuki XF650 Freewind Adventure Rally
Hessler Motorsport’s Suzuki Freewind ADV Rally… Available from 1997 to 2002, the Suzuki XF650 Freewind was a European-style all-rounder built around the proven air-cooled lump from the DR650 dual-sport. Though a single cylinder, the Freewind […]
Desert Boxer: BMW R900RR Dakar Rally Bike
Dakar Legends: Last Roar of the Desert Bombers… In the late 1990s and early 2000s, BMW found itself at a turning point in rally-raid racing. The boxer twin had already written one of the most […]
Double Double: Twin-Engine Yamaha XS650 Land Speeder
Double-Engine XS650 Land Speed Racer from Japan’s Rocket Motorcycle… There’s an old joke that the Yamaha XS650 is the best British twin ever (or never) built. It’s a tongue-in-cheek nod to the parallel-twin XS resembling […]
Rev Falcon: Twin-Cam Harley-Davidson Breakout Bobber
Fangster’s Drag-Style Twin-Cam Breakout Bobber… In 2012, Harley-Davidson CVO (Custom Vehicle Operations) division launched the original Softail Breakout. “Pictures do not convey the beauty of this new model. Harley’s CVO group prides itself on creating […]
