Duplex Digger: Karl Ardo’s Pre-Unit Triumph Chopper… In 1960, the twin-carb Bonneville 650 received a new “Duplex” frame whose twin front downtubes corrected the “Whip Iron” wobble of the original bike. Today, the 1960-62 Triumph […]
Recent Posts
Two-Stroke Racer: Honda “MT250R” Race Bike
Big Dream: What if Honda had built a 250cc version of the MT125R racer? It’s well known that Soichiro Honda — Mr. Honda himself — was no fan of two-stroke engines. It’s said he found […]
Retro Enduro: Yamaha XT600 Vinduro
VMX-Style XT600 from Garage Esquinita… Back in 1984, Yamaha introduced the XT600, their new “go-anywhere, do-anything flagship. The 595cc dual-purpose machine could be traced back to the iconic XT/TT500 models, which had proved their […]
49-Cylinder Two-Stroke Kawasaki
Guinness World Record Holder: “Tinker Toy” by Simon Whitelock… Recently we showcased the 7-cylinder Kawasaki two-stroke built by the UK’s Simon Whitelock, who’s been building custom motorcycles specials since 1985. He says the Kawasaki Triples […]
Monster Triple: Triumph Speed Triple 955i
Rover-inspired “Monster Triple” from Cus’Tom Motorcycle… When Triumph made their Hinckley factory comeback in the early 1990s, they opted for a modular production plan that allowed them to manufacture a wide range of models […]
Malle Mile 2025: Round 1
“The British Inappropriate Motorcycle Race & Festival in Motion…” From July 18-20th, the 2025 Malle Mile Festival — aka “the greatest and most inappropriate motorcycle race and festival in the country” — returned to […]
Retromotard: Honda XR650L Supermoto
Rothmans-inspired Retromotard from Parr Motorcycles… Back in 2018, we featured the first build from a young Indiana builder named Spencer Parr. The bike? A Suzuki DR650 “Retro-Moto” inspired by the RM motocross models of yesteryear. […]
680R 2.0: Honda XR650R Scrambler
When Pigs Fly: Parr Motorcycles’ XR680R Scrambler… Introduced in 1999, the Honda XR650R — aka Big Red Pig (BRP) — was destined to become a legend, winning eight consecutive runnings of the Baja 1000. The […]
Baja-Style Weapon: Honda XR400R
Time Machine with a Modern Twist: Prutti’s XR400R… In 1996, Honda introduced the XR400R — a 266-lb four-stroke destined to become a legend among multiple generations of dirt riders, garnering a cult following. While Yamaha […]
Ken Block Tribute: Simson S51 “Holy Bastard”
43-hp Simson Smoker from Tony Möckel… In 1856, brothers Löb and Moses Simson purchased one third of a steelhammer works in Suhl, Germany, and began producing guns and gun barrels under the trade name Simson […]
