A “rural supermoto” from an elite French firefighter… The Yamaha XT500 is one of our favorite vintage Japanese motorcycles, and one of the greatest multipurpose bikes ever created. We’ve seen a varied assortment of customized […]
Tag: Scramblers
Quarterstack: Kawasaki Ninja 250R by Joe Flores with Fitz & Flores
“Blackthumb” Ninja built for the Atlanta streets… For years, the Kawasaki Ninja 250R — aka the EX250 — was America’s best-selling sport bike, offering a 37-hp liquid-cooled parallel twin engine and 6-speed transmission cradled in […]
Unique, Yet Unmistakable: BMW R100GS “Icon”
The BMW R80GS was the world’s first “Adventure Bike,” a large displacement travel-oriented enduro whose G/S abbreviation stood for Gelände/Straße (German: off-road/road). If the R80GS was the first, its successor, the R100GS set the standard […]
Street Sweet, Dirt Worthy: Honda XL500 by Loose Screw
“Street sweet. Dirt worthy. Good time transportation…” That’s how Honda described their lineup of XL dual-purpose motorcycles in their big 1979 magazine advertisement. The ’79 Honda XL500S was the “New King Single” of the bunch, […]
Warhawk-Inspired Kymco KTR 150 Street Scrambler
Surprise MDFK: Kick Cup Champion inspired by the P-40 Warhawk… The American Volunteer Group, better known as the Flying Tigers, was a legendary WWII fighter group composed of pilots from the US Army Air Corps, […]
The Mile Bike: KTM 625 SMC Scrambler
A Malle Mile racer from Danners Automotive… The KTM 625 SMC was a 55-hp street-legal supermoto with fully-adjustable WP suspension, four-piston Brembo brakes, and a few daily niceties like electric start and turn signals. Said […]
Kawasaki KX500 “Carbolution” by JZ Handmade
Carbon KX from the Czech Republic! The Kawasaki KX500 is one of the most infamous dirt weapons ever created. The 500cc 2-stroke motocross bike made 63 horsepower in stock trim and weighed just 220 pounds […]
All Squared Away: Honda CB450DX by JM Customs
The Honda CB450DX was available from 1989-1992, a popular beginner’s bike powered by a 43-hp air-cooled parallel-twin derived from the Superdream engine. The bike was affordable, reliable, easy to handle, and offered retro 70s styling. […]
MZ Baghira 660 Black Panther by Craig Jackson
“The soul of a thumper Supermoto with the dressing of a Café Racer.” In 1997, MZ unveiled the Baghira, a 660cc thumper developed from their Skorpion supermono and named after the wise and ferocious panther […]
“Renovatio”: Bultaco Frontera 370 by Nitro Cycles
Bringing a two-stroke Spanish Bul back to life… In 1975, Bultaco introduced the Frontera, a two-stroke enduro built to meet the demands of “American Enduro experts.” Advertisements appeared in Cycle World and other publications: “Imagine […]
