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News July 2023
Eighties brute,
July 31
Is there a more eighties motorcycle than the Suzuki
GSX1100EF series? Depending on variant we're talking
115-ish horses and loads of accessible torque. Very fast,
sometimes unruly and very much a creature of its time.
Hugely entertaining.
This example from Iconic in the USA is the cleanest one
we've seen in a long time. It's up for sale at Au$13,000 (US$8750,
GB£6800).
A town called
Alice, July 31
Blundering in to Alice Springs this afternoon on the cheap and cheerful BMW R1150GS felt like some sort of achievement, or at least a significant milepost...see the story here.
Getting to know
our Darwin GS, Jule 30
The sign sums up today's jaunt: Katherine to Tennant Creek, about 670km (415 miles).
About 1000km into our Darwin to Melbourne run, we now
have a reasonable handle on what we got for the Au$4000 we
handed over for the bike, a 2002 BMW R1150GS ABS. And that
is, a bit of a bargain...see the full
story here.
Darwin run, July
29
Day one on the road with our cheap and cheerful BMW R1150GS, which we picked up in Darwin and are riding back to Adelaide. See the story here.
Strapz sale,
July 29
The good folk at Andy Strapz are having a sale. Have a squiz here – the range is
huge and well-chosen.
Yamaha FZR1000 –
today's random brochure, July 28
A fierce rival to Suzuki's GSX-R1100 in the showrooms,
Yamaha's early FZR1000 placed first and second the final legendary Castrol
Six Hour production race in 1987.
The lead bike, piloted by Kevin Magee and Michael Dowson,
walked away by three laps. (The GSX-R1100 was ineligible
for production racing by that stage, as it busted the
1000cc limit.)
FZRs have struggled to find traction in the collector
market, and a lot of the remaining stock has been snapped
up for Period 6 racing.
If you can find a good one, they are still a pretty good
ride.
We've owned a couple over time – see the story on
our Six Hour replica here.
Cheap &
cheerful fly-ride, July 27
As some of you may know, we've developed
a bit of a habit of buying bikes in far-flung places and
riding them home. Call it our on-going fly-ride program.
It's had some challenges along the way,
requiring some running repairs, but that's part of the
fun.
Our next episurd starts today, when we
pick up what was the cheapest BMW R1150GS
listed on Bikesales a week ago. A 2002 ABS model
with factory panniers and 89,000km (55,000 miles) on
the odo, it was priced at Au$4000 (US$2700, GB£2100).
We fly up from Melbourne to Darwin
today (Thursday) and then turn around on the Saturday
for the 3750km (2330 mile) ride home.
We reckon this model is generally
sensational value for money at the moment and, since
we already own an example, we'll change the oil on the
'new' one and sell it off when we get home.
Really, buying it was just an excuse
for a ride.
Wish us luck...and follow our Facebook
and Instagram
feeds.
See a few earlier fly-ride bikes:
MV's saviour,
July 26
The revival of the MV Agusta name as a
manufacturer in the 1990s signaled a new life for a
new century for the historic marque. See our
future collectible profile on the F4 750.
Flashback:
Blackbird bang for buck, July 25
Once the straight-line performance flagship of the Honda
line, the Blackbird now stacks up as incredible value for
money, particularly over the long term. See the ownership
story here.
Big sticker
price for collectible R1, July 24
If you're a very well-off Yamaha R1 fan, the European end of the company is waving around the ultimate wallet bait: A 25th anniversary edition, due for delivery early next year, of which only 25 will be made.
Constructed with lots of race-spec or inspired goodies,
it's called the R1 GYTR Pro and will set you back
Au$280,000 (€169,000, US$188,000,
GB£146,000). You can find out
more and place your order here.
See our future collectible feature on the far more
affordable first-edition R1.
Random auction
lot: MV Agusta 750 S America, July 23
The sound would be glorious, the ride a little gothic by today's standards, and we reckon it would be pretty hard to beat as something to quietly contemplate over a glass of good fighting red.
This 1975 MV
Agusta 750 S America went up for auction at
Bring a Trailer but didn't make reserve. Bidding
stopped at Au$112,000 (US$75,000, GB£58,000).
Author Ian Falloon tells
us the same machine sold at auction via Mecum in 2020
for Au$86,000 (US$58,000, GB£45,000).
Dreamcatcher,
July 22
Riding
off into the sunset is one thing, but what about the
owner left behind? See the story
here. (From our Travels with Guido
series.)
Honda CBX1000 –
today's random brochure, July 21
Honda's CBX1000 had some pretty serious bragging rights when it was launched towards the close of the 1970s.
See this retrospective by Kevin Cameron at Cycle World;
And this 5000km period road test from Classic Two Wheels.
BMW S 1000 RR
Race – quick spin, July 20
Serious racetrack performance, with heated grips and cruise control. BMW's S 1000 RR is a fascinating toy...see our quick overview.
Harley caviar,
July 19
It's 1977 and Harley-Davidson, under the somewhat rocky ownership of AMF, is trying to underscore the perceived prestige of its shovelhead era line-up.
The XLCR was
one of Willie G Davidson's early styling exercises and
struggled in the showrooms. However it went on to be a
sought-after classic. See the
period Cycle World review.
And of course we get the touring flagship, the Electra Glide. While it had received some updates, including a switch from a drum front brake to a disc, the model was fundamentally the same through the 1970s. See the profile via Motorcycle Specs.
FZR1000 cafe,
July 18
This wins our award for counter-intuitive build of the
year – a one-off old-style cafe racer, complete with drum
brakes, with a Yamaha FZR1000 powerplant fed by a bank of
four round-slide Dellorto pumper carburetors.
It's built by a chap called Cord Nacke and you can see more
via Rocket-Garage. (Pic: Motorrad via Rocket-Garage).
See the Six-Hour replica
FZR1000 that was in our shed.
Yamaha FZ750 –
today's random brochure shot, July 16
A handsome-looking beast, isn't it? Yamaha's 20-valve FZ750 was a quick and tough mount for its day, though it tended to be overshadowed by the rival GSX-R750.
And our Suzuki GSX-R750 profile.
Arch KRGT-1 –
today's oddball, July 16
The love-child of actor Keanu Reeves and designer/customiser Gard Hollinger, the Arch KRGT-1 managed to set a new benchmark for canyon-swinging cruisers when launched in 2015.
Powered by a
122hp S&S V-twin, the 2020 update scored high
praise from Cycle World magazine: "Our cruise
on the updated 2020 KRGT-1 revealed a powerful,
comfortable and competent hot rod with a stable chassis,
endless power, and excellent brakes. But it all comes at
a price."
This 2022 example
is up for auction via Iconic in the USA.
Retromod
GSX-R1000, July 15
We reckon this is one the nicest retromods we've seen in
a long while – a K7 Suzuki GSX-R1000 dressed up as a
slabbie-era GSX-R. It's a task that's deceptively
difficult to get right.
You can see the
story at Bikebound.
See our GSX-R1000 K1-K2
future collectible profile;
Plus, Classic Two Wheels has a GSX-R1000 K5
period road test.
Flashback: One
great ride, July 14
Is just one great ride reason enough to buy a motorcycle? Sometimes we reckon it is...see the story here.
Ducati green
frame resto, July 13
The Motorcycle Broker in the UK has
started a video series on bringing a very original 1974
Ducati 750 Super Sport back to life after a 25-year lay
off.
Among the challenges are what to do with
the now fragile bodywork and the decision has been made to
preserve it and fit the bike with replica pieces that
mimic the patina of the originals.
This model is now worth several
hundred thousand dollars, in part justifying the
expense and trouble.
And the
Classic Two Wheels period SS test.
Honda turbo
auction, July 12
The upcoming Shannons August
15-22 auction has a host of bikes on offer. One that
caught our eye was this 1983 Honda CX650 Turbo. Honda was
the turbo pioneer among the big four Japan makers,
starting with the CX500T in 1981.
This 650 is
estimated at Au$12-16,000 (US$8-11,000, GB£4-6000).
See our Turbo Kings
feature on the 1980s turbos from the Japanese big four.
Flashback: Honda
XL350, July 11
One of those bikes we should never have sold...Honda XL350 circa 1975.
Motorcycle
engines – what's in a shape? July 10
The shape of motorcycle engines used to tell a story, but
is that still the case? Kevin Cameron at Cycle World
ponders the question. He writes, "Fifty
years ago, a motorcycle engine’s appearance told a story
and excited our curiosity, just as did the steam
railroad locomotives of my boyhood..." See the story
here.
See the story on
our Ducati 860 GT.
Nineties style,
July 9
Today's random ad: Pirelli Dragon featuring a Ducati 916,
circa 1995. High nineties glam!
See the story on
the 916 that was in our shed;
NR750 sale, July
9
This probably qualifies as one of the must-haves for any well-heeled motorcycle collector: Honda's NR750.
Some 322 of the oval-piston 32-valve machines were built,
priced back in 1992 at a heady Au$90,000 (US$60,000,
GB£48,000).
This example is with Iconic in the USA, claiming 9400km
(5900 miles) on the odo – so it has actually been ridden.
It's priced at
Au$134,400 (US$89,880, GB£70,000).
There are a couple of good features on this model:
Ian Falloon's profile at MC News;
Plus the Cycle World backgrounder.
Power Ninja,
July 8
It was all about the horsepower when Kawasaki released
its new glam flagship for 1988, the ZX-10.
Now old enough for club plates in all states, we reckon
it makes a pretty compelling potential classic. See the profile
here.
BMW Spandau
factory tour, July 7
BMW's Spandau
factory claims to be one of the world's largest
motorcycle factory in sheer area, producing some 800
machines a day. It's also home to the S 1000 RR
performance flagship.
This video tour gives a great insight into how the company pulls the machine together.
See our S 1000 RR Series 1 future collectible feature.
Flashback:
Suzuki GSX1100E in the shed, July 6
One of our favourite old school naked bikes...see the story here.
Hero Harley
launch, July 5
A partnership between Harley-Davidson
and Hero Motors in India has just launched the X440
range of singles. See the video
release...well worth a look as it provides some
interesting background.
Pricing in India starts at 229,000
rupees, which equates to Au$4200 (US$2900, GB£2200).
That price positions it between a Royal Enfield 350
Bullet and Continental GT650 in that market.
FireBlade sale,
July 4
Unquestionably now on the collector radar, the first-model Honda FireBlade succeeded as a trend-setter in the sports bike universe.
This example with 30,000 miles (48,000km) showing looks
tidy and complete, including the original muffler. It's up for
auction with Silverstone in the UK at the end of
this month with an estimate of Au$9500-13,300
(US$6500-9000, GB£5-7000).
We won't be surprised if it gets a little more.
See our first-gen
FireBlade profile, including a video of one we had in
the shed.
Middleweight
Boxer, July 3
1979 BMW R65 (first model) factory publicity pic. Not our
favourite as a two-up machine, but we owned one for 16
years and reckoned it was a good thing as a low-stress and
engaging solo ride and potential classic.
They were very expensive new (about $1000 more than a
Honda CB750), but now can represent decent value at well
under $10k.
See the profile on the R65 we owned here;
And our final
debrief after deciding to sell.
Here's an example up for sale in Queensland at the moment at Au$7750 (US$5200, GB£4100).
Goodbye Alf,
July 2
Farewell Alf Wilson. He was one half of the dynamic duo
of Alf and Maija who ran the Tintaldra
Hotel on the Murray River near Corryong across
1989-2014, and has passed away. The couple turned the pub
into a destination for motorcyclists and classic car
enthusiasts through genuine enthusiasm for the toys we
love, sheer force of personality and generosity of spirit.
Read one of our stories on visiting the place.
Brockhouse
Indians, July 2
What are we looking at? One of the numerous oddballs to come out of the turbulent times between the closure of the Indian Springfield factory in 1953 and the stabilisation of the firm some 60 years later under Polaris.
It's a 1959 Indian Chief – essentially a modified Royal
Enfield 700. You can read
about here.
Meanwhile, there's a closely-related cousin on offer at Bikesales – a 1957 Indian Trailblazer, priced at Au$17,700 (US$11,800, GB£9300)
Anniversary
Hayabusa, July 1
Suzuki is celebrating 25 years since the first public
showing of its legendary GSX1300R Hayabusa with a 25th
anniversary model. It's distinguished from its regular
brethren by numerous little design touches, including the
unique colour scheme. See more here at
Suzuki.
We have a wealth of Hayabusa resources online...
First generation profile as a
future collectible;
Second generation (video review at YouTube);
Third generation,
story plus video.
Plus, meet the Hannibal the
hotted-up Hayabusa in our shed.
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