It began as a “parts bin special”—cheaply developed and launched in 1994 with minimal fanfare. The first Speed Triple shared its 885cc engine and almost all other parts with other Triumph models. It looked fairly ordinary, in fact, with its low handlebars and single round headlight.

Three decades later, the Speed Triple has arguably been Triumph’s best loved model—having helped establish the firm as a maker of exciting, well-engineered bikes, and contributed hugely to its success. Revamped numerous times over the years, it has starred in Hollywood movies, frequently topped the firm’s sales chart, and spawned the hugely successful Street Triple family.

Triumph was a very different company when that original Speed Triple was developed, shortly after building magnate John Bloor had revived the brand in the late 1980s. In 1992, the new Hinckley factory’s second year of operation, it produced barely 3000 bikes (compared to almost 100,000 last year). The firm was still committed to a modular format that reduced costs by sharing most components of bikes ranging from 750cc triples to 1200cc fours.

Depending on your view, the first Speed Triple was either the existing Daytona 900 sports bike with its fairing removed, or a sportier version of the Trident 900, the naked triple that had been the most popular of the original six-model range.

The Trident’s responsive, 885cc triple engine had been much praised, but that model was a simple roadster, with conservative styling and basic suspension. By contrast, Ducati had scored a big hit with its M900 Monster in 1993 by combining a softly tuned V-twin engine with aggressive naked styling and high-quality chassis parts.

The Speed Triple followed a similar format. Its liquid-cooled, 12-valve engine produced 97 hp and, apart from having a five-speed gearbox rather than a six-speed, it was identical to the unit that powered the Trident and Daytona. The bike’s steel spine frame was also shared with the other models.

But like the Monster, the Speed Triple had superior cycle parts: adjustable Kayaba suspension from Japan and a front brake combination of big twin discs and four-piston Nissin calipers. Its cast rear wheel held a fat, sticky Michelin radial tire.

Styling was little more than stripped-down Daytona, with a single round headlight. But the retained low handlebars gave an aggressive look, highlighted by a memorable brochure image featuring a Rottweiler. And the Speed Triple name—inspired by the 1937-model Speed Twin that had been one of the former Triumph company’s greatest models—suited its café racer image perfectly.

That first Speed Triple struck a chord. Its zippy engine, responsive handling, and windblown riding position combined to give an impression of easy speed. Without a fairing and with much of its rider’s weight over the front wheel, it steered with appealing urgency and less of the top-heavy feel of other Triumphs.

After borrowing a bike from Hinckley for a test, I rode to the site of the old Ace Cafe, legendary North London haunt of the 1960s Rockers, which had become a tire depot. The leather-jacketed riders were long gone, and the traffic was much denser. But it was still fun to follow the classic lap down the North Circular Road, over the infamous Iron Bridge (scene of numerous fatal crashes), and back, just as the slick-haired Rockers did when attempting to return with a song by Gene Vincent or Eddie Cochran still playing on the juke box.

The Speed Triple was an excellent accomplice, and it proved a hit in 1994, becoming Triumph’s best-selling model—although in those early days that only meant 2683 were produced (including a small number of 750cc variants that were otherwise identical) out of a total bike production that by then had climbed past 10,000.

That was a good start, but the Speed Triple’s stroke of inspiration was still to come. By 1995, Triumph’s engineers and design team were developing the T595 Daytona—the 955cc, aluminum-framed sports triple that abandoned the modular format and would elevate the British brand to a new level of performance and sales on its launch in 1997.

In those days, much of Triumph’s development was based at the Northamptonshire workshop of John Mockett, the designer who had shaped many of the firm’s early models. At one point, while working on the Daytona, Mockett realized that the bike, with its distinctive tubular aluminum frame, looked good without its curvaceous twin-headlamp fairing.

“I said to Stuart Wood [chief development engineer] that we ought to do this without the bodywork,” recalled Mockett, who admired the aggressive streetfighter specials built by firms such as Harris Performance. “Stuart said, ‘No, we’ve got to get the 595 finished in time for the Milan show,’ so I said, ‘Okay, we’ll work on it in the other shed and see what we can do.’ John Bloor was always down there but we kept this thing secret from him.”

A few months later, Bloor arrived to inspect the finished Daytona T595. “We’d painted it and added decals by then and he said it looked alright—in fact he was very pleased. Then I said, ‘I’ve got this other one,’ and uncovered the naked bike. He looked at it and said, ‘F***ing hell, it looks like it’s been crashed!’”

The Triumph boss’s instinctive reaction summed up the naked triple’s appeal. The previous decade had seen the emergence of a biking subculture, especially in Britain, where Streetfighters magazine had become popular, highlighting the urban look that had grown up initially around twin-headlight Suzuki GSX-R750 and 1100 sports bikes whose fairings had been removed following a crash.

At that time, no major manufacturer had a model with comparable style. Bloor took some persuasion, but decided to put the naked triple into production alongside the Daytona. “He was so pleased with the Daytona that he accepted the other one on the back of it,” Mockett later recalled. “If it had been on its own he’d have turned it down, but the fact that it was on the coat-tails of the 595 appealed to him, because it didn’t need many extra bits.”

This new Speed Triple, initially codenamed T509 (until, like the Daytona’s T595, this was found to cause confusion), retained its predecessor’s 885cc capacity but gained a new bottom end, intake system, and exhaust. It produced 106 hp, with strong midrange torque. The aluminum frame was identical to the Daytona’s except for being painted instead of lacquered, and it held similarly high-quality suspension, brakes, and a single-sided swingarm.

As with the original Speed Triple, Triumph introduced it with minimal fanfare, almost as an afterthought. I was one of two freelance journalists allowed to ride a T509 that was brought along to the T595 Daytona’s riding launch in Spain. A blast on local roads and on the Circuito de Cartagena race track confirmed that it had an addictive midrange punch, and that its handling, braking, and roadholding were excellent.

The T509 Speed Triple’s 1998 arrival was perfectly timed, its price was competitive, and it was an immediate hit, selling almost 2500 units to become Triumph’s second-most popular model, behind the Daytona. And its success proved lasting, helped by Triumph’s decision to enlarge the engine to 955cc in 1999.

By the turn of the millennium, the Speed Triple had become a cult model, its bullish style and performance highlighting that Triumph was now a serious player in the motorcycle scene. It was boosted by vibrant paint schemes, including an acidic Roulette Green and even more corrosive Nuclear Red (in reality a bold pink, as ridden by Natalie Imbruglia in the movie Johnny English). Speed Triple appearances in The Matrix (ridden by Carrie-Anne Moss) and Mission: Impossible 2 (Tom Cruise) also boosted Triumph’s profile.

The firm did a good job of keeping the Triple’s essential look and character intact, while updating it every so often. One significant step came in 2002, when its output rose by 10 hp, to 118 hp, and its chassis was tweaked to quicken the steering and reduce weight. I also rode that model to the site of Ace Cafe, which, fittingly, had recently reopened as a nostalgia-themed motorcyclists’ meeting place; it continues to thrive to this day.

Another major update came in 2005, when a new, longer-stroke 1050cc engine increased maximum output to 128 hp. A new chassis contributed to a quicker, more agile bike that topped Triumph’s sales charts that year, with 8796 out of a total of almost 35,000. In 2011, Triumph was sufficiently confident to combine a sharpened chassis with non-round headlights—a controversial move that did not damage sales as some had predicted.

By this time, Triumph had ceased production of the Daytona 955i, leaving the Speed Triple as the firm’s sporting flagship. For 2012, the new Speed Triple R combined an unchanged, 133-hp engine with an upmarket chassis incorporating Öhlins suspension, Brembo Monobloc  brake calipers, and a sprinkling of carbon fiber. It was exotic, expensive, and took the trademark Speed Triple blend of naked style and punchy performance to new heights.

Triumph was now facing a dilemma, as the arrival of Aprilia’s Tuono V4R sparked a new class of fierce “hyper-naked” machines: stripped-down superbikes created in similar fashion to the original Speed Triple but producing over 150 hp and backed by sophisticated electronics. The challenge was to keep the Speed Triple competitive, without losing its familiar charm and accessibility.

Triumph took a sizable step in 2018, with an overhauled Speed Triple whose 1050cc engine contained more than 100 new parts, revved 1000 rpm higher, and produced 148 hp, an increase of 10 hp. Alongside the standard model was an upmarket RS version with Öhlins suspension and a sophisticated electronics package incorporating traction control and cornering ABS.

Three years later came an even bigger leap, with an all-new Speed Triple 1200RS. Its engine was enlarged to 1160cc and produced 178 hp—slightly up on Aprilia’s latest Tuono, if not on Ducati’s outrageous 205 hp Streetfighter V4. This RS was also sharper and 22 pounds lighter, helped by a new aluminum frame.

Not every Speed Triple enthusiast was a fan of the new lean and mean naked superbike, or of the stylish, half-faired Speed Triple 1200RR that shares most parts and is even more aggressive and expensive. That’s not surprising. Both models have more than double the power-to-weight ratio of the Speed Triple that started the family 30 years ago.

The Speed Triple is a different class of motorbike now. Its evolution has taken it away from the raw, streetwise, firmly road-focused models of the past. These days, even the middleweight Street Triple 765R makes 120 hp—more than the T509 that did the most to earn the Speed Triple’s cult following back in 1997.

All of which means that the Speed Triple’s days at the top of Triumph’s sales charts are probably gone for good. Its status as one of the Hinckley firm’s most important and fondly regarded models, on the other hand, remains beyond doubt.

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It’s a little more than ten years since Indian was reborn under the ownership of automotive giant Polaris. Since then, the famous U.S. motorcycle marque has grown its range to more than 20 models, increased annual production to over 30,000 bikes, and outclassed its old rival Harley-Davidson to win a sixth consecutive championship in SuperTwins, the top division of American Flat Track racing.

But the Indian story of the previous few decades was very different—a lot less smooth and far more dramatic. Until the brand was bought by Polaris in 2011, Indian had been making headlines for years. Not with new models or race victories, but with a succession of scandals, courtroom cases, and failed attempts at revival.

The fuss was easy to understand because Indian is one of the great names of American motorcycling, and it had fallen on very hard times. Founded in 1901, two years before Harley, the original firm from Springfield, Massachusetts, became the biggest U.S. motorcycle manufacturer by the early 1920s, promoted by the exploits of early board-racing stars and record-breaking long-distance riders including Jake DeRosier and Erwin “Cannon Ball” Baker.

Models including the Powerplus, Scout, and Chief kept Indian healthy into the 1940s. The firm also built an inline four, after taking over Ace in 1927. But a move to parallel twins proved disastrous, sales and profitability fell, and the Springfield factory ceased production in 1953. For the next few decades the Indian name was used to sell small bikes made in Britain and elsewhere, until its use faded in the 1980s.

Interest in Indian reawakened in the early 1990s when, with Harley sales growing so fast that the factory couldn’t keep up, it became clear that there was room in the booming U.S. market for its former rival. It’s here where the story gets messy. Two men independently claimed the Indian name, each with the stated intention of producing high-quality V-twin motorcycles. Unfortunately, they not only failed to build any bikes, but showed no sign of intending to do so.

First came Philip S. Zanghi II, a Californian businessman who in 1990 claimed to have bought rights to the Indian name, for the sum of one dollar, from the last person to use it for selling mopeds in the 1970s. Zanghi announced plans for a new Indian Chief, to be built in small numbers and sold at a high price. He began selling Indian merchandise, ranging from leather jackets to jewelery, and toured the world selling Indian import rights for tens of thousands of dollars apiece.

Zanghi’s motives became more clear when I visited Bob Stark, a revered Indian restorer, parts specialist, and former dealer who had been involved with the marque for half a century. Over several trips to Starklite Cycle’s base in Perris, California, Zanghi had agreed he would pay Stark to build a run of 100 Chief models. “He’d pay me the same shop rate I’d charge anyone who walked in the door,” Stark said. A contract confirmed the agreement, but the cash never arrived. “Everything was fine until it came to time for him to put out one dime’s worth of money. Then, nothing.”

Two months later, Zanghi sent Stark a licensing agreement whose contents were dramatically different to those of the original contract. By signing it, Stark would have agreed that Zanghi owned the right to produce Indians, he would have accepted Zanghi as an authority on their construction, and he would have handed his estimated $500,000 worth of Indian parts and tools to Zanghi, all while agreeing to put up the money to build the 100 bikes himself.

“I’ve probably got 25 percent of the factory drawings. He has none and knows nothing,” Stark told me. “I don’t know what kind of idiot he thought I was, but with this he would have taken over my complete business within three months. I called him and said, ‘Philip, this sure as hell is not what we discussed.’ He offered to pay my way out to discuss it. I told him to forget it. But he got what he wanted out of me—he used my name. I’d had banks calling me. He used our background to try to get money.”

The other self-professed Indian savior was Wayne Baughman, a former car salesman from Albuquerque, New Mexico. He also claimed rights to the name and announced plans for a new Scout model, powered by a 1410cc V-twin engine. When I visited him in January 1993, he insisted the Scout would be in production within six months. As his only prototype comprised an old Indian engine fixed to an aftermarket Harley frame by plastic zip-ties, this seemed very optimistic. (He did, however, have a nice line in Indian T-shirts and jewelery.)

Needless to say, neither of these characters built any bikes. Zanghi ended up in prison for a variety of offenses including fraud, and Baughman extracted several million dollars from investors and enthusiasts, without producing anything in return.

The next false start involved actual Native Americans. In 1995, it was announced the Indian name had been bought from the receiver by a firm called Eller Industries, which had agreed a deal with the Cow Creek band of the Umpqua people, to build bikes on their land in Oregon. Roush Industries, famed for building NASCAR racers, were hired to develop its V-twin engine. In 1998, the firm unveiled sketches of prototypes created by a designer named James Parker, who had recently shaped the radical chassis of Yamaha’s GTS1000.

All looked promising, until suddenly the deal was off amid rumors of financial problems. Instead, later that year a court in Denver, Colorado, awarded the rights to Indian to a group that had taken over the California Motorcycle Company (CMC). The firm from Gilroy in central California was one of the largest of the so-called “Harley-Davidson clone” manufacturers—firms that specialized in building bikes powered by engines built not by Harley but by S&S, whose big, air-cooled V-twins closely resembled those from Milwaukee.

In 1999, the renamed Indian Motorcycle Company started production of a new Chief Limited Edition, a cruiser featuring a 1442cc V-twin engine—a Harley-based unit, like those CMC had used before—and Indian’s trademark huge fenders and curly script on the tank. When I rode the bike in Florida that year, it seemed reasonably well built and finished, albeit with some rough edges. It was hardly, however, an authentic Indian.

Four years later the firm launched a revamped Chief, powered by a new V-twin engine called the Powerplus 100, which had a larger 1638cc (100-cubic inch) capacity and still had cylinders set at 45 degrees—in Harley fashion—but did at least have some new features. The response of U.S. cruiser buyers remained mixed. The firm had built 12,000 machines when, later that year, a backer pulled out and production abruptly ended.

This all-American tale then took a surprising diversion when in 2004 the Indian name was bought by Stellican, a London-based private equity firm run by Stephen Julius, a Brit with a classics degree from Oxford University and a business record that included successfully reviving “heritage brands,” including U.S. boat firm Chris-Craft. Julius relocated to North Carolina, hired engineers to revamp the Chief, including an enlarged 1720cc engine, and in 2008 began small-scale production of some innovatively styled models.

The most eye-catching, if least politically correct, was the Bomber, a limited-edition Chief whose tank featured pinup-style art like that which adorned U.S. aircraft in WWII. Other details included the distressed brown leather of its saddle and panniers, inspired by a WWII flying jacket, and the aero-style rivets on the trademark big front fender.

Julius positioned Indian as an “ultra-premium” brand, with prices above Harley-Davidson’s, and aimed to make a profit by selling just 500 hand-built bikes per year. He planned to export to Europe, but faced problems in selling bikes in Britain due to another bizarre twist in the Indian tale, again involving a dispute over rights to the name.

Alan Forbes was a former musician and long-time Indian enthusiast who ran a bike shop called Motolux in Edinburgh that specialized in servicing, restoring, and occasionally selling Scotland’s remaining old Chiefs and Scouts. At a Swedish rally in the late 1990s, he met a group of locals who had built a giant, 1845cc inline-four cruiser that they called the Wiking (considering the name Viking too obvious), using a mixture of Volvo, BMW, and VW Beetle car engine parts and a chassis of their own design.

Forbes had long wanted to produce a bike, and had seen the opportunity for a fresh take on the inline four that Indian had produced decades earlier. He had made a deal with the Swedes, and by 2000 they had developed a good looking if slightly agricultural prototype named the Indian Dakota—although it could only be called that in the U.K., where Forbes had registered the Indian name. He announced grand plans to produce up to 100 Dakotas per year, but several years later was vague about whether any had been sold—or whether producing more than a small batch had ever been a realistic aim.

Back stateside and unfortunately for Julius, after three decades in which Harley-Davidson sales had boomed, he was attempting to relaunch Indian just as the global financial crisis sent sales of big, expensive American motorcycles plummeting. Even Harley struggled. Its new, much smaller rival didn’t stand a chance.

But the Indian name remained an ace among motorcycle brands, and in 2011, a major player finally came to the table. Polaris already owned a motorcycle operation: Victory. It had launched Victory from scratch in 1998 and carefully built it into an established manufacturer that had sold more than 100,000 bikes. But fighting Harley’s century of tradition had been tough in such a nostalgia-led market, and Victory had struggled to achieved the sales that its models’ performance and quality merited.

Polaris had survived the recession in good shape, however, and was keen to expand. It even had funds for motorcycle development. It acquired Indian in 2011—both the North Carolina and Edinburgh enterprises, plus any loose ends elsewhere—and invested further tens of millions of dollars in development, marketing, and machinery, including an assembly factory in Spirit Lake, Iowa.

In August 2013, the relaunched Indian unveiled a range of three all-new Chief models. In many ways they resembled previous attempts, but they were not just superior in performance and quality; these Indians also differed by being widely available, competitively priced, and extensively marketed. A second family of Scout models followed just a year later. By this time Indian was outselling sister brand Victory, which would be closed down in 2017.

For the last decade, then, Indian’s turbulent history has been shaped by an owner that could do it justice, and the firm is already competitive with Harley-Davidson on the racetrack, if still well behind in showroom sales. After all the fighting over the name, Indian still faces the issue of cultural appropriation that has led to the rebranding of many U.S. sports teams. We will all have to wait and see how that plays out, but in the meantime, this most enduring of American marques rides on.

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Best known for his masterful driving behind the wheel of Formula 1 race cars—and that one video where he drives the wheels off an NSX in loafers—the late Ayrton Senna is a legend. People with stories like his get special editions named after them, and sometimes those special editions seem to make little sense. The limited-edition Ducati Monster Senna is one such example, but if you are questioning why anyone would name a motorcycle after a Formula 1 driver, I’m here to explain.

Ayrton Senna might not be a household name, but in the car community he is dang close. Between the his personality and his tendency to end up on the top step of the podium, he quickly attracted a fanbase. This was an era before social media and breathless press coverage, which meant Senna could still unwind a bit on the weekends and between race seasons. What does a guy who drivers really fast for a living do for a thrill? He rides motorcycles, of course.

And Senna’s motorcycle of choice was Ducati, though his hand was helped in selection when Claudio Castiglioni, then owner of Ducati and a fan of Senna, gave the three-time world champion a Ducati 851 SP. Senna also bopped around Monte Carlo on a Monster 900 in the early 1990s, even using the bike to arrive at the 1993 Monaco Grand Prix. The Monster likely appealed to Senna for its connection and feel. A sharp chassis, a punchy powerplant, and simple styling are hallmarks of the Monster lineup, and the new Senna edition captures all of that but blends in a heavy dose of the Brazilian driver’s color pallette.

The base for this special edition is the 2024 Monster, which features the 937cc Testastretta V-twin engine that makes 111 hp and 69 lb-ft and sounds great doing it, thanks to a set of Termignoni mufflers. The front forks, rear shock, and steering damper are all courtesy of Öhlins and keep things under control. The forged aluminum wheels help trim weight, and the Senna edition is nearly 10 pounds less than the standard model.

The Monster Senna’s performance might be close to the standard model, but the aesthetics are a pretty radical departure. The colors are pulled directly from the Brazilian flag, which was the heart of Senna’s signature yellow, green, and blue helmet. The black rims are specially made for this model, as are the yellow Brembo brake calipers. Other distinctive elements are the special seat, the matching engine guard, and the dedicated dashboard animation, which starts when the ignition is turned on.

This isn’t the first time Ducati has put the Senna name on a Ducati. Just weeks before a special-edition 916 was set to debut in 1994, however, Senna lost his life at the San Marino Grand Prix at Iola. Ducati leadership consulted Senna’s family and collectively decided to go ahead with the release. Ducati revived the special edition in 1997 and ’98, and then again in 2014, on the 1199 Panigale model. Like all of the previous models bearing the Senna name, this new Monster is limited and likely to go fast. Only 341 of the 2024 Monster Sennas will be produced, and they are set to debut this weekend at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix at Imola.

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Four decades on from its launch, Harley-Davidson’s original FXST Softail is not a bike that would stand out in most crowds. It’s a simply styled cruiser with raised handlebars, a thick dual seat, and an air-cooled V-twin engine with cylinders set at the Milwaukee marque’s traditional 45-degree angle.

But that first Softail more than justified the swirling dry-ice drama of Harley’s publicity photo. In fact, this relatively restrained 1338cc model is among the most significant in the company’s 121-year history.

Back in 1984, the Softail was one of the five models fitted with Harley’s Evolution V-twin engine. With its aluminum cylinder barrels and heads, and more importantly its increased performance, cooler running, and much improved reliability over the previous Shovelhead unit, the Evolution brought the ailing firm rumbling out of the dark ages and into the light.

The FXST offered an additional attraction with its chassis. Its Softail name highlighted the new steel frame whose hidden suspension units cleverly allowed a comfortable ride while giving the impression of an old-style “hardtail” rear end. Before long, there would be a whole family of Softails.

Most importantly of all, the Evo-engined models appeared at a pivotal time, like a cavalry division charging over the horizon just as the surrounded soldiers with their antiquated rifles were facing slaughter.

Harley-Davidson’s situation in 1984 was dire. The firm has had well-documented worries in recent years, what with an aging customer base and production falling below 200,000 units from a 2006 peak of almost 350,000. To put that into context, however, things were rough for the company at the dawn of the 1980s, too. While Harley engineers had been finalizing development of the Evolution engine in 1982, production had been less than 25,000. This was below the threshold set by its financial backers, who were entitled to foreclose at any time. The financially strapped company had recently laid off 40 percent of its workforce and cut the salaries of those who remained.

The U.S. motorcycle market had plunged in the late 1970s, unheeded by both Harley and the Japanese manufacturers, who had continued to increase production until they had warehouses full of bikes that could not be sold, even at a discount. Worse still for Harley, its owners AMF (American Machine and Foundry) had boosted production by compromising on quality. By 1984, the result was unreliable bikes, dissatisfied customers, and unhappy dealers faced with increasing warranty work. The firm’s reputation was arguably at an all-time low.

At least there were some positives. Back in 1976, Harley executives had drawn up a long-term plan based on two powertrains: an updated aircooled V-twin, which they called Evolution; and a liquid-cooled family of V-configuration engines, named Nova.

Development of both began the following year, with the Evo project in-house, and Nova contracted out to Porsche Design because Milwaukee lacked the resources to do both simultaneously. In 1981, financial constraints meant that only one project could continue, and the Evolution was chosen.

By this time, however, Harley-Davidson was a very different company. A management buyout earlier that year had seen a group of 13 senior executives, led by Vaughn Beals and including styling chief Willie G. Davidson, raise over $80 million to take control from AMF. “The Eagle Soars Alone,” ran the celebratory advertising, but the company remained in a desperate position.

The Evolution engine had been slated for introduction with the 1983 model year, but there was a distinct possibility that Harley’s banks would pull the plug first. That this didn’t happen was partly due to Beals’ successful petitioning of the International Trade Commission to put tariffs of 45 percent on Japanese motorcycles of over 700cc.

President Ronald Reagan signed the tariffs into law in April 1983, but that was far from the end of Harley’s problems. Beals and engineering chief Jeff Bleustein regarded restoring the brand’s former reputation for reliability as so vital that the Evo motor’s introduction was delayed by a year to allow further development.

“I don’t think we ever made a tougher decision,” Beals later said. “The market was terrible, which meant we needed the engine sooner rather than later… But the one vow we took, because of the reputation we had, was that when the Evolution engine came out it would be durable, oil-tight, and bulletproof. We finally decided that the 1983 introduction was too risky, because we weren’t yet confident that it was bulletproof.”

The extra time was well spent. Harley’s engineers continued their more than 5000 hours of dyno testing, redesigned some parts, and refined manufacturing processes. Development riders added to a reported total of 750,000 miles of endurance road work and high-speed laps at the Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.

The result justified that cautious approach. The Evo engine retained its Shovelhead predecessor’s 1340cc (80-cubic inch) capacity, its cylinder dimensions, crankshaft, and basic bottom-end layout. But almost everything else was new, including the aluminum head and barrels, smaller valves, narrower valve angle, camshaft profile, stronger connecting rods, flat instead of domed pistons, reshaped combustion chambers, and higher compression ratio.

Performance was significantly improved in every respect. Peak power output was up by ten percent, to 71.5 hp at 5000rpm. Torque improved by 15 percent and moved lower down the rev range. Fuel economy was improved, and weight was reduced by 20 pounds. A comprehensively redesigned lubrication system cured the Shovelhead’s habit of leaking as well as burning oil.

The new engine was nicknamed the Blockhead, extending the line that had begun with Flathead, Knucklehead, and Panhead, but it was more commonly called the Evolution. Either way, it came with a 12-month, unlimited-mileage warranty and was an instant success.

Some U.S. motorcycle magazines had previously been reluctant to test Shovelheads due to their many issues, but response to the Evo models was much more positive. “By now you’ve heard all the rumors and read all the speculation. Stop the presses, it’s true,” reported Cycle World about the Electra Glide Classic, which it described as a “thoughtfully conceived, carefully executed major overhaul that manages to blend the tradition of the past with the ideas of the present, to come up with something that’s both modern yet familiar.”

After riding the Electra Glide in the States, British freelancer Alan Cathcart described the Evo engine in Bike as “a quantum leap forward from the days of the iron jug Shovelhead… a successful amalgamation of traditional values and modern technology, of simple pushrod design and refined execution.”

Cycle magazine was positive about another model, the half-faired FXRT Sport Glide, describing it as a “contemporary motorcycle, albeit a very expensive one, rather than a curious alien from another era… The Evolution indicates that Harley-Davidson is making progress, and at an increasing rate.”

Motorcyclist was similarly impressed by the Sport Glide. “For those who wanted to see if Harley could build a real, honest-to-Davidson 1984 motorcycle, feast your eyes. The ’84 season is here—and Harley is right here with it.”

If the models that gained Evolution engines instead of Shovelhead units all contributed to the fight, it was the all-new FXST Softail that would make the biggest impact. Its hardtail-look rear end had originated with an independent engineer from Missouri named Bill Davis, whose modified Super Glide had caught the eye of chairman Vaughn Beals at a Harley rally.

Beals negotiated to buy the rights, and Willie G. Davidson fashioned a relatively lean and simple cruiser whose rigid-look rear end incorporated a hidden pair of shock units sitting horizontally beneath the engine. The Softail engine was held solidly rather than rubber-mounted as with the other Evo units, and for its first year only it had a four- instead of five-speed gearbox.

The Softail wasn’t the most comfortable or practical of Harley’s 1984 models, and it wasn’t the least expensive, either. But its blend of more up-to-date engineering and determinedly old-fashioned style hit the spot, and it quickly became not only very popular but—even more importantly—very profitable too.

Harley-Davidson wasn’t out of financial trouble just yet, even though the year ended with U.S. sales up by 31 percent to over 38,000 in a market that continued to fall. Domestic sales were up again in 1985, putting Harley second behind only Honda in the 850cc-plus category, but that was the year in which the company came closer than ever, before or since, to going bust.

The problem was that Citycorp, which had previously backstopped the company through the difficult times, had new people in important positions. They decided that another recession was looming—and that Harley, despite the upturn in its fortunes, would not survive it, so Citycorp’s best option was to liquidate the firm. 

In March 1985, Harley was given an extended deadline of December 31 to find a new backer or file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Beals later spoke of “hawking begging bowls round Wall Street” that summer as he and chief financial officer Richard Teerlink struggled to convince potential investors that Citycorp’s pessimism was unjustified.

Finally, with time fast running out and all alternatives exhausted, Beals, Teerlink, and colleague Tom Gelb were introduced to a Harley-riding banker named Bob Koe, of Chicago-based Heller Financial, who set up a meeting with his boss, Norm Blake, on the morning of December 23. Blake listened to their pitch… and turned them down.

Somehow, with the bankruptcy seeming almost inevitable, the Harley trio persuaded Koe to arrange another meeting with Blake that afternoon. They finally agreed a deal, more generous to Heller, which gave Citycorp $49M, and Harley $49.5M of working capital. Even then, holiday season delays meant the final transaction was completed with minutes to spare on December 31.

Harley was saved, and Heller’s confidence would be rewarded as the Milwaukee firm defied the general downturn to begin an astonishing period of growth. In 1986, it matched Honda for big-bike sales. The following year Harley was listed on the New York Stock Exchange, and also petitioned the IRC to end the tariff on Japanese bikes ahead of time. President Reagan visited the factory in York, Pennsylvania, to offer congratulations.

A succession of Evolution-engined models powered the recovery. The FLST Heritage Softail of 1986 featured a fat front end inspired by the Hydra-Glide of the 1950s. The Low Rider Custom had a skinny 21-inch front wheel, high bars, and lots of laid-back attitude. In 1988, the FXSTS Springer Softail went further back through time with its updated version of an old-style springer front suspension system.

The Sportster family was also updated with Evolution engines, starting in 1986 with an entry-level model in traditional 883cc capacity, followed soon after by a similarly styled 1100cc variant. Both were popular, the smaller model boosted by Harley’s innovative offer to repay the full $3995 price if its rider traded up to a big twin within two years.

In 1990 came the unmistakable FLSTF Fat Boy, with disc wheels, industrial look, and silver finish with yellow detailing. A year later it was followed by the Dyna Glide Sturgis, named after the South Dakota rally that had become an August fixture for a growing legion of Harley riders.

Willie G’s final Evolution-powered project was one of his finest: The FLTR Road Glide of 1998 featured a frame-mounted fairing and a long, low look that would remain popular for more than two decades. A year later, the Glide and most other Big Twins were fitted with the new Twin Cam 88 engine, a bigger, more powerful V-twin that was another step forward.

The Evo unit continued to power some Softail models for a couple more years, along with the hotted-up, limited-edition FXR Super Glide variants that began the Custom Vehicle Operations line in 1999 and 2000. By this time, Harley’s total production was nudging 200,000. Revenue was close to $3 billion, and profit almost $350 million, the company having set new records for 15 consecutive years.

The Evolution engine, it’s fair to say, had proved a considerable success.

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Any business that successfully navigates 140 years without completely disappearing has every right to celebrate. Only a handful of companies that can boast that kind of record, and considering the first patented automobile debuted 138 years ago, it’s impressive that any car or motorcycle manufacturer has been churning out products since the very beginning. Piaggio, an Italian maker of scooters and motorcycles, has stood that test of time and released a special edition from one of its most popular brands, Vespa, to commemorate it.

Though Piaggio owns other storied marques like Moto Guzzi and Aprilia, we think Vespa was the right choice for the celebratory scooter, dubbed the 140th of Piaggio. The brand’s timeless air is rooted in a core design that has survived decades with only subtle updates. The iconic step-through scooter is how movie directors tell audiences the setting is suddenly in Europe without having to say it—just put a few buzzing two-stroke Vespas running down a cobbled street and poof, scene set.

The styling might have stayed, but the buzzy two-stroke power plant is a thing of the past. The 140th of Piaggio special edition packs a 23-hp punch from a 278-cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine under the rear cowling. A CVT transmission multiplies the engine’s torque and sends it to the rear wheel, which is suspended by a single-sided swing arm.

The special parts of this special edition appear to be limited to the cosmetic items, but even if you do decide you’ve gotta have one, it’s too late. The 140th of Piaggio edition production is limited to 140 units, and was only available for sale to certain regions online during the Vespa World Days 2024 rally that took place April 18-21 in Pontedera, Italy. We think it looks like a slick little scoot for running about town, but it appears we will have to stick to the regular GTV 300 model which luckily is available in the U.S. as of last year. Congrats on the anniversary, Piaggio.

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While many enthusiasts would love to spend a weekend at a racetrack exploring a vehicle’s limits, the reality is most of us get more track time on YouTube than in real life. I know I do at least, so that’s why it was so exciting to start my Monday with 12 minutes of Goodwood Members’ Meeting highlights.

After all, what better way to get into the groove of the week than with a smorgasbord of vintage iron dicing it up on the 2.36-mile Goodwood Circuit located in West Sussex, England? The 2024 Members’ Meeting is also a celebration of ten years since the event was revived in 2014. Just about anything that goes fast is allowed to join in, and this year there were some real heavy hitters on the starting line. The best part is that Goodwood is really, well, good about sharing coverage for those who aren’t able to make it to the track in person, and we think the highlights from the weekend are better than coffee.

Most of the clip offers no commentary, no music, no BS: Just the sounds engines and tires trying to put power to the ground. The right-heavy Goodwood circuit often hosts close racing and the camera spots are perfect for catching the slip that the drivers put into the cars as they turn laps. The first section of highlights is full of that, with Jake Hill hard charging, often with a healthy dose of opposite lock, in a Ford Capri. Then the video steps up to the on-track debut of the Gordan Murry Automotive T.50 supercar. It might not have been running wheel to wheel with anything, but the scream of its 3.9-liter Cosworth V-12 is worth playing back more than once.

Of course, for those who prefer two (or three) wheels, there was plenty of vintage racing to see, too. The wild sidecars who put up scalding pace during the open practice and qualifying for the first sidecar shootout. The 600-cc inline four engines were really howling as the passengers leveraged their mass to keep the motorcycles within the edge of control. It’s impressive how smooth those passengers can move about on a motorcycle running every bit of 100mph.

The highlights from Saturday close out with some gutsy moves from the Goodwood-video famous Darracq land speed racer, a bare-bones vehicle made up of a massive V-8 sitting on two spindly frame rails and just enough stuff to make the whole thing operate. Seeing cars like this from over 110 years ago driven at speed is so incredibly rare, let alone in a group like the one the Darracq dices through.

If this video is up your alley, be sure to scroll the rest of Goodwood Road & Racing YouTube page to see what other feats of speed have been posted lately. This recap was the perfect way to start our week, but we’ll gladly watch vintage and rare racers anytime.

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When the phone rang one fine autumn day in 2012, the caller seemed a little desperate—a local motorcycle shop owner looking for a savior. Fortunately, it was nothing personal; the salvation needed was for a crusty 1955 Matchless G80 CS that he’d found. Shoved into the back of a local garage in 1966, it had been dismissed by its owner in favor of a new Yamaha two-stroke. After that, his Brit-bike days were done.

Frankly, the ensuing 46 years proved unkind to the London-built 500cc single, as its owner hadn’t noticed—or had, but ignored—a leaky roof, which turned the space into a breeder for rust and corrosion. And once he and his wife finally passed away, the dear Matchless was nearly beyond saving. But not quite. While family heaved the remnants of dad’s motorcycling life into a dumpster, I adopted the old dear and, with friends’ help, pledged to bring it around.

Like a geode—craggy on the outside and gleaming on the inside—the Matchless surprised us all. The carburetor and fuel tank proved spotless, and the dry sump’s remaining oil drained out clean. Servicing the magneto, checking the valve lash, replacing fork and engine oil, and adding new drive chains got the G80 ready to run. And run it did, after some fussing with ignition timing and throttle settings—and several mighty heaves on the kickstart lever.

Stripped for scrambling and flouting an open pipe and universal tires, the G80 was—in period vernacular—a “desert sled,” a term that was likely both affectionate and punitive. Having trouble with a boorish DMV? In ‘66, registering the big thumper was easy; its only road equipment was a brake light, powered by a 6-volt lantern battery clamped to a frame tube. Who cares if the tags expired the same year the Camaro debuted? After our shop time, the Matchless ran down the road like a colt again, frolicking and bucking and full of life.

What to do with it now is perplexing. Neither a good dirt bike nor street bike by modern standards, it’s also too precious a time warp to restore. “Too few left in such condition” is my excuse for not touching it cosmetically. And so, the star-crossed Matchless sits once more, nearly 60 years after first being parked. For now, it’s in the back of a garage again. Thankfully, though, the roof doesn’t leak.

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A surprise? Not so much. Monday’s announcement that Liberty Media, owner of Formula 1, would acquire 86 percent of Dorna Sports, which controls MotoGP, for an estimated $4.5 billion in cash, debt and F1 stock, was expected.

The central question was whether it would be Liberty Media or some other outlet, such as Qatar Sports Investments or the TKO Group, which controls the WWE and the UFC, signing the big check.

Wisely, Liberty is keeping Dorna CEO-since-1994 Carmelo Ezpeleta in place, as MotoGP management retains a 14-percent stake in the company.

“If Liberty has been looking for us, we have been looking for Liberty as well,” said Ezpeleta, 77, in an interview with a European sports publication. “It is important for us to have access to their resources and knowledge, to better tell the story of our championship. Liberty is happy with the way we have run the company, and we will continue with our own people, independent of Formula 1.”

MotoGP’s 21-race season began March 10 in Qatar, and ends November 17 in Spain, which is MotoGP’s home. Liberty says the company will remain headquartered in Madrid, Spain.

The Red Bull Grand Prix of the Americas, held at the Austin, Texas, Circuit of the Americas, is scheduled for April 12-14. It will be the first look for U.S. fans at the new Trackhouse Racing MotoGP team, backed by the Aprilia factory. Trackhouse, known for its successful NASCAR entries, is the first U.S. team in MotoGP in over a decade. Riders are Raul Fernandez and Miguel Oliveira.

MotoGP is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, tracing its history to a June, 1949 350cc motorcycle race on the Isle of Man. Thirty countries have staged Grands Prix, with the most recent being India, with Buddh International Circuit hosting MotoGP for the first time in 2023. This year, Kazakhstan is set to become the 31st country, with the Grand Prix of Kazakhstan taking place on June 16th.

The buyout is expected to be completed by the end of the year. Still, Liberty Media’s ownership of MotoGP is likely to face some scrutiny: The purchase will be subject to “the receipt of clearances and approvals by competition and foreign investment law authorities in various jurisdictions,” Liberty said.

Likely its legal team is ready for challenges, especially with the foresight that CVC Capital Partners was forced to sell MotoGP in 2005 in order to satisfy the European Union that it should be allowed to take over Formula 1. CVC had owned MotoGP since 1998. The Commission was concerned that owning both MotoGP and F1 would lead to television price increases and less choice for consumers.

Regardless, “We are thrilled to expand our portfolio of leading live sports and entertainment assets with the acquisition of MotoGP,” said Greg Maffei, Liberty Media President and CEO. “MotoGP is a global league with a loyal, enthusiastic fan base, captivating racing and a highly cash flow-generative financial profile.”

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Motorcycle stunt riding is far from a recent phenomenon, judging from a report of tests of a Ner-A-Car carried out in the mid 1920s. A lady named Mabel Lockwood-Tatham was evaluating a two-stroke Ner-A-Car, recounted journalist Vic Willoughby in his book Classic Motorcycles.

“Riding ‘no hands’ with great confidence, she was surprised to see her escort, on similar models, either standing on the engine casing with hands in pockets, or lying flat on their backs on the saddle. Such gimmicks proved the stability of the Ner-A-Car.”

That was all very well for Ms. Lockwood-Tatham and her colleagues, who were no doubt experienced Ner-A-Car riders. But many years later I’m feeling distinctly less confident as I prepare to ride the elderly machine for the first time. With its reputation for stability and a top speed of only about 40mph, the Ner-A-Car should be one of the safest bikes ever built. But right now, it’s distinctly intimidating.

I’m sitting on the long, low American-made machine’s saddle with the little two-stroke engine poking up below my knees, as classic specialist Stuart Mayhew, the bike’s owner, explains how everything works. Hardly any of the controls are where years of riding bikes dictate they should be. Well, admittedly the horn control is roughly in the familiar place on the left handlebar—but it’s not a button, it’s a squashy rubber ball that sounds a curly brass klaxon.

True, the clutch is also operated by a device on the left handlebar—but instead of a lever, it’s a throttle-style twist-grip. Over on the right handlebar, the throttle is worked by a small lever, which sits alongside another lever that controls the fuel mixture. The front brake lever looks almost conventional, except that it works one side of the twin-sided rear drum. The other side is operated by the rider’s left boot; there’s no front brake at all.

Confused? I certainly was, even before I reached forward with my right hand to select a gear with the long vertical lever sticking out of the engine’s sheet-metal cover. Then I cautiously twisted the clutch and nudged the throttle with my thumb to turn out into what suddenly seemed like a very busy street. I became quite conscious that the hub-centre steered front wheel, hidden from my view by a huge mudguard, seemed to be turning further to the right than the handlebars. And indeed it was, due to the geared steering system.

Curiouser and curiouser. For a bike that is an early ancestor of modern scooters, the Ner-A-Car is a strange device. Given that this machine was built in 1925, it’s hardly surprising that it’s very different to any modern motorbike. But the Ner-A-Car was weird by the standards of its own day, too.

Even the name is eccentric, though doubly appropriate. The Ner-A-Car was invented by American Carl Neracher. More to the point, when he built his first machine in 1921, Neracher’s creation was as “Near A Car” in its concept and its level of weather protection as any two-wheeled vehicle had been.

The Ner-A-Car Corporation’s advertisement in Popular Mechanics that year was headed “Motoring on Two Wheels” and described “a car of smart style, a car of fascinating action. Everybody who tries it says there’s nothing like it on wheels – it’s more like an aeroplane.”

Well, maybe. A more reliable claim is that the Ner-A-Car featured motorcycling’s first production example of hub-centre steering. The twin-sided front suspension arms were connected to a low, flat chassis formed mainly from pressed steel. The rider sat upright on a sprung saddle, with feet well forward and arms out, grasping those long handlebars. A cylindrical fuel tank was below the saddle.

This chassis arrangement allowed the engine to be situated very low in the frame, which did much to give the Ner-A-Car the stability for which it became known. When production began in Syracuse, New York, the engine was a 211cc air-cooled two-stroke. Capacity had been increased to 255cc by the time the firm built this bike, which spent most of its life in France before being restored.

Neracher’s original, and distinctive, transmission system required some attention to operate. The engine turned a large flywheel, positioned across the frame. This drove an alloy wheel of similar diameter, which was located at 90 degrees to it (i.e. along the line of the bike), and which pressed against the spinning flywheel, gripping thanks to a fibre ring around its edge. This large alloy wheel turned a shaft, at the other end of which was the final drive sprocket.

When the rider moved the long gear lever, the alloy wheel was moved sideways across the spinning face of the flywheel toward its centre, changing the ratio of engine speed to drive. In theory this provided a stepless variation from lowest to highest gear, but Neracher put five notches in the gear lever mount, to give five distinct ratios. As for the clutch, twisting the left-hand grip worked a cable that pulled the alloy wheel backwards, away from the spinning flywheel.

Neracher’s system was simple in theory, but tricky to operate—partly because there was no clutch spring, so it was up to the rider to keep that wheel pressed against the flywheel and thus power going through to the back wheel. Not that this exactly required a huge amount of strength, as the little two-stroke motor produced only a few horsepower.

At least starting the bike was easy, as the engine putt-putted into life after only the lightest of kicks on the lever on the left of the pressed-steel flank. I had plenty to think about as I made sure the gear lever was in first, dialled in a little throttle with the lever, then gradually twisted the left grip to ease out the clutch.

Once I’d negotiated my first slow-speed turn to join the road, with the Ner-A-Car feeling very strange indeed, it accelerated smoothly, if with no great enthusiasm, up to about 30 mph as I held the clutch home and dialed in a bit more throttle. Changing gear proved slightly less difficult than I’d imagined, partly because the throttle had no return spring. The engine carried on revving as I fiddled with the gear lever using my right hand, while twisting in the clutch with my left.

Maximum revs for the little two-stroke motor were about 2500rpm. There was a fair bit of vibration at higher speeds, perhaps due to a cracked engine mount that was found and repaired after my ride. The big front mudguard provided a bit of weather protection, which was useful as spits of rain began to fall.

The sensation of speed was increased because the rear brake wasn’t exactly powerful, whether I squeezed the handlebar lever, stomped on the pedal, or both. Suspension was limited to small springs up front and the sprung saddle at the rear, so the ride would have been harsh on bumpy roads.

Handling wasn’t bad at all, though, at least if I ignored the strange low-speed behaviour caused by that linked steering column. At barely more than 175 lbs, the Ner-A-Car was light, and its low centre of gravity and hub-centre steering arrangement gave a relaxed feel that was welcome in its day.

“Ignore the handlebar and you can ride for miles by applying toe pressure to the footboards,” wrote renowned tester Titch Allen several decades later. “The machine will bank and swoop with the grace and precision of an ice skater. In its day, when there was less uniformity of controls and plenty of space for manoeuvre on the road, the peculiarities of the early models were not so much of a problem.”

In 1922, legendary long-distance ace Erwin “Cannonball” Baker proved the Ner-A-Car’s durability by covering the 3364 miles from New York to Los Angeles in 174 hours’ riding, averaging almost 20mph. He later opened a dealership in LA selling the Neracar (those sold stateside lacked the hyphens in their name).

But the bike’s modest performance generally limited its appeal to riders whose journeys were short. “It was the ideal machine for the parish priest with a scattered rural flock and the district nurse in a not-too built-up area,” concluded Allen.

Alongside the US production, Neracher licensed British firm Sheffield-Simplex, producers of high quality cars, to manufacture a version for sale in Britain and other countries. The firm from Kingston-on-Thames in Surrey enlarged the two-stroke engine to 285cc, and later also built Model B and C versions with more powerful 350cc Blackburne four-stroke engines and three-speed gearboxes.

In 1926, Sheffield-Simplex introduced an upmarket De-Luxe model with rear suspension, an air-cushion bucket seat, adjustable windscreen, and an instrument panel. But although the firm advertised earls, duchesses, and other aristocrats as being among its customers, it went out of business not long after.

Production on both sides of the Atlantic ended before the end of the decade. By then more than 6000 Ner-A-Cars had been sold in Britain, as well as approximately 10,000 in America. They do pop up at auction from time to time and have tended to command prices between $18,500 and $25,500. If your riding plans include no-handed stunts, no other classic comes close.

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There are multiple ways to interpret the word “bearings.” In the midst of a recent garage work session, it became clear I was maintaining not one set of bearings, but two.

The task at hand was a mock-up of the rear wheel assembly on my Honda XR600R project. The bike I purchased is a 1988 model year, which was factory-equipped with a drum rear brake. There was nothing wrong with the drum setup. It functioned and was certainly restorable. The wheel and hub were fine as well. I just wanted to “upgrade” to a disc brake.

For the type of riding I do, a restored and well-adjusted drum brake is perfectly suitable. It’s relatively sealed, low-maintenance, and extremely durable. By comparison, a disc brake setup is quite a pain. The caliper needs a guard, the rotor requires protection on the underside, and the whole operation is exposed to the weather, allowing it to be coated in a constantly refreshed, abrasive slurry of dirt and water.

But the heat management is worth the trouble. That large rotor happily hands off heat to the atmosphere in a manner so true it’s a law that long predates brakes of any kind. A disc setup produces consistent stops, and the increase in effectiveness far outweighs any decrease in durability. So, of course, I decided it was high time I had a trail bike with this newfangled technology. I’d also been wanting to do a project that involved a little more fabrication, and the conversion from drum to disc brake seemed perfectly designed to teach me a few new things.

So after checking a few fitment details between the first-generation, drum-brake XR600R and the second-generation, disc-brake bikes, I began pillaging the halls of eBay, slashing at the buy-it-now button with a plastic sword 16 numbers long. The spoils arrived at my doorstep in a handful of boxes. The largest of the treasures was a swingarm from a 1994 XR600R, followed by a rear caliper and mount from a 1992 XR600R and a rear brake master cylinder from a Honda CRF450X.

The hardest part of the process would be hanging the master cylinder, so I started with the easy bit. The swingarm bolted right into place and even included the linkage that connects the shock to the swingarm. This was a nice bonus, because the linkage is comprised of the same parts as the ones coming off with the drum brake swingarm. Having a second linkage allows me to rebuild one while the other is still bolted to the bike, allowing me to test the fitment of other parts. Plus, spares. Everyone loves spares.

The needle roller bearings in a linkage pivot are some of the humblest parts of a motorcycle. They take a tremendous amount of force while being subjected to the brutal environment that is the bottom of an off-road motorcycle. The linkage gets bounced off rocks and roots while being pelted with everything flung off the front tire.

These bearings always put up a fight coming out. Always. The hardened steel shells, which reluctantly joined the links on their high-pressure first date, become nearly inseparable from the cast aluminum with time. The union is so strong that I had to use my bench vise as a press to break the two free, adding heat and tension until the aluminum expanded and allowed the bonds, formed over decades, to break. Only then could a new relationship begin, with new bearings.

Items like bearings are not meant to last forever. They are consumable things, meant to be changed when the time is right. Just like our personal, figurative bearings. Desires and directions shift and evolve. It is best to take a step back, reassess, and reorient ourselves with where we are going—and if that is indeed what we want.

The idea of doing a fair amount of extra work just to fit a disc brake to an aging motorcycle is slightly absurd, and as I mock up the assembly and measure for the spacers I’ll be making, I reminded myself that the whole disc-brake project is irrational. However, while none of it makes any real sense, we are granted the freedom to be absurd. That freedom includes making the decision to solve problems that don’t exist. I didn’t lose my way and wander off into the weeds. No, my bearings are well-maintained, even if one type is leading me down the more difficult path.

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Downtown Detroit in February is a crisp cold. The parking deck across from Ford Field is empty and quiet. A small line of people has formed outside the main entrance to the stadium. I sneak past the lines and use my press credentials to pass through a chain link fence, then a metal detector, operated by a surprisingly chipper security guard.

The silence is broken by the powerful thump of a 450cc four-stroke engine as it zips down the alley inside the stadium. The rider wears a puffy coat over his riding gear and a mechanic is hanging on the back, his feet dangling off to the sides. As they turn down the ramp that leads to the floor of the field, the rider thumbs the kill switch in observance of the “dead engines only” sign. It’s silent again, though the smell of race gas lingers. 

Supercross has arrived in Detroit.

A string of mild winters in Michigan has produced a relative drought of motorsports events. Since it isn’t cold or wet enough for ice racing or snowmobiling, those seeking a horsepower high are left either to travel or to enjoy their favorite sports through a screen. Which is why I’ve come four hours south from Traverse City to appreciate the Detroit round of AMA Supercross.

Supercross has been a highlight of the motorcycle race season for decades, with a big rise in popularity in the 1990s and again in recent history. With a schedule of 28 events for the 2024 season, this race series functions unlike any other. Tons of local dirt is trucked in and these tracks pop up nearly overnight in sports stadiums and concert venues, often the biggest in town: When Taylor Swift came through Detroit in 2023, she played at Ford Field. Motorcycles from nine manufacturers—many fielded by teams with factory support— are at the starting gate every event, and the commentator booth is occupied by James Stewart and Ricky Carmichael, some of the greatest to ever compete in the sport. (Imagine if Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tony Stewart announced the Coke 400.) All the races are streamed live on NBC’s Peacock app with race recaps and highlights arriving on the NBC Sports YouTube channel for free in the days that follow.

This marks my second year making the journey south to join and if there was one thing I learned last year, it was that I showed up far too late in the day and felt as though I missed part of the action despite being there for the heat races and main events. This year I showed up early—at 8 a.m., before the doors opened to the public—and poked around to see just how relaxed it might be without the laser show, fireballs, and big-screen replays.

At the end of the tunnel stands a cadre of mechanics with spotless Hondas and Kawasakis leaning on their hips. They look downright bored. T-handle wrenches clink softly as they hang on the backpacks and tool pouches, and the dull chatter of the riders is the only noise, until a rider walks by, each step a squeak—new boots. The riders jump and dance, attempting to stay warm and break the 32-degree air. They begin to look around. None has a watch, but their sense of timing is impeccable. Practice was supposed to begin at 8:00 a.m.; it’s now 8:06.

In the eyes of several racers, Detroit is “the first real main event” of 2024. It was round 10 last year, and by then, multiple parts of the championship were starting to settle down. This year, the traveling octane festival made the Motor City its fifth stop. The races thus far have been tales of survival due to open-roof stadiums and inclement weather, muddy, sloppy situations that produced four different winners. In a 28-race championship, there’s plenty of time for a clear winner to emerge, but, five races in, that fact is not stopping anyone from enjoying the way it is all up for grabs right now.

The practice rounds click off like clockwork, despite starting a little late. The stands are near-empty as the riders from the two classes, 250cc and 450cc, cycle through 15-minute time slots designed to allow them some time to learn the track. A bit of extra high-viz gear stands out on the sidelines. While a normal team might have a single mechanic per rider standing beside the track during practice, one bike is surrounded by a huddle of people. A few hold clipboards. All have looks of focus on their faces. Emblazoned in yellow on the back of their black jackets is one word that represents who they were and what they want to do tonight: Triumph.

The focus on the team’s faces makes sense. Today is the debut of Triumph’s all-new TF 250-X motocross bike and the first time it has turned laps on anything other than a practice course. Riders Evan Ferry and Jalek Swoll are attempting to overcome the highly competitive field and also the teething problems that come with any new machine—all at once. As the practice rounds wear down, team Triumph appears to have potential … but potential is not what wins races.

The 65,000 fold-down seats that rise from the track level are starting to fill up: The heat races are set to begin at 2:30 p.m. The dull roar of tens of thousands of enthusiasts chatting amongst themselves in the seats, plus the growl of heavy machinery re-shaping and repairing the track surface, define a new normal for the noise level, one that is quickly eclipsed as the PA system fires up and the commentary begins.

The crescendo builds as the lights go down and a deep voice announces the feature class 450 riders just before the big show of heat races and of the main events. The lights, flamethrowers, and big screens all dance as the riders make quick circles of the floor while waving to the 52,000 fans that now fill the stadium. The week prior, the stadium had broadcast the Lions’ game that ended Detroit’s Superbowl bid; today, a crowd goes wild as Haiden Deegan, one of the 250 class favorites, circles the floor with a Jared Goff jersey over his riding gear. Every rider on the starting gate has on a riding jersey, and a good portion of those in the stands do, too. Everyone stands for the national anthem before watching as the first waves of riders line up behind the tubular gate that holds riders on the start line. The revs rise on all the bikes, ready to launch into turn one, and the night reaches its peak.

Thousands of hours of testing and computer simulations cannot guarantee a race win. The surface of the track changes lap by lap, and racers must place in the top nine of a heat race—or in the top four of the last chance race—to make it to the big show at the end of the night. Both Triumph riders find themselves in the same heat race. Luck doesn’t go in the direction of rookie Evan Ferry; he takes the long way into the main event by competing in the drama-filled last-chance qualifier.

As the main events get underway, the whole venue fills with energy. Standing at track level, you feel the tension that underscores the Herculean nature of the feats these riders are about to perform. The largest jumps can send riders flying nearly 70 feet, a height that puts them even with spectators halfway up the stadium seating. The racing is tight and at times chaotic: Lap times under one minute mean the leading riders deal with lapped traffic early in the race, along with the changing track conditions.

Two riders lock handlebars going into turn one of the 250 class’s main event, sending bikes and riders tumbling to the dirt. One of those is Evan Ferry and his Triumph TF 250-X. Fellow Triumph rider Jalek Swoll fought his way to sixth place overall; not the high note Triumph wanted to sound. But other, more established brands fail to get a bike and rider into the top ten, too. With the sixth-place finish, Triumph has proven it can be a contender. Hopefully, with the data provided from this first race, the team will arrive at the round in Arlington, Texas, even more capable and better sorted.

Only after the last bike rides up the tunnel, the commentators sign off, and the crowds herd out onto Brush Street does the stadium feel still and quiet again. Well, almost quiet. The team building the whole show is already using heavy machinery to move signs and equipment, preparing to load the tractor trailers that will roll the whole spectacle off to the next venue.

Supercross has been very carefully walking the fine line between entertainment and sport. After starting to watch a little more seriously in the last few years, I can see how a casual observer may easily define it as one or the other. Those who take the time to pay attention during the quiet parts of the show can easily pick up on more, though. In a world where many motorsports are turning into speed parades or races full of gimmicks, Supercross is something special.

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Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did not invent the modern mystery—that’d be Edgar Allen Poe—but he did create the genre’s most beloved character. Sherlock Holmes, consulting detective, first appeared before the turn of the twentieth century, and he has since become so interwoven with popular culture as to have his name crop up in a rather rude phrase when someone says something obvious (you know what it is, Sherlock, I just can’t print it here). He has appeared in tens of thousands of adaptations, from the theater to television, to say nothing of the other characters he inspired, ranging from a cartoon mouse to a very grumpy physician. But there is a case yet to be solved: What kind of motorcycle did Sherlock Holmes ride?

And yes, he would surely have had a motorcycle. His arrival in 1887’s A Study In Scarlet neatly lines up with the debut of the Daimler-Maybach Reitwagen, an early prototype motorcycle, just two years before. And, although Doyle killed off his popular detective one year before the first series production motorcycle emerged – the 1894 Hildebrant & Wolfmüller – he was brought back by popular demand and the last story was published in 1927. Watson, the game is afoot!

Our first clue, and indeed the entire reason for this thought experiment, concerns the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself. Because the only thing the most famous detective novelist of all time liked more than getting hoodwinked by spiritualists was riding motorcycles. He was an early adopter, and was filled with such enthusiasm for two-wheeled transportation that he financed his own motorcycle company and took place in hillclimbs.

Racing around on juddering early motorcycles seems a little at odds with Sir Arthur’s later public persona, which has a whiff of tweedy walrus about it. But in the early 1900s, he was just into his 40s and joined one of England’s earliest auto-cycle clubs. The company he financed was Roc of Birmingham, which built bikes right up until the Great War.

Using some inductive reasoning, we can thus uncover our first fact: As a booster of the domestic industry, the creator of Sherlock Holmes would have chosen a British steed for his hero to ride. It might even have been tempting for Sir Arthur to place Holmes on a Roc. However, our modern understanding of Sherlock was not shaped by Conan Doyle alone.

Enter the actor and playwright who portrayed Sherlock Holmes almost more times than any other—and it is not, as you perhaps assume, Basil Rathbone. Rathbone did quite well, playing Sherlock Holmes first in 1939’s The Hound of the Baskervilles, and going on to appear in some 14 movies. With respect, those are rookie numbers, because Connecticut-born William Gillette portrayed Holmes some 1300 times over 33 years.

If you’ve ever watched a Sherlock Holmes movie or TV series, then you have Gillette to thank for it, because he was instrumental in both resurrecting Holmes and bringing him to the stage. Born in 1853, he was nearly the same age as Conan Doyle, and was an established and respected playwright when he was approached in 1899 to help adapt a draft play written by Sir Arthur. Incredibly, both the original and Gillette’s adaptation were destroyed in a hotel fire, and he re-wrote the entire thing in just a month.

When he met Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for the first time, Gillette was dressed as Sherlock, cape to deerstalker hat. Doyle was stunned until Gillette approached, whipped out a magnifying glass, and declared, “Unquestionably an author!” The pair became longtime friends.

Gillette is credited with adding or popularizing some of the classic Holmes characteristics, including the deerstalker hat, the curved pipe, the magnifying glass, and even the phrase, “Elementary, my dear Watson.” Two other actors would beat his number of stage appearances eventually, but they were acting in the play he wrote.

And, like Conan Doyle, William Gillette was also a committed and enthusiastic motorcyclist. Widowed in 1888 (he never remarried) he lived in a sprawling Connecticut mansion called Gillette Castle with up to 17 cats and several bikes. Thanks to official traffic records, we know that he crashed twice, once on a rare American Ner-a-car feet-forward bike, at the age of 72. He survived this crash and even talked his way out of a ticket with a quip: “To be reckless is to be thoughtless and I never thought so quick in my life.”

But, fellow sleuths, it was Gillette’s other motorcycle that is the key to our mystery. Because it was a Triumph, and that’s the little clue that’ll crack this case wide open.

Triumph is currently the UK’s largest motorcycle manufacturer, and its roots stretch back to 1902. In fact, the company’s first in-house–designed bike, the 1905 Triumph Gentleman’s Roadster, exactly coincides with the launch of Doyle’s short story collection The Return of Sherlock Holmes.

Some of you will now point out that, by canon, the Holmes adventures are still set in late 1800s, even after his death, disappearance, and resurrection. However, we have the examples of Gillette and Doyle, both born in the 1850s, and riding right into the early part of the 20th century—in Gillette’s case, even into the 1930s.

Further, if we fast-forward to more modern representations of Holmes and switch to deductive reasoning, the Triumph theory holds up. In the popular and well-rated BBC reboot Sherlock, the titular character rides a Triumph Thruxton 1200R, albeit briefly. Further, the actor who plays Sherlock, Benesnickt Cambersnoot, er, Bendercatch Bumperclutch—oh, you know who I mean—is also known to ride a motorcycle around London.

And in one of America’s best-loved twists on the Sherlock Holmes story, House M.D., Gregory House famously rides a Honda CBR1000R Fireblade in Repsol livery. Aha! You say, but that’s a Honda, not a Triumph. But Oxford-born Hugh Laurie’s American accent isn’t real, either. And what did Laurie buy with his first paycheque from House, M.D.? A new Triumph Bonneville.

Elementary, my dear Watsons. Of course, what kind of Triumph motorcycle Holmes bought for puttering around the Sussex Downs in his retirement is up to you. Perhaps a slightly later model with a Sturmey-Archer three-speed gearbox. But almost certainly there would be days when Sherlock Holmes would head on out to the shed early to bolt on a wicker sidecar, give the kickstarter a firm stomp, and then ride over to the local train station, there to pickup his longtime friend Watson for one more ride together.

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Ask a motorcycle enthusiast who lived through the 1970s to name the best bike of that memorable two-wheeled decade, and they’re likely to mention a multi-cylinder Honda or Kawasaki, or perhaps a glamorous Italian V-twin or triple. Inquire about the best one they’ve ridden, and the answer is far more likely to be Yamaha’s RD350.

Half a century ago, Yamaha’s two-stroke parallel twin was the ultimate superbike for the young rider—quick, exciting, and relatively inexpensive. The Japanese firm produced a string of excellent two-stroke twins of various capacities during that fast-changing decade, but it was arguably the RD350, launched in 1973, that really hit the mark.

Those RD initials stood for Race Developed, and they helped differentiate the new twin from its similarly styled predecessor, the YR5. In the RD350’s case the slogan was justified. Yamaha’s TZ two-stroke twins had dominated club- and national-level 250cc and 350cc racing worldwide for several years, to the benefit of its street bikes.

Yamaha had won the last three 250cc world championships, too, through British riders Rod Gould and Phil Read, and Finnish star Jarno Saarinen. And although Giacomo Agostini still held the 350cc title on a works MV Agusta, the TZ350’s many victories included Don Emde’s Daytona 200 triumph in 1972, and Saarinen’s win on the same Florida banks a year later.

Yamaha’s road-going twins, which were air-cooled, unlike the liquid-cooled TZ racers, had a distinguished history of their own. The RD350 was developed from the YR5, which had been launched in 1970 and in turn traced its design back several years further to the firm’s first 347cc model, the YR1. The engine’s cylinder dimensions and 180-degree crankshaft arrangement had remained all that time.

The RD350’s main engine-related innovation was its reed-valve intake system, called Torque Induction by Yamaha. The reed valves, one located between each Mikuni carburetor and its cylinder, improved intake efficiency by reducing the amount of mixture that was spat back.

As one contemporary tester put it, Torque Induction “allowed hairy intake timing without the motor suffering from low-speed indigestion.” This allowed Yamaha to boost top-end power while giving useful performance and cleaner running at low revs. The RD350’s peak output of 38.5 hp at 7500 rpm was a handy three horses up on the YR5’s figure.

The RD also incorporated Yamaha’s Autolube system rather than requiring oil to be added to its fuel by hand, as was still common at the time. In most markets, the bike gained a six-speed gearbox, with the now-familiar left-foot change and one-down, five-up shift pattern, although bikes sold in the UK had the top ratio blanked off.

Chassis layout was mostly similar to that of the YR5, based on a twin-downtube steel frame that held typically skinny front forks, plus twin shocks that were adjustable for preload. The main change was the front brake: a single disc in place of the old twin-leading-shoe drum.

Styling owed much to previous Yamahas, including the YR5, but a larger fuel tank, a longer seat, and a black-finished engine gave a more substantial appearance. Although the RD’s raised bars and fairly forward-set footrests offered little clue about its sporty character, it was a lean and attractive machine.

The borrowed 1974 model I rode looked almost new, apart from a couple of minor marks on its blue tank. It fired up easily, requiring just one or two gentle prods of the kickstarter before bursting into life with an evocative blend of exhaust crackle and two-stroke fumes.

My first impression was of how small and light the Yamaha felt, which is no surprise given its short wheelbase and dry weight of just 315 pounds. This might have been a race-developed sports machine, but it was docile and easy to ride. The wide handlebars and generous steering lock combined to make it effortlessly maneuverable in town.

Also contributing to the RD’s ease of use was its smooth low-rev performance, which was notably better than that of its YR5 predecessor. Although the response to a tweak of the throttle at 4000 rpm or below was gentle, the Yamaha pulled cleanly in the lower gears, with no sign of the plug-fouling tantrums with which some of its predecessors had punished gentle treatment.

Not that I let the Yamaha have an easy time for long, because the moment it reached 5000 rpm, the RD350 was transformed. Its exhaust note hardened from a flat drone to an excited zing, and the bike leaped forward with enough urgency to make me tighten my grip on those wide bars. The tach needle flicked round toward the 8500 rpm redline, and my left boot jabbed repeatedly at the gear lever to keep the motor in its power band.

The little twin certainly responded with enough enthusiasm to make me understand why the tester from Cycle Rider wrote that “the performance and acceleration of the RD is nothing short of amazing.” But I didn’t share this impression: “The power-to-weight ratio is so great that if one isn’t careful he will unexpectedly find the front end lofted quite high in the air when accelerating hard in a low gear.” If that tester pulled unplanned wheelies, he must have been mighty sharp with the throttle …

Even so, using all that power sent the Yamaha charging past an indicated 90 mph despite its unhelpful high-barred aerodynamics, and some testers reported 100-mph-plus top speeds, although the true figure was generally just short of that. That high-speed reputation helped the RD350 outsell rivals, including Kawasaki’s S2 350 and Suzuki’s GT380 in most markets.

One slight downer was that above about 6000 rpm, the Yam passed a fair bit of vibration, especially through its seat, which made the engine’s incessant demand for revs tiresome at times. Contemporary reports generally rated the RD very smooth, so either I’m less tolerant than those riders or this bike had understandably got a little rougher in its middle age. Back in the 1970s, more testers seemed more concerned by the two-stroke’s predictable thirst for fuel.

This RD’s chassis had held up very well, and my thoughts on its quick, occasionally over-sensitive but generally stable handling pretty much tallied with comments written when it was new. Its short wheelbase and light weight meant it could be flicked into bends with the merest nudge on those wide bars. And the Yamaha gave a firm, reasonably well-controlled ride without being too harsh over bumps.

That remained true even when it was ridden hard, as the tester from Cycle Guide enthused: “The first time you really stuff the 350 into a tight corner, you begin to understand about its road racing ancestry. You enter the corner wondering if you’re going to make it; you leave the same corner wondering why you didn’t enter it faster.”

I didn’t get quite so aggressive in the bends on this elderly RD, but was happy to make good use of its relatively modern tire combination of Avon front and Bridgestone rear rubber, both of which were doubtless superior to its original fitment. And I was equally impressed by the front disc brake, which stopped the Yamaha abruptly, with no hint of grab.

The disc reportedly even worked well in the wet, unlike many contemporaries, and it combined with the reliable rear drum to give the best stopping performance that Cycle magazine had ever recorded. Contemporary testers also enthused about the high-quality finish, neat switchgear, and even the hinged and lockable fuel cap. Seat comfort was another matter, but for a sporty middleweight the RD was impressively practical.

All in all, the RD350 was brilliantly lively, capable, and fun to ride—this example very much included—I thought, as I followed its headlight beam back toward base on the last leg of my ride. Then the Yamaha suddenly slowed to a gentle halt at the roadside, felled by an elderly battery that couldn’t handle the lights’ demands.

The RD350 ended up being trucked home in disgrace, but that shouldn’t diminish the reputation of a model that fully deserves its classic status. The RD400 that followed it in 1976 was even stronger and more powerful; the liquid-cooled RD350LC of five years later was better still. But there’s something very special about the air-cooled RD350—the bike with which Yamaha’s two-stroke twins came of age.

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Ask anyone who has spent time on two wheels and they will tell you that riding a motorcycle is something special. Just sitting and staring at a bike can get most riders oh, about halfway there. This 1987 Harley Davidson FXSTC might have never cruised south Detroit, but we bet those folks would’ve embraced it with open arms.

Okay, maybe that’s enough references to give away that this mild custom comes from storied ownership. The original owner was Steve Perry, who bought the bike in 1987 following his departure from Journey after fronting the band through a decade of hits and success. The band might have made the singer famous, but the motorcycle is what kept him sane, according to an interview with 60 Minutes.

The mileage on this bike—it shows just 557 miles currently—might mean that the wind-in-the-hair experience was not as appealing as Perry initially thought it might be. Some of those were added by the second owner as well, who is the current seller. With that kind of mileage, we think the real draw of this Harley is the low mileage and fantastic condition rather than its ties to a celebrity.

The FXSTC is also known as a Softail Custom thanks to the tidy swingarm and shock that hide under the gearbox. It allows a bad-to-the-bone hardtail look without needing a kidney belt to enjoy riding. Shifting of the five gears is controlled by a set of forward-mounted foot controls that make for a stretched-out riding experience that appears to combine nicely with the raked forks and taller handlebars. The laid-back stance of the bike looks primed to eat up miles. This was right at the end of Harley Davidson’s rise to the motorcycle juggernaut of the 1980s, with dealers struggling to keep inventory and long wait lists for new models.

The powerplant is an 82 cubic-inch V-twin from Harley’s Evolution line that features popular accessories like the slash-cut exhaust pipes and a Screamin’ Eagle air cleaner. Cycle World mentioned in its first ride of the bike that the air cleaner wants to occupy the same space as the rider’s right leg, which is only one of the reasons it might not have racked up a lot of miles to date. While having suspension on both ends may make this chopper sound luxurious, the engine is solid-mounted to the frame, meaning the overall riding experience can still be quite brash.

It was never meant to be a performance machine, but this is one wheel that we think should keep on turning. As of this writing, the leading bid on Bring a Trailer is currently $5900, which is $100 shy of our #3 (Good) condition value for this bike. Perhaps after all these years, it’s time that you be good to yourself and acquire a new chariot.

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Immediately following its blockbuster Kissimmee, Florida event (now the largest collector car auction in the world), Mecum Auctions held its 33rd Annual Vintage and Antique Motorcycle Auction at the South Point Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

This has become the largest motorcycle auction in the world, with the 2024 event featuring some 2000 motorcycles.

One of them, a 1974 Kawasaki Z2 750RS, was among the auction’s modern-era stars, with a Mecum-estimated price of $75,000 to $95,000. That estimate was spot on, with the Kawasaki selling for a gavel price of $85,000.

Though Mecum is scrupulous about vetting the vehicles it sells, shortly after the Kawasaki was sold, questions were raised about the motorcycle’s authenticity.

But first, why did this bike sell for so much? Because the Z2 was a Japanese-only motorcycle, sort of the little brother for the 900cc Z1 widely sold in America beginning in 1972. Japanese law prohibited bikes with larger than 750cc engines, so Kawasaki built the Z2 for its domestic customers. It went on the market in March of 1973.

According to a 2017 story in Motorcycle Classics magazine, many American military servicemen stationed in Japan during the 1970s bought motorcycles there for fun and for transportation, and some brought their bikes home after their tour of duty ended. A Kawasaki collector quoted in the story suggested that as many as 25 to 50 of the 69-horsepower Kawasaki Z2s made it back to the States. Fewer than that have survived, making the Mecum-sold Z2 a legitimate collector’s item.

But the same day the Z2 sold, questions arose. The story broke with a YouTube video posted by CycleDrag.com, titled “Inauthentic Vintage Motorcycle Sold for $85k at Auction?” The description said, “Following the auction it was discovered that the VIN was ground down and was not legible, something that would drastically impact the value of the motorcycle and its proof of authenticity.”

The video showed the Vehicle Identification Number, or at least where the VIN ought to be, on the left side of the headstock of the Kawasaki. It showed a bumpy black surface, with the only part of the VIN legible being the number 75, which looked as though it might have been struck recently. Mecum listed the full VIN, and the last two numbers were indeed 75. The video’s host, CycleDrag’s Jack Korpela, said the Z2 was “one of the most acclaimed bikes here at Mecum, and now there are some serious questions about it.”

According to YouTube, the CycleDrag channel has 580,000 subscribers. It wasn’t so much the video, which is reasonably balanced, but the 500-plus comments posted about the video that are, by and large, profoundly critical of both Mecum and the seller, identified in a CycleDrag.com story and photos as Marcus Swan.

Said one comment: “This is on Mecum. For the fees they charge, they should be on the hook. They should be validating everything. This isn’t eBay.”

Another: “I can’t believe Mecum didn’t verify the frame/number before the sale.”

Still another: “This is not some backyard auction, how could someone show up with that bike and not think the grinding of the numbers wouldn’t be noticed?”

The same day of the sale, Mecum refunded the $85,000 to the buyer, and shipped the Z2, at Mecum’s expense, back to the seller, who had left the auction following the sale.

We reached out to Director of Mecum Motorcycles Greg Arnold for comment, and it was enlightening. “Unfortunately,” he said, “we’re not happy having the story out there that we sold a motorcycle with the VIN ground off. It’s just not true.”

The explanation: “The frame had been powder-coated and that had obscured the frame VIN,” Arnold told Hagerty Insider. “So we asked the seller, before the auction, to remove the powder coating either by grinding or sanding to expose the frame number. He did that at our request and sent us a photograph of it. It’s not great, because of the process he had to go through to get the powder coat off. But there is a frame VIN. So we looked at it and decided that it was passable, and we ran it in the auction.

“We have the photograph of the bare-metal frame VIN, and it corresponds to what the title was. After he did that, he spray-painted over it again, so it wasn’t bare metal. The pictures we see on YouTube, he just painted over the numbers again. Which is certainly understandable.

“Now, after the sale, the buyer had a representative there, someone who I know from past dealings, and he had been alerted by CycleDrag, though certainly he would have questioned it himself. He said, ‘I’m not sure I like this.’ And we said, ‘You know, we’re not going to make anybody take this bike, on this basis, so you talk to your boss and if he doesn’t like it, we’ll be happy to unwind the deal. We’ll send it back to the seller.’

“That’s the long and the short of it. The report that the serial number was ground off is not accurate,” Arnold said. “I think the seller was acting in good faith.”

The YouTube video also questions whether or not the engine VIN should have a small ridge in front of it, which the 1974 Z2 in question does, suggesting that the ridge first appeared on 1975 models. “I have a guy who is very deep into Kawasaki history,” added Arnold, “and he said, ‘No, that ridge is OK.'”

“Here’s the thing,” Arnold said. “It’s a 50-year-old bike. As we all know, there were running changes constantly. It would be hard for me to say this motorcycle is inauthentic. I’m not a 1974 Kawasaki expert, I freely admit that. But if the owner can raise the VIN on the frame, I think he’s got a legitimate motorcycle,” which is what the seller says he’ll do in the CycleDrag.com story.

The bike, Arnold said, should be a “featured piece in someone’s collection.”

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Ducati has just unveiled a new single-cylinder roadster, the Hypermotard 698 Mono. The new bike inspires nostalgia for the sporty single that, more than 30 years after its introduction, remains one of the firm’s best-loved, rarest, and most valuable models: the Supermono race bike of the 1990s.

Like a rock star who died young, the Supermono had everything required to become a legend. It was a beautiful, brilliant creature that shone briefly before being extinguished, leaving its fans wanting more—in this case, a road-going version that was promised but never produced.

On its debut in 1993, the Supermono was instantly successful. Ducati’s works rider Mauro Lucchiari rode one to win the European Supermono championship in its debut season. Its numerous race wins over the next few years included a 1995 Isle of Man Singles TT victory by New Zealander Robert Holden.

And the Supermono was more than just a winner. It was small, ingeniously engineered, and exotic—a lightweight construction of magnesium, aluminum, and carbon fiber. And it was delightfully styled, by South African designer Pierre Terblanche, who would go on to shape many V-twins for the Bologna firm.

Few bikes have had more illustrious parentage. Its 549cc, liquid-cooled engine was designed by Ducati’s chief engineer Massimo Bordi, who had created the eight-valve, DOHC desmodromic V-twin that had revitalized the firm’s image. The single was essentially the V-twin with its vertical cylinder replaced by a vibration-canceling dummy connecting rod.

And the Supermono development team was led by a young engineer named Claudio Domenicali, who had joined Ducati in 1991, not long out of Università di Bologna. He would rise swiftly through the ranks at Ducati, eventually becoming CEO in 2013, and has since led the firm to unprecedented success.

My chance to ride the Supermono came in June 1993, after I had managed to bypass Ducati’s press department in order to speak to Bordi, who said I could use the factory’s test track. On arrival I met Domenicali, who had been tasked with putting Bordi’s dummy conrod theory into practice.

This had not been straightforward, as he explained. “Engineer Bordi had the idea and gave it to us to develop, but there was a phase when we were not sure it was good. Then we made a computer program that calculated all the forces generated by the movement of the system, and we realized what the problems were.”

The engineers had initially assumed that the dummy conrod and balance-rod should weigh the same as the piston assembly, but that had proved false and the final set-up was lighter. “We spent lots of time on this; not just on the weight but on its distribution too,” Domenicali said.

The effort had been worthwhile, however. The engine produced its peak output of 75 bhp (74 hp) at 10,000 rpm—much higher than most singles—and could safely be revved to 11,000 rpm. Its smoothness meant the frame and other components could be lighter for further increased performance.

At the time of my visit, the second batch of 15 hand-assembled Supermonos sat in line, awaiting their carbon-fiber bodywork before being ready for shipment. Alongside, on stands, were partially built engines, each with a distinctive crankcase hump hiding the dummy conrod arrangement.

Whether stripped or fully dressed, the Supermono was an exquisite motorcycle. Its low screen sat above the carbon fibre fairing’s nose duct, which split before feeding the Weber-Marelli injection system. The tailpiece supported its own weight with another stylish sweep of carbon.

Exotic materials were everywhere. The striking, flat-topped fuel tank was made from a blend of Kevlar and carbon fiber. And the purposeful look was backed up by classy details: magnesium triple-clamps and engine cases; and carbon-fiber brackets holding instruments, the battery-box, the footrests, and the silencer.

The frame, a minimalist blend of 22mm and 16mm steel tubes, weighed only 6 kg (13 pounds) and used the motor as a stressed member, in traditional Ducati fashion. Its stiffness-to-weight ratio was the factory’s highest yet, Domenicali said. The swing-arm was a sturdy aluminum structure.

Sophisticated, race-quality suspension came from Öhlins, comprising upside-down forks and a rear shock unit worked directly by the swing-arm. The 280 mm (11-inch) Brembo front brake discs seemed huge for a bike so small. Another Italian specialist, Marchesini, supplied the lightweight magnesium wheels.

Lucchiari’s championship-leading bike was the only Supermono reserved for the factory’s own use, so that was what I’d be riding. Domenicali started its engine using rollers, in racing fashion, and blipped the throttle until it was thoroughly warmed. After pulling away I was equally careful to warm the Michelin slick tires.

The “factory test track” sounded glamorous but was in reality a narrow, little-used ribbon of asphalt that wound round the Borgo Panigale plant, occasionally passing doors where I had to trust that the workers inside knew what was happening and wouldn’t suddenly emerge pushing a pallet of parts.

Thankfully that didn’t happen, and the supremely light and agile Supermono was ideally suited to the track. Its claimed dry weight was just 118 kg (260 pounds), and this was mostly held low, due partly to the engine’s horizontal surviving cylinder. The bike responded instantly to the slightest pressure on its low handlebars.

And it was quick—far quicker than any single I’d previously ridden. The track essentially comprised just two short straights, separated by a curve, with tight loops at either end. But there was enough space for the Supermono to demonstrate its acceleration as I wound open the throttle exiting the slow turns and trod down through the race-style down-for-up gearbox.

As the revs rose to send the little red bike charging forward, its exhaust note hardened from a gentle chuffing to an angry road-drill snarl. When I shut off at the end of the straight, with the white-faced tachometer nudging 10,500 rpm, the lack of vibration—just a slight tingle through bars, pegs, and the thinly padded seat—ensured that it felt like no other single-cylinder motorcycle.

Inevitably, the highly tuned little motor couldn’t match a bigger V-twin’s midrange performance, so it relied on its close-ratio gearbox to cover for a lack of urgency below 6000 rpm. But it wheelied easily on the throttle in first gear, and kicked hard through the seat in its lower three ratios. Given more space, it would have been good for over 140 mph.

I’m tall, and I struggled to get comfortable on a bike whose racy, feet-high riding position was designed for a much smaller pilot. That didn’t prevent it from feeling delightfully precise and controllable as I began to enter turns harder, relying on the taut suspension and warm, sticky slicks.

The Supermono cornered and stopped as well as just about anything on two wheels, and its racing lap times proved it had the performance to embarrass plenty of much bigger bikes. The prospect of a road-going replica was mouth-watering—and, in 1993, very much part of Ducati’s plan. Bordi’s engine design incorporated a boss for a starter motor in the crankcase.

Back in the race department, after my dozen-or-so laps, Domenicali confirmed that Strada, or Street, derivatives were on the way. “There will be two versions,” he said. “One will be a super-sports, with water cooling and fuel-injection, like a replica of the race bike. The other will have a lower price and different road styling, with an air-cooled motor and carburetor.” After a pause, he added: “We have all we need to complete the project, but we have so many projects under development that we don’t know when these ones will be started.”

Ultimately, those other projects would halt the Supermono street bike project in its tracks. Firstly, the recently launched M900 Monster became an unexpected hit, starting a naked V-twin dynasty. Months later, the firm unveiled the 916 that took superbike desirability to unprecedented heights.

With demand for the V-twins soaring, and Ducati’s financial problems already causing delays in production, the factory simply never reached the point at which it could commit to a road-going single.

Bordi and Domenicali had hoped to have both Supermono streetbikes on sale in 1995. In reality, only the race bike was produced, and in tiny numbers: just 40 units of the original 549cc bike in 1993, followed by a further 27, with larger capacity of 572cc, in 1995.

A few road-going Supermonos were built, a decade or so later by British engineer and Ducati expert Alistair Wager, who had worked as a mechanic on 20 of the 67 race bikes. Wager bought a batch of Supermono parts from Ducati, commissioned many more from a range of suppliers, and assembled a small run of superb street-legal singles that incorporated a few improvements of his own. All were quickly sold.

These days the genuine Supermono racer’s rarity merely adds to its allure, and of course to its value. When, every so often, a clean and original example reaches auction, the serious bidding starts north of $100,000.

Soon, though, the new Hypermotard 698 Mono will offer a more realistic alternative. Its 659cc “Superquadro Mono” engine makes 77 bhp (76 hp), features desmodromic valvegear, and is smoothed by twin balancer shafts instead of a Supermono-style dummy conrod.

More than three decades after the Supermono conquered all on the track, Claudio Domenicali is finally set to put a single-cylinder Ducati on the street.

***

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Within the grease-under-the-nails populace is a subculture of very interesting humans: The people who can justify anything. While my New Year’s resolution to not purchase another motorcycle failed before the snow melted, it is kind of implied in the self-negotiations of such resolutions that you will try to stick to the resolution even after you slip up and load a Honda CRF50 into your van.

Things were going well. My meager parts fund was less stretched, and projects had progressed in the absence of another new (old), shiny (rusty) thing (distraction).

So when a friend sent me a Marketplace ad on Saturday afternoon of a 1988 Honda XR600R for sale—locally, and under $1000—he knew exactly what he was doing. The Baja 1000 champ? The model that competed for over a decade in both desert and hare-scramble racing, with the likes of five-time Grand National Cross Country champion Scott Summers and 11-time Baja 1000 champion Johnny Campbell holding onto its handlebars? Maybe you’ve seen that iconic photo of Summers holding his 290-pound XR600R as if it were his baby—he feels as though the bike picked him. There is just something about these machines.

An XR600R is powered by a large, 591cc air-oil-cooled single-cylinder that is about as big, dumb, and simple as they come. Think of it as the Chevrolet 427 big-block of motorcycle engines. It has a shorter stroke than the XR650L, but some subtle changes give it more punch than its bigger siblings. There are some cool details, but in the end, the XR600R is an example of the “no replacement for displacement” solution. And it kinda works.

Though I have owned and ridden a fair number of Honda singles over the years, the 600R has always eluded me. The bike into which the XR600 evolved for 2000, the XR650R, was one I was lucky enough to enjoy when they were cheap 15 years ago. The XR650L is the slightly younger and sleepier brother, and you can still find it in Honda powersports dealers today. The 600R has long been on my wish list, but opportunities just haven’t come up to buy the right bike. Or, at least, I never had a good reason.

I am a big believer in the separation of excuses and reasons. The distinction might have come from Mr. Lebo, my high school homeroom teacher, who would make us sit and wait every Friday at the final bell for him to give a small speech that always ended with: “And remember, bad things happen to good kids when they make bad decisions.” I would often show up late to class “because of” my temperamental 1964 Corvair: car troubles were low-hanging fruit, and a pretty believable excuse. One day, Mr. Lebo called me out: I had better have a reason I was late, he said, not an excuse. It hit me hard then and has stayed with me since.

Even on the drive to go pick it up, I knew this XR600R was probably a bad purchase and that I was making excuses to even go look at it. The fact was underscored when I returned home and spotted a crack on the clutch side cover. Opening the right side of the engine, I found that a gorilla with a breaker bar had assembled the timing pointer onto the crankshaft. The splines critical for timing the ignition were mangled, along with the threads meant to hold the drive gear for the oil pump in place. The first step of building an XR engine is the crankshaft. The last step of disassembly is removing the crank. To fix this problem properly, there are no shortcuts.

The mutilated crankshaft has put a big wet blanket over the excitement of having an XR600R join my garage. Now comes the time to sit at the workbench and stare at the project, trying to find a reason to own it. Should I cut my losses and chase a better starting point, or throw good money after bad to rescue this bike? Working on any XR600R could satiate my desires. Why put myself through the annoyance of cleaning up someone else’s mess? It sure feels like god doesn’t know and the devil isn’t talking. Instead, I sit there and daydream of the artful process of kick-starting a big-bore and riding the sands of Baja.

There are concrete, justifiable reasons to not have this thing. Yet each pass through the garage requires me to pause, stand, and picture the 600R I could build. Where it could take me. What it could show me. I don’t really need a reason to keep it, but I can’t turn these dreams into goals yet, and all these excuses feel flimsier and more nebulous than ever. For now, I walk back into the house and shut the door to the garage, leaving the bike on the lift.

***

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The launch of Norton’s Classic in 1987 felt like a landmark moment for the beleaguered British motorcycle industry. After more than a decade in development, the rotary-engined roadster was finally ready for production.

Riding the Classic through the gates of the factory at Shenstone that October to begin a first test was a thrill that remains vivid more than 36 years later. It really felt as though, after years of decline, one of the most famous British bike marques was leading a fightback.

Sadly for Norton, that’s not how things panned out. The British industry did fight back, but it would be former rival Triumph that would lead the way, when that marque was reborn in 1991 with a range of modern, multi-cylinder bikes, before growing to become a leading global brand once again.

By contrast, Norton would endure a difficult few decades, involving numerous failed projects, takeovers, and scandals, before recently regaining hope and respectability under the ownership of giant Indian manufacturer TVS. But along the way there were high points at Norton, too—and none greater than those generated by the rotaries.

The story of Norton’s Wankel-engined bikes was one for the romantics. It starred a low-budget racer that took on and repeatedly beat much better-funded rivals on the track, winning an Isle of Man TT as well as British titles. And it featured innovative, distinctive roadsters that briefly made Norton the star of motorcycle exhibitions, magazine covers, and showrooms.

The first of those was the Classic. Its origins were in the mid-1970s, when Norton engineers had begun developing a rotary-powered machine in secret and on a low budget, with the help of several UK police forces.

The rotary engine was not a new idea. German engineer Felix Wankel’s invention—with its triangular piston rotating around a central crankshaft, inside a figure-of-eight–shaped chamber—originated in the 1950s. It was already used by firms including Mazda and German bike manufacturer DKW. Suzuki’s RE5 superbike of 1975 had proved a short-lived failure, after which the other three Japanese manufacturers had abandoned their own rotary projects.

Norton’s painstaking development at least meant that when the Classic was finally considered ready, it worked well. Its air-cooled engine displaced 588 cc (the way rotary engine capacity is measured is open to debate) and featured two chambers, equivalent to twin cylinders. Its maximum output was 79 bhp (78 hp), comparable with Honda’s best-selling CBR600F middleweight.

In 1987, the Classic’s chassis already seemed slightly dated, with its pressed-steel frame and twin rear shocks; by then the Japanese were using aluminum frames and monoshock rear suspension. But that wasn’t a major drawback given the Norton’s role as a roadster with nostalgic appeal, emphasized by its curly-script logo on a traditional paint finish of silver with black pinstripes.

On that first test back in 1987, I rode straight to a speed-testing facility, where the Norton impressed by reaching 125 mph at the end of a half-mile, competitive with the CBR600F and other middleweights. It also handled and braked well, and revved with eerie smoothness and a rasping exhaust note that contributed to an engaging character.

At the time, the Classic’s overall performance felt similar to that of BMW’s 1000cc, four-cylinder K100—more than respectable for a new model from a small firm. The British bike was smoother and handled better; the German one was stronger at low revs and more economical. The hand-built Classic was also more expensive, but its status as a limited-edition model of which only 100 would be built helped ensure that all were quickly sold.

Norton swiftly followed the Classic with a dedicated police variant called the Interpol 2, and with the Commander, a sports-tourer that held a liquid-cooled version of the 588cc engine beneath a full fairing. The roadsters combined to get Norton’s rotary revolution off to a promising start, and momentum grew with what began as a low-key sporting sideline.

While developing the roadsters and police bikes, a small group of employees led by engineer Brian Crighton had also spent time (and some of their own money) building a prototype that held a tuned engine in a cut-down standard steel frame. After having the bike timed at 170 mph, they persuaded Norton chairman Philipe Le Roux to finance further development, including commissioning an aluminum frame from local specialists Spondon Engineering.

The resultant racebike produced 135bhp (133 hp), spat flame from its exhaust in spectacular fashion, and delivered results that were first encouraging, then astonishing. Ridden by a Norton employee named Malcolm Heath, the rotary began winning races at National level in 1988. The following season, with new riders Steve Spray and Trevor Nation at the bars, and in black JPS cigarettes livery, it won two major British championships and set a string of lap records, to the delight of a vast television audience and moist-eyed crowds throughout the land.

Norton took advantage by developing a roadgoing sports model, the F1, which was launched in 1990 and echoed the racer as closely as possible. Designed by London-based agency Seymour Powell, the F1 incorporated smooth, all-enveloping bodywork. Its riding position was sporty, with wide clip-on handlebars and a single seat.

It was powered by a Commander engine, turned back-to-front and uprated with the five-speed gearbox from Yamaha’s FZR1000. In roadgoing form, the 588cc unit couldn’t approach the brute horsepower pumped out by the snarling rotary race bike, but it produced a respectable 95 bhp (94 hp). Its Spondon-built twin-spar aluminum frame was a stronger version of the race bike’s, with steering geometry revised to aid stability. Sophisticated WP suspension, Brembo brakes, and Michelin radial tires completed an upmarket package.

The F1’s power and weight figures were similar to those of a typical Japanese 600, and so was its 145-mph top speed. On the road, the rotary felt very different, thanks to its smoothness, generous midrange torque, and unique exhaust note. For a sportster, the F1 was fairly comfortable, and its rigid frame and excellent suspension gave surefooted handling. But there were rough edges: The Norton was thirsty, and its engine snatched at low revs and was prone to overheating—a common rotary issue.

The hand-built, limited-production F1 was also expensive, a drawback that Norton addressed a year later with the slightly cheaper F1 Sport, which used simpler bodywork and lower-spec suspension, wheels, and brakes. That meant the F1 Sport felt a little less sophisticated during my test ride, but it was still enjoyably quick and nimble, and its motor had a smoothness and a crisp midrange response that most conventional middleweights couldn’t approach, backed up by an exhaust note that changed from a low-rev burble to a memorable rasp at full chat.

Town speeds had been the original F1’s Achilles heel due to its poor running at low throttle openings. Adopting the Commander’s carburetors had solved that problem, and the Sport trickled happily through traffic. At least it did until one particularly slow stretch, after which it suddenly overheated violently with a cloud of steam that embarrassed its rider and amused passing pedestrians.

Norton’s rotary revival fizzled out in similarly disappointing fashion, but not before more improbable racing success. In 1992, Scottish ace Steve Hislop rode a white-finished rotary to a famous victory in the Isle of Man Senior TT, beating Yamaha-mounted Carl Fogarty by barely four seconds after an epic high-speed battle. Two years later, another Scot, Ian Simpson, won the British Superbike title riding for a private team run by Crighton, who had left Norton after a disagreement.

By this time the company was in disarray. A follow-up sports bike, the F2, was displayed at the Birmingham show but never produced. Norton’s new Canadian owners abandoned the rotaries, leaving the factory to make only a small quantity of spare parts. Several former directors would eventually be convicted of financial irregularities, and hundreds of enthusiast shareholders lost the money they had invested.

There would be more lows during Norton’s next, turbulent quarter-century, starting in 1998 with the Nemesis, a hopelessly optimistic, 1500cc V-8 concept bike that never reached production, and ending with the firm going into administration in 2020, and with former CEO Stuart Garner’s conviction for pension fraud.

The investment of new owner TVS has resulted in Norton reaching its 125th anniversary this year with much to celebrate. It is producing a revamped range of retro-styled Commandos and powerful, modern V4s in a new factory in Solihull, near Birmingham, and has embarked on an electric bike project that hints at a high-tech future. But Norton still has a way to go to recreate the excitement generated, more than three decades ago, by the rotary-engined Classic and its flame-spitting racetrack derivatives.

***

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A few years ago, when I first started writing on this site, a commenter and I got in a bit of a debate about the value of volunteering at track events. I’m man enough to admit when I am wrong, and I now realize my position was completely absurd. So here we go:

It is totally worth going to a track event just to volunteer.

I, like most motorsports enthusiasts, have spent years watching racing from here wishing I was there. When I could not be the one doing the thing, I refused to be tangentially part of the action: How could being a flagger or track worker for a weekend get me any closer to being on track? Staffing an event seemed like a consolation prize, and one I was paying for at that. I saw no point in going to the race track, spending not only money but a precious weekend away from home, and not even trying to be a part of the action.

Thing is, I misunderstood a big part of flagging: You are a part of the action. You are not a spectator with a radio and some vague responsibility. Flagging is a quick and intense relationship with the racers on track. Only after being a racer did I understand the amount of trust placed in the flaggers, often volunteers, who alert racers to what is happening on the track ahead. Flaggers enable racers to truly focus on the art of driving or riding. A flag stands is more than a reference point for triangulating turn-in or braking; it is a pop-up information stand telling you what is around the next corner—literally.

The experience that brought this into focus was this year’s trip to Barber Vintage Festival, in early October. After six straight years, the trip is starting to feel like a pilgrimage. I know six years is only the start, due to how many people I meet each year that have stories from attending the race 15 years in a row, or more.

I tried to take up racing and only made it about a year before I raced myself out of money and sold my bike. It was the right decision, but having to scale back left me wanting. When I reached out to a friend—who happens to be the dirt-track director for the American Historic Racing Motorcycle Association (AHRMA), the sanctioning body for Vintage Fest—and told him about my plans to travel to Barber without my race bikes, he understood, and suggested that I help him out. What about volunteering as the starter for the dirt-track event?

I was both excited and nervous. For starters, and I mean every part of that pun, I have relatively little time at a racetrack compared to most of the people with whom I have surrounded myself. I am humble about my skills and experience. In addition, section 3.7 of the AHRMA handbook makes it clear that the starter holds a mountain of power: “Flag signals shall be obeyed without question,” emphasis theirs.

From the riders’ perspective, a starter is just a person standing out front, the final thing holding you back from a wide-open blast to turn one. This person also brings the sad news of the last lap and makes calls regarding what is happening on the track and how best to handle the situation. I thought I had understood the power of a starter while I was on track, but once I was standing on the asphalt, green flag in hand, while a dozen riders and bikes sat with the revs up and clutches slipping, I realized that I had severely underestimated how hard this job would be.

Before I reported for duty at the flat-track event, I watched Ed Bargy, the starter for the road-course events at Vintage Fest, who could turn out fast, safe starts like clockwork. I began to realize how much racers value consistency. Then, while Ed was clicking off starts like the machine he is, I walked to the upper parking lot.

Of all the facilities Barber Motorsports Park has, a dirt track is not one of them. Therefore, after the riders meeting for the flat-track events, we set up some hay bales on the test track and they began to lap a short-track oval on pavement.

These practice sessions were the easy part. I held the green flag out for a few minutes, followed by a checker, to send each group around the oval and off. Each got a handful of laps, entering and exiting in a self-policed manner. Then came the race heats. Even with small grids, the tasks quickly piled up: Make sure that everyone was lined up properly, that timing and scoring was ready, that the track was clear, and finally that the fire and medical teams were alert, just in case. Look down the line, walk to my starter’s box, lift the green flag, and hold. That three-second hold, before I dropped the green to release the riders, might as well have been three days. My heart rate doubled. I tried not to twitch or jump.

Honestly, standing in the starting box was far more intense than sitting atop a machine in my leathers. It was not just my start, but everyone’s, and the race would be botched if I miffed my job. Mishandle the start as a racer, and you’ll get a penalty or a talking-to by the referee. As the starter? You will get an earful from just about everyone within earshot. I very much did, because I did screw up. Multiple times.

Between managing lap count, keeping track of which flag was in my hand, and which rider was on the lead lap, the job was mentally exhausting like nothing else. Each visor or pair of goggles that met my eyes as a rider throttled out of turn four reminded me that the riders were trusting me, some guy in a goofy hat holding 75 cents worth of fabric on a stick, to ensure that they were getting what they signed up for. Nothing more, nothing less.

I likely miscalled a jump start and set back one racer’s day. I’m not proud of that, but only hindsight is 20/20. In the heat of the moment, I was confident, and there is nothing I can say except thank you to that rider who talked with me about the mistake after the fact. He was unhappy, and rightfully so, but we talked as adults rather than yelling like children. We both recognized that while it sucks that I mishandled the start, this race was not going to make or break his racing career. If that were the case, I certainly would not be volunteering as starter.

So many jobs at a racetrack are thankless, but the insight I received after working on the other side of the starting line for just a single race will ensure that there is one less, at least when I am around. If and when I return to the track, I will happily recognize the hard work of all the seemingly silent corner workers and grid marshals who work so hard to allow us racers to have our fun in a fair and safe manner. Even if it is slightly embarrassing that I didn’t see the full value of track-day volunteers until now.

***

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One of the best parts of any project is the investigation into who did what to the hulk that has found its way into your garage. Some folks obsess over and pay a premium for service records that lay out a perfectly airtight timeline of what parts were tickled and when, but I’m not one of them, and I cannot pass up a sub-$1000 running motorcycle. Case in point: a 1998 Honda XR200 that I picked up during a short detour on a long trip.

The bike is for a friend, but he wanted me to go through it before he took possession. That meant tearing the poor thing down pretty far—not to bare frame, but awful close. What we knew: A ticking noise was emanating from the engine. It was also down on compression. Finally, and most disturbingly, at least two different types of silicone sealant were squeezing out from underneath the camshaft cover.

Thus began the investigation.

The cam cover of a ’98 XR200 can only be removed once the engine is out of the frame. I learned this by a failed attempt to remove the cover followed by a (ever-humbling) check of the shop manual. The engine-out service explained the loose chassis hardware we had noticed when we picked up the bike. Interestingly, none of the bolts were stripped: The person who last worked on this bike had a decent understanding of what was going on and access to decent tools. Both good signs.

With the motor out of the frame, it was time to dig deeper. The camshaft and rocker arms were in great shape. No signs of valve or valve spring issues. Once the cylinder came off, the bad news came into focus. The cylinder and piston had experienced a type of torrid love affair that left both pieces scarred. The piston was marred, and the cylinder’s cross-section was more of an oval than a circle. That piston knocking around was likely the source of the tick, but I had yet to discover what the last person did or why they gave up. No signs of new gaskets or parts. Did the previous owner open this engine up and decide it wasn’t worth their time? That scenario would be ideal, but unlikely.

While discussing the workings of a rocker system over a cold one with fellow editor Nate Petroelje, a glimmer of shiny metal caught my eye. The automatic decompression shaft looked funny. Close inspection revealed that someone had used a grinder to remove the nub that acts on the rocker arm for the exhaust valve, the part that opens the exhaust valve slightly to make the engine easier to kickstart. The actions of the previous owner became clear: They had removed the engine, pulled the cam cover, ground off that nub thinking it was causing the tick, and reassembled everything only to find the tick was still there. Naturally, they then listed the bike on Marketplace.

The previous owner was sort of correct to suspect the decompression shaft, but the frequency of the noise had thrown them off-scent of the real problem. Having heard the bike run, even if only for 6 or 8 seconds, I knew the tick occurred at crankshaft speed, not camshaft speed. The cam spins at half speed relative to the crank, a difference that makes the process of diagnosing a noise a little easier if you can hone in on its tempo. The agricultural nature of these XR engines means they idle at just 800 rpm or so, which sounds very different than 400 rpm. In the case of this sad bike, that was the difference between 13 knocks a second and six knocks a second. Trouble here was that the piston seemed to be knocking around only during the power stroke, so the tick sounded like it was happening at half-engine speed—the same frequency as a noise in the valvetrain.

The previous owner went after the first thing they saw: the automatic decompression shaft. Was their decision due to lack of understanding, lack of care, or just laziness? We may never know, but what we do know is that this engine will get fixed correctly and will likely live a long and happy existence.

With any project, the goal of an investigation is not only to find out what is wrong with the machine, but also to understand what someone in the past has done to try and fix the problem—or to make it worse. Piecing together the history of what has failed and which parts aided in their own destruction will give you a better understanding of a system and of the life that particular machine lived prior to your ownership. Without knowing the full extent of the previous mechanic’s hackery, installing any new or refurbished parts is just rolling the dice.

The local damage to this Honda is bad, but generally my friend has a solid start on a project bike. We are two parts orders and a handful of evenings from a trail-ready machine. Well, we will also need a new-to-us cylinder and take a trip to the machine shop, but that is all relatively small potatoes for the sort of projects that come across my bench.

Repair and restoration can be as complicated or simple as you want, but if you want trustworthy results that you can be proud of, you must often be decidedly critical of just about every component you come in contact with. Asking questions like, “How did that get damaged?” and “What else would get hurt if that failed?” will soak up time and money, but you will also gain more knowledge and, in the end, success. Plus, who doesn’t love solving a good mystery?

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Paris custom bike shop Mototherapy has developed a kit to convert a BMW Boxer bike to run on electricity.

Removing the engine, gearbox and airbox leaves plenty of space for batteries and a motor, while Mototherapy has cleverly packaged the bike’s cells to mimic the Boxer’s twin cylinder heads and provide the low center of gravity that Boxer riders are so used to.

A 20kW motor sits where the gearbox used to and uses the bike’s original driveshaft to deliver up to 250 lbft of torque to the rear wheel. The batteries provide a 93-mile range and take six hours to recharge, although the company is working on a rapid charger.

Mototherapy calls its conversion project Ride Mercury and the first bike to receive the treatment is an R75, which was fully restored before the electrification process. “Our primary goal is to breathe new life into motorcycles with character,” company founder Jean-Marie Raymon told Bike Exif. “This focus has led us to place functionality at the center of our considerations. We’re not interested in creating a showroom curiosity; we aim for a conscious and useful enhancement.”

The bike costs €29,500 (around $31,000) and deliveries will begin in 2024, while a DIY kit is also on the cards for the further down the line.

There are plenty of people converting classic cars to EV power, but this is the first time we’ve seen a bike get the electro-mod treatment. Would you swap the off-beat thrum of a Boxer engine for electric oomph?

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BMW revealed in June that the one-millionth GS boxer had just rolled off its Berlin production line. That’s a huge figure by motorcycle standards, confirming the remarkable success of the big flat-twin models that have led the adventure class’s recent domination of the market.

Yet even those production figures barely hint at the importance of the GS boxer to BMW, dating right back to the R 80 G/S that began the line in 1980. Without the unexpected success of that debut model, the German firm probably would have abandoned flat twins 40 years ago, and might even have quit motorcycle production completely.

If that sounds melodramatic, there is no doubt that in the late 1970s BMW came close to closing its two-wheeled division. The firm’s bike sales were falling, hit particularly hard by a weak dollar in the U.S., where over a third of production was sold.

The boxer engine layout, which now goes back a century to BMW’s first-ever motorcycle, the R32 of 1923, seemed outdated alongside more powerful multi-cylinder models from Japan. And although BMW had begun developing its own four-cylinder unit, production was years away; the K100 would not be launched until 1984.

In 1979, BMW Group boss Eberhard von Kuenheim replaced the motorcycle operation’s management with a new team, including sales director Karl Gerlinger. “When he asked us to take over he said, ‘Decide whether you make it or you close it—whether you sell off the stuff and it’s the end of the story,’” Gerlinger recalled years later.

Although Gerlinger was reluctant to end a motorcycle story that already stretched back over 50 years, even he could not see a long-term future for the boxer. “We thought we needed a new, modern-generation machine, moving away from the flat twin,” he said. “But that takes four years at least, and in the meantime you go bankrupt if you have nothing to sell. So we needed something that we could develop quickly.”

As with many successful ideas, there is a debate about who came up with the plan for a dual-purpose boxer. Legendary designer Hans Müth, who had already created the stylish R90S superbike for BMW (and would go on to shape Suzuki’s Katana) claims that in 1978, while brainstorming concepts with the firm’s head of product planning, he noticed his Range Rover parked outside and suggested a two-wheeled version.

Around the same time, Laszlo Peres, a BMW test department engineer, had ridden a self-built 800cc boxer to second place in the German enduro championship. Peres saw the opportunity for a production model and teamed up with some fellow engineers to build a prototype for testing.

Gerlinger was initially skeptical. “Laszlo first came into my office and tried to convince me we needed to do motorsport,” he recalled. “I said no—first we need a bike to sell. But he insisted, and later the engineers said: ‘We have something in the basement—come down and look at what we have to show you.’ When I tested it I said: ‘Jesus Christ, this thing is going to make us or break us!’”

In retrospect, the timing was perfect. Japanese manufacturers were having success with dual-purpose bikes, but these were generally sub-500cc singles like Yamaha’s XT500. BMW’s research showed that most were ridden almost exclusively on the road. Perhaps there was a gap in the market for a larger capacity alternative—powerful, robust, and comfortable enough for long journeys?

The project was given the go-ahead, under the control of Rüdiger Gutsche, BMW’s head of chassis development and another keen off-road rider. Italian firm Laverda helped with development of a prototype. Gutsche’s influence was seen in the innovative, single-arm rear suspension layout, which facilitated changing the rear tire. The 798cc motor was derived from the R 80 roadster’s unit and produced 50 hp—a modest output even then.

Bolting it into a chassis adapted from that of the lighter R65 kept dry weight to just 368 pounds. Testing involved two riders flogging pre-production models for 1300 miles through Ecuador, surviving extremes from the heat of the Amazon rainforest to glaciers in the Andes. The production bike was named the R 80 G/S, standing for Gelände (off-road) and Strasse (road).

With its mainly white paintwork, enduro-style front mudguard, and orange dual-seat, the G/S was a striking machine. It was a tall one, too, with 200mm of fork travel and 170mm at the single-sided rear end. Its front brake was a single Brembo disc, a first for a dual-purpose bike.

The press riding launch was held in Avignon, France, in September 1980—less than two years after the project had begun. Initially there was consternation from a motorcycling world unused to seeing such innovation from BMW. But the G/S won over almost everyone who rode it.

Its lively throttle response and relaxed cruising ability were unprecedented for a dual-purpose bike. And although the BMW was no enduro machine, its off-road performance, helped by specially made Metzeler tires capable of coping with the 100-mph top speed (previous off-road rubber was limited to about 80 mph), was a revelation for many riders.

Boosted by the mostly positive reviews, the G/S was an unexpected hit. BMW had hoped to sell about 3000 units that first year, but eventually produced more than 6500. The model’s instant success led the motorcycle division’s recovery, restored confidence in the boxer layout, and gave vital breathing space for development of the K-series four.

The G/S’s impact was also helped considerably by its four Paris-Dakar victories in the five years after its launch. The grueling trek from France to Senegal had begun in 1979. Yamaha’s XT500 single had won the first two events, although French rider Hubert Auriol, riding a specially built BMW boxer, had led in 1980 before being disqualified for receiving outside assistance.

Auriol had much better luck on the 1981 event, which he won on a boxer prepared by local dealers with support from the factory. “It was heavy and the rear suspension didn’t have much travel due to the shaft,” he said. “But in the early days the race was all about going fast between the holes, and this bike was good because it was faster than the singles.”

Auriol won by over three hours and repeated the victory two years later (after gearbox problems meant he failed to finish in 1982). The wins were vital in establishing the G/S, partly because BMW was quick to promote its success and the rally, which at the time was little known outside France.

“We started to blow the marketing horn like devils,” Gerlinger recalled, “and used our money to help [rally founder] Thierry Sabine get the race known to the public.” Belgian star Gaston Rahier added further victories in 1984 and ’85, by which time the concept of the big dual-purpose boxer was firmly established. BMW introduced a special Paris-Dakar version of the R80 G/S in 1984, featuring a big fuel tank, a single seat, and a luggage rack.

And that modestly powered, naked G/S was just the start for the dual-purpose boxer, which proceeded to capture the imagination of riders all over the world. Far from being rejected as too powerful, too tall, and too heavy, as some at BMW had feared, it grew increasingly popular as subsequent models gained capacity and features, including the taller and heavier GS Adventure derivatives.

In 1988, the name was simplified and the engine enlarged to 980cc to create the R100 GS, which three years later gained a frame-mounted fairing and adjustable screen. The R1100 GS of 1994 was a bigger, more touring-oriented model that set the trend for GS development. Some wondered whether BMW had gone too far; rising sales figures confirmed not.

The R1150 GS began the new millennium in style, but it was the first GS Adventure derivative of 2002, featuring longer suspension, optional large 30-litre fuel tank, and aluminium panniers, that proved more important. Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman rode R1150 GSAs on their Long Way Round odyssey, inspiring a new wave of two-wheeled adventurers.

That television series’ 2004 launch coincided with the introduction of the R1200 GS, which increased power output to 98 hp and reduced weight by a substantial 66 pounds, dramatically improving performance and enhancing the GS’s appeal to legions of riders considering switching from sport bikes. The duo swapped out their R1150s for the new bike for the show’s 2007 follow-up Long Way Down. Before long, the R1200 GS was firmly established as one of the world’s most popular bikes—a status maintained by its liquid-cooled derivative in 2013, and its R1250 GS successor of six years later.

And now BMW is poised to launch the next in the line, the R1300 GS—lighter, more sophisticated, and with output increased to 145 hp. This GS promises to be an enjoyable and practical roadster, and far more capable off-road than most owners will ever get to discover. Just like the very different 50-hp R80 G/S that began the story more than 40 years ago.

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It is early afternoon on day two of a four-day adventure-bike ride across the upper peninsula of Michigan. My friend and I have just finished setting up camp. The only thing louder than the lightly crackling fire is the scurry of chipmunks preparing for the fast-approaching winter. Red is in the trees, orange soon to follow. Fall happens fast up here.

There are only five of us taking up provisional residence in this 18-spot campground. The camp host in his medium-sized fifth-wheel, someone in a nice conversion van a couple spots over, and a mountain biker with a nice tent set up in the back of a suspiciously clean Jeep Gladiator. Then our motorcycles, my friend’s as-yet unscratched Tenere 700 and my KTM, which leaves blue paint chips wherever I go, like a molting snake.

My friend left me to start the fire—he wanted to ride about a mile down the road to attempt to catch fish from the nearby river. His exact words as he rode off: “I’m so excited to not catch any fish.”

At our site, a pair of heavy riding pants hangs off a low tree branch. Another pair is folded over the handlebars of my KTM 950 Adventure S, which sits between my slim one-person tent and the small horseshoe road that circles the private campground. A mountain-bike trail establishes the back side of our temporary plot of land. Sipping beer while seated in my spindly camp chair, I recall something I once read years ago, in which the author argued that you can’t own land. I’ve never agreed more. How could I possibly claim this spot as mine? It’s best shared.

The soft thump of tennis shoes draws my mind back to the present. It’s mountain bike guy, complete with local IPA in hand. No coozy, just to make sure you know it’s something brewed right here in the 906. My single 25-ounce can of Budweiser sits next to me like a sign on a stake saying I’ve all but given up on craft brews. These big single cans are the easiest thing to grab and carry from a gas station when traveling by motorcycle. One can—you don’t even have to drink it all—and you’re good all night. Less waste, easier transport. Win-win.

He asks where we are from. I love a good opportunity for a “from under the bridge” joke, and so do the locals. Conversation starts.

I’m only here on a motorcycle because a bicycle takes more effort, literally and theoretically. The KTM can transport itself the 5.5 hours required to get here from home in Traverse City. To get to the Upper Peninsula with a mountain bike would mean 5.5 hours in the big red penalty box of my Express van. Not the worst situation, but the thrill needs to be worth the punishment. When traveling by motorcycle, the punishment becomes part of the adventure. Our adventure included some punishment, don’t get me wrong: The quarter-mile sand section that buried one of our motorcycles yesterday proved that most people who say “journey is the destination” likely wear rose-colored glasses.

After my “under the bridge joke,” and the standard pleasantries about the weather, mountain bike guy asks, “So what do you guys do?”

Before my brain realizes he is referring to our jobs, I blurt out, “Fun stuff.” As we chat about my KTM and the mountain biking trails my friend’s Tenere 700 idles into the campground. No fish, as he expected—but we weren’t really prepared to dress and cook a fish anyway.

Mountain bike guy’s question sticks with me long after he returns to his Jeep. It was a legitimate question: It was 3 p.m. on a Monday afternoon. Two 30-somethings sitting around a middle-of-nowhere campground during business hours reeks of startup money, Daddy’s money, some type of money that is something other than hard-earned.

We were two friends who threw a dart at a calendar, packed some luggage, and rode north. Vacation time exists for a reason, and I had been banking it, waiting for something worthwhile. Turns out that time didn’t need to be spent in some grand manner. The destination is not special. Just somewhere there rather than here, transported by something interesting and engaging, with friends, stories, and brats around a fire.

During that UP trip, my friend and I rode around more or less aimlessly for two more days, picking destinations by a range of fuel and time to ensure we would always arrive somewhere with cold beverages. Wake up, find a spot for coffee and breakfast an hour away, then find lunch within a three-hour range. No terrain was off limits: We followed snowmobile trails marked with a translucent green highlighter on the pages of the outdated atlas which is near-permanently installed in the right pannier of the KTM. We arrived home tired, yet recharged.

After hours of time alone in a helmet with my thoughts, that question at the campground still hadn’t left my mind. What am I into? What makes me happy?

Not everything needs to be epic. A weekend ride or drive is time doing what we love—near or far. We can dream of the cross-country trip all day but in reality a humble drive is the easiest route to finding something epic. It requires doing the thing we love more often. I would rather drive my Corvair once a week to get coffee I could have made at home rather than take it out only once a year for a big road trip. Every trip creates a memory, and they all are valuable.

If we never get out the door for the humble trip, we will likely never have the confidence or preparation to go out and do the big thing. The most fun stories are ones when things go better or worse than expected, right? Go out and do something, anything, and you’ll likely have a story to tell.

***

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BMW of North America has issued a “stop sale” on all its motorcycles at BMW dealerships.

The reason: “Following a recent quality analysis, BMW is pursuing measures to further evaluate the material used in a component of its motorcycle evaporative system, which may not have been produced to material specifications.”

It’s evidently purely emissions-related, “not safety related, and BMW owners may continue to ride their motorcycles as normal.”

The stop sale was issued earlier this week, and for a while, the circumstances spawned plenty of conspiracy theories until the company issued a press release. You can still buy and sell used bikes, just not from a BMW dealership. It covers every product BMW has, new and used, except for the electric CE 04 scooter.

The fact that all used BMWs are included suggests that the issue may have been going on for a while, but that hasn’t been confirmed. Whether the federal government is involved, and whether there will be a recall, is unclear.

The timing of the stop sale notice may be unfortunate, as the company is about to introduce its new flagship, the R 1300 GS. Whether or not this issue will affect the North American launch of that bike is unknown.

***

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After much anticipation from the adventure motorcycle market, Honda has announced pricing and opened the order books for the new XL750 Transalp, which the U.S. market is meeting for the first time. The Transalp nameplate traces its roots back to 1986 and lived a full life until its cancellation in 2008. During that run, it was never sold in America, and it saw just one year of sales in Canada: 1987. Now, the mid-size adventure market is a little more crowded, but Honda seems to think the XL750 will slot right in, and on paper, we are inclined to agree.

For starters, the pricing is right in line with its competition: $9,999 MSRP. Yamaha’s Tenere 700 comes in at $10,299, and the Suzuki V-Strom is $11,349. All three settle on using two pistons to solve the power problem, but the XL750 Transalp is closer to the Tenere 700 in concept, using a parallel twin engine design. One plus for Honda riders: With a total displacement of 755cc, the Transalp’s engine bests that of the Tenere by 66 cubic centimeters. The Transalp engine also receives the vortex air duct mechanism from the CB750 Hornet model, an intake tract design that Honda claims gives the engine smoother running and more power from tip-in to redline. Output is expected to be 83 horsepower for U.S. models, down slightly from the 90 hp European riders get to enjoy.

The Transalp fills the middling void in Honda‘s lineup between the big-boy Africa Twin and CB500X, making Honda the latest to give shoppers the option of an adventure machine in whatever size they are most comfortable with. The Transalp is slightly let down by its lack of a standard quickshifter, though it is an option that can be added at additional cost. We like this as quickshifters are very fun, but also get why Honda doesn’t offer it standard; for adventure riding, they’re a bit overkill. Riders will have five selectable riding modes which engage the traction control, ABS, power output, and engine braking at differing levels. Also, U.S. buyers will have just one color option: black. Hope you like it.

If you do, shuffle over to your dealer or Honda.com to place an order as the ordering books opened September 20th. Delivers are expected to begin in October.

***

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The Goodwood Revival took place this past weekend, and as ever, the cars were sublime, the racing superb, the period dress perfect, and the highlights videos a treat. This week we’re looking into the best from the event, including this action from the Barry Sheene Memorial Trophy.

Barry Sheene has been gone now for 20 years, but the annual motorcycle race that bears his name is still going strong at the Goodwood Revival. It delivers just as much excitement as did the man himself during his Grand Prix career.

The event at Goodwood is a two-parter, and the weekend’s action saw two different rider pairings on two different motorcycles take victory. Steve Plater and Glen English crossed the line first in Saturday’s race on their Matchless G50 from 1962, while the second-place finisher in that race, a 1961 Norton Manx 30M ridden by Michaels Rutter and Russell, won the second—securing them the overall win ahead of Plater and English.

The Memorial Trophy starts off with a dash across the grid to the bikes, which is always a spectacle in itself—particularly as some riders have a different interpretation of the flag drop than others. It was TT legend John McGuinness who got the holeshot in the first race, while Michael Dunlop got off to a good start on his MV Agusta, too. Sadly, Dunlop’s bike expired mid-race, while the McGuinness bike also fell by the wayside.

Race two’s running start was a little more composed than the first, but the same faces came to the front in no time, with the Plater/English and Rutter/Russell bikes tussling during the first stint. After the rider changes, though, it was Davey Thomas on the Norton Manx he was sharing with George Thomas who came through the field, taking second place on the last lap from another Norton Manx, ridden by Ian Bain and Steve Brogan.

The Rutter/Russell bike was well out in front though, and the motorcycle racing managed to avoid some of the rain showers that made a couple of the car races a little more chaotic, so tumbles were minimal. Sheene, we’re sure, would be pleased.

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Dreams and realities mix together endlessly in a gearhead’s brain. Some of our ideas are just projects that we ponder from time to time; others are potential ways to use whatever steel or aluminum bits are in our oily hands. Ideas often jump from realities to dreams and, less frequently, from dreams to realities. So when I had the chance to ride and wrench on the motorcycle of my dreams, how could I say no?

One idea that has been stuck in the crevices of my grey matter for decades is a CB750 cafe racer. I have no idea why I want to build one. When I was young, such a bike made sense. Young idiots like form over function: Bias-ply Firestone tires that offer a vintage look but harsh ride and questionable traction, paired with uncomfortable, thin seat cushions atop narrow fiberglass seat pans, ostensibly for weight savings. They have the confidence to remove both fenders while still saying, “No, I’m still going to ride it rain or shine,” with a straight face.

I know better now. Yet when a friend asked me to recommend a shop that could sort out a few nitpicks on his CB750 cafe racer, it was impossible to resist doing the job myself. By the time he and the bike appeared at the bottom of my driveway, I had already muttered, “I really got to build one of those.”

The Honda CB750 is such an interesting machine: CB for the model, 750 for the number of times you have seen one hacked up in a Craigslist ad, the copy including something about how the seller “never got it running right.” An infinite amount of CB750 cafe racers have been built, and somehow, even more abandoned during the build process. There are many variations on cafe racer, yet so many “builds” come out formulaic: ground-off passenger peg mounts, rattle-can black on everything that was easily unbolted. “Is free shipping included?” seems to be the bottom line. If you’re a regular reader of this column, you know that buying a cafe racer that is even a fraction built by someone else isn’t even a passing thought in my mind. The only situation in which I own a cafe racer is if I build one.

That decision sticks me in a weird spot. Am I really so confident in my ability to build something different, or at least not the same, from seemingly millions of cafe-racer builders? I cannot accept building something purely for form. The thought of compromising the performance—a lot of the common cafe racer mods these days do just that—is unfathomable to me. However, successfully merging function and form with my skill set and my budget seems like an exercise in futility. So the idea gets buried deeper and deeper in my mental filing cabinet.

The other week, I caught myself scrolling the archives of BikeExif.com. My brain momentarily short-circuited, and I time-traveled to late night shifts in the college library, when I would scroll those same pages when I was supposed to be cataloging books. The cafe racer has long captivated me, but my expectations of enjoying one have never been lower.

Days after my scrolling session, this sleek black CB was sitting on a rear stand in my garage, lifted to chest level on the motorcycle lift. A quick look revealed the oil leak noticed by its owner was just the shift cover plate, an issue easily solved with a small amount of Permatex and proper torque on the hardware. I did a quick, front-to-back check of nuts and bolts, sorted out the pickup on an aftermarket speedometer, and the job was done. But I didn’t call the owner just yet.

This bike was built pretty simply: stock foot controls, stock swingarm and forks. Tasteful. It functioned pretty darn good, too.

Again, maybe my expectations were insultingly low, but there were a lot of subtle things that made this bike stand out from other cafe racers I had seen. The straight-pipe exhaust actually had a very effective baffle: This Honda was quieter than my KTM 950 Adventure with its boom-cannon Akrapovič cans. The clip-on handlebars on the stock forks somehow had better ergonomics than the Clubman-style bars I had tried on similar builds over the years. A slim LCD display for tach and speed was neatly integrated in the top of the triple tree. It was all a little grown-up—the style without the compromise.

The build didn’t simply inspire me, it also knocked a little sense into my brain. A well-done project will always stand out, even if the parts individually do not. This bike sat on Hagon rear shocks, which had decent adjustability, and a seemingly stock front end that was nicely rebuilt. It rode like a 45-year-old motorcycle, which is to say quite nicely. “More” brakes or suspension weren’t needed. Having seen so many folks put any number of wild suspension setups on cafe builds over the years, even I had fallen victim to thinking that I would need something exotic. Looking at my friend’s build, I knew that the addition of stiff USD forks would only move the flex somewhere else in the chassis. Why would I fix what wasn’t broken just for the sake of potential performance?

Nope. Get realistic about what your dream actually is, and it might not stay a dream. I don’t need all those fancy parts, I just need a good base and a bunch of skills I already have. Oh, and a decent CB750 before the snow flies. Nothing says “fall” to a motorcycle fan quite like all the increasing number of Marketplace listings with the “great winter project” line. Those sellers know their audience is a bunch of dreamers.

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Let me take you back in time, 70 years or so, to the smoke-blackened brick arches on London’s North Circular. Look carefully and you’ll see a glint of chrome, a flash of silver helmet and nasty-man goggles, fisherman’s wool socks folded over the tops of tall black boots, creaking leather jackets, and then the crack of a parallel twin responding to a kick start …

Back then, there was only one arterial route ’round The Big Smoke. On the west side of it, just up from the Hanger Lane and feeding and watering the inner soul of haulers and bikers, was the Ace Café, a greasy-spoon mecca that sounded like a cross between an idling Scammell, a wheezing Gaggia coffee machine, Bill Haley and the Comets on the jukebox, and a fair slice of braggadocio. When time hung heavy, the young blades would tear-arse their machines up the road, to a roundabout, and back, with pride going to the fastest.

Attending the 60th anniversary a few years ago, I encountered Brian Winch, who was an Ace regular in the early 1960s, its biking heyday. At 19 years old, he rode a nearly new 1961 Triumph Bonneville, bought for £189 (roughly $4500 today) at Pankhursts in Salisbury.

“It was like a space rocket in its day,’ he told me. “On Saturday evenings we would ride up from Southampton through Camberley, to the Ace. Sometimes we’d go on to the Busy Bee Café on the M1, or we’d stay here and sleep in allotment sheds or in the railway carriages in the shunting yards. It was a basic transport café then; the food was edible if you were hungry. It wasn’t a great place to pick up women, but most of the lads bought their girlfriends if they had them. We used to all ride together—the bikes were smart, with lots of chromium plate. We didn’t call ourselves ‘rockers’, just ‘bikers’ and we didn’t go to pubs, just cafés.”

Bonneville was king of the hill in those days—cheap, fast, flash, and with reasonable handling once Doug Hele, who was bought in from Norton, had sorted it out. A Norton with a “Featherbed” frame handled better and was more comfortable, a BSA had a better engine, but the Triumph just had it! Marlon Brando, Bob Dylan, Clint Eastwood, and Steve McQueen certainly thought so, and in truth this was an American machine, demanded by those West Coast bikers who wanted a bit more urge from their Triumphs than what they’d been given before.

And what they got was a 120-mph, stone-cold classic. “Arguably the best British bike ever made, and is certainly one of the few that is both reliable and competent in modern traffic,” wrote Frank Melling of the 1968 model in The Daily Telegraph. “One of motorcycling’s most enduring Great British icons,” said Steve Wilson in Triumph T120/T140 Bonneville. “Big grin,” says Henry Cole on YouTube. “In modern traffic conditions, for me, it’s perfect.”

From working man’s road rocket through two generations to pure nostalgia in its third generation, but with a satisfying hint of the rebel and a surprising degree of practicality. Perhaps that’s why the name still exists today on the side of the modern 21st-century John Bloor–owned Triumph parallel twin, which was launched in 2001 and is still a mainstay of the Triumph marque.

Turn the clock back again, though, and think about the redoubtable Edward Turner. Born in Southwark in 1901 into a family of engineers, by 1929 he was married and working at Ariel where he designed the famous Square Four engine. When Ariel went bust in 1932, it was bought by industrialist Jack Sangster. In 1936, when Sangster purchased the newly independent Triumph motorcycles, he moved Turner across as general manager and chief designer of what was then called the Triumph Engineering Company. Turner rationalized the Triumph range and set to at the drawing board. In 1937, the result was the epochal 500cc Speed Twin. Smaller and lighter than the rest of the Triumph range, it retailed at £75 (roughly $5270 today) and its 29-hp twin could propel the 366-pound machine up to 90 mph. That fantastic piece of design set out the order of battle for British motorcycles until the ’80s.

Turner was a prodigious talent, a genius even, but as colleague Burt Hopwood put it, he was also “hopelessly egotistical.” He argued with Sangster and left for BSA, leaving Hopwood in charge, but after World War II, Turner returned to Triumph and set about developing a model range where the genesis of the Bonneville was introduced. TRW, Tiger Cub, Terrier, T110 Tiger, and the unit construction 3TA all contributed to the Bonneville, which was Turner’s last design for Triumph, though he was said to be concerned about the performance; actually, for the early models, it more than the frames and suspension could cope with.

“This, my boy, will lead us straight into Carey Street,” he said, an idiom for bankruptcy.

The Bonneville name came from the small town near the eponymous salt flats, where in 1955, plucky American speed record breaker Johnny Allen rode his Triumph streamliner, Devil’s Arrow, at a new record pace of 193.3 mph. Bonneville was launched at the 1958 Earls Court Motorcycle Show, although with their usual ability to miss the big stories, the film news coverage from the show completely failed to mention the new iconic Triumph.

In fact, the launch seemed to pass many of the media by; after all, the bike was a hopped-up T110 Tiger. Even in America, the new Triumph was scarcely noted at first, but that didn’t last. Before long, Triumph was struggling to fulfill home market orders as supplies of the 650cc twin headed across the Atlantic to Canada and America. But even by the mid-to-late ’60s, and despite the 1963 inclusion of Triumph’s unit-construction engine and various fork and frame improvements, the writing was on the wall, especially with the 1969 launch of Honda’s CB750. The end came in the ’80s amid the collapsing chaos of the once all-dominant British motorcycle industry.

So, what are those early machines like to ride these days? Still brilliant, to be honest. There’s a fair bit of faffing around before the start with all that turning on of fuel taps, tickling of concentric carburetors, and so on. For those born to electric starts, there’s a knack to the kick start, but it is soon learned: Kick it like you mean it and the twin bursts into burbling life, which has to be delicately maintained on the throttle until warm-up is achieved. The right-hand gear change should pose no problems and it really does feel fast, gaining speed quickly and (if a later model) feeling quick to turn into corners but not unstable.

Fast corners will have the frame wombling around a bit, but it’s stable. Just don’t rely on the brakes too much, especially the single leading-shoe originals. As for the performance, well, across Beaulieu Plain in my youth, a well-maintained Bonneville could just about keep up with a Yamaha RD250 and, as my mate Al always said: “The sound you are hearing is all the engine bits trying to get out.” But my goodness, it was a sound and a half.

The T120 stayed in production until 1973, but in 1971, amid the growing chaos of Norton Villiers Triumph’s finances, the oil-in-frame T140 was introduced. These later machines were scorned by purists, but something strange has happened in the last decade or two as old men gathered up huge collections of British machinery, which kept prices high and the legend alive. But these machines weren’t exercised and the whole thing became a sort of pyramid scheme. Prices rose high even for fakes, imports, and bitsa machines, and so the younger lads and lasses went for the T140s and gave them their love. The irony is that now the old collectors are getting too old even to wobble ’round their miserly hordes; the bikes are being sold off and, as a result, prices are easing a bit.

To own an old Bonnie is a cinch. The bike requires just one annual service and resists the siphoning of its oil onto the garage floor a bit better than its Norton rivals. With modern ignition systems and specialists, parts are available and reliability is good. Plus, there’s a lot less snobbery about which machine you’re on these days.

You’ll smell of hydrocarbons and oil, and you’ll spend time at the side of the road, but somehow, the world looks more full of opportunity and fun from the seat of a Triumph Bonneville …

***

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Harley-Davidson has been trying to broaden its appeal of late, with a new family of liquid-cooled V-twins including the Pan America adventure bike.

Cynics will tell you that Harley should have revamped its range decades ago, rather than sticking to its traditional V-twins for so long. What’s less well-known is that the firm did develop a promising V-4 way back in the early 1980s, only to scrap the project.

The Nova was top-secret back then but was belatedly revealed more than 25 years later, when a prototype was displayed in the factory’s new museum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

At first glance, the big, grey, half-faired Nova looked like just another member of Harley’s V-twin touring family. But its engine, developed in conjunction with Porsche, was an 800-cc, liquid-cooled V-4 with twin overhead camshafts and cylinders spaced at 60 degrees rather than the familiar 45.

In 1981, when the Nova was due to be launched, it would have predated Honda’s successful VF and VFR families of V-4s, and would have been as advanced as any bike on the market. In fact, Harley planned a six-strong family of Novas, ranging from 400-cc V-twin and 1000-cc V-4 to a 1500-cc V-6. All would have featured many shared parts under a modular format similar to the one that Triumph would adopt on its rebirth a decade later.

The Nova project was hatched in secret meetings that Harley’s top management and engineers, led by vice president Jeffrey Bleustein, held in the late 1970s, to establish a plan for the following decade. They decided to invest in two directions: a family of bikes powered by an updated, air-cooled V-twin engine, eventually known as the Evolution; and an all-new, high-performance line with a more advanced, liquid-cooled powerplant—the Nova.

“At the time, we thought Harley needed a new range, to complement rather than to replace the V-twins,” recalled Mike Hillman, the English-born engineer who was chosen to lead the Nova project. “Emissions and noise regulations were getting tighter and we weren’t sure we could make the air-cooled engine meet them. The Japanese manufacturers were swamping the market with different products, and we wanted something to compete.”

Harley’s parent company AMF (American Machine and Foundry) was keen to support the ambitious project, but developing such an advanced, all-new engine alongside the updated V-twin would have stretched R&D resources too thin. “We looked at quite a few suppliers and went to three in particular: AVL in Austria, Riccardo in England, and Porsche. We chose Porsche partly because they had experience of production as well as development,” Hillman said.

A 60-degree Vee angle was chosen, partly because Hillman, who before joining Harley had designed a Formula 1 race car for Brabham in the 1960s, wanted to use the powerplant as a stressed member of the chassis. A contra-rotating balancer shaft allowed the unit to be solidly mounted to the pressed-steel backbone frame.

The engine’s modular design retained a common stroke of 58 mm and used alternative bore sizes of 66 and 74mm to produce individual cylinder capacities of 200 or 250 cc. This gave V-twins of 400 and 500 cc; V-4s of 800 and 1000 cc; and V-6s of 1200 and 1500 cc.

“We started with the 800, which might not seem the most logical choice, but we wanted to get into the 750cc class,” said Hillman. The relatively short stroke allowed a redline at 9500 rpm. Carburetors were used initially, although fuel-injected engines were also planned.

Power output was about 100 hp per liter, which would have given the 800-cc Nova 80 hp – competitive with Honda’s first V-4, the VF750S, which was launched in 1982 with a claimed 79 hp. Harley considered using shaft final drive, before opting for a toothed belt.

Following pressure from styling chief Willie G. Davidson, who wanted a clean look, there was no place in front of the V-4 unit for a conventional radiator. Instead the rad was placed almost horizontally under the seat. A fan drew cooling air through the radiator from the dummy tank, which was in fact a large airbox and was itself fed via two large scoops at its front. The fuel tank was also under the seat, straddling the radiator; its cap was in the tailpiece.

All this resulted in bulbous side panels but a low center of gravity. Even so, the naked Nova had a fairly lean, sporty look, despite its raised bars and stepped seat. Suspension was by conventional telescopic forks and twin shocks.

Development through 1979 and 1980 went well, with Hillman leading a 15-strong team in Milwaukee, and 15 more engineers working at Porsche. More than a dozen prototypes were built, all with 800 cc capacity—some naked and others with bodywork.

Testing took place both in the States and in Germany. Harley had previously used public roads for reliability testing, but the need for secrecy led the company to set up a private facility in Talladega, Alabama.

The Nova was certainly promising, combining 120-mph performance with reasonably light weight and, according to Hillman, excellent handling. “It was very nice to ride because the frame was so stiff. The chassis drove fabulously and the brakes worked very well. I rode the bike but mostly it was the test riders’ job. We had to keep the numbers down due to the project’s secrecy. There was one exposé when someone took photos in Germany, which were published by Motorrad magazine. But not much information escaped.”

The Nova project seemed to be moving steadily toward its projected launch date of mid-1981—initially in unfaired 800-cc form, to be followed soon after by the 1000-cc version. Touring, sport, and even super-sport V-4s were planned for future years, followed by the V-twin and V-6 models.

Sadly, for all those who would have loved to see high-performance Harleys emerge to take on the Japanese, it didn’t happen. The year 1981 turned out to be a landmark in Harley-Davidson history, thanks not to a dramatic new model but to the management buyout from AMF that kick-started the marque’s spectacular revival.

President Vaughn Beals and other bosses of the reborn firm, which was heavily in debt, had to choose between continuing to develop the Evolution V-twin or producing the Nova. Inevitably, the safer option of the aircooled V-twin won. The Nova project was abandoned, after several years of development, more than $10 million of investment, and tens of thousands of miles of testing.

Even then the Nova refused to die.

“In ’82, the company made its first-ever financial loss, but in spite of that the management still siphoned off a chunk of money to keep the Nova going,” recalled Hillman, who joined Beals in making presentations to firms in the United States and abroad, in a search for financial support for the project. “In fact, we found a place to build it, in Italy. But strategically it didn’t make sense. Then bike sales fell towards the late ’80s. By then it was less competitive anyway.”

Finally, Harley execs made the tough decision to abandon the Nova, and the prototypes were either scrapped or put into Harley’s warehouse. According to factory insiders at the Harley-Davidson Museum, five bikes remained, of which two were runners. The display bike is a non-runner incorporating some parts made from wood.

Hillman went on to enjoy a successful career at Harley, rising to vice president and using his Nova connections to help set up the deal that saw Porsche develop the liquid-cooled V-twin engine for Harley’s V-Rod, released in 2001.

“It was a shame Nova didn’t make it, but you have to move on,” he said. “I’d like to think it would have augmented the V-twins. But the investment Harley made in getting the factories to work properly at that time, and the focus on improved quality with the Evolution models, were vital to the company’s growth. Scrapping Nova was undoubtedly the right decision.”

***

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The dirt trail looked like a yard sale. My shave kit perched on a tree root. A jacket was tossed on the ground, along with a bag of tent stakes and the clear shield for a motorcycle helmet. The situation would have been funny if one of the hard cases (formerly) attached to my motorcycle weren’t also sitting in the middle of the trail like some grand prize for a bargain hunter. The latch holding the case to the frame was broken, but I was okay and so was the bike. A few bungee cords fixed everything up quickly, and we were off again.

Two days into a week-long, mostly off-road journey to get a 2005 KTM 950 Adventure S home to Michigan from Essex, Massachusetts, and it still took conscious thought for me to remember those bags were back there. Kind of important, when those cases hold all your belongings, and you and a friend are traversing the North East Back Country Discovery Route, a literal crash course in how to ride a big adventure bike. Luckily, the bike was making me look good. Big WP suspension soaked up everything I pointed the blue and orange beast at. All the long hill climbs of doll head-sized rocks were a game of relaxing and letting the bike do its thing. Keep the revs up and look where you want to go, and the bike would damn near figure the rest out.

If I sound particularly fawn-y over this new bike, it’s because I’m genuinely impressed. I’ve tried multiple times to buy or build the “one motorcycle solution,” and guess what? Honda XR650Rs are terrible on the highway. That poor brown Goldwing really hated gravel roads. The Husky TE510 with motard wheels was close, but damn was the maintenance schedule scary. For a guy who can’t fathom neglecting an engine, that high-strung single-cylinder stuff is mentally exhausting. What’s that ticking noise? Why did it go away? Is it back?

This big KTM just … works. Sure, there are reminders that you are not on a 450 rally bike despite the fact this turns in like one. The V-twin is rev-happy and playful once up over around 4500 rpm. Riding over fast, flowy gravel is a delight with proper body position. Get up and attack, and you can throw nice, manageable power slides at will, all with a thundering boom from the twin Akra cannons mounted under the seat.

This motorcycle reminds me that trucks are the vehicles that killed the sedan. Modern pickups are basically no-compromise vehicles that do everything well. I’ve ridden over 2000 dirt miles on my KTM 950 Adventure S in the first month of ownership and another 1000 or so running around town and making excuses to ride two counties over for lunch.

Those 1000 street miles were racked up just by bobbing around town. Commuting to coffee shops, riding over to a friend’s place for a bourbon, sitting in traffic during the National Cherry Festival in its yearly descent on Traverse City. Never did I want for another motorcycle, though half the time I was leaving some of the KTM’s capability on the table. My enjoyment of this do-it-all motorcycle is just one example of what I think to be a larger trend.

The motorcycle market is narrowing. Yamaha discontinuing the R6. The 250s that were once standard entry bikes have now ballooned to 400cc. Adventure bikes sell on appearance and functionality. KTM alone has four different displacement ADV machines, from 390 to 1290cc. Yamaha offers only three supersport models but already two adventure machines. Honda comes in at three supersports and four ADV bikes. Sound familiar? Like when Ford axed all its cars except the Mustang and stuffed its lineup full of trucks and SUVs?

ADV bikes have become the trucks of the motorcycle world. The BMW G 310 GS is the Toyota Tacoma. BMW R1250GS is the Ford F250 Super Duty Platinum. KTM 1290 Adventure R is Bronco Raptor.

Drivers no longer have to compromise. Fuel mileage with an SUV or truck is a bit down compared to a sedan, but the raised seating position makes for easier entry and exit, plus a better field of view. Toss in hauling and towing capability with a dash of off-road competence, and it’s hard to argue that a modern truck is not the best solution to, “What vehicle should I buy?” We are used to having the option to do anything all of the time, and it’s hard to consider sacrificing one of those options.

The luxury motorcycle brands are in on it, too. The top-selling Ducati for the last two quarters has been the Multistrada. Sounds a lot like Porsche and the Cayenne just a few years back. The GS line brought much-needed life to an ailing BMW back in the 1980s and has been Motorrad’s staple since. Just as the 911 GT3 RS exists thanks to the Cayenne, the M1000RR gets to live because of the R1250GS.

Will the rise of the generalist motorcycle lead to the death of the specialists? I doubt it. History has proven that the one thing that promises to solve all your problems can’t even solve most of them; it merely makes you feel as though it can. My newly acquired KTM has blown me away with the breadth of its capability—I could see myself doing a track day on it just for laughs—but it’s not my track bike. My non-street-legal XR250R, for instance, is so much better in the sandy Michigan singletrack than the KTM that it’s worth the hassle of transporting the Honda to the trailhead.

This is just my personal experience, but it reflects a trend in the market. In 1921, Ford had 61% market share with the Model T, the original do-it-all vehicle. If you consider the selections in the new-vehicle market as a balloon, in 1921 the balloon was probably as contracted as it will ever be. Over time the market swelled with specialized machines—trucks, roadsters, station wagons, limousines. Today, we’re in another contraction: Dealer lots are filled with so many versions of the same, multi-function SUV. It is only time before buyers—even those who don’t consider themselves enthusiasts—beg for specialized vehicles. Hardcore enthusiasts are only the first, and loudest, to protest the narrowing range of selections.

We evolve just like the companies who produce—or used to produce—the machines we enjoy. Today’s generalist machines enable us to find our specific interests by purchasing just one machine. No longer must you dedicate yourself to a single activity only to find that you don’t like it, sell everything to explore another discipline, and repeat the process. Buyers might be hot on generalist machines right now, but that creates a vacuum in the market. Specialist vehicles will return—likely, stronger and better than ever. And, if my KTM is any indication, Swiss Army Knife vehicles don’t have to leave; the best ones are too much fun.

***

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The Ducati 999 is nothing if not controversial. The headlights on this piece of Italian exotica cause some to think more of a freight train than a lusty sport bike. It emits the seemingly standard, concerning engine rattles. It manages to be slower than a contemporary Japanese bike that costs 40 percent less. Yet the 999 is a piece of art that ignites passion from fans across the world. I know this firsthand: I took my motorcycle test at age 16 on my dad’s 999, and I have counted myself as one of the bike’s fans ever since.

Beginning with the 916 in 1994 and running through the 996 and 998, Ducati had a run of similarly designed bikes widely considered among the prettiest modern motorcycles made. When it came time to put pen to paper for the 999, Ducati designers decided to do something radically different. Surely a fresh take would be a hit and move the brand forward, right?

It didn’t unfold that way. The 999 was released in 2003 to mixed reviews thanks to its radical styling. The sleek 998 gave way to the 999’s stacked headlights and aero that was more purposeful than pretty. It was built to bring Ducati into the modern era of superbike racing, and fast doesn’t always mean beautiful. Still, the 999 remained quintessentially Ducati—a bike that makes you feel as if you’re a millionaire with only $20K in the bank.

Superbike DNA coursed through every part of the 999. The riding experience was everything but comfortable. There was no point in keeping it cool at slow speeds because it would only be going fast on a track. You don’t need mirrors you can actually use, because aero for track. Nothing but full tuck because, well, track. This made the 999 an animal on the street, but that was all okay because, well, Ducati. See the theme?

I have ridden a Ducati 999 on and off for the last 13 years. My dad bought his new in 2005 and for some unknown reason he handed me the keys at 16 to take my license test on and ride to high school. How am I alive? I ask myself that every day. As a younger rider I can put up with a  stretched, uncomfortable position, but having ridden 100 or more motorcycles, I can say the 999 is the only model on which I never feel fully relaxed unless I’m on a straight road at 45 mph with nothing around.

What’s it like to live with? First, the experience around town. It’s not great.

This bike does not do well in stop-and-go traffic no matter what. Your butt and legs will get very hot from the underseat exhaust and poor heat management. Aftermarket exhausts or extra heat shields can alleviate this somewhat. The dry clutch is a signature feature of Ducati bikes, but that doesn’t mean it’s a good thing. The rattle at idle with the clutch pulled in will have you wondering if your bike is broken, and managing the clutch is a bit difficult if you’re cruising town. The clutch is very stiff; I often find myself flexing my fingers to get rid of cramps. Smooth engagement is tough if you don’t rev the bike enough—you need to approach “Ducati bro revving engine at stoplight” levels if you don’t want an unexpected stall. When that clutch does heat up it will very happily groan and squeal if you run it in the friction zone too long. Those mirrors? You’re probably safer turning around backwards for ten seconds.

In retrospect, maybe my dad figured that, if I could ride a 999, I’d be prepared to handle anything. But there’s another side to this bike that he knew about and no doubt wanted to share.

The 999 sings on the open road. The track-oriented DNA that is a liability in stop-and-go riding transforms into an asset on windy roads and makes it one of the most euphoric sportbikes of its era. When you’re tucked behind the screen with your weight on your wrists and two fingers on the clutch, and start to roll into the throttle, you can’t help but grin ear-to-ear. The high-revving V-twin’s harmonics make the bike feel alive, and its roar is something between the deep wallop of a V-8 and the eager zing of an inline four. It’s even more pronounced with the Termignoni exhaust that came on the 999S and 999R models.

The 999 is the pinnacle of a love/hate motorcycle duality. Visually and experientially, it’s captivatingly beautiful and ugly at the same time. It’s shockingly fast but slower than a Suzuki GSX-R from the same year. It’s uncomfortable to ride but you’ll ever want to get rid of it.

What does it take to buy a 999 today? There are three models with very different values: the 999 Base, 999S, and 999R. Of the base models, the ones you want are the 2005 and 2006 model years. They got 18 more horsepower—a significant boost for a motorcycle—and the black frame and wheel combination is preferred over the earlier silver. Values are still shockingly low for these, though their depreciation has bottomed. You can get one with roughly 5000 miles for $6500 to $8000, up from $5500 to $6500 only a couple years ago.

The 999S adds suspension improvements and subtracts some weight while bumping prices up 65 to 75 percent to $11,000–$15,000 for very good examples. On top of the improvements to the S, the 999R features carbon bodywork and extensive strengthening of the engine internals for more power. Good-condition 999Rs can be had for around $16,500, and $27,000 will get you the best of the best. They clearly haven’t hit the collector realm yet, as witnessed by a 22-mile base bike selling for only slightly more than $10,000. That said, the market tends to recognize characterful bikes, even if it takes a while. The whole model range has potential, but with the personality and the racing-livery looks to match, the 999R Fila and Xerox models are primed for serious collectible status.

It’s important to go into any purchase with eyes wide open—any 999 is a raw piece of machinery that refuses to coddle you. Remember, a Ducati is a Ducati. That lump of aluminum between your legs will overcome any mixed feelings about freight train headlights, or a stat sheet that isn’t as strong as a cheaper Japanese bike. If you want a passionate riding experience you won’t forget, it’s hard to go wrong with the 999.

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The first Kawasaki to wear the ZX-10 name was an important model on its launch in 1988. As well as being the firm’s new flagship superbike, it arrived in the aftermath of one of the most costly promotional blunders in motorcycling history.

This bike’s predecessor, the GPZ1000RX, was always likely to have a tough time in succeeding the GPZ900R Ninja, Kawasaki’s first liquid-cooled, 16-valve superbike, which had been hugely popular since its introduction in 1984.

The firm’s decision to launch the more powerful but heavier and less agile RX at Austria’s Salzburgring—and to bring the Ninja along for direct comparison—backfired spectacularly. Most riders preferred the older model and lapped faster on it, too. The RX was doomed before even reaching the showroom.

Two years later the ZX-10 was also launched at a racetrack, this time at Jerez rather than the scarily Armco-lined Austrian circuit. This time, Kawasaki didn’t repeat its mistake by bringing along an old favorite. I enjoyed thrashing the ZX around the recently opened Spanish track, even if my strongest memory is of a colleague’s sheepish grin after crashing and wrecking one—thankfully, without injury.

Years later but only a few minutes after pulling away on this well-preserved ZX-10, I’m wondering why Kawasaki didn’t simply launch both models on Spanish roads instead. I’m sitting at an effortless 70-ish mph with the 997cc, four-cylinder engine purring smoothly below. The fairing and tall screen are doing a good job of keeping off the wind; the wide seat and plush suspension are adding to the comfort.

This old ZX-10 is certainly powerful; a short, violent burst of acceleration confirms that. But it feels much more like a sports-tourer than a hardcore super-sports bike like its modern ZX-10R near-namesake.

Kawasaki had certainly made every effort in the development of what it described as the fastest and most powerful superbike the firm had ever built. Almost every component was new, although the rounded styling echoed that of the RX.

Capacity was unchanged but compression ratio was increased, and components including pistons, connecting rods, and crankshaft were smaller and lighter. The DOHC valvetrain was redesigned, and the airbox and valves were larger. The result was a 12-hp increase in maximum power, to 137 hp at 10,000 rpm.

The ZX-10’s most significant feature was Kawasaki’s first twin-spar aluminum frame, which replaced the RX’s steel tubes and aluminum sections. Kawasaki called the design e-box, in reference to its egg-shaped appearance from above, and claimed it was both stiffer and lighter.

New chassis parts also included thicker front forks and larger wheels—17 inches front, 18 inches rear, instead of the RX’s 16 inchers. At 489 pounds dry, the ZX-10 was a useful 35 pounds lighter, and even weighed 13 pounds less than the GPZ900R.

But it was still one pretty hefty motorbike, and more at home on the road than any racetrack—as I confirmed a few months after its launch in 1988, on a weekend trip from London to south Wales, its pillion seat loaded with girlfriend and throw-over panniers. The ZX was fast and exciting, and also impressively comfortable.

This clean black ZX, borrowed from English specialists Classic Superbikes, was faster than it would have been when new. It was fitted with carburetor tops from a later ZZ-R1100, to restore its full 137-hp output rather than the 125 that it would have been sold with, after being restricted under the UK importers’ old voluntary agreement.

The Kawasaki felt tall and roomy, with a stretch to its slightly raised clip-on handlebars. It seemed nothing like a cutting-edge sports bike as I set off, its motor purring smoothly, giving the overall impression of a slightly ponderous roadster.

The ZX quickly brought back mixed memories with its low-rev power delivery. Initial response was smooth from 2000 rpm, but there was then a pronounced pause before the power kicked in at 4000 rpm, which made for erratic progress at low speed.

That hole in the delivery was a pain on the open road too. When I came up behind a car at about 50 mph in top gear and went to overtake, the bike hesitated; it needed at least one down-change. Large-capacity motorcycles should require such assistance, even back in 1988.

But that was pretty much the limit of the criticism directed at the engine. Once into its stride, there was barely a step in the power delivery, and the big liquid-cooled lump’s smoothness made using its revs very tempting, especially as the six-speed gearbox shifted cleanly.

And the ZX-10 sure was rapid, especially in unrestricted form. An American magazine tested a full-power ZX-10 at 168 mph, making it the world’s fastest production bike. I was just as glad of the ZX’s excellent mirrors as I had been in 1988.

I was also appreciative of the Kawasaki’s wind protection. Its screen was taller than the GPZ1000RX’s, and sent most of the breeze over my head, although I’m tall. As I noted after covering several hundred miles on that two-up trip in 1988, this difference was worth more than any dozen extra horsepower.

Handling was good by the standards of the day, benefitting from the sharper chassis geometry and reduced weight. Inevitably the Kawi still felt unwieldy by modern standards, needing plenty of effort through the bars to push it into a turn.

Where the ZX-10 always excelled was in stability, and that remained true. And it went ’round corners pretty well, with plenty of grip from its Michelin tires. I was even quite impressed by its front brake’s power, even though I’d rated the stopper only average when new.

It was easy to understand why the ZX-10 had made such a good job of that weekend touring trip. Along with the wind protection and roomy riding position, the dual seat was supportive, and the pillion had a sturdy grab-rail. There were even luggage hooks below the seat.

That practicality did not prevent the ZX-10 from becoming the second model to be outlasted by its illustrious predecessor the GPZ900R, which remained in the range as a low-cost four when the ZZ-R1100 arrived as Kawasaki’s flagship in 1990.

But the first ZX-10 had made its mark, starting a long line of success not just with its name but with its blend of powerful four-cylinder motor, aluminum beam frame, and considerable sports-touring ability.

1988 Kawasaki ZX-10

Highs: The storming acceleration from 5000 rpm

Lows: Every time you hit the low-rev flat spot

Summary: It’s still quick and comfy, and doesn’t cost much

—

Price: Project, $4000; nice ride, $5800; showing off, $10,300

Engine: Liquid-cooled DOHC four

Capacity: 997 cc

Maximum power: 137 bhp @ 10,000 rpm

Weight: 524 pounds without fluids

Top speed: 165 mph

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It can be so simple and so complex to explain why my garage is filled to the brim with a perfect, 50/50 mix of tools and broken stuff. Not long ago a close friend pointed out—immediately receiving a photo of the latest hulk of a project I was hauling home—that if I would stop buying junk bikes, I could probably afford something nice, ready to ride, and interesting. To which I replied:

“Yeah, but where is the fun in that?”

He wasn’t wrong, though. 1986–95 Honda XR250R motorcycles have begun to duplicate like rabbits around my garage. There are currently two engines sitting mid-assembly on the workbench and two running bikes posted up on stands. Carefully organized in tubs on shelves are enough parts to build two more complete bikes, plus spares for spares. That’s only the physical storage space: My web browser is full of bookmarks for random forum threads and chats where others have shared a sliver of knowledge that I will certainly need at some point in the future.

What started all of this? A dare from a few friends, when I sent along a Marketplace listing for a non-running XR250R that I thought I could bring back to life. They called my bluff and encouraged me to go buy the stupid thing. Four years later, here we are.

I’ve made a lot of money disappear in tiny increments to make these junky old bikes look and function as Honda intended. That sunk cost is not why I can’t get rid of them, though. The disappearing stack of cash is not the question, either; my bank account would be bled dry by something, so why not motorcycles, cars, and other projects?

Some of us wander through life like golden retrievers, taking interest in whatever is directly in front of us and forgetting about it a mere two minutes later. Then one day a thing enters our lives and we can’t let go. It’s interesting on a mechanical and perhaps a historical level, and we enjoy looking at it. If that thing is also something we can afford, it quickly ascends to become a part of our personality, perhaps our identity. It’s not always clear why we fell in love with what we do, and the less time I spend trying to figure that out, the better off I am.

Maybe you are like me: If a project is not requiring you to learn or grow, you get bored with it. Some of us seek out our vintage cars because they represent a comfortable space in which we are experts. Some love the wave of nostalgia that comes with operating antiquated machinery: When restored properly, those machines can offer something akin to time travel. The rest of us need the entertainment provided by continuous upkeep and restoration.

It really doesn’t matter why or how we enjoy the objects we do because, at the end of the day, they are just that—objects. That concert T-shirt is just cotton and ink, but since it stirs a positive memory in the brain, you deem it more valuable. Toss in all the times when something positive happened while you were wearing that shirt, and it becomes a prized thing. Thanks to my cadre of Honda XR250s, I’ve met some downright amazing people and had some wild experiences.

We all have to admit the opportunity cost of any path we choose. At some point, though, calculating that cost becomes a fool’s errand. And maybe, explaining our respective obsessions is even simpler: We do what is fun.

Rehabilitating and building up Japanese motorcycles of the late ’80s is just fun for me. For every hour I spend on the track or trail-riding one of my XRs, I have probably spent eight hours with it in the garage: The hour meter on my road-race bike reads 18 hours, and I didn’t stop racing it because I hated wrenching on it.

I can afford a bike that needs no fussing, but a motorcycle with no needs would likely struggle to hold my attention. It’s just the way my brain is wired. Once you figure out how yours works, you’re best to just roll with it. What’s the fun in arguing?

***

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Hang around car people for more than a few hours, and the conversation turns to engine sounds and exhaust notes. Everyone has their personal favorite, but a few soundtracks are favored by almost all. One is the characteristic scream of a V-10 Formula 1 car, whose engine’s crankshaft spins at nearly 20,000 rpm. The insane howl of these cars, which raced between 1989 and 2005, is a wild thing, but nearly three decades before, a motorcycle engine spun just as fast . . . with four fewer cylinders.

The six thimble-sized pistons in the engine of Honda’s 1960s-era RC166 bounce up and down at a frequency that puts each piston at top-dead-center over three thousand times per minute. Piston speed is in the range of 68 feet per second.

But, you say, most of the motorcycle engines during that era of Grand Prix racing were two-strokes; with no valves to operate, that kind of engine speed isn’t as impressive.

Wrong. Well, at least kind of. Most bikes of the ’60s were, but the 250cc RC166 had a double-overhead-cam four-stroke engine. Soichiro Honda was putting all of his company’s racing and production eggs in the four-stroke basket: He believed it, not the smoky and cantankerous two-stroke, was the future.

Since a two-stroke engine has a power stroke on every revolution of the crankshaft, and a four-stroke has a power stroke on every other, Honda engineers used additional cylinders and rpm to smooth the power pulses as they went back through the bike’s transmission and were eventually absorbed by the tire.

One of those power pulses likely wasn’t significant by the time it reached the contact patch; each of the RC166’s cylinders displaced merely 41 cubic centimeters. For scale, the combustion chamber of a Chrysler Hemi V-8 displaces 85 cc. Despite these minuscule pistons and valves, the engine in Honda’s RC166 produced nearly 65 horsepower. With Mike “the Bike” Hailwood holding the handlebars, the RC166 handily won the 1966 and 1967 Grand Prix championships. Sadly, after ’67,  Honda put its motorcycle GP program on pause, switching focus to Formula 1, where it worked to scale up some of the engine technology that it had used to create such dominant racing motorcycles.

The RC166 will always be remembered for more than its spec sheet; it was a wild feat of engineering that actually worked. Hearing its screaming exhaust note is just a reminder of what is possible when an engine designer puts their mind to a task.

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In 2022, Suzuki had to drop the GSX-R1000R from its Japan and European catalogs because the model couldn’t meet emissions regulations under Euro-5. The decision ended an open-class line that stretches all the way back to the original GSX-R1100 of 1986.

37 years later, one incident from my first ride on that motorcycle remains as vivid as if it happened yesterday.

On a Surrey A-road on what felt like the year’s first real day of spring, early morning mist had burned off to reveal bright sunshine. As a tester for Bike magazine, I had just been let loose on a freshly uncrated example of Suzuki’s 1052cc follow-up to the GSX-R750, which in 1985 had redefined high-performance motorcycling.

Ahead was a long, slightly uphill straight. I opened up the Suzuki properly for the first time. With my head behind the screen, the GSX-R ripped forward so hard that it almost left my stomach at the bottom of the hill. When I tipped the bike into the curve at the top, at a speed no longer politically correct to mention in print, the GSX remained rock-steady: It could clearly have gone faster still with no problem.

I instantly realized that the GSX-R1100 was in a different league than anything I’d ridden in several years as a road-tester. A further two weeks with the bike did nothing to alter that view.

The big GSX-R’s all-conquering performance was not unexpected. A year earlier the original GSX-R750 had been a shock: Its full fairing, racy riding position, rev-happy oil-cooled engine, and ultra-light aluminum-framed chassis put an unprecedented focus on speed and aggression.

The 1986 GSX-R1100 was more of the same: A bigger, stronger 16-valve powerplant in an uprated and still remarkably light chassis. At a glance, it was almost indistinguishable from its smaller sibling, apart from the stickers on its tailpiece. The two models shared Suzuki’s endurance racer styling, with round twin headlamps in a fairing that would later earn them the nickname “Slabside.”

The frame design was very similar, too: a collection of rectangular-section extrusions in a twin-downtube arrangement, with cast sections at the steering head and around the pivot of a box-section swing-arm, which was also made of aluminum.

The engine layout followed that of the smaller GSX-R, which meant oil cooling, and 16 valves in Suzuki’s familiar Twin Swirl Combustion Chamber design. It too was designed to prioritize weight-saving, but some parts, notably the five-speed (instead of six-speed) gearbox, were strengthened.

The engine’s larger capacity gave the bike very different power characteristics. Where the 750cc bike demanded high revs, the GSX-R1100 was much more flexible. Its power curve impressed not just with its peak of 128 hp at 8500 rpm but also with its broad spread of torque.

That power output is modest for a big bike today, of course. When I found myself back behind the tall twin-headlamp fairing, there was inevitably not the same sense of all-conquering performance. But the big Suzuki still took very little time to make its presence felt.

The view from the rider’s seat was instantly familiar: usefully protective screen, foam-mounted instruments, low, clip-on handlebars. And the GSX-R still ripped forward like crazy when I tweaked its throttle, even when the tacho needle was barely off its 3000 rpm stop.

By the time I was into top gear on this well-preserved GSX-R, it was clear that the old warrior still had the performance to feel seriously quick on the road. By 5000 rpm it was ripping forward violently enough to lift its front wheel in first gear. Even in top, it could surge past a line of traffic.

At 7000 rpm, where the smaller GSX-R engine came alive, the 1100 was breathing even deeper as it headed for the 10,500 rpm redline and ever-greater speeds. In typical GSX-R fashion, there was a slight buzziness to the engine. But vibration never really became annoying, unlike the footrests—I hadn’t recalled them being quite so knee-crampingly high.

Acceleration was also aided by the GSX-R1100’s weight or, rather, its lack of weight. At 434 pounds dry it was 44 pounds heavier than the 750, due to many of its apparently identical parts being slightly larger and stronger. But that figure still made the Suzuki by far the lightest open-class machine in its day; with a standing quarter-mile time of less than 11 seconds, it made rivals like Honda’s VF1000R and Kawasaki’s GPZ900R seem sluggish.

Equally importantly, it was just as impressive in the twisties. That beefed-up frame held front forks developed from the 750’s, and a new rear shock. It had wider 18-inch wheels and tires, and larger 310mm front brake discs gripped by identical four-piston calipers. Stability was aided by a steering damper tucked inside the fairing nose.

On that first ride in the ’80s, my main impression had been of how light, taut, and racer-like the Suzuki had felt in comparison with existing superbikes. My thoughts were very different years later, when its 18-inch wheels and old-fashioned geometry made the GSX feel more broadsword than rapier.

It still responded well to spirited riding, feeling sufficiently light and flickable to encourage some aggression in the bends. Its Bridgestone tires were narrow by modern standards but not short of grip. The front brake was reasonably powerful, too, though of course lacking in ABS.

Unlike many of its contemporaries, the GSX-R also had enough ground clearance, even for the racetrack. It had proven so in 1986 by utterly dominating production racing with no more extra kit than a lock-wire on its annoying, spring-loaded sidestand. It took the top eight places both in the national championship and at the Isle of Man TT, where winner Trevor Nation lapped the 37-mile course at over 113 mph.

My first impression on that sunny spring morning in the ’80s had not been misleading. All these years later, it’s debatable whether any new superbike since has been so far ahead of all opposition as that first GSX-R1100. Its family line might have ended in most of the world, but Suzuki’s slab-sided star won’t be forgotten.

1986 Suzuki GSX-R1100

Highs: Riding it hard on a twisty road

Lows: The low bars and high footrests in town

Summary: It still feels improbably fast and light

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Price: Project, $4800; nice ride, $11,000; showing off, $16,400

Engine: Oil-cooled DOHC four

Capacity: 1052 cc

Maximum power: 125 hp @ 8500 rpm

Weight: 434 pounds without fluids

Top speed: 150 mph

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Parallel-twin-powered bikes are currently motorcycling’s dominant force. Honda’s new Hornet and Transalp are earning rave reviews. Aprilia, BMW, Husqvarna, Kawasaki, KTM, and Royal Enfield have popular families. Fantic’s first-ever twin borrows its engine from Yamaha’s MT-07 and Ténéré, which sell by the boatload. Even the engine in Suzuki’s latest V-Strom is a parallel, not a vee.

And then there’s Triumph, which has a thriving family of parallel-twin models: Bonneville, Scrambler, and Thruxton. The brand, having just changed its Street Twin’s name to Speed Twin 900, now also has a pair of retro roadsters named after the 498cc machine that appeared through the post–Second World War gloom to begin motorcycling’s first parallel-twin era.

The Speed Twin was actually launched in 1937. It made an immediate impact, but the war’s outbreak two years later halted production. When the Triumph returned—in subtly updated form—as of 1946, it proved that two cylinders could be better than one. Triumph inspired rival firms to follow suit, thus triggering a period of parallel-twin dominance that would last for decades.

The Speed Twin’s designer, Triumph’s charismatic boss Edward Turner, outlined the advantages of the bike’s engine in typically forthright fashion. “It will run at higher revolutions than a single [cylinder] of similar capacity without unduly stressing major components,” he said. “The engine gives faster acceleration, is more durable, easier to silence, and better cooled. In every way it is a more agreeable engine to handle.”

Few disagreed after riding the Speed Twin. Its top speed, just over 90 mph, was matched by some singles, but none could match the effortless way the Speed Twin could cruise at 70 mph. The pushrod-operated engine, which had a 360-degree firing arrangement (pistons rising and falling together), was softly tuned, with a maximum output of 28 hp at 6000 rpm. Although there was some vibration, by single-pot standards the engine was smooth.

Turner had recently arrived from Ariel, where he had designed the glamorous Square Four, after that firm had taken over Triumph. He announced himself by revamping Triumph’s single-cylinder range of 500-, 350-, and 250cc models with fresh styling and catchy new names: Tiger 90, 80, and 70.

Turner’s rare talents for marketing and styling were again evident in the Speed Twin’s evocative name and handsome lines. The Twin’s lean, simple look was not misleading. It used essentially the same frame and forks as the Tiger 90, was actually slightly lighter than the 500 single, and its engine was slightly narrower.

It was the Speed Twin’s performance, though, that sent the testers of the day into rapture. “On the open road the machine was utterly delightful,” reported The Motor Cycle. “Ample power was always available at a turn of the twist-grip, and the lack of noise when the machine was cruising in the seventies was almost uncanny.” The magazine managed a two-way average of 93.7 mph and a “truly amazing” one-way best of 107.

The journalist from rival magazine Motor Cycling was similarly enthusiastic in a January 1946 review. After collecting a Speed Twin from Triumph’s base at Meriden, near Coventry, where the factory had been rebuilt since being damaged by German bombs, he headed southwest, towards Cheltenham, searching out twisty roads where the bike’s handling could be tested.

The Speed Twin did not disappoint, judging from the glowing report: “How can mere writing express that sense of mastery, that sympathy with the machine, that exhilarating impression of complete control which a healthy engine, hair-fine steering and super-adequate braking can combine to inspire?” He then took the Triumph for an off-road ride, where it again impressed.

My own Speed Twin test ride kept to the road and was distinctly brief in comparison, but I found it easy to appreciate the Triumph’s performance and light, easy handling.

This bike was standard, apart from handlebars that curved back slightly more than the originals. As a 1946 model it featured the telescopic forks that had been fitted that year, in place of the original girder design. Other post-WWII upgrades included a larger, four-gallon fuel tank and new magneto ignition.

The Triumph felt like a period piece: I heaved it off the tricky rear-wheel-mounted center-stand, tickled the tiny, unfiltered Amal carburetor to get the petrol flowing, and gave a light kick to fire up the motor. The sound from the twin pipes was a lovely, mellow purr as I blipped the throttle. First gear went in with a graunch, but the controls were light, and once I was under way the right-foot gearchange was precise.

It didn’t take long to discover why so many riders had taken to the Speed Twin. Its half-liter motor was impressively smooth almost all the way through its rev range. The Triumph was enjoyably eager for such an old bike, its effortless low-rev response helped make it easy to ride, and vibration was not an issue at up to 60 mph.

The Twin also handled well, at least for a bike with a hard-tail (read: unsuspended) rear end. At 368 pounds with fuel, the Triumph was light even by modern middleweight standards, and its ultra-low and sprung saddle helped make control effortless. Its brakes were reasonably efficient, too, despite being simple drums.

The Triumph’s telescopic forks were hydraulically damped, intended to give extra rear-wheel grip on bumpy road surfaces, compared to the girders, and to improve feel of the front end. Despite the lack of rear suspension, the Twin handled fine on reasonably smooth surfaces.

Even comfort was reasonable, thanks to the sprung saddle. Triumph introduced an optional sprung-hub rear suspension system two years later, in 1948, but it was disliked by many riders: It tended to make the bike weave.

The Speed Twin, by contrast, remained hugely popular for years, as did its sportier Tiger 100 derivative, whose extra power raised top speed to 100 mph. In 1950 Triumph added the Thunderbird, with its bigger, 650cc engine, in an attempt to stay ahead of rival firms who by now had twins of their own. The format would continue to dominate until the ’70s, when Japanese firms took over with their more powerful, smoother, and better engineered fours.

And now parallel twins are back at the top of the sales charts. These engines cost less to produce than fours, triples, V-twins, or boxers. Many power fine bikes, offering adequate performance and balancer-shaft smoothness, plus added character from irregular firing orders. But they’ll never match the impact of Triumph’s original, which transformed motorcycling in a way that only a select handful of bikes have done.

1946 Triumph Speed Twin

Highs: Sweet power delivery, easy handling

Lows: Easy to drop, when trying to use the center stand

Summary: An all-time great that still rides beautifully.

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Price: Project: $8800; nice ride, $12,300; showing off, $15,800

Engine: Air-cooled parallel twin

Capacity: 498 cc

Maximum power: 28 hp @ 6000 rpm

Weight: 368 pounds with fluids

Top speed: 95 mph

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For two weeks each year, a sleepy little island in the Irish Sea transforms. Hundreds of thousands—both spectators and motorcycle racers—make a pilgrimage to it in search of speed. Local roads become, with just a few strips of plastic tape and a few cones, one of the most formidable challenges in all of motorsports: The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy, TT for short.

The week-long calendar of races has been running annually since 1907—with a few exceptions, of course. But that figure merely scratches the surface of what makes The Isle of Man TT so special.

Course length: 37.73 miles

The longest track in the Formula 1 calendar is the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, where a single lap is 4.352 miles. Germany’s infamous Nürburgring Nordschleife, or Green Hell, is 12.9 miles.The 219-turn Mountain Course for the Isle of Man TT is 37.73 miles. Learning it takes years.

F1 ran 44 laps last year at Spa for a total race distance of just over 190 miles. The Senior TT, a single event in the Isle of Man TT calendar, runs six laps of the Mountain Course for a total race length over 226 miles. That requires pit stops, which regulations intentionally slow: The pumps that a crew uses to pour fuel into each bike’s 5 gallon tank must operate using gravity alone.

Average speed: Over 135 mph

One reason why it takes so long for a rider to master the Isle of Man course is how fast they are going. Even the smaller bikes average well into 120+ mph per lap. That is average speed over the course, which, again, has over 200 corners. The race setup only increases the intensity: Racers are released on time intervals, competing against the clock rather than handlebar-to-handlebar with other riders. This arrangement requires each rider to push their pace every second rather than to keep with the group.

Honda Racing UK put the pace into perspective with a recent tweet: Veteran TT racer John McGuinness holds the throttle of his Honda wide open for over 30 percent of each lap. In the superbike race that took place this Sunday, McGuinness rode to a sixth place finish with a time of one hour, 46 minutes. He spent over half an hour on the throttle-stop, all while riding on what amounts to public roads.

Highest win count: 26 victories

Experience rules everything on such a high-consequence and daring race course. Newcomers rise slowly, and those at the top tend to stay there. The winningest rider in TT history is Joey Dunlop, shown above, with 26 victories in various classes. His TT career started in 1977 and ended with his tragic death in 2000. Tied for second are Joey Dunlop’s nephew, Michael Dunlop, and John McGuinness, both of whom have 23 victories.

The pointy end of the field is both small and highly competitive. At 51 years of age, John McGuinness has competed in over 100 TT races and continues to put in top ten finishes and to compete for the lead. He said this year that there was no place to hide in the top ten places, meaning anyone of those riders had the pace and prep to win overall.

Any racer has a specialty. Some TT racers focus only on this event, but most run other large road-race events like the Macau Grand Prix or the Northwest 200, both crazily high-risk tracks.

Years held: Over 100

The stunning acts of heroics among the TT’s best riders have a dark side. The TT is one of, if not the, deadliest motorsports event in history. Since its inception in 1907, 265 participants have lost their lives. The number grows even larger when you count spectators and officials.

Death is ever-present for those who choose to follow or to take part in the Isle of Man TT races, but the event’s legacy is much more complicated. A TT purse does not make a rider rich, and sponsorships are sparse. Riders race the TT for themselves, fully aware of its risks. Yes, they create a spectacle, but the drama is the by-product.

In the past, stateside TT enthusiasts have had to resort to YouTube clips, but there is now an official streaming platform that includes replays and highlights. 2023’s races are almost over, but do yourself a favor: Watch some replays, and let them capture your imagination and your awe.

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Some of the oldest motorcycles in British two-wheeled history were seen only in small numbers when new in the U.S. As the United Kingdom ramped up production to pay off its burdensome World War II debt, eager Americans, flush with cash, were ready to purchase the latest offerings. The late 1940s and 1950s were boom years for most U.K. manufacturers.

Brough Superior

George Brough, creator of the great Brough Superior brand, was justifiably proud that his line of machines was hailed as the “Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles.” The cheeky young George’s father had been building Brough motorcycles for years, but George wanted higher performance with better components, so he audaciously called his machines Brough Superior. BS used a variety of engines depending on the client’s intended usage. The SS80, the Super Sports, used either a J.A.P. (John Alfred Prestwich, more commonly known as J.A. Prestwich, manufacturers of motorcycle engines for many brands from 1902 onward) or Matchless side-valve V-twin, but the ultimate model of the marque is undoubtedly the SS100.

The SS100 Alpine Grand Sport featured an overhead valve version of the J.A.P. engine, capable of 100 miles per hour. This speed was attested to following a test ride by the factory technicians, who painstakingly assembled each machine twice to ensure accuracy of component fit and performance.

It would take a movie about an unlikely war hero with a penchant for speed to put the Brough Superior in proper perspective and save it in our collective memories. T.E. Lawrence, better known as Lawrence of Arabia, had a love affair with his Brough motorcycles, including the SS100 on which he met his demise. Lawrence’s postwar life, including his passion for his motorcycles, can be seen in his book The Mint. His first Brough was named George. Then he purchased George II, III, IV, V, VI, and VII. He also referred to his Broughs as Boanerges or sometimes Boa, meaning Sons of Thunder. On these machines, Lawrence raced biplanes and trains. Surely the stuff of legends.

Vincent

When Philip Vincent’s father provided the funding to purchase the recently defunct HRD company in 1928, young upstart Philip set out to build the fastest, most glamorous motorcycle made at the time. He soon rivaled the much-vaunted Brough Superior by offering similar performance at a lower cost. Vincent knew good marketing, too, as the company brochure featured a striking illustration of the 1000-cc Series A Rapide Twin streaking across the page with a beautiful woman and sporting gentleman making good time on the handsome beast. Clarity of purpose and confidence can be felt through the ad copy: “Designed by enthusiasts for the discriminating rider” and “The world’s fastest standard motorcycle. This is a fact, not a slogan.”

American Rollie Free, wearing just a bathing suit, bathing cap, and borrowed sneak-ers, rode John Edgar’s Vincent Black Lightning prototype to a record 150.313 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats on September 13, 1948. That photo of Rollie Free on the speeding Vincent is perhaps the most iconic image in all of motorcycling. Prewar Vincent HRDs are solid blue-chip collectibles, with the best of the big twins approaching $500,000 due to scarcity, desirability, and quality of construction. A postwar Vincent, such as the aforementioned Bathing Suit Bike, sold for a reported $1.1 million in 2010.

AJS

A.J. Stevens and Co., better known as AJS, was established in the pre–World War I period. Its success at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy course led to the slogan “AJS, Racebred Motor Cycles,” which was often seen in their sales brochures. Facing financial difficulties in the 1930s, AJS was acquired by AMC, Associates Motorcycles, in 1938. It would produce its most iconic models in the early post–World War II era. Winning the inaugural 500-cc FIM World Championship in 1949 with Rod Coleman riding the innovative E90S “Porcupine” was the high-water mark for the brand. The Porcupine name came about because of the spike-like fins on the cylinders that aided cooling. AJS followed this up with the E-95, a three-valve “Triple Knocker” sporting a huge saddle fuel tank until 1954. This machine offered sophisticated design elements but was plagued with mechanical issues. Its on-track rival, Norton, used a double-overhead-cam single-cylinder engine to power its “featherbed”-framed Manx model, with the brilliant Geoff Duke riding one to a 500-cc World Championship in 1950.

Norton

Speaking of Norton, James Lansdowne Norton, or “Pa,” as he was known to his employees, scored some early success at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy races with rider Rem Fowler in 1907 on a Peugeot-powered twin. From that point, it was single-cylinder engines that were most frequently associated with the marque’s racing successes for the next 50 years. Norton produced various production racers in limited numbers for years after that, such that nearly all the great racers of the 1950s and ’60s rode a Manx Norton model. The Nortons sponsored by John Player tobacco that Peter Williams rode in the 1970s utilized a Cosworth design and eventually rotary engines.

In the final years of production, Norton made a very alluring John Player Norton Commando for street use. It may have been no faster than its more pedestrian siblings, but it sure looked the part. One need only glance at the JPS livery and Union Jack flag on the tail section to identify it as a quintessentially British product of its time.

BSA

BSA, once the world’s largest producer of motorcycles, created the exquisite and versatile Gold Star model based on its exploits on the racetracks of England, particularly at Brooklands. In one last splash of glory before its bankruptcy, BSA sent a fleet of the best riders in the world to the famous Daytona Speedway in Florida armed with their Rocket III triples, taking a win there in 1971 with rider Dick Mann.

Triumph

Triumph is the brand that comes to mind first when thinking of British motorcycles. Although the company was founded by a German, Siegfried Bettmann, its home was in Coventry, England. Triumph made tens of thousands of single-cylinder motorcycles for the First World War, but it was the addition of the brilliant Edward Turner that helped birth the 500-cc Triumph Speed Twin in 1937. Triumph would become synonymous with parallel twin-cylinder engines from that moment on. While some might think of a late 1960s Bonneville as the epitome of classic Brits, its roots can be traced back to the prewar Speed Twin design. Notably, the Bonneville model was named to capitalize on the success of Texas-based Johnny Allen, who piloted a modified Triumph Thunderbird–powered streamliner called The Texas Cee-Gar to 214 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1956.

Americans were already worshiping at the altar of Triumph after the 1953 American film The Wild One, whose main character Johnny Strabler, played by Marlon Brando, rode a Triumph Thunderbird. The film was banned in the U.K. until 1968 due to its anti-authority storyline.

Ariel

British marque Ariel, founded in 1898 to produce motorized tricycles (not unlike the popular De Dion–powered models), catered to the well-heeled as well as the sportsman. Ariel hit its stride in the 1930s with the Red Hunter, a single-cylinder 350-cc; twin-cylinder, 500-cc machines, and the 1000-cc “Square Four,” which was launched in 1931 and went on to sell more than 15,500 units before its demise. This clever design sprang from the fertile mind of Edward Turner. It was, in essence, a pair of parallel twins with geared central flywheels, two transverse crankshafts, and a monoblock cylinder head. The continual evolution of the model saw the initial rigid frame with girder-style forks give way to plunger rear suspension and telescopic front forks. The original hand shift was eventually replaced by a foot-change gearbox, too. By the late 1950s, the brand had fallen on hard times and gambled its future on the more modern two-stroke range which included the ill-fated Leader and Arrow. It was a sad ending for what was once proclaimed to be “The World’s Most Exclusive Motor Cycle,” a reference to its Square Four model.

Veloce

Veloce Ltd. of Hall Green in Birmingham, England, was a family concern that made a comparatively modest quantity of motorcycles over its lengthy history. Veloce’s breakthrough model was the lightweight Velocette, launched in 1914. As a result of the name recognition, the motorcycles produced by Veloce would be known collectively as Velocette regardless of the type.

After World War I, some advanced four-stroke engineering by the young Percy Goodman, son of founder John Goodman (née Johannes Gutegmann of Oberwinter, Germany), would change the company’s trajectory. His overhead valve, 350-cc single-cylinder engine would be the genesis of roadsters and racers for years to come. Other innovations from Velocette included positive stop foot-change shifting and swinging-arm rear suspension. The ultimate double-overhead-cam 350 racer was the KTT. It won the first-ever F.I.M. 350-cc World Championship in 1949 with Freddie Frith and repeated the feat in 1950 with Bob Foster.

In its final form, the KTT Mark VIII featured Oleo Air rear shocks with Webb Girder front forks and overhead cams. Production of this over-the-counter production racer lasted from 1938 to 1950. After that, it was road-based equipment like the Viper, the Venom Clubman, and the 500-cc Thruxton models that kept the flame burning until the firm’s bankruptcy in 1970.

Britten

While geographically far from mainland England, New Zealand is part of the Commonwealth and shares enough DNA to be considered part of the United Kingdom for our purposes. New Zealander John Britten, although challenged with dyslexia, became an architectural designer and engineer, eventually turning his talents to racing motorcycle design. His eponymously named masterpiece, the Britten V1000, was launched in 1991. The innovative design made extensive use of carbon-fiber and Kevlar materials to form the bodywork, forks, swingarm, and wheels. It was powered with a double-overhead cam, 1000-cc liquid-cooled V-Twin engine and was immediately on par with other manufacturers’ factory efforts at the Battle of the Twins races around the globe. Just 10 Britten V1000 motorcycles were built between 1991 and 1998. John Britten died of inoperable skin cancer in 1995, robbing the world of a charismatic genius with a penchant for speed and style.

The British motorcycle industry went into a tailspin in the early 1970s that resulted in the closure of nearly all motorcycle manufacturing. It seemed all was lost until Englishman John Bloor relaunched the Triumph brand in 1983. However, nostalgia is a funny thing, and just as it fueled the comeback of cars such as the Volkswagen New Beetle and the Mini Cooper, Triumph found that the public wanted a machine that looked like the classic Bonneville. Carrying all the modern conveniences and reliability, they built a worthy successor to carry that name forward. Triumph’s rebirth has been followed by new motorcycles from Royal Enfield, Brough Superior, Matchless, Norton, and most recently BSA.

Anglophiles unite—our beloved Brits are back!

Motorcycles: Best of Britain is one of 20 classes to be featured at the 2023 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, on June 2–4, 2023. Download the 2023 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance event program to learn more about Sunday’s other featured classes, Saturday’s Concours de Sport, our judges, sponsors, nonprofit partners, 2022 winners and more! 

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Toyota recalls 96K Corolla Cross models for faulty airbags

Intake: Toyota Motor North America has announced a recall for about 96,000 units of its Corolla Cross compact crossover SUV for a front passenger airbag that might not deploy. The recall covers non-hybrid models from model years 2022 and 2023. Toyota recommended that owners not allow anyone to sit in the front passenger seat until an affected vehicle is inspected and the repair is completed. According to a statement from Toyota, the faulty airbag stems from a manufacturing error in the instrument panel. A Toyota spokesperson declined to comment on whether there have been any reported injuries, accidents, or deaths related to the issue. Vehicle owners will be notified by late July, according to Toyota, and the fix will involve a dealer inspecting and replacing the instrument panel if necessary.

Exhaust: Oh boy, more airbag issues. Because of the faulty airbag, the affected Corolla Cross models might not meet a very basic federal safety standard. The bit about declining to mention whether any injuries, accidents, or deaths are related to this issue gives us pause; normally that’s one of the first things an automaker makes clear when they announce a recall. If you own one of the affected models, please don’t let anyone ride shotgun until you get it fixed. — Nathan Petroelje

Scout hires key designer from Stellantis

Intake: Stellantis interior design chief Chris Benjamin has joined Scout Motors to lead design for the EV-focused Volkswagen brand that will specialize in utility vehicles and trucks, according to Automotive News. Benjamin becomes the chief design officer for Scout, which plans to begin vehicle production at a plant near Columbia, S.C., by the end of 2026. The brand said the first retail sales of its electric pickups and SUVs will start soon after.

Exhaust: “Chris’ work is prolific. For nearly 25 years, he’s brought to life vehicles that stand out on the road,” Scout CEO Scott Keogh said in a statement. “His thumbprints are all over many of the most beloved off-road vehicles in the market today. I’m confident that Chris will build on that experience as he defines the next chapter of design for Scout and electric utility vehicles.” — Steven Cole Smith

The ultimate Range Rover Sport gives good vibrations

Intake: If the rumble of its 626-hp 4.4-liter turbocharged V-8 engine isn’t enough, then owners of the 2024 Range Rover Sport SV can fire up “Body and Soul” front seats that are tuned in to the car’s 1,430-watt, 29-speaker Meridian Signature sound system. Artificial Intelligence-optimized software controls seatback transducers for what Land Rover calls “a multi-dimensional audio experience with wellness benefits.”

For more traditional seat-of-the-pants excitement the BMW-sourced eight-cylinder will power the SV to 60 mph from rest in just 3.6 seconds, with no letting up until 180 mph. It’s more than just a point-and-shoot SUV, however, with a 6D Dynamics active suspension system comprising pitch control, height-adjustable air springs, and interlinked hydraulic dampers which do away with the need for anti-roll bars. In the bends the SV achieves a “near-level body stance,” says Land Rover, while grip and comfort levels are also increased. New subframe and suspension links are fitted, and a revised steering rack has the fastest ratio of any car to wear the Range Rover badge. The SV rides lower than the regular Sport, even on optional, industry-first, 23-inch carbon fiber wheels, which are said to save 20 lbs per corner. Carbon ceramic brakes are also available for the first time on a Rangie. Externally the SV is distinguished by a new bumper with wider air intakes and a smattering of carbon detailing. Inside, the car can be completely customized, of course, and is offered with the brand’s new Ultrafabrics PU leather alternative.

Exhaust: Now fitted with the same motor as the latest BMW X5 M and X6 M, the Range Rover Sport really does live up to its name and might even give the updated Porsche Cayenne a run for its money. — Nik Berg

Alfa Romeo Tonale has a 33-mpg electric range

Intake: The plug-in hybrid Alfa Romeo Tonale has completed final EPA testing that shows an electric range of 33 miles and MPGe rating of 77. Total range of the Alfa Romeo Tonale with a full battery charge is 360 miles. Combined fuel economy is 29 MPG. “We are happy to announce the official EPA electric range of 33 miles and 77 MPGe for the Alfa Romeo Tonale, which will allow many of our customers to drive their daily commutes without tapping the fuel tank,” said Larry Dominique, SVP, Head of Alfa Romeo North America. “The Alfa Romeo Tonale represents the beginning of our transformation to greater electrification while staying true to the performance characteristics our customers expect from the brand.”

Exhaust: The Tonale’s performance is bolstered by a 15.5-kWh lithium-ion battery that drives a 90-kW electric motor on the rear axle with 184 lb.-ft. of torque from 0 rpm. Total output, says Alfa, is a best-in-class 285 horsepower and 347 lb-ft of torque with the 180-horse, 1.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder gasoline engine. The 2024 Tonale is shipping to dealerships now, with a starting price for the Sprint model set at $44,590 including a $1595 destination charge. — Steven Cole Smith

Honda announces new SCL500, a middle-weight do-it-all machine with retro flair

Intake: Honda just announced the new SCL500 model being added to its already diverse motorcycle lineup. This new machine borrows the engine of the Rebel 500—and a lot of the chassis too—with a dose of vintage styling to make for a welcoming bike to riders of all skill levels. The long flat seat and high exhaust pipes call back to the original Scramblers of the 1960s. Honda is also saying that a robust factory accessories catalog will allow buyers to make the SCL500 their own without resorting to aftermarket parts, and with the MSRP set at just $6799, it is easy to see buyers opting for a few new parts right off the showroom floor.

Exhaust: Did the motorcycle market need another mid-displacement scrambler-style motorcycle? Probably not, but Honda’s reputation sells bikes and this parallel twin is approachable for new riders and has enough ground clearance that exploring beyond paved roads is possible. That’s a lot of utility and capability for the price.  — Kyle Smith 

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The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines the word “exotic” thusly: Introduced from another country: not native to the place where found. Strikingly, excitingly, or mysteriously different or unusual.

On these shores, in the land of Harley-Davidson, hamburgers, and Hee Haw, many of us grew up believing that anything that wasn’t of American origin was “foreign.” Repair shops that serviced these foreign makes were in nearly every town. Americans equated German motorcycles with function and dependability, Japanese motorcycles with being inexpensive and disposable, French motorcycles with being weird and wonderful, English motorcycles with being sensible and familiar, and Spanish motorcycles with being built of lesser quality materials and best suited for off-road usage. Italian motorcycles? The best of them fit the very definition of exotic. Each of the Italian manufacturers has demonstrated the creativity and ability to reach for the impossible at some time in their past.

Benelli

Benelli has given us a number of exciting and interesting models since its 1911 inception in Pesaro, Italy. The six Benelli brothers opened their first shop to repair and service motorcycles—just a few years later, they created their own engines and complete motorcycles. Their first exotic and groundbreaking design was the 175-cc overhead-cam single-cylinder racer by Giuseppe Benelli, which was raced by brother Tonino to four national championships before his death in 1937.

They also created a number of 250- and 500-cc machines in the 1930s, with the most innovative being the 250-cc short-stroke, double-overhead-cam four-cylinder that was supercharged and liquid cooled. It was faster in testing than its nearest competitor by 16 mph, giving the firm confidence that it was a world-beater. Unfortunately, with the war approaching, the engineers were forced to abandon the race department and move their efforts to wartime production of airplane parts. The motorcycles were disassembled and stashed during WWII.

After the war, priorities changed. Benelli found success throughout the 1950s and 1960s in selling lightweight motorcycles not only in Italy but around the globe. The motorcycles were sold in America through Montgomery Ward department stores as the Riverside 125-cc two-strokes and 250-cc four-strokes. In the mid-1960s, Benelli had the funds to again reach for the stars with 250-cc and 350-cc four-cylinder grand prix racers ridden by Renzo Pasolini, Kel Carruthers, and Jarno Saarinen. After winning two world championships, Benelli was developing a 250-cc V-8 before a Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) rule change rendered that idea a nonstarter.

After Benelli’s acquisition by Alejandro DeTomaso, the company soon offered the world’s first six-cylinder production motorcycles, the 750 Sei, and the smallest production four-cylinder, the 250 Quattro.

Bimota

High-quality components and advanced engineering have long been the hallmark of motorcycles produced by Bimota of Rimini, Italy. The name is derived from the first two letters of each of the three founders’ names: Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri, and Massimo Tamburini. Bimota began by offering frames that provided superior handling for the new generation of big Japanese four-cylinder engines. The company created a market for consumers who wanted bespoke exclusivity and craftsmanship that previously did not exist. Bimota’s high-water mark was the Tesi 1D of the 1990s, which featured hub-centered steering and mono-shock rear suspension, as well as a fuel-injected Ducati V-twin engine combined with an advanced alloy-plate frame. All this futurism came at a cost, as slow sales nearly bankrupted the company. Despite changes of ownership, a modern variant of the Tesi formula is still available in 2023, a testament to the dynamic design of the original.

Ducati

Ducati’s roots lie in electronics, as it began manufacturing radios and cameras in 1926, until its factory was flattened during the bombing raids by Allied forces in 1944. Soon after, the company started to manufacture a small pushrod single-cylinder engine that was developed by SIATA and launched its own version of the Cucciolo model in 1950. Not long afterward, Ducati hired Fabio Taglioni, who would go on to utilize the desmodromic valve system on Ducati’s newest model, the 100 Gran Sport. The desmo valve actuation was more precise than traditional springs, allowing for more radical cam timing and higher revs. Success in Italian road races led to higher sales in showrooms as hoped, and performance became an integral part of the Ducati story thereafter.

Fast, single-cylinder machines of 125-, 200-, 250-, and 350-cc followed, but the next big breakthrough came in 1972 with the launch of the 750SS, which won the Imola 200 race. Street models such as the round-case 750 Sport and then the square-case 750SS and 900SS models were strong sellers that offered the “race bike for the road” feeling for which Ducati was best known. In the next 10 years, Ducati embraced change and brought liquid cooling, floating disc brakes, trellis tubular frames, dry clutches, fuel injection, and multi-valve engines, such as the Desmoquattro, Ducati’s four-valve V-twin.

These innovations put Ducati back in the winner’s circle in World Superbike competition. The 851 and 888 models were winners, but the 916 was a tour de force in the styling department, too. Once Ducati had momentum, it was rarely off the podium and eventually returned to grand prix racing, scoring its first world championship in 2007 with Australian Casey Stoner piloting the Desmosedici racer. Ducati eventually offered the Desmosedici RR, a road bike with real grand prix–level performance that no other manufacturer dared to match. In 2022, Ducati achieved a long-held dream and won another Moto GP World Championship, this time with Italian rider Pecco Bagnaia.

Gilera

Arcore, near Milan, is the home of Gilera, founded in 1909. The firm acquired the Rondine transverse four-cylinder concept from designers Carlo Gianini and Piero Remor. This design reached its apex in 1939 with the use of water-cooling and supercharging to power the four-cylinder racer to a top speed of 140 mph and the European Championship.

After the war, with the supercharger ban in effect, Gilera redesigned the double-overhead-cam engine and frame design to score numerous grand prix victories and 500-cc world championships in 1950, 1952, 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1957, before withdrawing from the sport. With the sudden death of Ferruccio Gilera in 1957, founder Giuseppe lost some of his passion for the sport of motorcycle racing.

Gilera created some very worthy overhead-valve single-cylinder winners, such as the popular Saturno and Saturno San Remo, a works special. These motorcycles featured novel rear suspension, with horizontal springs and friction dampers. While not winners on the international stage, they fared well at the national level. Trying to cut costs, Gilera turned its back on four-cylinder racers and sold inexpensive 106-cc pushrod singles distributed through Sears Roebuck department stores in the U.S. In 1969, Piaggio Group bought Gilera. Today, Gilera is known more for urban scooters than motorcycles.

Laverda

Laverda, from the Breganze region in northern Italy, was founded in 1873 and produced agricultural equipment exclusively until 1949, when it built its first motorcycles. Following the lead of other ravaged postwar manufacturers, small-capacity machines built by Laverda competed in Italian road races such as the Giro d’Italia and the Milan-Taranto. Laverda built its first twin-cylinder engines in the late 1950s and continued on that path while increasing capacity, eventually leading to machines like the brutish 750 SFC in Laverda’s signature eyeball-searing orange. The most audacious design would be a result of competing in the Bol d’Or 24-hour endurance road race. Laverda stunned the world with the V-6 racer. Although it did not finish the race, it spoke well of the creative minds at work back at the race shop.

Moto Guzzi

Moto Guzzi was the only manufacturer to have its own wind tunnel for testing the aerodynamics of its motorcycles. That should come as no surprise, given the founder’s background in wartime aviation. Located in Mandello del Lario, Italy, the firm found success early with rugged designs that were fast and handled well. In the years after World War II, Moto Guzzi’s 250- and 350-cc racers won eight world titles. It was the glamour bike of its era, the compact 500-cc V-8 designed by Giulio Carcano, however, that was the final statement in high tech. The teething problems would have been sorted, and the mighty V-8 would’ve enjoyed more success, but it arrived a little too late, as Guzzi withdrew from grand prix racing at the end of 1957. Moto Guzzi launched a transverse-mounted V-twin engine to power a series of sporting machines in the 1970s, such as the V7 and Le Mans models. These became the essence of nearly every successful Moto Guzzi in the years that followed.

MV Agusta

MV Agusta, created at the infancy of aviation, continues to this day in that capacity, building some of the world’s finest helicopters. However, it was the fire-engine red racing motorcycles that are perhaps the most successful of all the Italian exotics. The early adoption of the Gilera-Rondine transverse DOHC four-cylinder engine layout served the firm well in the 1950s. MV snatched up its first 500-cc world championship in 1956 and eventually scored 38 world championships before closing shop. Count Domenico Agusta ruled the two-wheeled world of racing much like his four-wheeled counterpart, Enzo Ferrari. Agusta did not suffer fools gladly. On the road, the count reluctantly agreed to sell the public motorcycles worthy of the MV name: the four-cylinder 600, 750 Sport, and 750 America. These hand-built machines were very costly, roughly three times the price of a Honda 750, and did not meet sales expectations to justify the effort.

Twenty years after the company ceased motorcycle production, it would make an astounding return under Cagiva ownership. The stellar 750F4 Oro, created by Massimo Tamburini, was the star of the Art of the Motorcycle exhibit at the Guggenheim Museum in New York upon its debut in 1999. The motorcycle, crafted of CNC-milled alloys that were combined with carbon-fiber bodywork and four under-seat exhaust pipes, also boasted a Ferrari-tuned engine that did not disappoint.

Exotic? Si signore.

The Italians long delivered on that promise and they continue today, whether it’s in architecture, automobiles, fashion, furniture, or food. Their rich and diverse heritage compels them to design with the head and, most important, the heart. That strong emotional attachment, la passione, is in the culture’s DNA.

Motorcycles: Exotic Italians is one of 20 classes to be featured at the 2023 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance, on June 2–4, 2023. Download the 2023 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance event program to learn more about Sunday’s other featured classes, Saturday’s Concours de Sport, our judges, sponsors, nonprofit partners, 2022 winners and more! 

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Biofuel’s next frontier might be … Milk?

Intake: Michigan dairy farmers and a Canadian distillery plan to invest $41 million in a plan to transform milk into biofuels. According to Automotive News, the Michigan Milk Producers Association, a cooperative of more than 1,000 dairy farmers, has created a joint venture with Dairy Distillery of Ontario, which produces a milk-based vodka called Vodkow. The partnership plans to add onto a 30,000-square-foot facility in southwestern Michigan so it can process a byproduct called milk permeate into 2.2 million gallons of ethanol annually for use in cars and trucks starting in 2025, Crain’s Detroit Business reported. That amount of ethanol, when blended with gasoline, can offset 14,500 metric tons of carbon a year.

Exhaust: By using technology developed by Dairy Distillery, which began turning milk permeate into vodka in 2018 and into hand sanitizer during the COVID-19 pandemic, Michigan dairy farmers hope to create more value for the milk being processed from their cows. “There’s only so much vodka people can drink, and there’s so much of this stuff out there,” Dairy Distillery founder Omid McDonald told TV station WOOD in Grand Rapids, Mich. “We said, ‘Well, what other high-volume uses are out there?’ And that’s when we started looking at biofuel.” — Steven Cole Smith

Electric road allows EV to drive 1,000 miles without plugging in

Intake: An experimental road in Israel fitted with wireless charging has just powered a Toyota RAV4 Prime for 1,207 miles. Although RAV4 is a hybrid, its internal combustion engine never fired up, despite the car’s battery pack being a relatively small 18.1-kWh in capacity. On a normal road, that would give the Toyota an electric driving range of around 40 miles, but on the test route developed by Israeli firm Electreon, it covered more than 30 times the distance. Admittedly this wasn’t a very high-speed exercise as it took more than 100 hours to complete, with 55 drivers each taking a turn on a short oval track. During the test, 241.69 kWh of electricity was wirelessly transmitted and 823 lbs of CO2 was said to be saved compared to a combustion-powered car.

Exhaust: Could electric roads be the answer to our future clean transport needs? On the positive side, EVs would need much smaller batteries, making them lighter and more efficient, but on the negative side, it would be an unfeasibly large and expensive infrastructure project to add wireless charging to the entire road network. Nonetheless, a trial is due to take place on the outskirts of Detroit, while in Europe there are plans to build a 1800-mile United Nations International E-Road network, with the first stage in Sweden. — Nik Berg

BMW ready for in-car gaming

Intake: BMW is partnering with the gaming platform AirConsole to bring a “unique kind of in-car gaming to the road for the first time in the new BMW 5 Series,” the company says. It allows the driver and passengers to play so-called “casual games” while the vehicle is stationary as a way of passing time while waiting for the vehicle to charge, for example. In addition to the new BMW 5 Series, the AirConsole app will be successively offered in other BMW vehicles.

Exhaust: For the in-car gaming experience, the players simply need their smartphone, which acts as a controller, and the BMW Curved Display. After starting the AirConsole app in the vehicle, the connection between the smartphone and the vehicle is intuitively established by scanning a QR code on the Curved Display. The AirConsole app supports multiple players simultaneously. The rear passengers can also participate in in-car gaming during stops. It is possible to play alone or with all vehicle occupants together or in competition mode. — SCS

PGA Tour player scores 1973 Bronco restomod for tournament win

Intake: Argentinian Emiliano Grillo took home a lot more than just a $1.56M check for his first-place victory this past weekend at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Grillo, who birdied the second playoff hole on Sunday to edge out American Adam Schenk for the victory, also won the keys to this sweet 1973 Ford Bronco restomod. The Bronco, built by Bryan Rood of Classic Ford Broncos, features a 5.0-liter Coyote V-8 making 465 horsepower, a 10-speed automatic transmission, a push-button four-wheel-drive system, and loads of cosmetic flourishes to make it unlike any other Bronco out there. The interior is awash in leather-wrapped seats accented by the Scottish royal tartan that matches the blazer that is also awarded to the winner of the tournament. The win Sunday was Grillo’s second, with the first coming eight years prior at the Frys.com Open at Silverado Country Club in Napa, California. “The wait was definitely worth it,” said Grillo. “It was long, but it was worth it. Happy to be champion in Colonial.”

Exhaust: The Charles Schwab Challenge has a neat history of giving away sweet rides to its winners. Last year, Sam Burns scored this 1979 Pontiac Firebird, and the year prior, Jason Kokrak took home a 1946 Dodge Power Wagon. — Nathan Petroelje

BMW thinks motorcycle steering might be a little too simple

Intake: Thanks to a patent application, we now know that BMW Motorrad is at least considering a future where motorcycles steer with both wheels. The patent drawings feature a long, low, chopper-like design that is even longer and more laid out than the current R18. The designs hinge around the rear suspension and allow the rear wheel to angle in a manner that counters the front wheel. This alone signals that the design is likely targeted at low-speed maneuvers like tight parking spaces. This could open the door for more factory custom-looking machines with less compromise in function from owners.

Exhaust: Patents being filed does not mean we will ever see this technology on the road. All-wheel steering is still uncommon in automobiles, where the weight and complexity are much more widely tolerated. The various designs in the patent all have additional problems to solve in order to be useful, so we are thinking this patent is just locking in the idea rather than a hint at something we will see on a production bike anytime soon.  — Kyle Smith

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I remember in 1978 when Bill Harrah, the famous car collector and casino owner, died. He was 66. I was in Lake Tahoe opening for the singer Johnny Mathis at the time, and I remember thinking, “Hey, 66, that’s pretty good.” Well, I’m 72 now, and, despite recent events, I’m certainly not ready to go!

I wrote in this column a few years ago that I thought I had one good motorcycle crash left in me. And then a pretty good one happened a couple of months ago. I was out riding my 1940 Indian Four with the sidecar and there was a fuel leak. I decided to pull into a parking lot, hook a U-turn, and head back to the garage. But some workers had strung a cable across the parking lot without hanging any rags or flags on it, and it hit me in the chest and took me right off the bike. I broke a couple of ribs and my collarbone and banged my knees up pretty bad. The bike kept going and crashed into a building, so we’ve got to patch that up as well. But it could have been a lot worse. I was out of the hospital in a day and back on stage a week later.

Riding any motorcycle, especially in Los Angeles, takes some skill and focus. Whenever I’m at a light, I look right at the other drivers and try to make eye contact so I know they see me. But that’s getting harder with everyone staring at their phones. It’s especially challenging riding vintage bikes because there’s a lot more for you to do. You have a manual choke, a manual spark adjustment, and on bikes like the Brough Superior, which was built before the twist-throttle became common, you have a lever for gas and a separate lever for air. So as you accelerate, you have to move both levers to increase the amount of fuel and air, getting it to match up all by ear.

So it’s kind of amazing that I have been so lucky, though I’ve had my share of close calls. For example, I was riding my Brough once and had just exited the freeway. I grabbed the brake right as I hit a bump and the wheel bounced up and the whole hub and brake came apart and locked up. I skidded down the street, but I managed to stay upright. And I realized that if that had happened on the freeway when I was doing 80, it would have been much scarier.

Once, I was at Sturgis, the big motorcycle rally in South Dakota, and this guy said, “Hey, I built this chopper. Would you ride it?” I said, “Well, OK, but I’ve got my wife,” and he said she could ride on the back (this was obviously a number of years ago). So we rode through town in a bit of a parade, and then when we got out of town, I opened the throttle. But the bike started to slow down, and I had to keep the throttle pinned just to maintain the same speed. At some point, I realized I had to pull over as the bike was getting slower and slower, and as I was coming to a stop—screech!—the front wheel locked up. The builder had fitted the brake on the front but didn’t adjust anything, and the pads were dragging and got hot. Finally, they seized on the disc. But thankfully for us, they seized at 3 or 4 mph.

Another time, we were doing Jay Leno’s Garage, and we featured a guy who was taking brand-new Triumph motorcycles and making them look like 1960s flat-trackers. They took the muffler off for the shoot, and it was so loud as we rode along shooting video. I was on the bike behind the camera car, and the crew said to open the throttle to make some noise. As I opened the throttle, the rear tire broke loose. I thought, “Wow, this thing’s got some power!” Then I applied the brake and the rear tire started sliding a little, so I stopped and took a look at the rear tire. The guy had put a crankcase breather on it that ended right in front of the rear tire, so the rear tire was getting covered in oil. I realized it wasn’t the tire breaking loose under power, it was simply spinning in its own oil—but miraculously, I didn’t go down.

When I think back on the number of close calls I’ve had on antique motorcycles, I realize how lucky I’ve been. But eventually everyone’s luck runs out, as it did with the steam car and the Indian, all within a few months of each other. But I’m still here, and while I may not have another big motorcycle crash in me, I hope I still have a few more miles to go.

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BMW brings back the “clown shoe” with stunning new concept

Intake: BMW caused more than a few ripples on Italy’s Lake Como when it revealed its Concept Touring Coupe at this weekend’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este. The two-seater shooting brake brings back fond memories of its clown shoe Z3 and Z4 M Coupes, although the company claims that the design was influenced from deeper in the annals of BMW history. “Its proportions and name are reminiscent of the BMW 328 Touring Coupé that won the Mille Miglia endurance race back in 1940,” says BMW. “The functionality of the shooting-brake concept is a nod to the BMW 02 Series model variants of the early 1970s, which featured “Touring” in their name to distinguish them from sedans.” Based on the current Z4 roadster, the Concept Touring Coupe adds a low roofline and trademark Hofmeister kink to the exterior, while the inside has been lavishly trimmed by Italian leather artisans Poltrona Frau and a matching set of luggage is provided by Modena’s Schedoni leather workshop.

Exhaust: BMW says that the Concept Touring Coupe is a one-off, but BMW design boss Adrian van Hooydonk told BMW Blog that “At least two or three people said ‘I want it.’” He added that a limited run of 50 units, like the 3.0 CSL, would be possible.—NB

375-hp SL 43 marks new entry point for droptop AMG bliss

Intake: Mercedes-AMG has introduced the SL 43, a new entry-level model for the AMG SL roadster lineup, arriving in U.S. dealerships in summer 2023 and starting from $109,900. The open-top 2+2-seater has an AMG-enhanced 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder M139 engine featuring an electric exhaust gas turbocharger derived from Formula 1 racing. The new form of turbocharging guarantees instantaneous throttle response across the entire rpm range to deliver an even more dynamic driving experience. The turbocharger is operated via the 48-volt electrical system, which also feeds the belt-driven starter-generator. As a result, the SL 43 has an output of 375 hp and a maximum torque of 354 lb-ft, Mercedes says. The transmission is a 9-speed automatic, with an estimated 0-to-60 mph time of 4.3 seconds.

Exhaust: The exterior of the rear-drive car is differentiated from the AMG SL 55 and AMG SL 63 with its unique front fascia and rear apron, as well as round instead of angular double tailpipe trim accents. The roadster features extensive standard equipment, while numerous options provide customers with a wide range of possibilities for individualization. The AMG SL 43 is fitted standard with 19-inch alloy wheels. Aerodynamically optimized 20- and 21-inch alloy wheels, which reduce air resistance through low turbulence, are optional. “Particularly sophisticated” are the available 20-inch wheels with “aero rings” that save additional weight. — Steven Cole Smith

Escalade IQ: Cadillac announces EV number 3

Intake: Cadillac has revealed that the third all-electric vehicle to join its portfolio will be its most famous model, the Escalade. Dubbed the Escalade IQ, the new model “promises the same commitment to craftsmanship, technology, and performance that has helped the Escalade nameplate dominate the large luxury SUV segment for the last 20 years,” says Cadillac. It joins the Lyriq and the Celestiq in the all-electric Cadillac lineup. There are no details about pricing, range, or specific arrivals yet. The car will be revealed in full later this year.

Exhaust: Unlike the Lyriq and the Celestiq, Cadillac did not drop the Escalade name for the new car and create a new nameplate with the “IQ” bit cheekily tacked onto the end of it. (Majestiq, anyone?) That’s because the Escalade nameplate carries such strong brand equity. Since the big body-on-frame SUV at the top of GM’s price ladder is getting an EV version, expect that all-electric versions of the GMC Yukon/Yukon XL and the Chevy Suburban/Tahoe are in the works as well. — Nathan Petroelje

Steve McQueen’s 1940 Indian Four just sold for almost $130,000

Intake: A 1940 Indian Four motorcycle owned by Steve McQueen fetched €119,500 ($129,142) on Collecting Cars, proving that King of Cool provenance continues to pack a premium. Although McQueen owned over 100 cars and bikes he had a particular fondness for Indians, as a 1946 Chief was his first motorcycle. “It was my first bike and I loved it,” he recalled. “But I was going with a girl who began to hate riding in the bumpy sidecar. She told me, “Either the cycle goes or I go!” Well, there was no contest. She went.” When this 1940 Four was sold from McQueen’s estate in 1984, his widow Barbara said that he rode it often. The bike was restored by its next owner and remained in the same family for 30 years. Its most recent owner hailed from Belgium where it was put up for auction.

Exhaust: Despite having no paperwork regarding its restoration and now showing signs of age, McQueen’s Indian achieved a rather impressive result. — Nik Berg

10 Dead at race in Baja California

Intake: In what was described as a “massacre,” assassins who wore masks and were armed with long guns attacked rally racers near the town of San Vicente, a municipality of Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, leaving at least 10 dead and 10 wounded. “The attack on civilians took place while the fifth edition of the so-called ‘Cachanillazo,’ an off-road racing event with razer type vehicles, was taking place,” reported Marca.com. “[ In] the area, located on the Transpeninsular highway, kilometer 90, of the San Vicente delegation, a gray van arrived, from which several people got out and began to shoot with long weapons against the drivers who were parked.” The immediate concern is that the historic Baja 500 road race starts May 31, and mile marker 330 on the course is essentially located where the killings took place. Cartel infighting is rumored.

Exhaust: So far, Score International, sanctioning body for the Baja 500, has not released any comments pertaining to possible changes in the Baja 500 route. At least 300 racers are entered, including P.J. Jones, the son of Parnelli, and former NASCAR racer Brendan Gaughan. — SCS

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The Great Depression brought an end to countless manufacturers of interesting things, auto and motorcycle builders among them. At various times over the ensuing decades, some of those companies have been resurrected by big-eyed enthusiasts. And though their hearts may have been in the right place, the market, it turns out, was not. Such ill-fated comebacks pepper our newsfeeds on a semi-regular basis.

One example you might have forgotten about was the rebirth of Excelsior-Henderson in the 1990s. Most riders likely don’t recognize Excelsior-Henderson right away, but in the 1920s, Ignaz Schwinn’s motorcycle brand was third only behind Harley-Davidson and Indian in the American marketplace. And while Harley and Indian both survived the downturn, Schwinn simply pulled the plug in order to focus on his bicycle business, which he correctly figured would better serve millions of out-of-work Americans.

So how did Excelsior-Henderson’s second lease on life come about, and why did it run so short?

The brand’s rebirth was a gamble made by the Hanlon brothers, Dave and Dan, of Belle Plaine, Minnesota. After watching buyers sit on wait lists for years throughout the 1980s just to get a new Harley-Davidson, the pair felt compelled to revive Excelsior-Henderson from the ashes in which it had been sitting for nearly 60 years.

As for the short run, well, it might have something to do with the bike they built to kickstart the revival. The Super X was handed to the press in March 1999 and, understandably, it leaned heavy on nostalgic appearance. There is little other reason to choose the traditional and quite archaic leading-link fork or the row of three headlights out front of the wide-swept handlebar.

Quaint styling aside, however, the new bikes shared next to nothing with their ancestors. It seems the entire brand was propped up solely by the brothers purchasing the trademark and then merely producing a motorcycle that wore said brand.

The engine was a 50-degree V-twin, which one could argue has some Excelsior flavor, since in its heyday the company offered a V-twin and even owned the 750cc market. For the rebirth, the new 1386cc engine sported fuel injection and a wet-sump oiling system, and fed power to the back tire through a five-speed transmission and a belt drive. The curb weight was over 750 pounds. Despite all that displacement, the engine made just 63 horsepower and 70 pound feet of torque. Performance must not have been on the design requirements sheet.

Value wasn’t, either. The price tag rang up to just under $18,000. That was double the price of a Sportster 1200 at the time. The Hanlon brothers gambled that nostalgia buyers would come out of the woodwork for the first model, and they weren’t wrong. The bikes sold to countless speculators and collectors who pickled—or never even uncrated—these bikes. Now, 20 years later, a curious buyer can seemingly purchase a new-in-crate or very-low-mileage example whenever they want. We found this one for sale over at Iconic Motorbikes auctions with just 7 miles on it.

Despite the buyers who went out and snapped these Super X models up initially, the brand declared bankruptcy and sold to an investment group in March 2001. Only about 2000 Super Xs had rolled off the production line in a factory equipped to produce 10,000 bikes per year. Even wilder, the new purchasing company attempted to pull the brand out of bankruptcy and started selling anything it could from the factory. Banks wanted their money back though, and lawyers got involved. Just hours before the final auction in December 2001, a second bankruptcy was declared, which left stockholders with nothing, and the creditors scrambled for pennies. Today, the intellectual rights of Excelsior-Henderson are owned by Indian motorcycle manufacturer Bajaj.

Was it a crazy plan from the start, or ambition that just didn’t pan out? We may never know.

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New Toyota Tacoma has removable Bluetooth speaker

Intake: The teasers keep coming for the 2024 Tacoma, one of 2023’s most hotly anticipated vehicles. Most recently, Toyota has revealed that the newest version of its midsize pickup will feature a removable Bluetooth speaker made by JBL, which mounts into the center of the dashboard. JBL has been Toyota’s premium audio partner of choice for some time now, and we’d bet that this feature will be offered on higher-trim Tacomas, such as the Trailhunter, that was teased earlier this year. The 2024 Tacoma will, at least on some trim levels, offer a hybrid drivetrain, likely pairing the 48-hp, 104-lb-ft AC electric motor from the Tundra with some sort of four-cylinder engine. Expect the 2024 Tacoma to be revealed in full sometime later this year.

Exhaust: Though the new Tacoma won’t be the first truck to offer a removable Bluetooth speaker—Rivian’s R1T also does—it’s still a neat feature. If nothing else, fire up The Benny Hill Show theme song while you’re setting up camp. — Nathan Petroelje

Meet McLaren’s lightest, most powerful production car

Intake: McLaren has overhauled the 720S, cutting weight and adding extra grunt to make it the most lightweight and most powerful series-production car the company has produced. Now known as the 750S, the car is 66 pounds lighter and packs an extra 30 horsepower. McLaren claims that around 30 percent of the 750S’s components are new, including a new front splitter, air intakes, front and rear bumpers, and a revised active rear wing. Inside there are featherweight carbon-fiber seats, a column-mounted instrument display, and rocker switches to control drive modes. Apple CarPlay is now included—because McLaren is evidently smarter than Chevrolet—but most of the entertainment will come from the car’s 750-hp V-8 engine which drives the rear wheels and can launch the car from rest to 62 mph in 2.8 seconds and to 120 mph in 7.2. The electro-hydraulic steering has a quicker ratio, and the linked hydraulic suspension gets lighter springs and dampers and revised geometry. A track brake upgrade is optional which uses ceramic brakes and monobloc calipers from the Senna. It’s available to order now as a coupe or convertible, but prices have yet to be confirmed.

Exhaust: McLaren doesn’t namecheck the Ferrari 296 GTB in its launch material, but when it says the 750S has a “segment-leading power-to-weight ratio” and weighs “a remarkable 193 kg (425 pounds) less than its closest competitor,” it’s the Ferrari that the firm is referencing. We look forward to the first back-to-back test. — Nik Berg

2024 E-Class is more butler-like than ever

Intake: Mercedes’ new E-Class is here, with styling inspiration taken from the brand’s electric models and driver-assist tech taken from … well, Jeeves—if he were into techno and thought ChatGPT was neat. Not only will the ambient lighting pulse along with your tunes; spring for the dash-width Superscreen display, and you can take Zoom calls from the driver’s seat … when you aren’t using the dash to play Angry Birds or scroll TikTok. Tack on the MBUX Interior Assistant package, and Benz will fit two infrared cameras into the front of the cabin, allowing you and your passenger to instruct the car via gestures. You can also build “routines,” as Benz calls them, where a spoken command prompts the car to adjust the cabin conditions under certain conditions. Want the seat to blow cool air on you whenever outside temps are above 75 degrees Fahrenheit? Plug that into the dash, and set the spoken prompt as “damn, it’s hot outside.” The adaptive cruise-control system has even learned to edge off-center in a lane if an adjacent semi is oozing over the dashed white line.

The whole car is only slightly bigger than the one it replaces, just (.87 inches) longer between the axles. Nomenclature and engine choices remain the same: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, now making 22 more lb-ft of torque than it did in the 2023 car, for the all-wheel-drive E350 4Matic; and a 3.0-liter six, with 7 more hp, for the all-wheel-drive E450 4Matic. Both engines are mild hybrids, thanks to an integrated starter-generator. The new E-Class will go on sale later this year.

Exhaust: A favorite detail: If you’re alone in the vehicle, the E-Class’s voice recognition system no longer requires you to preface commands with “Hey, Mercedes.” For those who relish a one-sided rant with themselves in the car, this could get … interesting. — Grace Houghton

Biggest Defender gets JLR’s best engine

Intake: Land Rover just announced that the 2024 Defender 130, the long-wheelbase version of its stalwart off-roader, is getting a V-8. Specifically, the 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 that’s also offered in the two-door Defender 90 and four-door, regular-length Defender 110. In the 130, the V-8 is detuned slightly, offering 493 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, down 25 hp and 11 lb-ft. Performance figures are still plenty stout—the V-8-equipped Defender 130 will clip 62 mph from a standstill in as little as 5.4 seconds, according to Land Rover. The V-8 joins two 3.0-liter, mild hybrid straight-six powertrains for the Defender 130. Equipped with the V-8, the Defender 130 will start at $118,075, including destination. Orders are open now.

Exhaust: Folks shelling out six figures for a luxurious, off-road SUV certainly love their choice of power, so JLR’s decision to offer the V-8 across the Defender lineup is certainly a smart one … especially since it, along with all of the brand’s gas engines, may soon become extinct. — Nathan Petroelje

Honda zeroes in on electric motorcycles, GM alliance

Intake: Honda’s 2023 business briefing laid out the company’s plans to ditch internal-combustion engines by 2040, expand its procurement of battery materials, and continue the development of a fuel-cell powertrain. Other specific milestones included the launch of 10 electric motorcycles across global markets and the strengthening of its EV partnership with GM. That partnership will produce the 2024 Honda Prologue and the Acura ZDX, as well as several “affordable” EVs by 2027. In the meantime, Honda is developing its own EV platform that will debut in North America in 2025. Honda also plans to expand its software development, with its own vehicle operating systems (O.S.) debuting in those 2025 EV models.

Exhaust: Honda seems to be covering all the bases. We’re particularly interested in seeing which EV motorcycles make it to North America, as we’ve been impressed with the performance of LiveWire models and would like to see how Honda tackles the challenges of packaging an electric motorcycle. — Brandan Gillogly

***

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The tunnel down to ground level of Ford Field feels ominous. Cold concrete, echoing chatter, and a sign that reads, “Dead engine only past this point.”

I stroll past the sign, turn a corner, and run smack dab into a dense crowd of solemn faces. I’m not sure if it’s the bone-chilling Michigan air sweeping through the tunnel or the anticipation for what’s about to happen next, but everyone seems a little cagey.

Some are wearing helmets. Others don backpacks and chunky headsets. Many are bundled in puffy jackets, festooned in sponsorship logos and bright colors. Hosts with microphones, females in Spandex, and muscle men labeled “SECURITY”—everyone is staring past the tunnel’s mouth, into the stadium’s dark void. Shoulder to shoulder, gladiators seconds away from storming the dirt floor with swords and shields.

It’s eerily quiet, just for a moment.

Then a brash voice over a loud speaker breaks the silence.

“WELCOME TO MONSTER ENERGY SUPERMOTOCROSS!”

The lights high above dance across the stadium floor, revealing a dirt track in their spotlights. Fireballs shoot up from random spots around the building. A few of the motorcycles fire up. The smell of MR12 fuel wafts past my nose. It’s race day in Detroit.

Someone flicks the house lights and the larger picture comes into focus. The lineup of motorcycles and riders begin to file down the long tunnel and onto the dirt to lineup and start the heat races. To my left, just out of the tunnel, is wide starting gate. The metal gate drops on an official’s signal, releasing up to 40 riders at a time to do battle on the track constructed atop what is a football field most days out of the year.

This weekend is different. Monster Energy AMA SuperMotocross has invaded the Motor City, and rather than green turf, the floor is covered in a layer of plywood. On top of the sheets, organizers have built a mix of large jumps, smaller—but not small—bumps, and sweeping berms that the riders navigate at a pace best described as heroic. It’s half-motorsports, half-acrobatics, and the whole thing is sensory overload, even for me.

Spectating from the stadium floor provided me with a new perspective on a sport that I’ve been watching and tracking for nearly two decades.

These riders are modern-day gladiators. Their athletic ability and control over a full-size motorcycle is impressive. Many have factory support from Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and KTM to prepare their bikes. Two classes based primarily on engine displacement—250cc and 450cc—compete in respective races on purpose-built, temporary courses. Picture a traveling circus with motorcycles.

The hardest thing to comprehend is the scale of some of the features. Tractors push dirt into giant mounds on the floor.  The banked corners are nearly five-feet tall, and the jumps look more like walls when facing them head-on. Then, there is a section of tightly spaced bumps of dirt called “whoops.”

The whoops section looks massive. I have been watching Supercross for a long time but often from the relative comfort of my own couch, or, more accurately, the carpeted floor in front of my parents cathode ray tube television. Glowing images of colorful bikes and riders darted from side-to-side and the suspension movement captivated my young brain. The whoops section has always been my favorite of the tracks. It’s often where races are won … and lost. Get it right, and you have an advantage over the competition. Get it wrong, and you’ll at least need a new pair of pants. Possibly a cast.

Only after standing off to the side of the whoops section during the first 250cc heat race did I even begin to grasp that those whoops are nearly waist-high on my six-foot frame.

Another thing that just doesn’t come through on television is the sound. It’s a blast of noise and fury as the machines go ripping by. The bikes’ exhaust notes creates a constant hum in the background of most video shots of the action, which can be distracting on television.

Not in person.

Standing trackside, or even in the press box above the stands, I can pick out the noise of the bike I’m watching. It reminds me of how you can hear your friend in a crowded bar as they tell you to order another round. Except, instead of shouting that they would prefer Coors, it’s the “RAP-RAP-RAP” of the single-cylinder engine freewheeling to it’s rev limiter while the rear tire is in the air, as the bike skips over the imposing mounds of dirt, grunting whenever the rear tire catches traction.

After initial moments of chaos and confusion, my brain finally acclimates and I can focus on certain elements. I follow one rider. I follow their path, noting where they change lines from one lap to the next as they accommodate the track’s changing conditions. The powerful machines spin their knobby rear Dunlops and dig ruts. If the track isn’t groomed between the eight races throughout the evening, the grooves would rival WWI trenches by the end of the night.

The whole show changed my perception of the sport. Even more impressive, this particular night in Detroit was merely the tenth round of a whopping 31-race Supermotocross calendar that spans all corners of the U.S. Also, for the first time this year, the schedule includes larger outdoor venues to blend AMA’s traditionally two-season sport—indoor Supercross and outdoor Motocross.

The championship rivalries are tighter than ever with multiple racers putting in great rides week after week. In addition to individual race drama, there’s a lot of fun in tracking the long-term strategy of the riders. After several dates into the season, you realize this sport is both checkers and chess, all being played at 50 mph over undulating terrain, whoops included.

Are you not entertained?

***

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Modern motorbikes are a cosmopolitan bunch. Many are designed and developed on several continents, produced using parts sourced from numerous countries, and sold all around the world.

Things were very different in 1985, when the Yamaha V-Max stormed onto the scene. This spectacular and brutally powerful V4 was built in Japan but conceived, largely designed, and initially sold only in the United States.

Yamaha created the V-Max as a two-wheeled equivalent of a muscle car, an attitude emphasized by the big aluminum air scoops jutting out from the sides of its dummy gas tank. The scoops and the tank were fake. The high-octane performance was real.

Decades later, it takes only the briefest of blasts to confirm that. When the traffic briefly cleared on a wide main road, I wound back the throttle. The big DOHC, 1198cc engine breathed deeply and went to work, revving hard to send the Yamaha storming forward like a rampaging buffalo.

For the next few seconds it was a wild and exciting ride. I was hanging on tight, the cold wind ripping at my carelessly fastened jacket, with no time to glance down at the speedo, let alone the tiny rev-counter set into the top of the dummy tank.

That sort of performance was mind-blowing when Yamaha’s V4 was launched more than 35 years ago, and it remains exhilarating now. Not least because the bike’s chassis sometimes struggles to cope, meaning that excitement of a different kind is common.

A curve loomed up, so I shut off the throttle and squeezed the front brake lever. As the raised handlebars twitched slightly from side to side, the Yamaha slowed only reluctantly, its front brake feeling wooden, then spongy when I squeezed harder.

I made the corner without problem, since the V-Max’s hairy reputation ensured that I’d allowed plenty of leeway. You learn to expect that feeling of being slightly on the edge of control. Arguably, it’s part of the bike’s appeal.

The ’Max was built for the States, but the engineer who led its development team was Japanese. Akira Araki was inspired by Americans’ passion for drag racing and hot rod cars. On a trip to the U.S. he’d been fascinated by a “bridge race,” in which pairs of bikes had lined up for an unofficial dash across the Mississippi River:

“The rules were simple: They started from one side of the bridge, and the finish line was the opposite side,” he said. “The idea I had from this race was to make a bike that was strong in a straight line and really fast.”

Araki took his idea of a V4-powered dragster bike to GKDI Design, a Yamaha design office in Santa Monica, California. There he spent almost a month developing his ideas, in collaboration with an engine designer, bodywork designer, and a senior Yamaha U.S. product planner.

Yamaha already had a liquid-cooled 72-degree, V4 engine that had been designed for a luxury tourer called the Venture Royale, but developing it to power the new muscle-bike was difficult. That motor made most of its output at low revs, was hampered by emissions regulations, and its 90-hp maximum output was lower than Yamaha had wanted for a tourer, let alone a performance-oriented model.

Conventional tuning mods gave the V-Max unit bigger valves, hotter camshafts and lightened pistons, but Araki needed more power. The answer was V-boost, a novel way of linking paired carburetors’ intakes so that at high revs each cylinder was fed by two carbs instead of one. The result was an impressive maximum of 143 hp at 8000 rpm, with a step when the V-boost kicked in at about 6000 rpm.

Styling caused heated debate at GKDI, but eventually the team completed a full-scale drawing. Enthused by the radical concept machine, they flew back to Japan to present it before Yamaha. The verdict was disappointing. “The style was too eccentric for people at that time, and nobody knew how to react,” Araki said.

Even so, the V4 was cleared for production, and in October 1984 the V-Max was presented to U.S. Yamaha dealers at a convention in Las Vegas, where it received a rapturous reception. The dealers’ excitement was matched by strong sales when the bike went on sale the following year.

The big V4 looked right, and it went right. It stomped away from a standstill harder than any other production vehicle, frequently leaving a black stripe with its fattest-yet 150-section rear tire.

This quickly earned the V-Max a cult following in the States, and a year later the Yamaha went on sale in some European markets, after a campaign by the French importer. It was well received, despite being restricted to around 100 hp in most countries (130 in the U.S.) by having its V-boost snipped.

Thankfully my 1987 model test bike was originally sold in Canada so had suffered no such indignity, and could show that even a full-power V-Max is improbably easy to ride. The slightly raised bars gave an upright, roomy riding position that combined with fairly soft suspension to make the bike comfortable in town.

The Yamaha felt quite tall and heavy but its 551-plus-pounds of weight was carried low, thanks partly to the under-seat fuel tank. Low-rev carburetion was crisp, vibration minimal. The five-speed ‘box shifted sweetly without hindrance from the drive shaft.

All was calm and controlled until I reached a straight road, tightened my grip, and wound back the throttle. When the needle of the tiny, tank-mounted tach hit 6000 rpm and the V-boost kicked in, I was suddenly glad of the stepped seat: The V-Max tore forward as though fired from a catapult.

Like most V-Max pilots, I backed off the throttle before the distinctly unaerodynamic bike reached its top speed of about 140 mph. Back in 1985, that was more than fast enough, especially given that U.S. riders were still stuck with the 55-mph speed limit that had been introduced during the previous decade’s oil crisis.

Handling wasn’t as bad as some reports indicated, but given the ’Max’s size, weight, and performance it’s not surprising that high-speed wobbles are a possibility. The chassis comprises a simple tubular steel frame, slender 40-mm forks, and a basic pair of rear shocks.

As my ride suggested, the V-Max rarely tends to get seriously out of shape. It just feels big and cumbersome, steers slowly, and lurches slightly through fast curves, especially with the throttle shut. An aluminum fork brace helps prevent the spindly legs from bending under the strain.

Not that those forks have to withstand huge braking forces. The front discs are gripped by puny calipers similar to those of Yamaha’s far lighter RD350LC. Thankfully, the rear disc gives some valuable assistance.

Yamaha finally uprated the brakes and suspension in 1993, fully eight years after the ’Max’s launch. By this time it had become a cult vehicle in many major global markets, despite being almost unchanged from the original.

Remarkably, the V-Max soldiered on until 2008, when it was finally replaced by an all-new model, having sold roughly 100,000 units. This most American of Japanese motorbikes had captivated the motorcycling world.

1987 Yamaha V-Max

Highs: Straights with the throttle wound open

Lows: Bends if you have to brake hard

Takeaway: Still has mighty muscles in middle age

—

Price: Project, $2200; nice ride, $4300; showing off, $8100

Engine: Liquid-cooled, 72-degree V4

Capacity: 1198cc

Maximum power, Canadian spec: 143 bhp @ 8000 rpm

Weight: 560 pounds without fluids

Top speed: 140 mph

***

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In what appears to be the first video Jay Leno has filmed since a motorcycle accident hospitalized him back in January, the comedian goes into details of the bike crash and shares his plans for the 1910 White steam engine that sent him to a Los Angeles burn center in November. There’s good news, however, both for Leno and each of those vintage vehicles.

Jay likes to release a shop update like this on his YouTube channel, Jay Leno’s Garage, every few months. He’ll use the video to track several of his long-term restoration projects and share the adventures of keeping obsolete technology roadworthy. Jay doesn’t dabble in common repair jobs, either. For instance, he and his team are fabricating parts from scratch to restore one of the few remaining Duesenberg engines, one of the engineering marvels of America’s pre-WWII era.

The nice thing about handmade car parts, according to Leno, is that the most important part of the fabricating process—a craftsman’s hands—hasn’t changed. Even if you can’t buy the part anymore, “you can still make it.” That resourceful approach to the old-car hobby is what allows Leno to enjoy his cars and motorcycles out on the road … even when things don’t work out so well.

Those who follow Leno’s adventures know it was only a few months ago that he was seriously burned when one of his steam cars sprayed him with “a face full” of gasoline, which then caught fire. Weeks after healing from the skin grafts, Leno was back on stage—and behind the wheel of his Tesla. Just a few months later, as he was riding his 1940 Indian motorcycle, with its ornate orange sidecar, a wire suspended across a parking lot knocked him off the bike. The impact broke his collarbone and a few ribs and gave him a mean cut on his neck and face.

Leno has now healed from both accidents and is repairing both the steam car and the bike. The 1940 Indian will be receiving a new set of forks, the front “arms” of the motorcycle between which the front wheel sits. These were damaged when, after being separated from its driver, the vintage bike drove itself into a building. Leno believes the frame—the metal skeleton—is undamaged, so repairing the motorcycle is fairly straightforward, requiring only the replacement of old parts with new ones. Fixing the steam engine, however, is far more complicated.

Leno introduces the 1910 White steam engine as “something I forgot all about,” a moniker that seems awfully casual for the working relationship between him and that car. While the engine was running quite well when it spewed gas on him, corrosion was hiding in many of its pipes and valves. Jay and his team are planning to remake those parts and pieces to ensure that the White runs better—and more safely—than ever. The goal? For the steam car to return to the road, of course.

Leno isn’t just keeping the machines that put him in the hospital, he’s restoring them, and that’s part of what makes people like Jay great. Or, as he puts it, “Once a man turns 40 you can’t really teach him anything, he just keeps doing the same thing over and over.”

Well, Jay, that might have some truth, but in your case, we appreciate what you are doing and the projects you are working on. Glad to see you back in the shop.

***

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Your six-speed Jeep may have a bad pressure plate

Intake: Jeep is recalling over 69,000 Wranglers (2018–23) and Gladiator pickups (2020–23) with manual transmissions because a problem with the clutch pressure-plate could cause a fire, says Consumer Reports. If the pressure plate for the clutch overheats, it could break, and hot debris could be expelled from the transmission case. This debris could cause a road hazard for other drivers, and could also cause a fire in the vehicle or the surrounding area if it comes into contact with an ignition source.

Exhaust: Before the clutch pressure-plate fails, drivers may notice a burning smell, clutch slippage, and/or a warning light on the instrument cluster. There is currently no repair available for the problem, but Jeep tells the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that one is under development. If the clutch in your Jeep doesn’t feel right, stop driving the vehicle. —Steven Cole Smith

The electric Telluride cometh

Intake: OK, maybe Kia’s not calling this battery-powered SUV an electric Telluride, but the EV9 will be roughly the same size as that three-row best-seller. You’re looking at your first official teaser images of it here. No word yet on when you can buy an EV9, but at least we know that Kia wants to build it. The automaker will give us a timeline for availability and hopefully range/power details in late March. (We’ll know what it looks like, inside and out, in a few weeks.) Kia first hinted it would build this boxy electric SUV in November of 2021, with the Concept EV9 shown off in L.A. (Locale says a lot, huh?) As a one-off, the concept’s specs are hardly guaranteed to match those of the real-world version, but they at least signal intent: 300 miles of range, and a 350-kW charging system that can zap the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 20 to 30 minutes. Good luck finding a compatible charger that powerful …

Exhaust: You can learn a lot about an automaker’s culture by watching its concepts: Which ones make production, in what timeframe, and with what changes. Nobody was expecting the Concept EV9’s swiveling seats or B-pillar-less cabin to become reality—one’s expensive, the other defies crash standards—but, based on these black-and-white images, the profile, headlights, and taillights are almost copy-paste from the 2021 concept. Two years between concept and announcement of the real thing? Kia’s serious. —Grace Houghton

Production to resume on Ford Lightning

Intake: Ford said Thursday it will restart production of its F-150 Lightning on March 13 after it halted output of the electric truck after a battery fire in early February, says Automotive News. Ford has not set a date for resuming deliveries. Ford said as it “ramps up production, [it] will continue holding already produced vehicles while [it works] through engineering and parts updates.” Ford said a vehicle caught fire February 4 during a pre-delivery quality inspection in a company holding lot in Dearborn, Michigan, and the flames spread to two other trucks. The automaker halted production the next day.

Exhaust: Ford apparently traced the problem to the South Korean battery supplier, SK On. Ford previously said it was targeting annual production of 150,000 Lightnings by the fall of 2023, and it’s unknown if it will be able to reach that figure. —SCS

For sale: 1902 car that thinks it’s a train

Intake: The early 1900s were an interesting time for the automobile. It was caught between a rich person’s novelty toy and a practical machine to be used by the masses. Leaning hard to the former is this Sterand Loco listed on carandclassic.com. A car playing dress-up as a locomotive is always fun, and this one includes features that all steam enthusiasts love, like the air whistle, bell, single headlight, and connecting rods that make the rear wheels appear to be turned by steam power—though they are actually driven by a Rutenber gasoline engine.

Exhaust: While at first glance this Sterand is a mix of a misunderstanding and a Wish.com version of a Bentley Blue Train, it’s growing on us. Weird, but interesting … and unlike anything else you might see on the road. The selling dealer claims the loco-car has driven 12,000 miles so maybe there is some practicality, too. —Kyle Smith

Consumer confidence dropping in autonomous vehicles

Intake: Concerns about self-driving cars are significantly higher than they were last year, according to an annual automated vehicle survey just released by AAA. The survey reveals 68 percent of drivers are afraid of riding in a self-driving vehicle. That’s up from 55 percent in 2022, and the largest annual increase since 2020. “We did not expect such a dramatic shift in consumer concerns from previous years,” said Mark Jenkins, public relations manager for AAA, The Auto Club Group. “Though it isn’t entirely surprising, given the number of high-profile crashes that have recently occurred from over-reliance on current vehicle technologies.” AAA’s survey found that nearly one in 10 drivers believe they can buy a vehicle that drives itself while they sleep. AAA found that 22 percent of Americans expect a driver-support system—with names like Autopilot (Tesla), ProPilot (Nissan/Infiniti), or Pilot Assist (Volvo)—to drive the car by itself without any supervision.

Exhaust: The survey results highlight what a lousy job the manufacturers have done to educate consumers about autonomous driving. “Most new vehicles are equipped with some level of advanced driver-assistance technology, which can enhance the safety of motorists if used properly,” Jenkins said. “However, it’s important to clarify that there are currently no vehicles available for purchase that allow someone to fully disengage from the task of driving.” —SCS

Pair of “new” Honda motorcycles for 2023

Intake: U.S. riders will have two more options for mix-use fun with Honda’s announcement of the XR150L and CRF300LS. The first is a simple and durable 150cc single-cylinder model that is only new to the U.S. market. This XR150L has been for sale in the Asia, Australia, and New Zealand markets for some time and Honda hasn’t changed marketing strategy for the states. Its designed as an “affordable additional motorcycle for veteran riders, campground passage for outdoor-enthusiast families, or around-town transportation for those still relatively new to the world of powersports.” The CRF300LS is similar, but uses the established CRF300L and lowers the seat height to make it more welcoming to shorter or newer riders.

Exhaust: The exact seat height of the CRF300LS is yet to be released, but this is following a trend set by Kawasaki, which started offering lower seat-height versions of its KLX230 and KLR650. The stock height of a CRF300L is nearly 35 inches, so even riders with inseam to spare might find the “S” model a little more comfortable in off-road situations. The XR150L is a great value play for a person hunting for a basic motorcycle to have simple fun with both on- and off-road; MSRP is just $2971 and deliveries are expected to begin in April. —Kyle Smith

***

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I have never bookmarked Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace in my web browser, but if I type certain letters into the search bar, the first things that populate are those two sites. Every time. I click, and begin the scroll—subconsciously, at this point. After a minute or two, my brain latches onto a listing: A Corvair missing its engine, or a Honda Goldwing that needs carb work, or another Honda XR250R—this one, with a good cylinder head.

Oxford Languages defines a habit as a “settled or regular tendency or practice, especially one that is hard to give up.” According to a study in 2009, a habit can develop in as little as 18 days. My thrice-daily scrolling of online marketplaces—when drinking my morning coffee, eating lunch, and “about to leave the office,” for maximum efficiency—was locked in. It was the equivalent of endless main-street walks, a gearhead’s version of window shopping.

Scrolling these listings sparks deep inside the brain’s “fear of missing out” cylinder. In my case, that cylinder is supercharged by Facebook Marketplace knowing my penchant for Corvairs and Honda XR motorcycles. The next killer deal on the perfect project is always waiting to be found, and the price will surely be lower than ever. If I’m not the first one to message the seller, it’ll surely sell before I can get to it, so I have to constantly be looking.

I am not the only one who sells myself this terrible and flawed logic.

Heck, window shopping is not even a recent phenomenon. It can be traced back to 17th-century Europe, when the emerging middle class first had time to look at the luxury goods of the bourgeoisie in the windows of shops. Occasionally, they were able to buy the goods, but mainly, window shopping was a chance to pretend that they were part of another lifestyle. 

Now, anyone can window shop at any time. Thanks, internet. Its proliferation doesn’t mean window shopping is bad, but if we are not careful, we get carried away with could be and neglect what is.

My addiction started with the slightly-bent white wire rack that held Deals on Wheels, stationed in the little breezeway of Stacy’s Restaurant right off exit 299 on I-70 near my hometown of Milford, Kansas. That little stapled-spine book of classified opened my mind to all the interesting cars I could own if I was prepared to do the work no one else wanted to.

During the years leading up to my getting my driver’s license, if I was lucky, my dad I would go to Sunday lunch at Stacy’s. Dad would flip through the pages of classifieds, and we would talk about whatever interesting stuff appeared. Based solely on grainy photos and pay-by-the-letter descriptions, we would mull over whether the subject of a given ad was something to buy or not. We never had the intention of putting money down, but we loved talking about what each dilapidated hulk would need, and if that would be a difficult project, and if the investment would make sense in the end.

“Did you see that Honda MB5 for sale over in Leland?”

“Yeah, but you know it’s got problems that aren’t listed, because that bike looks awful crunchy for a description that just says ‘runs good, could use a tuneup, missing a few bits.’ We aren’t even in the same ballpark price-wise, so I’m not even calling.”

“Of course, but that could be a fun little get-around-town bike. Way cooler than a scooter, and not nearly as annoying as taking the big bike out.”

“You’re right. Repaint a few things and recover the seat. Get an expansion chamber and tune it in. Would be a really cool project.”

“For sure. Wouldn’t take long either.”

“Maybe it is worth calling.”

This eventually blossomed into my well-documented tendency to become enamored with the potential of a project.

(For the record, if I have ever bought something from you, credit my friends, not the ad you wrote or the pictures you posted, for my happily overpaying you. You aren’t a great salesmen. My friends are, and what they sell me is not your car, but the adventure.)

Seeing a forlorn and rotting vehicle in the ad is only the start. The hours of research, wrenching, and tuning—that’s the intoxicating part. I see a 1991 Honda XR250R that “just needs carb work,” and I think about how awesome it would be to transfer a lot of the parts currently on my 1986 XR250R over to that model; it has a disc brake rear, yet my nicely built motor would bolt right in. Nothing looks worse than dark and grainy photos, either, so every listing holds near infinite-possibility. Just think of what that could look like after I rework or replace 90 percent of it!

It’s not just some motorcycle or engine I am hankering to buy. I’m addicted to potential. And that’s where the fear of missing out comes back in.

Marketing firms spend hundreds if not thousands of hours developing algorithms to leverage this fear. For a lot of us, that fear centers on missing a deal—the perfect project car, one city over, for an insanely low price. But, unless you are stacking a decent amount of cash on hand and a lot of storage space, you are likely window-shopping like the rest of us.

Having to pass on a great deal because I don’t have the $500 or the space still hurts. Maybe it stings because, at the end of the day, I want to stop dreaming and actually get on with doing stuff.

In that vein, I decided to stop wasting time.

I cut out the classifieds. The first week without scrolling online listings was rough, but then I figured out better ways to use that time, ways that allowed for daydreaming but didn’t leave me with the feeling that I don’t have what it takes to do the things I want to do. Mainly, I turned to machining forums and videos. No, I don’t own a lathe or Bridgeport or any other machine tools. Heck, I’ve probably got more time invested in troubleshooting idle air-control issues on my last pickup than in running a lathe. Still, it’s fun to learn and to think about. Materials science is also super cool.

You never find what you aren’t looking for, but when the hunt for the perfect deal makes you blind to the projects and plans you have, it’s time to stop scrolling. I’m lucky enough to have a couple really fun projects right now that deserve some positive attention—most of which requires little spending. Certainly less than bringing another project into the garage would. Given my personal desires to trim in some hobby-related spending this year, I am proud to say I have not visited any classifieds ads in search of projects for three weeks. Not a long time, but a start.

Now I am stuck with something even more confusing:

How did I just buy another motorcycle if I haven’t looked at Marketplace or Craigslist for weeks?

***

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Tesla tops Ford in U.S. brand loyalty

Intake: General Motors and Tesla came out on top in the 2022 Automotive Loyalty Awards, with Tesla topping Ford for U.S. brand loyalty for the first time, the S&P Global Mobility survey company said, according to Automotive News. GM won the “Overall Loyalty to Manufacturer” award, while Tesla won the “Overall Loyalty to Make,” beating out Ford for the first time in the last 12 years, a result long spurred by customer loyalty to the top-selling F-Series pickups. S&P Global Mobility says loyalty “is determined when a household that owns a new vehicle returns to market and acquired another new vehicle of the same make, model or manufacturer. The newly acquired vehicle may be either a replacement or an addition to the household fleet.” Subaru won the “Overall Loyalty to Dealer” for the first time—38 percent of Subaru owners buy their next vehicle from the same dealer.

Exhaust: These awards are a big deal in the automotive industry. “As customers are returning to market post-pandemic and inventory levels have slowly improved from last year’s lows, retaining loyal customers has been more challenging than ever before,” Joe LaFeir, S&P Global Mobility president, said in a statement. The loyalty awards are the result of an analysis of 11.7 million new U.S. retail vehicle registrations in 2022. —Steven Cole Smith

IIHS makes it way tougher to get Top Safety Pick awards for 2023

Intake: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety is strengthening the requirements for its Top Safety Pick and Top Safety Pick+ awards in 2023, demanding better side-crash protection along with improved pedestrian crash-prevention systems and eliminating subpar headlights from the field of qualifying vehicles. As a result of the tougher criteria, only 48 models qualify for 2023 awards. Of those, 28 earn Top Safety Pick+ and 20 earn Top Safety Pick. Last year, before changes to the award requirements, there were 101 winners, including 65 earning the higher-tier Top Safety Pick+.

Exhaust: “The number of winners is smaller this year because we’re challenging automakers to build on the safety gains they’ve already achieved,” said IIHS President David Harkey. The biggest change to the criteria for both awards is the replacement of the original IIHS side-crash test with the updated evaluation launched in 2021. The updated test involves 82 percent more energy than the original test. Vehicles must earn an acceptable or good rating to qualify for Top Safety Pick, while a good rating is required for the “plus.” The plus criteria include another new evaluation, the nighttime vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash-prevention test. Advanced or superior performance is required in both the nighttime and daytime pedestrian tests for the higher award. For Top Safety Pick, only a daytime rating of advanced or superior is required. —SCS

Tesla applies for “ultra-hard” steel patent

Intake: Tesla has applied for a patent on a new “ultra-hard” steel alloy that it apparently plans to use with the Cybertruck electric pickup truck, says Electrek. The Cybertruck will use a bare-metal steel exoskeleton, and while the patent doesn’t spell out in so many words that the steel would be for the Cybertruck, there are multiple clues in the patent filing, such as the statement that: “In some embodiments, an exterior surface of the exterior panel does not comprise paint.” 

Exhaust: According to Electrek, it’s still not clear who is going to manufacture this alloy for Tesla, but cites rumors that Steel Dynamics, which is operating a new, giant plant in Texas not too far from where Tesla plans to manufacture the Cybertruck, could be the source. Tesla still plans to start production of the Cybertruck at Gigafactory Texas in Austin this summer and ramp up volume next year. That seems ambitious, but we know better than to tell Elon Musk something isn’t possible. —SCS 

New GM patent aims to cure smudgy screens

Intake: General Motors has filed a patent that could help remedy the smudges that befall massive touchscreens when you—no, the passenger, certainly not you—jab at the screen to swap from radio to navigation and then back again. According to a report from Automotive News, the patent is for a process that uses “light from violet micro-LEDS that is invisible to the eye but can react with a photocatalyst built into the coating of the display.” The reaction between the light and the photocatalyst would supposedly erase any smudges by drawing on water found in the air. According to the patent document, what makes GM’s process different from existing smudge-reduction tech is that its version works in scenarios with low light—think at night or when the vehicle glass is tinted, which it is on almost all vehicles nowadays. GM hasn’t said when such an innovation will reach production cars—or whether it even will, for that matter.

Exhaust: With screens like the 38-inch OLED behemoth found in the Cadillac Escalade, a smudge-eliminating feature seems like a worthy pursuit. Having to pause your luxuriating to grab a microfiber and scrub away oily prints is the antithesis of a posh experience. —Nathan Petroelje

NASCAR TV ratings down early in the season

Intake: NASCAR ratings sagged for the second running of the Busch Light Clash in the L.A. Coliseum, down 15 percent from the inaugural race last year. Similarly, the Daytona 500 ratings were down 7 percent in ratings and 8 percent in viewership from last year, making the audience the third-smallest ever for the race. Still, the Daytona race handily scored the highest ratings for the weekend for a sporting event, outpacing the NBA All-Star game.

Exhaust: Ratings aren’t in yet for the Palo Casino 400, the second race of the full season, which ran Sunday night, but the event—the last on the two-mile oval at the speedway in Fontana, California, before NASCAR shortens the track—was a sellout, as was the Daytona 500. Kyle Busch won Sunday’s race, in only his second outing with Richard Childress Racing. —SCS 

Florida state senator wary of electric cars on the road in an evacuation

Intake: According to CBS News Miami, a state senator has suggested that state transportation officials are considering limiting the use of electric vehicles during hurricane (and other natural disaster) evacuations. Senator Jonathan Martin (R-Fort Myers) raised a concern that electric vehicles could become “roadblocks” if they run out of power on highways crowded with fleeing residents. “With a couple of guys behind you, you can’t get out of the car and push it to the side of the road. Traffic backs up. And what might look like a two-hour trip might turn into an eight-hour trip once you’re on the road,” Martin said during a discussion on charging stations at the Senate Select Committee on Resiliency.

Exhaust: Trey Tillander, executive director of transportation technologies at the Florida Department of Transportation, said he’d bring the topic up with agencies including the Florida Highway Patrol. But the department’s preference, he said, is to find ways to help electric-vehicle owners during evacuations. “Some of the things we’re looking into [are] portable EV chargers,” Tillander said. “So, if an electrical vehicle runs out of charge, there are technologies. We have our Road Rangers. We have our emergency-assistance vehicles that we deploy during a hurricane evacuation that have gas. We need to provide that same level of service to electric vehicles.” —SCS 

After garage fire, MotoAmerica bans lithium-polymer batteries 

Intake: After watching Matty Scholtz’s Westby Racing Yamaha R1 spontaneously combust in background of an interview two weeks ago, MotoAmerica moved swiftly to ban the battery chemistry that caused that fire, citing rider safety concerns. “This rule has been implemented due to the safety risks associated with LIPO [lithium-polymer] batteries, including overheating, swelling, and explosion. We take the safety of our participants and spectators seriously and will not tolerate any behavior that puts them at risk.” Per the announcement, lead-acid, absorbed glass mat (AGM), nickel metal hydride (NiMH), and lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries are approved and can be used. 

Exhaust: Battery fires are something racetracks and race organizations are relatively unfamiliar with, and the sudden and documented nature of the Westby Racing fire made the situation pretty scary. This new rule came fast and for good reason. Batteries can be damaged during a crash and appear fine until a corner worker goes out to clear the track surface. This ruling helps protect more than the riders; it also preserves the safety of anyone who gets near one of the bikes in the paddock, around the hot pits, on the racing surface, or during transport. —Kyle Smith

***

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Although weights, measures, and currency are adjusted for a U.S. audience, colloquialisms and contextual references reflect this story’s origin on our sister site, Hagerty UK. 

With the sun shining, the road ahead clear, and the 650 Lightning rumbling along in relaxed fashion, it’s hard to imagine what all the fuss was about. A touch of parallel-twin vibration coming through the seat and footrests doesn’t prevent the elderly BSA from seeming enjoyably brisk and utterly inoffensive, much like many British twins of the ’60s and ’70s.

But the Lightning certainly put a few backs up on its launch in 1971, when it was a controversial departure for BSA. The A65L Lightning had originally been released in the mid-’60s as the hotter, twin-carburetor version of the Birmingham firm’s A65 twin. This updated model, with its raised bars, small fuel tank, and minimalist chromed mudguards, was intended to add a bit of glitz for the important U.S. export market.

More importantly, this Lightning was the first with a new “oil-in-frame” chassis that was considerably taller than its predecessor’s. The redesigned frame had been specified by BSA’s management even though the factory’s development riders had warned that it was too tall, making the bike unmanageable for riders of average height or below.

It’s to be hoped that the recently revitalized BSA’s current Indian owners don’t make similar mistakes. And perhaps that their promotional activities are more restrained than those of their predecessors, who launched the Lightning and 15 other models in October 1970 at a London spectacular that became known as the ailing British motorcycle industry’s Last Supper.

The lavish bash at the Royal Lancaster Hotel off Hyde Park involved lunch and dinner for hundreds of guests, including government figures as well as press and trade from around the world. Top comedian Dave Allen and dance group The Younger Generation performed before the bikes were unveiled to a trumpet fanfare, each machine wall-mounted in its own giant three-dimensional picture frame.

This slick PR event contrasted with the chaos surrounding BSA, which was already in deep financial trouble. The 1971 season turned into a disaster, with production problems, striking workers, badly produced parts, and even a faulty computer that ordered a large supply of unwanted components. The Lightning itself was delayed and didn’t appear until late summer, missing much of the sales season.

Although not everyone liked the look of the revamped Lightning when it finally arrived, the orange-and-white twin was given a generally favorable reception. With its high bars and small, 2.9-gallon tank it certainly looked more lean and modern than its predecessor, if less practical. The taller, 33-inch seat height was dictated by the dimensions of the new frame, which incorporated a large, oil-holding main spine.

At least the slim BSA was respectably light, at 419 pounds. Being tall myself, I was more worried about being able to start this aging twin, which hadn’t been run for a while. But after a few leaps on the kickstart it fired up with a restrained parallel-twin chuffing from its silencers.

BSA hadn’t done much to update the engine for 1971, having revamped the 654cc, pushrod-operated parallel twin the previous year with new parts including pistons and con rods, plus modified Amal carburetors. Maximum output was a claimed 51 hp at 7000 rpm, competitive with sister firm Triumph’s 650 Bonneville.

The bike I’m riding must have been restored at some stage because the ’71-model frame was originally painted not black but cream, matching the lower part of the tank. The view from the seat is clean and simple: the wide bars with their squashy grips, an alloy strip running along above the slim tank, and a pair of black-faced clocks either side of the chromed headlamp, with its trio of colored warning lights.

On a mild day the BSA is fun for gentle cruising on country roads. Its engine rumbles along lazily and fairly smoothly. Controls are light, and the four-speed, right-foot gear-change shifts sweetly. At that pace, sitting bolt upright with my feet on the forward-set footrests, I could see why BSA’s management must have thought that riders on both sides of the Atlantic would appreciate the Lightning’s laid-back looks and feel.

Things weren’t so rosy when I turned onto a wider road and wound the BSA up a little more. The elderly twin accelerated crisply enough from low revs, and showed enjoyable enthusiasm through the midrange. But by the time the rev-counter needle approached 5000 rpm the engine was sounding like a cement mixer, discouraging me from going much above 70 mph, let alone checking out the ton-plus top speed.

The combination of wind blast and typical parallel-twin vibration coming through the footrests would have made long distances at speed tiresome, but there is not too much wrong with the Lightning’s handling, which was rated excellent in its day—despite concerns over the height of that frame. Although I was wary of this bike’s ancient tires, the BSA could be flicked around easily using the leverage of those broad bars. Yet it is also stable through sweeping curves on the open road.

Despite its exposed riding position the Lightning is tolerably comfortable, too. The original forks and aftermarket shocks give a fairly firm ride, and are well-damped by early-’70s standards. This bike’s only real chassis flaw—unless you have short legs, and also find its height an issue—is braking. The conical front drum lives up to its poor reputation by refusing to lock the wheel even with the lever pulled back to the handlebar.

That lack of stopping power reinforced my impression of the Lightning as a limited but sound parallel-twin roadster whose preference for gentle cruising was in tune with its Californian-inspired styling. But that was evidently not the opinion of BSA’s management—at least, not for long. For 1972 the A65L was redesigned yet again, with lower bars, bigger fuel tank, more sober color schemes, and larger mudguards, as well as a revised frame and lower seat.

The new Lightning was more practical both at speed and in town, and most people who rode it thought it handled slightly better too. But if BSA had got the Lightning right at last, they were too late. By this time the famous old firm’s financial problems had deepened further, and production of the twins ended shortly afterwards.

1971 BSA A65L Lightning

Highs: Laid-back looks and easy handling

Lows: Feeble front brake, seat position if you’re short

Takeaway: It oozes ’70s style and parallel-twin charm

__

Price: Project, $3400; nice ride, $4400; showing off: $6000

Engine: Air-cooled pushrod parallel twin

Capacity: 654 cc

Maximum power: 51 hp @ 7000rpm

Weight: 419 pounds with fluids

Top speed: 110 mph

***

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Via Hagerty UK

The post BSA’s 650 Lightning was good, but not enough to save the company appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Bultaco, a long-lost Spanish motorcycle brand, is best remembered for its dirt bikes, racers, and trail bikes, but it also built some well-respected road bikes. The top-of-the-line model was the Metralla, several iterations of which were produced over a 15-year period.

I always wanted a Metralla, and around 2002, I found a nice Mk2, the classic example, on eBay in Canada. It was original and minimally restored. I detailed the heck out of it, and it won several awards.

This satisfied my Metralla fix for several years, though I did restore a few other Bultacos in the interim—a Matador, a Metisse, and a Sammy Miller trials bike among them.

Then in 2015, I spotted an El Tigre for sale at auction. El Tigres were a street-scrambler version of the Metralla. The one at auction didn’t sell, but the seller was desperate, so I made an offer and he relented. This is a beautiful motorcycle and has since won an Antique Motorcycle Club of America senior award, scoring 99.25 points.

The following year, I discovered an early Metralla 62 that had been in a California garage since the late ’70s. It was originally purchased by a U.S. airman in Spain, but the motor had since locked up and it was quite badly corroded. The shipper described it as a “rust bucket.” It took a year of hard work to restore it to its original European spec. When I’d finished, it was selected as best in class at the Riding Into History concours in Florida.

Then I was only missing the late-model six-speed Metralla GTS, of which only six were imported before the EPA shut down all two-strokes. I found a nasty one in South Florida, but the owner wouldn’t sell, so I looked to Spain, where I finally located a decent one and went through the shipping and importing hassle.

Finally, I had an example of each of the Metralla variants. To my knowledge, this is the only complete set in the U.S.

***

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For 2022, I set a goal. I know it was a good goal because it was well-defined and unambiguous: I was going to race a motorcycle at Barber Motorsports Park in Alabama before the end of the year.

I spent a mountain of cash to stoke the flames of racing dreams inside my head, but one large purchase was more powerful than any of the others. I bought a race bike—specifically, a 2001 Suzuki SV650.

I just sold that motorcycle. 

Not because the bike was bad, or the race experience was bad, or I was bad at racing. Quite the opposite.

After obsessing over road racing for 11 months, I was finally on the 17-turn track in October for the 2022 Barber Vintage Festival. From the track surface to the atmosphere, the weekend was perfect. Clear blue skies, warm but not over the top temperatures and humidity.

A perfectly timed clutch release put me in the lead pack sweeping through turn one. By the wild braking zone that is the downhill section into Charlotte’s Web (turn 5), I found myself playing a little defense rather than chasing as I thought I would be. The group was running smooth and fast, drawing me to brake a little later, get to max lean angle a little faster, and twist the throttle earlier.

It wasn’t ’til lap five of the eight-lap sprint race that I finally took a breath while waiting to click sixth gear on the front straight and realized the battle for fifth place was happening around me. Better yet, I was in it. Only my fourth race on the SV650, yet there I was winning the drag race out of turn five down into museum corner against a KTM ridden by a much faster rider.

Was I hitting my stride and really finding pace or riding way over my head and being an idiot?

Just about every track rider will tell you that an off-track adventure or slide is a matter of when, not if. After five weekends, I was starting to feel like I was racing on borrowed time, but I was also making careful, rational decisions and pushing my limits in measured amounts. How much further could I push?

That’s the question that hurts the most.

I won’t be finding an answer anytime soon. Somewhere between screaming YOLO while clicking “buy it now” 86 times and throwing my wallet into Lake Michigan like Dave Ramsey would suggest is me, a guy who can’t stop himself from reviving old, junk motorcycles, yet knows when his bank account drops low enough that the race bike should go. 

We all struggle to balance the experience we had while away with the bank statement in the mailbox when we get home. It’s not that I can’t afford to go racing: I am very lucky to say I can. Sort of. But racing full-sized bikes on the big tracks is a huge investment of time and money for relatively little time on track. $1100 for three hours of track time—before factoring in the travel time and prep? At this point in my life, that equation needs to be leveled out a bit.

In the end, the decision boiled down to opportunity cost. For the cost of one day at the track, I could take an in-state vacation with my wonderful wife. Or be about 10 percent closer to putting a decent paint job on my ’65 Corvair, the car that reignited my love affair with vintage cars. 

So I am forced to decide between the racing options my budget can support: 

A. Going fast on a big bike and learning a lot, ultimately becoming a better rider over 3–4 weekends a year

B. Going “fast” on a tiny bike and learning a lot, ultimately becoming a better rider over 8–9 weekends a year

Option B, right? For the same money, who doesn’t want to do more of a given thing? Mini motard racing is still time at a track, in the same suit, learning and practicing the same riding principals—at a fraction of the price. Travel costs are travel costs, unfortunately. But instead of $500 worth of registration for two days at Grattan Raceway on an SV650, I’m only paying $100 for two days of flat-out fun aboard the XR100 mini motard. Upkeep is cheaper, too. 

The strangest part of this decision to scale down my racing efforts is that I am still conflicted about it. I write this a week and a half after I loaded the SV650 into a friend’s truck, cashed the check, and moved stuff around in the garage to fill the literal hole the bike left. Rather than spend the year in the garage wishing I was on track, or going into debt racing for plastic trophies that my wife won’t even let me keep in the house, I am switching focus. How can this decision still be chewing at me?

Perhaps selling the SV650 felt like giving up on myself. I had proved I had the potential to be a decent road racer, but rather than show that I believed in my ability by really investing in it, I backed down. Racing would require giving up too many of the other things I find enjoyable. It was too risky of an investment.

A goal often becomes a gateway, a journey that, when you started, had a defined end date. Somewhere along the way, that journey becomes an on-ramp, and you suddenly realize you have velocity. Momentum. Investment. It’s easier to continue down that path than it is to stop—even if stopping is the best course of action.

That goal to race at Barber put me on a course. Within a year I had amassed everything to take my racing interests seriously, and within three months of achieving my racing goal had sold off most of the parts I needed to keep going. The ideas and plans that branch out from the goals we set are often life-changing in some way, shape, or form. Goals themselves, however, are finite. We either accomplish the thing, or don’t. Then comes the hard part: Deciding where to go next.

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Mustang Dark Horse flaunts exclusive blue paint and host of interior flourishes

Intake: We’ve just gotten our first look at the interior of the Mustang Dark Horse, as well as info on two stripe options for the high-performance coupe plus a trim-exclusive paint color. The vinyl stripe option, shown in the rendering of the red car above more closely follows the body lines on the hood, while the painted stripes are wider and extend onto the roof and decklid. Exclusive to the Dark Horse model is a new Ember Blue exterior paint, which will shift color dramatically depending on the angle you’re viewing it and what light is hitting the paint.

Inside, an anodized blue shift knob sits atop the six-speed manual, or, if you opt for the ten-speed automatic, you’ll get shift paddles with a similar treatment. The flat-bottom steering wheel is wrapped in suede and features indigo contrast stitching, mimicking the accent stitching elsewhere in the cabin. Opt for the Mustang Dark Horse appearance package and you’ll get Recaro performance seats with indigo bolsters and that same accent stitching. Other trim pieces in the Dark Horse will be blacked out instead of silver as they are on lesser Mustang models.

Exhaust: Ford knows that personalization is a cornerstone of the pony car market and we’re always glad to see colorful interior options, especially when they’re as tastefully done as this. That color-changing blue paint and the painted-on stripes will likely become sought-after options when these performance ponies inevitably become collector’s items in the future. — Brandan Gillogly

Honda issues recall for more than 114,000 vehicles for wonky rearview camera

Intake: Honda issued a recall for more than 114,000 vehicles due to a faulty rearview camera that may not display correctly, according to a report from Automotive News. The affected vehicles include the 2018–20 Honda Fit hatchback and the 2019–2022 Honda HR-V crossover. According to the filing submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), Honda says that an error in the audio display power circuit may cause a failure in the rearview camera that will result in no image being displayed on the central infotainment screen. Honda says that 205 warranty claims related to the issue were filed between March 20, 2018, and January 6, although it also noted that no injuries or deaths related to the issue have been reported. Honda notified dealers on February 3, and it will start notifying owners of the recall on March 13. The fix will be to get your Fit or HR-V to a dealership, where they will reprogram the unit, manufactured by Denso Ten America Ltd., with updated software.

Exhaust: Mirrors and your ability to turn your head mean you can still back into and out of parking spots safely, but having a working rearview camera certainly is a plus. If your vehicle is affected, make a plan to get to a dealership soon; the fix doesn’t seem like it will take a long time. — Nathan Petroelje

Tremec jumps into EV fray with 800-hp drive unit

Intake: Tremec, the maker of some of the best manual and dual-clutch automatic transmissions in the business, is casting an eye toward the future. The company recently unveiled a new electric drive unit that could serve as a direct replacement for gasoline-burning powertrains in sports cars, according to a report from Automotive News. The twin-motor electric drive unit can reportedly make as much as 800 hp and help a car hit speeds of 180-plus mph, all while weighing just 243 pounds—roughly half of what the gas-burning setup typically weighs in sports car applications. Tremec makes gearboxes for everything from the Camaro to the Mustang to the C8 Corvette and more, but Matt Memmer, Tremec’s director of global engineering and platform management, told AN that the amount of time he and his teams are spending on electrification has gone up by a factor of 10 in the past two years. “We’ve created an advanced engineering team to focus on electrification,” said Memmer. “We’re putting more and more people into that group.”

Exhaust: With promising results like this, the shift seems to already be bearing fruit. That said, many automakers are using in-house developed electric motors, so Tremec may need to be patient to find an OEM in need of the solution that it can provide. As much as we love a good snicky Tremec six-speed, we can’t fault the company for looking at what’s coming down the road. — Nathan Petroelje

Style meets function with Praga’s ZS 800—but only for a few

Intake: Czech Republic-based Praga just announced today that it will be producing a limited run of just 28 units of its new ZS 800 motorcycle. The bike features an air-cooled 773cc parallel-twin engine and is styled to be a modern interpretation of the 1928 Praga BD 500. Despite the vintage looks, the components are all modern, with forged carbon wheels and titanium exhaust. The engineering team even went so far as to create hydraulic drum brakes for the period-correct look with modern stopping capabilities. Pricing matches the exclusivity of production, at $92,188 plus tax.

Exhaust: With a rigid rear and girder-style front suspension—even if it is sprung by an Ohlins shock and titanium spring— the ZS 800is a hard sell for anything other than style, but this bike does pull off the vintage look a lot better than most other modern bikes produced to look old. We doubt that many will be ridden anyway, as we expect most buyers to park this feat of engineering and materials next to their Praga Bohema hypercar in a collection. — Kyle Smith

Mazda prices the new straight-six-powered CX-90

Intake: Barely a week after Mazda introduced its new 2024 CX-90 crossover, we now know what it will cost and the fuel mileage. The entry-level model, the surprisingly well-equipped CX-90 3.3 Turbo Select, begins at $40,970, including the $1375 destination charge. It’s powered by a turbocharged 3.3-liter inline-six that produces 280 hp. It’s matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive. Mileage is EPA-rated at 24 mpg city, 28 mpg highway, and 25 mpg combined due in part to its mild-hybrid system. At the top of the line are the 340-hp Turbo S models, with a $53,125 starting price. That goes up to $57,825 for the Premium and $61,325 for the Premium Plus.

Exhaust: Mazda dealers have badly needed a fresh SUV in this size and price range, and a tip of the hat to Mazda for not just doing a basic update on the CX-9, but coming out with a much-changed (and we’ll bet much-improved) crossover. — Steven Cole Smith

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While the eyes of the collector car world were fixed upon the auctions in Arizona, there was arguably even bigger news in the neighboring state of Nevada, where Mecum’s annual Las Vegas motorcycle auction set a new record for the most expensive bike ever sold publicly.

The motorcycle in question was a 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank, which brought $935,000. If you’re not deep into motorcycles (and maybe even if you are) this might come as a head-scratcher. Harleys are known for being relatively accessible and, in any event, this one is hardly what comes to mind when you think “Harley.” The bike—which indeed looks like a bike—makes about four horsepower.

The reason to own this bike is not to live out some Easy Rider fantasy but rather, for its historical significance. This is an extremely old Harley-Davidson—produced just a few years after the company’s founding—and one of the earliest surviving Strap Tanks. These models were not the first Harleys but in many respects were the first to follow the basic template for what a Harley-Davidson would be forevermore—not unlike what the 1984 Macintosh computer did for Apple. It was beefy, powerful for its day, and looked the business.

The new record, and the Mecum sale as a whole, highlighted the similarities between the markets for collector cars and bikes. It’s surely no fluke that the most expensive motorcycle happened to cross the block less than a year after the most expensive automobile, the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. For both motorcycles and cars, interest from top-tier collectors is at an all-time high. And just as appreciation for mainstream cars slowed in Arizona, we saw newfound caution among buyers of affordable (think, $2000–$4000) motorcycles in Las Vegas.

Yet the very age of the Harley points to a key difference. Whereas the collector car market has by and large trended toward newer vehicles of late, for motorcycles, the oldest models still reign supreme. That likely owes to their form factor—they’re small enough to be displayed as art, so the “how would you use it?” question matters less. (Indeed, don’t expect to see this Strap Tank get much riding, if any.) Another distinction: $935k is, in the high-end classic car world, kind of cheap. Someone lost that much money on a repeat sale at Barrett-Jackson.

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Via Hagerty Insider

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Nissan unveils Max-Out EV convertible

Intake: As part of Nissan Futures, an event “showcasing how Nissan is shaping the future of sustainable mobility and innovative design” at its headquarters in Japan, the company has unveiled a concept model of its Max-Out EV convertible. The model was previously shown in virtual form as part of the Nissan Ambition 2030 event in November 2021. The Max-Out—which will be on display for the duration of the event—embodies “Nissan’s ambition to support greater access to both sustainable and innovative mobility.” No details were offered regarding the car.

Exhaust: The Max-Out may be a long shot for production, but the fact that Nissan went to the trouble of building a concept nearly 17 months after the virtual model was displayed gives us hope. There has to be a market for EV convertibles, and whoever does it first and best should be rewarded with a positive reception. — Steven Cole Smith

Mercedes plans drastic lineup reduction, wagons and coupes on chopping block

Intake: In a quest to move even higher upmarket and increase profitability, Mercedes-Benz is planning to drastically reduce its product lineup in the coming years, according to a new report from Car and Driver. Just 14 of 33 existing body styles across the U.S. and European lineups will endure. A few cuts of note: C-Class and E-Class convertibles and coupes will bow out sometime between 2023 and 2024, replaced by a pair of CLE-class two-doors that straddle the middle ground between the two lines. The bulbous coupe-like SUVs are also nearing their end. There are a handful of stylish all-electric cars coming, including a new SL, a new four-door coupe, and a new AMG GT coupe. Greater emphasis will be placed on the more profitable AMG and Maybach class cars, and Mercedes’ hyper-exclusive Mythos series will also see a handful of new models in the coming years. There’s talk of a 300SL Gullwing reincarnation, a four-door G-Class pickup, and even a new speedster based on the SL.

Exhaust: The beloved E-Class, which is the only line that we can get as a wagon here in the states as either the E63 AMG or the E 450 All Terrain, will debut its new generation later this year, but that will be the final generation, set to end production in 2030. It’s sad to see so many interesting models on the chopping block, but Mercedes’ lineup was perhaps too segmented, and trying to fill this many niches eats away at profitability. From a dollars-and-cents standpoint, this all makes sense. You’ll forgive us if we’re a bit saddened by the news, however. — Nathan Petroelje

Skoda’s big skid sets new world records

Intake: A Skoda crossover has entered the record books after drifting continuously for 4.568 miles across a frozen lake in Sweden. The Skoda Enyaq iV VRS SUV can now claim to have achieved “The Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice” and “The Longest Continuous Vehicle Drift on Ice (electric vehicle).” Watched over by a representative from Guinness World Records, British journalist Dickie Meaden was able to slide the Skoda for over 15 minutes, beating a previous record set in China in 2022 by Wang Dongjang in a Subaru WRX. The only modification made to the 300-hp electric record-setter was the fitting of studded winter tires, and over five days of sub-zero testing, more than 18 hours were spent drifting.

Exhaust: Skoda still has a long way to go to achieve the overall EV drift record of 26.2 miles set by a Porsche Taycan on a German skid pad in 2022, but it’s still quite an achievement. Evo’s Meaden and Skoda previously paired up in 2011 to set a Southern Californian Timing Association (SCTA) Land Speed Record for a 2.0-liter forced induction production car at 227.080 mph at Bonneville in an Octavia vRS sedan. How times have changed. — Nik Berg

Harley riding a wave to higher shares

Intake: Harley-Davidson reported higher-than-expected quarterly profit today, said Reuters. Shares in the company rose nine percent in pre-market trade after the results were released. Harley said it expects revenue to grow in 2023. The manufacturer has either beaten or met Wall Street earnings forecasts for the previous seven quarters, “benefiting from strong demand for leisure purchases despite high inflation dampening consumer confidence.”

Exhaust: Bike manufacturers have suffered from supply chain issues and chip shortages just like auto manufacturers, but it seems the Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson is successfully riding the wave of consumer interest in outdoor recreational activities. — SCS

Radical upgrades its most popular model

Intake: Radical Motorsport, the U.K.’s largest race car manufacturer, has upgraded its popular SR10 to SR10 XXR specifications.  As a popular motorsports country club and track day car, Radical has sold over 100 SR10s since the model’s introduction in 2020, with United States-based customers making up 70 percent of all orders. The 425-hp turbocharged 2.3-liter engine by Radical Performance Engines remains, and new features include an LMP-inspired center fin, lightweight alloy wheels, and high-intensity front light clusters. For drivers looking for even more weight reduction, a new carbon splitter and diffuser package is available as an option.

Exhaust: Joe Anwyll, Radical Motorsport CEO, said: The SR10 is the “fastest-selling model in our history, and a favorite with U.S. customers in particular, so we’ve been working hard to cherry-pick the best XXR model line upgrades and adding them to our best-selling car.” — SCS

Kawasaki debuts ZX4-RR KRT, giving the U.S. small-displacement four-cylinders again

Intake: In an unexpected announcement, Kawasaki announced yesterday that it will be bringing the new ZX-4RR KRT to U.S. dealers. The heart of this little terror is a liquid-cooled, DOHC, 16-valve inline-four displacing 399cc. The bore and stroke of this new engine match the last 400cc inline-four Kawi sold back in 1990. Pricing has been announced at $9,699 and deliveries are expected to start this spring.

Exhaust: Kawasaki is really asking buyers to put their money where their mouth is by bringing the ZX-4RR KRT to the states, considering it sits just under the price point of the ZX-6R. Interestingly, some features that are missing from the ZX-6R, like a quick-shifter (something the riding community keeps asking for) appear on the ZX-4RR KRT as standard. Could this convince some buyers to downsize displacement in search of faster laps? It’s likely a tough sell, but we are happy to have the option and are excited to see and hear a modern 400cc inline-four on U.S. streets and tracks. — Kyle Smith

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Update: this Hildebrand & Wolfmüller sold on February 1st at Bonhams Paris for €195,500 ($211,155).

The term “motorcycle” easily describes the path through which innovative engineers in the 1800s reached this transportation milestone: it’s a simple combination of motor and bicycle. Pioneers first began by experimenting with steam engines on bicycles. Gasoline-powered contraptions soon followed, with the likes of the Hildebrand brothers and Alois Wolfmüller leading the way. In addition to identifying the ideal power source, work was put into creating a dedicated, durable frame that took the concept beyond mere motorized bicycles. On January 20th, 1894, the Hildebrand brothers received their patent for what would be the first motorcycle offered to the public.

Said to be the “first powered two-wheeler to enter series production,” according to Bonhams, the 1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller “is the first such device to which the name ‘motorcycle’ (motorrad in German) was ever applied.” Bonhams is auctioning what is said to be the earliest Hildebrand & Wolfmüller known to exist, making this lot potentially the earliest motorcycle in existence today.

Even more shocking is that it is said to be in largely untouched condition. Bonhams added that production numbers are cited to be anywhere from 800 to 2000, making the chances extremely low for any to have survived for 129 years—let alone in the shape this one’s in. This is a motorcycle that will only ever be on display as it is unusable today (it is extremely rudimentary, and sadly there’s no London to Brighton race of others to travel with), so the buyer will likely be a museum, large collection, or even an art enthusiast rather than a motorcycle enthusiast. The difference, and functionality, between an earliest-of-the-early 1894 motorcycle and a 1910s-era motorcycle is huge, so the value here is in its historical significance and rarity.

What’s the market for these motorcycles? As surprising as it might be, a number of these have survived and Bonhams itself appears to be the king of auctioning them off. Save for one replica sold by Mecum, Bonahms has been the auction house for all original and replica Hildebrand & Wolfmüllers.

Bonhams offered one of 15 very well-built replicas by Mike Kron in Germany at their 2008 Stafford sale. The bike failed to sell but had an estimate of £48,000–£52,000 ($59,145–$64,000). A month later, Bonhams sold another of the same replicas at their San Francisco auction for $58,500. Another one of those same replicas then sold at Bonhams 2010 Stafford sale for £29,900, or $45,700 given exchange rates at the time. And again, a replica example sold at Mecum’s 2019 Las vegas Motorcycle Auction for $99,000.

The market is thinner when searching for original examples—this Bonhams lot will be the first to come up for auction since 2011. At the 2010 Bonhams Stafford sale, an example in very rough but original condition sold for £86,200, or $131,800 with exchange rates at the time. Less than a year later, Bonhams sold an 1894/1895 example for $161,000 at their Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction. It seems the replicas in 2008 and 2010 brought out these few original examples in 2010/2011. Since then the market has been quiet.

What would you do if you owned the oldest motorcycle in existence? Would you don your period-correct goggles and scarf, or carve out some extra-clean space in the garage to showcase your new bit of history?

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Bad luck has struck Jay Leno again, landing him in the hospital with several broken bones.

While test riding his 1940 Indian motorcycle on January 17, he smelled a fuel leak:

“So I turned down a side street and cut through a parking lot, and unbeknownst to me, some guy had a wire strung across the parking lot but with no flag hanging from it,” Leno told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “So, you know, I didn’t see it until it was too late. It just clotheslined me and, boom, knocked me off the bike.”

Leno explained to Hagerty that he figures he was going about 15 mph, just doing a U-turn in the parking lot. It could have been worse for him, but the Indian did not escape unscathed. The motorcycle was a sidecar, so it kept going and crashed into a building.

The 72-year-old comedian suffered a broken collarbone, two broken ribs, and two broken kneecaps. Leno was admitted to the hospital, figuring he’d be out and about the next day.

A few years ago he told Hagerty that he had “one more motorcycle crash in him.” Maybe this was it.

This all comes just as Leno was preparing to return to the stage in Las Vegas, after finally healing up from facial burns suffered while working on his White steam car. As a result, he opted to lie low and not tell the media about the motorcycle crash right away. “You know, after getting burned up, you get that one for free,” Leno told the Review-Journal. “After that, you’re Harrison Ford, crashing airplanes. You just want to keep your head down.”

Leno understands both the risks and joys of motorcycle riding. The comedian said he’s generally been very lucky on bikes, including a couple of harrowing near-misses. In one instance, he was riding a custom Triumph for his YouTube series; the owner had run the crankcase breather tube out in front of the rear tire, so it was blowing oil all over the tire and he nearly lost control. Another time, while riding a Brough Superior, the wheel locked up just moments after he exited the freeway.

We wish Leno a speedy recovery. If history is any indication, he’ll be back in action soon.

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Audi’s latest concept goes from crossover to truck with the push of a button

Intake: What a bizarre and intriguing concept to come from such an unexpected source. This is the fourth concept in a series of four from Audi, and it’s called the Activesphere. A “four-door crossover coupé with an astonishingly versatile body design is now making its debut.” The “highly elegant car is more than a mere luxury-class sports car,” as the Sportback rear of the Activesphere “can turn into an open cargo bed  at the touch of a button, perfect for carrying recreational equipment such as e-bikes or water and winter sports gear.” In other words, press a button and it’s a pickup truck.  It’s a U.S. creation, conceived at the Audi Design Studio in Malibu, California. Studio manager Gael Buzyn and his team are the creative minds behind the project. The idea: “The Activesphere is unique. It is a new type of crossover that cleverly combines the elegance of an Audi Sportback, the practicality of a SUV and true offroad capabilities,” if he does say so himself.

Exhaust: It’s electric, of course, and we’ll never see such a vehicle from Audi, but Subaru could maybe pull it off. Still, says Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Audi Board of Management for Technical Development: “As a perfect all-rounder, the Audi Activesphere concept is ideally suited for the high demands of a future-oriented generation of Audi customers – people for whom individual mobility and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. “ —Steven Cole Smith

Colin Chapman’s own Lotus Elan could be yours

Intake: A 1972 Elan +2 owned by Lotus founder Colin Chapman will go to auction in the U.K. in February. The car is finished in its original Tawny paintwork with a contrasting silver roof and an oatmeal vinyl interior, while the dashboard is a single piece of walnut veneer. When the Elan +2 was launched in 1967 its job was to move Lotus upmarket and perhaps even tempt buyers away from the likes of Jaguar. For that reason, it was the first Lotus not also offered in kit form for DIY mechanics to assemble. Although it was larger in every dimension than the original Elan, the +2 stuck to its founder’s lightweight principles and remained an agile, entertaining drive, just with a dash of luxury never previously available. Chapman drove the car for its first 6,600 miles and it then spent many years at the Lotus museum before being sold into private hands. Less than 400 miles have been added since and the car still wears its original Dunlop SP tires. For sale at Silverstone Auctions on February 25 it is estimated to fetch £60,000–£70,000 ($74,000–$86,500) and joins seven other celebrity Elans on the block whose previous owners include Peter Sellers, Jochen Rindt, and Rob Walker, as well as the car driven by Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in The Avengers.

Exhaust: Despite its importance in repositioning the Lotus brand the Elan +2 has never quite had the same appeal to collectors as the two-seater S1. The Hagerty valuation guide shows that a #1 Concours S1 would be worth $54,600 while a +2 in equivalent condition would fetch $10,000 less. Being owned by Chapman himself this car will, no doubt, buck the trend. — Nik Berg

Ford recalls 462,000 SUVs for rearview camera issues

Intake: Ford is recalling more than 462,000 SUVs globally for rearview cameras that may be defective. The recall involves Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs from the 2020–23 model years and Lincoln Corsairs from 2020–22, all of them equipped with a 360-degree camera. The recall covers almost 383,000 vehicles in the U.S. Ford said it is aware of 17 minor accidents that may have resulted from the defect. The video output of the cameras may fail, preventing the rearview camera image from displaying and increasing the risk of a crash while in reverse, according to a recall report submitted Monday to NHTSA.

Exhaust: Ford really doesn’t need any more recalls, but fortunately this is a minor one, and apparently can be fixed with a software update. — SCS

Public Citizen is still mad at Toyota

Intake: Ralph Nader’s Public Citizen advocacy group has been openly protesting Toyota and its chairman, Akio Toyoda, since Toyoda said we should pump the brakes a bit before we push everyone into electric vehicles prematurely. They picketed the Washington, D.C. auto show where Toyota was showing the new Prius, claiming that Toyota, almost criminally, should have made it all-electric, calling the new car “a monument to pollution and stagnation.” Now that Toyoda has said he will step aside from the CEO job in April, Public Citizen is still at it. Says Deanna Noel, climate campaign project manager, about Toyoda’s replacement, Koji Sato: “This change of leadership appears to signal Toyota knows it’s far behind on EVs and must rush to remake itself… Along with committing to a 100 percent ZEV future, Mr. Sato must reverse Toyota’s anti-climate lobbying and commit the company to clean up its supply chain and protect human rights. Without a clean, fossil free, and equitable supply chain, ZEVs will fall far short of meeting climate imperatives.”

Exhaust: No comment, aside from: Give it a rest.  — SCS

First days of Mecum Vegas motorcycle auction bring shocking prices

Intake: The Mecum Las Vegas motorcycle auction is the largest motorcycle-specific auction and was primed to sell over 2000 bikes this year. The sales reports are just starting to cross our desk, and there are a few sales of note already: a 1973 Kawasaki Z1 900 sold for $55,000 (plus buyer’s premium), and a 1972 Honda CL350 equipped with the “Flying Dragon” dealer-installed gas tank and side panels netted $72,000. If sales like this are any indication, it is shaping up to be a wild year.

Exhaust: “Prices that were shocking last year are being eclipsed by double or more in some cases this year. And that’s only Thursday of the auction week,” says Hagerty senior information analyst James Hewitt. That Z1 sale is $20,000 over the current #1-condition pricing, so the seller is likely quite happy to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Z1 model with a payday like that. The CL350 Flying Dragon is a truly odd instance as a #1 (Concours) Condition CL350 is $10,000 and the dealer-installed Flying Dragon parts can still be sourced NOS for prices in the $3000–5000 range. Since these were not factory parts, there is no way to tell the bike was originally sold with these wild-painted parts so it rarely bumps value in this significant way. — Kyle Smith

Integra Type S prototype will bow at Daytona

Intake: Acura will debut a camouflaged version of the forthcoming Integra Type S at the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona this weekend. The car will be wearing a special camouflage wrap and will be in the paddock the entire weekend, also serving as the lead car for the start of the race. The Integra Type S will be powered by a larger four-cylinder engine than the standard car (2.0-liters vs. 1.5-liters) that Acura says will produce north of 300 horsepower. Expect a lot of the mechanical bits on the Type S to come from the new 2023 Honda Civic Type R. More details about the car will arrive closer to launch later this year.

Exhaust: If our time with the new Civic Type R is any indication, the Integra Type S should be an absolute riot to drive. We’re a little worried about pricing, however; The Civic Type R already clears $40,000, and there’s a real chance we might be looking at a $50,000 front-wheel-drive compact here. Still, it will be neat to see the car out in front of the packed field for this weekend’s endurance race. Let’s go racing! — Nathan Petroelje

The post Audi’s push-button pickup, mad prices at motorcycle auction, Acura to show Integra Type S (sort of) appeared first on Hagerty Media.

“This rig is the best handling bike I’ve ever owned,” said Steve McQueen of his Rickman Métisse motorcycle. Known for his fondness for Triumphs and Husqvarnas, the King of Cool switched allegiance after building up a unique Desert Racer with stuntman pal Bud Ekins.

The 1966 Métisse Mk3, despite its French-sounding name, was built by British brothers Derek and Don Rickman and was already a hugely accomplished motocross model when McQueen started to customize his. The Mk3 had scored victories in events such as the Moto Cross des Nations, when the Rickmans decided it was time to cross the Atlantic. The brothers shipped several examples to California where the bikes quickly came to Ekins’ attention, thanks in part to the way the nickel-plated chromoly frame contained the bike’s oil and kept it cooler than if it were stored in a standard tank.

Ekins and his brother Dave were so impressed that they became the U.S. importers for the Métisse frames, and when McQueen was looking for a new bike to take to the desert Ekins had just the answer.

Together, Ekins and McQueen built his dream machine using the most rugged components available at the time. The forks were from Italy’s Ceriani and provided 7.5 inches of travel to soak up the worst bumps in the desert, while the yoke was by BSA. The engine came from McQueen’s beloved Triumph in the form of a 650cc parallel twin. The gearbox was a four-speed, also from the British brand. The rear of the bike was suspended by twin Girling springs and dampers, and Triumph drum brakes were fitted to the 21-inch front wheel.

Such was the interest in his Métisse build that McQueen even documented it in the November 1966 edition of Popular Mechanics magazine. Describing how determined he was to build the bike tough, McQueen told the magazine, “It’s real important for me because I’ve hit bumps so hard sometimes that I’ve actually bent the handlebars.”

McQueen had the bike painted a stealthy, battleship gray and, as that opening quote makes clear, he loved riding it in the California desert.

In 2008, long after McQueen passed away, his son Chad collaborated with Métisse again, along with Dave Ekins, bringing the Desert Racer back to life as a run of 300 limited editions. Exact replicas using new frames, along with fully reconditioned running gear, and McQueen’s trademarked signature on the fuel tank, the bikes soon sold out.

Carrying on the movie-idol theme, Métisse went on to build a further 300 examples based on the Mk3 ridden by Armie Hammer’s Illya Kuryakin in the 2015 remake of The Man From U.N.C.L.E, although it’s a bit of a stretch to think that Hammer could ever be as cool as McQueen.

Should you wish to hit the desert like McQueen, know that original Rickman Métisse Mk3s come up for sale only rarely, and the Steve McQueen Desert Racer even less frequently. However, the prices, despite the inevitable McQueen badge bump (which Hagerty rates at 6.5 percent) aren’t too high.

The 2008 example in the photo below sold earlier this month for £22,500 ($28,000) on Collecting Cars in the U.K —rather less than than the hundreds of thousands achieved recently by bikes actually ridden by The Great Escape star.

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Although weights, measures, and currency are adjusted for a U.S. audience, colloquialisms and contextual references reflect this story’s origin on our sister site, Hagerty UK. 

BMW Motorrad celebrates its centenary this year and reaches the landmark in fine health, with a varied range containing some brilliant bikes. But if a poll were held to choose the outstanding model of the German marque’s 100 years of production, there’s a fair chance the winner would be the R90S of 1974.

The half-faired R90S, finished in its striking smoked color scheme (gray originally, with this bike’s orange following as an option a year later), was seriously rapid, with handling, comfort, and refinement to match, and was arguably the finest superbike of its day. It cost twice as much as Honda’s CB750 and gave a huge boost to BMW’s distinctly staid image.

Decades later, a good example is still a joy to ride. As the road ahead unwinds in a gentle curve with 80 mph on the clock, the big boxer engine is spinning smoothly at 5000 rpm. I’m sitting comfortably, leaning slightly forward to slightly raised handlebars, my chest and head protected from the wind by the neat half-fairing.

The big orange tank is full, giving the prospect of 200 miles of non-stop riding. Below it I can see the motor’s trademark sticking-out pots, their valves’ gentle rustling almost drowned by a fruity twin-pot exhaust note. By modern standards the mechanical and exhaust sounds are loud, but they do nothing to mar the BMW’s aristocratic air.

The bike’s stability doesn’t falter as I bank through a series of curves, the suspension soaking up the bumps efficiently, and the tall-geared engine feeling relaxed and unburstable. Nevermind its generous fuel range, this bike gives the impression that it would cruise in comfort forever.

Such enduring characteristics should perhaps not come as a surprise given that BMW’s very first bike, the R32 of 1923, was itself a horizontally opposed twin – complete, like this one, with shaft final drive and that familiar blue-and-white badge on the tank. More than 50 years later, the R90S was the product of a process of boxer refinement that continues to this day.

The S and its unfaired sibling the R90/6, introduced at the same time, were derived more directly from the previous year’s R75 models. Enlarging the 745cc R75’s bore from 82 to 90 mm while retaining the 70.6 mm stroke gave a capacity of 898 cc. BMW also took the opportunity to make numerous engine upgrades including strengthening the bottom end plus fitting a revised gearshift mechanism and new alternator.

The S model differed from the humbler 90/6 by having a higher compression ratio and a pair of 38 mm Dell’Orto carbs with accelerator pumps in place of the basic model’s 32 mm Bings. Those mods helped lift peak power output from 60 hp to a claimed 67 hp at 7000 rpm – making the R90S competitive with everything on two wheels apart from Kawasaki’s mighty 82-hp Z1 four.

In addition the S model had a bigger, 6.34-gallon fuel tank, and twin front discs instead of just one, plus of course that handlebar-mounted fairing, which held a clock and voltmeter above the normal speedo and rev-counter. The fairing, tank, front mudguard, sidepanels, and the rear of the slightly stepped dual-seat were all visually brought together by that classy paint scheme of subtly changing tones.

To get the bike running you have to reach inside its fairing to the strangely placed ignition switch, then press the button to bring the boxer motor to life with its traditional side-to-side lurch from the longitudinal crankshaft. Despite its raised compression and big Dell’Ortos, the 90S is as refined and well-behaved as any of its BMW contemporaries.

Perhaps the most vivid sensation when riding the R90S decades later is how similar the old bike feels to more recent boxers. The tuned S model has a little less low-rev torque than the 90/6 but is still very flexible, its docile power delivery and relaxed cruising ability feeling typically BMW.

The R90S’s top speed of about 125 mph was impressive by mid-’70s standards, but perhaps more important was the ease with which the bike could sustain a high-speed cruise, thanks to its lack of annoying vibration and the way the fairing diverted most of the wind around the rider. Aftermarket fairings were available to do a similar job for other bikes, but no standard rival was as easy to ride fast as the Bavarian ’bahnstormer.

As with most classics, the BMW’s chassis feels more dated than its engine. Its front brake, a combination of tiny calipers and drilled 260-mm discs, require a firm squeeze of the lever to deliver much stopping power. (Even this set-up was an upgrade on the first-year model’s smaller discs.) At least the rear drum gives some welcome extra bite.

Handling and roadholding were excellent by the standards of the day, thanks to a conventional blend of steel twin-downtube frame, slim leading-axle forks, and a twin-shock rear end. This bike’s forks benefited from a brace, and its original shocks have long since been swapped for a pair of Konis.

Although the R90S feels tall and fairly soft, it combines its excellent ride quality with sufficient damping to encourage spirited cornering, without too much interference from the drive shaft. It steers with a pleasantly neutral feel, and stays stable at speed in a way that its Japanese superbike rivals do not.

The BMW matched its healthy power output with a respectably light weight of 474 pounds, which helped ensure that despite its gran turismo image there were few bikes that could stay with a well-ridden example. To prove the point, in 1976 expat British racer Reg Pridmore rode a standard-looking orange boxer to victory in the inaugural U.S. Superbike series.

The R90S was visually stunning, rapid, fine-handling, comfortable, refined … and a champion racer to boot. If you’re thinking of nominating another model as BMW’s best of these last 100 years, the bar is seriously high.

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***

1975 BMW R90S

Highs: Unique style, charm, and long-legged performance

Lows: The effort needed to slow from high speed in a hurry

Takeaway: For an exotic ’70s superbike, it’s great value now

__

Price: Project, $8300; nice ride, $12,900; showing off, $33,100

Engine: Air-cooled overhead-valve flat-twin

Capacity: 898cc

Maximum power: 67 hp @ 7000 rpm

Weight: 474 with fluids

Top speed: 125 mph

Via Hagerty UK

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Challenging the staff at Hagerty Media with loaded questions has become a thing here at Our Two Cents. The mission is to inform and entertain the reader, and this time is no different. I asked everyone for their opinion on the most underrated vehicle currently on the market. Not a very loaded question, you say?

Consider the fact that we are staffed with several overachieving over-thinkers. There were concerns, as it wasn’t clear if I meant a new, used, or properly classic vehicle. Okay fine, you guys can pick one or give me all three. We have experienced some seriously underrated new vehicles, we all know what we’d buy if a used pre-owned car was in our future, and we all believe there’s a classic that’s clearly in need of more recognition.

Sam Smith: C5 Corvette

The mythical man himself, Editor-at-Large Sam Smith, came in hard with one of the most underrated performance cars on the market. Nicely done, Sam:

“Most underrated vehicle new or used? For real people? The C5 Corvette. Period, bar none, full stop. If you know, you know; if you don’t, you probably read that line and made a face.

There are cars with better steering and more refined ride and handling, cars with interiors that don’t feel ported over from some forgettable 1990s GM SUV, cars quicker off the line and more forgiving at the limit. But in dollars per horsepower, in reliability, in all-out (and accessible!) pace, in moddability, in the ability to make you feel special at the wheel. They should be more expensive. The only reason they aren’t: GM built a lot of them, and Corvettes carry a certain…image. Which not everyone wants.

Whatever. Great car. And they’re everywhere, at reasonable prices, in good shape.”

Conner Golden: Lexus LC, Shelby GT350, Bentley Continental R

Our Features Editor decided to present a new, used, and classic offering for this episode of Our Two Cents. His points are rather convincing:

“New: I can’t really think of an underrated new car, considering you are still unable to walk into a dealership and purchase a new, enthusiast-oriented vehicle without additional dealer markup or some other hassle on the showroom floor. Maybe the Lexus LC 500? It’s very much an Aston Martin as told by Lexus. Incredibly special interior for a mass-production car, distinctive and original design that borrows from nothing, incredible fit and finish, and a wonderful high-revving, free-breathing V-8.

Used: pre-owned metal that’s underrated has to be 2016–2018 Shelby Mustang GT350. It’s an incredibly cool car that absolutely will be a collector’s favorite in the near future. Cars with modest miles (sub 30k) are still “only” hovering at or around $5000 above original MSRP. Get ‘em while you can, folks…

Classic: The most underrated collector car has to be the 1993–2002 Bentley Continental R. My God, this was the most expensive production car for a few years, and you can purchase a nice-ish example for between $35,000–$50,000. These things were $271,000 when new—in 1992 dollars! They have incredible road presence, and were handcrafted at every detail. They drive like the nicest, softest F-150 you’ve ever experienced, but I can’t think of a better trans-continental bruiser for road trips. It’s ruinously expensive to maintain, but for $45,000 or so, you should have plenty in the budget left to keep it chugging along.”

Eddy Eckart: 1993–02 Camaro/Firebird (F-body)

Senior Editor Eddy Eckhart hit the same nail that Sam Smith did, only at a more affordable asking price, with an extra pair of seats for kids. (Or very compliant adults.) Not showing appreciation for these F-body products would be a crime, even the earlier models with the LT1. Perhaps especially the LT1, as they are much less desirable but still pack a helluva punch. No matter, here’s what he said:

“Fourth-gen F bodies are one of the most overlooked used/near-collectible performance cars right now. The highlight—for me, anyway—is the 98–02 Camaro SS (I’ll take a ’99 in Hugger Orange with t-tops and a six-speed, please). Third-gen cars, led by the IROC Z, have seen values take off, but the better-in-every-measurable-way 93–02 cars have remained relatively steady. They’re excellent cruisers, and with the manual transmission can get close to 30 mpg on the highway. Go to a drag strip or a road course and you’re bound to see one—Camaros and Firebirds of this era are excellent platforms for any kind of racing. And who doesn’t like T-Tops?

The only downsides are that they’re a little under-braked and the looks—especially the WS-6 Trans Am—aren’t for everyone. Go get you one before the word gets out!”

Kyle Smith: Honda XR650L

Editor Kyle Smith does a good job representing motorcycles amongst the car-obsessed masses here at Hagerty Media, and he certainly picked a winner in our book:

“For me it’s the Honda XR650L. I admit my bias as I am a documented Honda XR fanatic, but the tried-and-true nature of an air/oil cooled 650cc thumper that can still be purchased right off the showroom floor for $7k is pretty amazing. It’s a go-anywhere, do-anything machine that (for someone with a tall enough inseam) can be a one-bike solution for any two-wheel fun you seek. Throw in that the 650L has been relatively unchanged since its 1993 introduction, so parts and knowledge are plentiful, and suddenly low-mile used 650Ls become an amazing deal.

New or used, I just can’t see a situation where an XR650L is a bad choice for a person looking to have fun on a motorcycle.”

Nathan Petroelje: Honda Element

Associate Editor Nathan Petroelje has utility on his mind. It’s snowing at his house in chilly northern Michigan right now, and we’ve had to deal with him complaining about subjecting his Mitsubishi Montero‘s carpeted interior to the salty, sandy mix of crap underfoot more than we deserve. But we’re starting to think all of his whining was just him setting up the long game to swoop in and pitch this loveable toaster—well played, sir.

“I tend to think of underrated as it relates to the whole ‘you don’t know what you have until it’s gone’ sentiment. Yes, the Honda Element was nearly peak toaster-on-wheels (though the outright throne belongs to Scion’s xB in that department), but it was also deeply utilitarian, friendly as the day is long—this was a Honda, after all—and neat and funky in its own way. Folks drove the wheels off these things—several hundred thousand mile examples are commonplace. But if you could find a low mile example, particularly one with all-wheel drive? Between four driven wheels (with good winter tires!) and those plastic floors, and you’ve got yourself a wicked little winter warrior that will put a smile on your face perpetually. They’re not terribly expensive—four-figure ones are plentiful, and a great daily driver can be had for right around $15,000.

They have cult followings in certain areas, but by-and-large, I think they’re overlooked and underappreciated by society in general—for the mindset of the product planners, and for how useful they were.

Now, if only we can get big H to gin up a modern take on this quirky design!”

Sajeev Mehta: Elantra N, Aztek, Mark VIII

Okay here’s the deal: I don’t think my beloved co-workers are taking my questions seriously enough. A Corvette’s depreciation curve very rarely sinks low enough to reach that true “bargain” status. Everyone’s gonna want a Bentley in theory, and there are plenty of repair shops that will keep them running for a reasonable fee (considering the asking price for parts, that is). My beef stems from underappreciation via depreciation and neglect.

New: The Hyundai Elantra N has all the car guy cred needed in its track-tested bones, and they come with a manual transmission and a wicked pair of front buckets. But will people line out the door for one like a Mustang, VW GTI, or more expensive metal that provides no more fun per dollar than the little Korean that could? Well, perhaps that’s a possibility. But while all new cars seem to hold their values better these days (when’s the last time you saw an advertisement for Truck Month?) it’s a safe bet that the N-spec Hyundais will depreciate harder than anything else in its class. Which leads to neglect . . . and scrappage . . . and a seriously rare and underrated classic in the coming years.

Used: Do you think all crossover utilities are kinda awful? If so, how much worse was the Pontiac Aztek? Sure, the styling is disturbingly crude, which is what we all focus on. But the absolutely vulgar commitment to functionality and practicality cannot be understated. It’s based on a GM’s ubiquitous U-body minivan platform, so the seats pop out with ease. The Aztek was designed for camping, for crying out loud! Be it classic Fiat Multiplas, Malaise-y AMC Pacers, or the Pontiac Aztek, these underrated statements to neglect and depreciation usually get their day in the sunlight—eventually. But the Pontiac can’t get there soon enough, because I reckon it’s aging better than your average crossover utility from the 2000s. Simply put, it deserves better than a death next to an early Ford Escape in the junkyard.

Classic: The Lexus LC reminded me about my personal bias toward the Lincoln Mark VIII. I’ve owned two, and my current one feels as good as a new car (ancient four-speed gearbox notwithstanding) in terms of performance and eye-catching styling. Yet these minimalist, 280-plus-horsepower machines lack the classic car cache of their wood-paneled Lexus and Mercedes counterparts. I reckon they sell for less than a Northstar V-8-equipped Cadillac Eldorado that’s about to munch on a head gasket, too. If I’m right, that’s the textbook definition of an underrated automobile.

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CEO declares Harley-Davidson on track to be “an all-electric brand”

Intake: In an interview with Dezeen, Harley-Davidson CEO Jochen Zeitz didn’t mince words as he laid out that the American brand is on a defined, long-term plan to phase out internal-combustion engines from its lineup in lieu of electric motors. While criticism is likely to come hard and fast, Zeitz looks at Harley-Davidson‘s history as an inspiration for the move. “If you look at the past 120 years, the company has always evolved, never stood still,” he said in the interview. “Now, like the founders did at the time by trying to reinvent or invent something unique, that’s obviously something that we as a company brand need to do as well.” All signs point to this shift taking a decade or more, but Zeitz says that it’s doable if the company focuses on targeting more than just its core customer.

Exhaust: This move is initially confusing to everyone and only gets more puzzling for those in the know. Harley-Davidson developed and produced an electric motorcycle—the LiveWire— in 2018 only to spin it off to its own brand. Was the consumer base just not ready yet, or has something significant in the boardroom changed in the last year since LVWR went public via SPAC acquisition? We don’t have an answer right now, but H-D is clearly looking to court new buyers and demographics. We expect this announcement to alienate some of the brand’s core buyers, though. — Kyle Smith

General Motors hints at a mini electric pickup

Intake: GM on Wednesday showed select members of the media a design for a small, electric pickup, smaller even than the Ford Maverick, says Automotive News. “The automaker is considering a two-door pickup with a 4- to 4.5-foot-long bed and low roofline. The vehicle would be part of GM’s lineup of affordable EVs priced under $30,000,” the publication said, calling it “futuristic and sporty,” adjectives which remind us of the original Subaru Brat.

Exhaust: No name or building plans were revealed, but the trucklet would presumably be part of the Chevrolet lineup. It would certainly have minimal competition in that market niche. — Steven Cole Smith

Megarexx Trucks shows off Super-Duty-based MegaRaptor 7

Intake: Megarexx Trucks, a North Carolina shop specializing in custom Super Duty trucks, is offering a monster off-road SUV built from a Ford F-250 that picks up where the Excursion left off. Although it starts with a pickup, Megarexx integrates the bed and cab and mounts a third row of seats in the back to accommodate up to seven passengers and produce the Megarexx. The third-row seats are flanked by a rectangular tube rollbar and are covered by a removable fiberglass shell. Its solid-axle suspension rides on King shocks and lift springs which provide clearance for 46-inch tires thanks to the custom flared bodywork.

Exhaust: We’re pretty sure a heavy, solid axle and 46-inch Michelins won’t handle high-speed desert running as well as a Raptor’s fully independent suspension and 37-inch rubber, although this will easily out-pull its F-150 namesake thanks to its 6.7-liter turbodiesel powerplant. The Megarexx’s length and width will limit its trail capability, which is a shame: Those 46-inch tires would make easy work out of all but the tallest ledges and rocks. The market for these huge SUV creations is likely pretty small, but now that niche appears to be filled. — Brandan Gillogly 

Celebrity supercar sale: Toto’s F40 or Rod’s Countach?

Intake: Two red Italian thoroughbreds with famous owners are up for grabs. From the stable of the Prancing Horse is a 1990 Ferrari F40, fresh from the collection of Mercedes F1 boss Toto Wolff. The car has covered only 3440 miles from new, was originally delivered to a buyer in Spain, and was completely overhauled under Wolff’s care by Autofficina Bonini Carlo S.r.l. in Italy. It comes with Ferrari’s Red Book Classiche certification that confirms its originality and is being offered by British dealership Tom Hartley Junior.

Meanwhile, another seller is hoping to flip a 1977 Lamborghini Countach LP400 that was owned for many years by Sir Rod Stewart. The Scottish singer bought the rare Periscopio model new and had it delivered to Australia, where he was on tour at the time. When Stewart moved to Los Angeles, he took the car with him and decided to make some modifications. With the help of Albert Madikian Engineering, it received a widebody kit and a targa roof. Stewart returned to the U.K. in 1987 and the car stayed with him until 2002. Since then it has been converted to left-hand drive and its body returned to factory specification. A year ago, the car sold in Paris for a record $940,919, but with an estimate of €950,000 to €1,050,000 ($1.03M–$1.14M) it’s likely to set a new ceiling for an auctioned Countach when it hits the block at RM Sotheby’s in February.

Exhaust: The somewhat cynical sale of Stewart’s Countach is yet another example of classic cars as commodities. The current owner likely bought the one-of-157 Periscopio as an investment, and it looks like it will pay off. We wish owners of such exotica would be more like Toto, who kept his F40 for 15 years, or Rod, who cherished his Countach for a quarter of a century. — Nik Berg

Virginia governor turns away Ford battery plant

Intake: Glenn Youngkin, Virginia’s Republican governor, has nixed the possible construction of a battery plant in his state, a plant that may have employed 2500 people, because the Ford project would be in conjunction with CATL, the world’s largest EV battery producer, and CATL is a Chinese company. “Youngkin’s administration has previously characterized the project as a ‘front’ for the Chinese Communist Party that would raise national security concerns,” said the Associated Press. His Democratic opponents disagree. “Virginia House Democratic Leader Don Scott made the case Thursday that Youngkin should try to reverse course and salvage the project. ‘He wanted to make headlines by calling Ford—Ford—a front for China. And who’s paying the price? Twenty-five hundred hard-working Virginians,’” Scott said.

Exhaust: For Ford’s part, a spokesperson says the company continues to explore possibilities for the plant elsewhere. The rest pretty much speaks for itself. — SCS

Ford will pay you to cancel your Bronco order

Intake: Ford is experiencing such demand for the new Bronco that the company is offering a $2500 incentive for you to cancel your 2023 Bronco order and buy something else, such as an Escape, Bronco Sport, Edge, Explorer, Expedition, Ranger, or F-150. CarsDirect.com says the deal covers new orders for the replacement vehicles, not vehicles that are already in stock.

Exhaust: Ford, with the new Bronco and Maverick pickup, has a unique problem: It can’t fill all the orders. We doubt that a $2500 incentive will make many Bronco customers who are in line for the SUV to drop their order, but it’s a unique idea. — SCS

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Sitting right in front of the garage door, perfectly centered under a warm incandescent 60-watt bulb, sits 850 pounds of five-speed, four-cylinder, three-shades-of-brown Honda Goldwing. It’s the motorcycle equivalent of a sad old shop dog. It mainly just sits around, but you know there will come a time—and soon—when it will be sent to a nice farm in Ohio.

I take pity on the Goldwing, but only when my tolerance for its bullshit stacks up high enough. This is the other side of tolerance stackup. If you’ve know that term, you probably heard it used in reference to a mechanical assembly that involves bearings or some other component that requires precise calculation to ensure a proper fit.

Think of something like a solid-lifter valvetrain in a cam-in-block V-8 engine. Change the deck height of the engine by milling the surface, add a thinner head gasket, and switch to an aftermarket roller-rocker cam, and a stock-sized pushrod will no longer be the correct length. You often cannot calculate correct sizing until you assemble all those parts, either, as the tolerance on each is a window, sometimes defined in thousandths of an inch, and those thousandths can stack up and create a very ill-fitting assembly.

Sloppy assemblies are side effects of production budget. Machining everything perfectly every time requires time and precision that is incredibly expensive to do at scale. In this garage, tolerance stackup is totally different. Here it is best described as the slow buildup of willpower required to accomplish jobs that are just plain unfun. That triple-brown Goldwing is a collection of exactly those.

In the middle of a busy summer, it got parked under that light, blocking the garage door. It became a nuisance—I had to roll its great heft around anytime I needed access to both garage doors. There was, and really is, no great place to park this behemoth.

This bike might photograph well, but it is scruffy. If you find Sam Smith’s Weissrat BMW project heroic, know that this Goldwing is truly garbage. There are missing and broken parts galore, yet the bike still runs. The wiring is hacked up. The seller provided no maintenance history, so the timing belt has likely been the same one for all of the 81,000 miles this bike has travelled. It got fresh fluids and a quick carb refresh when it arrived in my garage, and … nothing else. Then I took it on thousands of miles’ worth of adventures, waiting for the day it would leave me stranded.

It never has.

Often it would strand itself at home. I guess technically that is still stranding me, but the situation is not truly inconvenient, so I’m not sure. The latest instance was the expected culprit: the rack of four Keihin CV carburetors. It had reached a level of internal gunk buildup that meant the carbs acted more as air restrictors than as air/fuel mixing devices.

This bike gets the cheapest of everything, and that includes gas. Ethanol, the dreaded E word, had conspired to wreak havoc inside the carburetors’ bowls and passages. I knew this back in September. I took months to actually pull the rack of carbs.

The process is a pain in the butt. From removing the chrome farkles added by previous owners to re-routing the push-and-pull throttle cables so that they don’t bind when the airbox is installed, doing the job right takes all my patience. If just one piece of my proverbial mental assembly is out of spec, my will power evaporates and I avoid that project for another week.

My acquisition of this GL1100 is rooted in a joke. An off-hand comment about how cheap and shitty it was. A challenge to a group of friends that if they raised the funds to procure it I would not only get it running but do something stupid with it—a road trip, or jump, or any number of bad ideas involving a $450 vintage motorcycle.

Instead it became something I actually loved having around—a commuter whose hard luggage had plenty of space for anything I needed to carry, even if they weren’t waterproof any more. It is also the only motorcycle I have that is honestly street-legal and capable of highway speeds.

Even when I tried to let the Goldwing die, I couldn’t. Instead, I recruited a friend to help me push the stupid thing onto my motorcycle lift so I could clean and reassemble the carbs. This winter has been so mild I can still commute on this beast, so imagine my excitement when it fired right to life.

Then I went to start it this morning. The starter clutch died, and now the bike won’t start. A Goldwing’s starter clutch is chain-driven on the tail end of the engine and accessing it requires a lot of disassembly. The tolerance stackup inside that clutch finally hit the point it no longer works, and guess what? So have I. Sorry, Goldwing. I just don’t see my tolerance for the annoying parts of that repair building up anytime soon.

I’ll wait a bit, anyway. Maybe the way I’m measuring how annoying the job will be is wrong and I actually can tolerate the task. We’ll see. For now, it’s back under that lonely light bulb, blocking the garage door.

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2022 was quite the year for collector motorcycles. We saw a 500cc two-stroke Grand Prix bike come up for sale twice on two sides of the world, a $60,000 BMW R90S smash records, and prewar motorcycles thrive. These are huge shakeups in the motorcycle world and significant moments in a market that operates far differently than the collector-car one, and at much lower values.

Motorcycle enthusiasts are a breed of their own, with an unparalleled passion for the hobby. These sales drove home the growth and vigor of the collector bike market. Let’s combine Hagerty’s number-crunching and my love of motorcycles to look into five of the most significant motorcycle sales of 2022.

Need to brush up on how we define each of our four vehicle conditions? All the details are here. 

1936 Brough Superior 990cc SS100

Sold for: $302,670

Hagerty Price Guide #1 (Concours) condition value: $390,000

The chart of record sales down the page shows just where this 1936 Brough Superior lies: smack in the middle of the decade that contains the majority of record motorcycle sales. Its sale price isn’t over the model’s #1 (or top) value. Nor even the #2 value. Yet this sale sheds light on the health of a market that some thought had stumbled.

The significance comes in three forms:

1. Brough Superior motorcycles are blue-chip collectibles that benchmark the high-end collector market (think of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL and how we can use it to predict the car market’s future)
2. British motorcycles have had many collectors watching for a drop as boomer interest for British motorcycles wanes and the Japanese market picks up steam with Gen-X and millennials.
3. Anyone who idolized this bike when they were 20 years old is now 107. That person isn’t in the market for this bike today.

Brough Superior motorcycles are blue-chip collectibles that benchmark the high-end collector market (think the Mercedes-Benz 300SL and how we can use it to predict the car market’s future). This sale is emblematic of how top-flight prewar collector motorcycles transcend generations and have remained strong despite two key factors: age and increased competition.

Buyers are significantly younger than any of these prewar bikes, meaning they had no emotional tie to the bike when it emerged from the factory. Given that discrepancy, and the rise in popularity of Japanese collector motorcycles, many have sounded the death knell for British bikes. To each of those points, this Brough said, “not today.”

This motorcycle, like several Brough sales before it, commanded top dollar despite being in #4 (Fair) condition. It doesn’t run, was stored in a wet or flooded structure, and requires a full restoration. Demand clearly remains strong for these motorcycles regardless of condition. Their draw indicates an appreciation for the art and craftsmanship behind the creation of such a vehicle.

1996 Yamaha YZR500 OWJ1 Kenny Roberts Jr.

Sale price: $321,000

The motorcycle market massively values history, performance, and design. A 500cc two-stroke Grand Prix bike is about as iconic as racing motorcycles come for many enthusiasts today. The 500cc two-stroke era ignites every sensation: the smell of the fuel, the buzz and rattling from the engines, even the pain of seeing violent high-side crashes under sudden power.

This 1996 Yamaha YZR500, which hails from Kenny Robert’s final Yamaha Grand Prix team and was ridden by his son, Kenny Roberts Jr., represents the motorcycle equivalent of some of the most iconic and recognizable Ferrari F1 cars from the early 2000s. One such car, Michael Schumacher’s F2003 from the 2003 Formula 1 season just sold for $14.87M. Robert’s YZR500 just sold for a mere 46th of the price of the Schumacher F1 Ferrari, at $321,000. While less than its $400,000 asking price earlier last summer at RMD Motors, any price in that range represents some compelling market movement.

This is a massive outlay of cash for the motorcycle market, and those spending these amounts are doing in a calculated way, especially for more modern bikes. Motorcycles from the 1990s and onward may be on the rise, when sales like this one put one of their genre in the running for best-ever auction sales.

As evidenced in the chart below, the motorcycle record list is dominated by European and American motorcycles from the 1940s and earlier. Process this—the median year of the top 50 most expensive motorcycles at auction is 1938. For cars, it is 23 years newer: 1961.

The more money spent in a certain segment validates future spending at similar or higher prices, too. Top-tier modern Grand Prix and MotoGP motorcycles are leading the way as younger bikes gain a foothold at the top of the market.

1976 BMW R90S

Sale Price: $63,000

HPG #1 condition value: $33,100

Let me be the bearer of bad news: Your R90S is not worth $63K because of this sale. This sale of an R90S, a bike that has commonly traded around $20K for a #1 (Concours) condition example, does not reset those #1 values to anywhere close to $60K. But that’s not why this sale matters.

Its significance rests on the vast value difference between a 100 percent, truly perfect and concours-ready bike compared to a 95 percet perfect bike. The above bike is that 100 percent perfect example, completed by one of the most respected R90S restorers with minute attention to detail. An example of investment-grade quality like this brought out the deepest of pockets in a growing and thriving market. It might be the first, and it might seem like a leap of faith for BMW R90S values, but as restorations become more expensive and parts harder to find, enthusiasts will likely ante up again.

Looking at other sales just shows how stratospheric this sale was, and how it has no relation to current mainstream R90S values. But the confidence of those who are putting the largest checks down on the table should make you feel good about the market’s trajectory.

1936 Harley-Davidson EL Knucklehead

Sale price: $181,500

HPG #1 condition value: $182K

Expensive does not mean significant, yet the two attributes are often linked. We use the top of the market to gauge trickle-down impacts to more affordably priced segments, to determine what is resonating with the big players in the collector world, and to see where investment money is landing, especially at a time when buyers are looking to assets to safeguard against inflation. This Knucklehead sold in August 2022 at a time of uncertainty: Interest rates had increased five-fold from only four months prior. That $182K sale price (right on its #1-condition value in our price guide) demonstrated market confidence in classic prewar American motorcycles (Knucklehead production did go slightly postwar, to 1947).

This is further supported by buying demand from younger generation. That may come as a shock to those who hear the drones of “Harleys are dying” and “young people don’t like motorcycles.” Ask a car enthusiast if the prewar American cars have a strong outlook and you likely won’t find much confidence, but it’s quite the opposite in the motorcycle market.

In fact, millennial interest in the 1936-1947 Harley-Davidson EL/FL Knucklehead more than doubled since 2019. The brand speaks to that younger audience in this segment, and a Knucklehead owner is twice as likely as an Indian Chief owner to be fewer than 40 years old. We took note of these significant data points and the strong sales, so much so we included the Knucklehead in our 2023 Hagerty Bull Market list.

1974 Maico GP250 Moto Cross

Sale price: $20,500

#1 condition value: $9900

Despite not being street-legal and bucking the normal collector motorcycle trend of shunning plastic bits, dirt bikes have been an extremely hot segment over the last two years. Multiple sales of Maico models for up to $20,000—and even this 1980 model’s sale for $15,000—at Mecum’s 2022 Las Vegas motorcycle auction proves that it’s the segment, not just popular name brands, that have stood the test of time (Maico went bankrupt in 1983).

A large swath of buyers in the collector market are inspired by bikes of their youth regardless of how popular or known those bikes are today. When those cult followings coalesce around a segment, prices can skyrocket.

Other motorcycles that stand to benefit from this are the early big-bore two-strokes like Honda CR500s as well as the bikes that kickstarted the modern motocross era like the unobtanium Yamaha YZ250A. If this trend continues and dirt bikes find themselves further in the mainstream collector market, expect the poster bikes of Gen-X youth to win out. Sales like this little Maico’s give confidence to those watching.

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We don’t pretend to have a crystal ball at Hagerty Insider. At this time last year, for instance, none of us would have forecast that land war would break out in Europe and dramatically impact energy costs and supply chains.

That said, we do have a lot of data, as well as analysts who spend all day, every day, following the gyrations of the collector car market. That in mind, we put them on the spot and asked them to proffer predictions for 2023.

And in case you think we’ll let any of our team forget these come December, check out how we scored last year’s predictions.

1. A Ferrari will sell for $40M+.

With Michael Mann’s Ferrari movie coming out in 2023, the marque’s return to Le Mans as a factory team, and a 250 LM consigned to the Rétromobile auctions in February, it could be a big year for Ferraris at auction. —John Wiley, manager of valuation analytics

2. Classic-car imports from Europe (and particularly the U.K.) will continue to surge.

Even though the British pound has recovered somewhat from a summer downturn that saw it briefly drop to near parity with the dollar, the economy in the U.K. remains in the doldrums. With the war in Ukraine grinding on and continuing to drive up energy costs, it might be unfashionable (to put it mildly) for enthusiasts on the Continent to add to their collections. American collectors may well fill the vacuum, as they did at many of the late-summer and fall auctions in the U.K. —Adam Wilcox, information analyst

https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/YmD10/1/

3. The average value of a collector motorcycle will surpass $10k USD for the first time ever.

Appreciation in the Hagerty Motorcycle Price Guide accelerated in 2022, with the average dollar value of a #3 motorcycle increasing four times more than during the previous year. As motorcycles enter further into the mainstream collector hobby and even make inroads in the the art world, expect this appreciation to continue. —James Hewitt, senior information analyst and editor of the Hagerty Motorcycle Price Guide

4. Appreciation for lower-priced (< $250K) vehicles will slow in 2023, while $1M+ vehicles will appreciate faster.

During the pandemic, prices for mainstream collector cars increased dramatically. Inflation and economic pressures slowed that growth in 2022. Reserves for mainstream vehicles became less common in 2022, which suggests weakening demand. Expect that to carry into 2023 as the Federal Reserve’s effort to tamp down inflation continues to cool consumer activity. In contrast, top-tier classics tend to behave differently. Their appreciation sped up later in 2022, and likely will continue to perform well in 2023. —John Wiley

5. An ABC kei car will sell for over $50,000.

For those who don’t know, the ABC kei cars are a trio of sporty pint-sized cars built for the Japanese domestic market—the Autozam AZ-1, Honda Beat, and Suzuki Cappuccino (the latter is a member of the 2023 Hagerty Bull Market List). The current record for a member of the trio is a 1993 Autozam AZ-1 that sold for $35,530 in September 2021. Buzz around these cars has continued to grow, and if a clean example of the rare Mazdaspeed or M2 1015 versions comes to auction, it could surpass $50,000. —Adam Wilcox

6. No NFTs will sell at a collector car auction

Crypto isn’t disappearing entirely from the collector car hobby, but given the drama and dropping values in the world of digital currencies, expect the experiments selling non-fungible tokens to end for now. —Adam Wilcox

7. Online auction growth will continue to slow.

Last year I incorrectly predicted that that online auction sales would double sales in 2022; they saw “only” a 45 percent increase. With the bidding frenzy of last summer seemingly past us, I expect that growth to slow even more, to less than a third. Mind you, that would still be $2 billion for the year—more than 10 times the online total just five years ago. —John Wiley

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F-Type gets a royal sendoff that celebrates 75 years of Jaguar sports cars

Intake: Ahead of the brand’s all-electric pivot in 2025, Jaguar is giving its gorgeous sports coupe and convertible a going-away present as the F-Type ceases production in 2024. The F-Type R-Dynamic offers a supercharged 5.0-liter V-8 with 450 hp and rear-wheel-drive, but the two all-wheel-drive variants will get special 75th-anniversary goodies. The F-Type 75 uses the same 450-hp V-8 while the F-Type R 75 gets a 575-hp version of the 5-liter. The special options available include Giola Green metallic paint and unique interior appointments. MSRP for the coupe starts at $79,175 and orders are open now.

Exhaust: We’ll be sad to see Jaguar’s F-Type go and will miss its beautiful lines as much as we will its wonderful V-8 and its glorious noise. The one consolation is that the Giola Green is very appropriate for a British sports car. — Brandan Gillogly

U.S.-made EVs are dominating the domestic EV market

Intake: According to new vehicle registration data from Experian, electric vehicles built in the U.S. are dominating the domestic EV market. The report comes from Automotive News, which also says that thanks to new tax incentives stipulating where an EV must be produced, that trend is likely to increase. The Experian data says that roughly three of every four new EVs registered in the states during the first 11 months of 2022 were assembled in the U.S. Tesla led the way volume-wise, with 431,740 new vehicle registrations in the U.S. last year. (The company doesn’t break out manufacturing data by region, so analysts must estimate how many of those Teslas were built at the Austin, Texas, plant or the Fremont, California plant.) Other EV makers with strong American footprints include GM, Ford, and Rivian.

Exhaust: As automakers race to ensure that their EVs qualify for the full $7500 tax incentive, expect to see more foreign brands stand up manufacturing facilities here in the U.S. Hyundai recently announced plans for a plant in Georgia, and Volkswagen just recently began producing its ID.4 EV at the Chattanooga, Tennessee, facility to satisfy the bill’s conditions. — Nathan Petroelje

2023 Goodwood Revival will celebrate Carroll Shelby

Intake: The Stars and Stripes will be flying over Goodwood in September as the annual Revival classic car races are held in tribute to Carroll Shelby. Shelby would have been 100 years old in 2023, and the British circuit has been linked to the racer, car maker, and entrepreneur since the early days of his career. In 1959 Shelby won the RAC Tourist Trophy in an Aston Martin DBR1/300 which he shared with Jack Fairman and Stirling Moss. Shelby had just won Le Mans with Roy Salvadori in the same car, and victory at Goodwood wrapped up the World Championship for Aston. Goodwood will honor Shelby with feature races and exhibits featuring cars he raced, including the MG-TC he first campaigned in 1952, along with the cars he went on to design and develop.

“Goodwood held a very special place in my grandfather’s heart,” said Aaron Shelby, board member of Carroll Shelby International. “He competed there as a driver in an Aston Martin and returned to race at the Circuit with the Shelby American team cars during the 1960s. Carroll attended the Goodwood Revival with his Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe, and as a Word War II aviator, he especially admired the vintage warbird exhibit. We’re honored that the Duke of Richmond and his team have chosen to honor the 100th anniversary of Carroll’s birthday this year. We look forward to a marvelous weekend at the Goodwood Revival.”

Exhaust: The 2023 Goodwood Revival is set to be an absolute belter, as this year marks not just 25 years since the event began, but 75 years since the circuit opened. The three-day motorsports festival takes place on September 8–10 and tickets are available now at the Goodwood Road and Racing website. — Nik Berg

Ducati sets sales record, led by non-superbike models

Intake: The motorcycle brand best known for being Italian, red, and fast announced yesterday that 2022 was a banner year with over 61,000 Ducatis finding new homes. Interestingly, the three bikes leading the sales boom are the Multistrada V4 (10,716 sold), Monster (7739 sold), and the Scrambler 800 family (6880 sold). According to Francesco Milicia, Ducati’s VP of global sales and after sales, these record sales came despite logistic and supply chain issues in the first six months of the year. Considering there are more than 800 Ducati dealerships worldwide, these sales numbers indicate that the Bologna-based brand seems to be onto something as of late.

Exhaust: One of every six Ducatis rolling out of showrooms was some variant of the Multistrada adventure bike, meaning even motorcycles brands are not immune from the quest for more functional machines, i.e. the multitude of car brands that subsidize the sports cars by selling SUVs and grand touring four-doors. If it keeps the thumping Desmo twins in production, we aren’t complaining. For now. — Kyle Smith

NACTOY announces car, truck, and SUV of the year

Intake: The 2023 North American Car, Truck, and Utility Vehicle of the Year (NACTOY) award winners are in: The North American Car of the Year is the Acura Integra, the truck of the year is the Ford F-150 Lightning, and the SUV of the year is the Kia EV6. This year’s NACTOY awards began with 47 eligible vehicles that were new or substantially changed, which jurors later narrowed in three rounds of independently verified voting to 26 semifinalists, then nine finalists, and then the 2023 winners. The Integra beat out the Nissan Z and the Genesis G80 EV; the Lightning won over the Lordstown Endurance and the Chevrolet Silverado ZR2, and the Kia EV6 won over the Cadillac Lyriq and the Genesis GV60.

Exhaust: Good vehicles all. As a voter, I preferred the Z and the Lyriq, but that’s why we have 50 voters from the U.S. and Canada, all independent journalists. Congratulations to the winners. — Steven Cole Smith

Michigan-based Carvana dealership loses its license

Intake: According to a report by the Detroit Free Press, a Carvana dealership located in Novi, Michigan has agreed to surrender its dealer license following a state investigation last fall that revealed that Carvana committed violations of the Michigan Vehicle Code. The problems stemmed from the untimely delivery of titles following a vehicle’s sale. On Wednesday, Carvana’s senior associate general counsel, Chris Olson, told the Free Press that Carvana would hand in its in-state dealer license for a period of three years, after which it can apply for a new one.

Exhaust: The Free Press article noted that Michigan car buyers could still purchase a car from Carvana online and take delivery of it that way. 2022 was a bruiser of a year for Carvana, with plummeting used-car prices squeezing profit margins, eventually forcing massive layoffs. Its stock price has tumbled from $360/share in August of 2021 to just $5.49/share at the time of this writing. Legal issues in multiple states, much like the issue that forced the surrender of its dealer license at the Novi location, have ailed the company as well. — Nathan Petroelje

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As enthusiasts, we often catch ourselves wishing manufacturers would build something without the accounting team’s input. Just think of what could be! The splendor of a concept that goes straight to production and then rolls out to dealer showrooms for us consumers to purchase and tool about town on. Something that is truly cool and unique.

That’ll never happen … again.

Mainly because Honda learned its lesson from the Rune. Back in 1995 Honda rolled a concept called Zodia into its booth at a Tokyo show. The wild cruiser garnered the standard attention and also standard, “That’s neat, but nothing like what we’ll see in showrooms”-type comments.

Then in 1998 a bike called T1 appeared. It captured a similar feel and showed that Honda just might be serious about this wild cruiser thing. Look a the T1 and you’ll probably see more VTX than anything but that was only because in the background the T2 was being formed. Like the T1, the T2 was based around the Goldwing flat-six engine. It was an aluminum twin-spar engine and Pro-Link rear suspension that was a staple of Honda during the time. This was the same decade where Honda decided oval-piston 750cc engines were something worth developing, so when the public said the T2 was great there was not much more prodding needed.

The reaction was strong. Really strong. People loved it.

There were two more largely forgettable concepts, but T2 was the one that made the most impact. As the team pivoted towards producing something like T2 the news came down from on high that the normal shackles of production would be unlocked and design would take precedence. Cost be damned, build a factory custom cruiser like never before! Enter the Rune, and the start of wild financial adventure at Honda. Ryan at FortNine recently rode one and gave a little insight as to how wild these big bikes are.

See, with design being paramount there is very little parts sharing. Seemingly every part is crafted to look one-off and unlike anything else Honda had built, was building, or would build. The front suspension alone cost more than some of the smaller displacement Honda bikes that were in showrooms at the time. The two front shocks are even side-specific, with the right holding the main spring while the left controls damping and has a lighter sub-spring. The bike appears absurdly long and the extremely low 27.2-inch seat height only exacerbates the wild proportions.

That stubby yet flowing exhaust was created using lost wax casting, an incredibly time- and material-intensive process that creates parts one at a time at an absurd cost. From the switchgear on the handlebars to the curved multi-core radiator, the Rune has numerous one-off bits and pieces that compile to create a nearly 900-pound motorcycle that is unlike anything else Honda would build.

So what is the Rune then? A middle finger of an executive on the way out the door who greenlit an absurd project as a final task? Honda trying to cash in on the wild custom chopper craze of the early ’00s? Something even wilder?

No, the truth is stranger than fiction here. It’s a motorcycle made to be ridden and make a statement when it’s parked. It does that second part in spades. Whether or not that unspoken statement is in your language is personal and up to you. Regardless of how you feel about it, the Rune stands out as one of the times, if not the time, that a manufacturer threw out logic. I guess we can’t complain that Honda didn’t do exactly what we asked for, even if it didn’t age as well as other contemporary designs.

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Norton made plenty of news last year, for contrasting reasons. The famous old marque, revived under Indian ownership, is developing glamorous V-4 superbikes; but former boss Stuart Garner received a suspended prison sentence for pension fraud.

Fortunes were even more mixed a century ago. In 1923, Norton began production of a new roadster, the Model 18, whose 490cc, single-cylinder engine featured overhead valves, boosting performance over the previous side-valve design.

This was an exciting time for the Birmingham firm, but also a sad one. Founder James Lansdowne Norton, or “Pa” as he was known, was a frail figure who had recently been diagnosed with the bowel cancer that would claim his life in 1925, aged just 56.

By contrast his Model 18 went from strength to strength. It broke a bunch of speed records at Brooklands in 1923, and won the following year’s Isle of Man Senior TT, ridden by Alec Bennett. It then became a long-running success, remaining in production for more than 30 years.

“Unapproachable Norton,” Norton’s old advertising line went, and that seemed easy to understand on riding this enjoyably lively old Model 18—even if much of the marque’s racing reputation was earned by the more powerful CS1, its successor as the sports flagship.

This well-preserved Model 18 was built in 1937, by which time it had gained some chassis updates and a larger, more rounded petrol tank. But it was still light, weighing 160 kg (352 pounds), and felt small and low as I settled onto the sprung saddle, which was barely higher than the flush-fitting rear mudguard.

I had a gentle stretch forward to the fairly wide bars. The fuel tank had an attractive, teardrop-shaped chromed instrument panel in its top, holding a speedometer, ammeter and light switch.

The CS1, named after its overhead-camshaft engine, had relegated the older model to sports-tourer status in Norton’s line-up, but even decades later the Model 18 felt like a genuinely sporty single. Its Amal carburetor gave slightly rough running at very low revs, but then the bike picked up and surged forward.

It felt quick if not exactly unapproachable, with an impressive willingness to rev despite the engine’s long-stroke dimensions. Its thumping exhaust note added a pleasant, fairly restrained soundtrack.

Another update had been a four-speed gearbox, in place of the original three-speeder. This bike’s box shifted smoothly provided I didn’t try to hurry the right-foot change.

The Model 18’s maximum power output of about 20 bhp had not changed since its launch. The extra gearbox ratio helped keep acceleration to roughly its original level, despite the extra weight.

The bike sat at an effortless 55-mph in top gear, vibrating slightly but not enough to be annoying, and with power in hand for more speed if given a tweak of the throttle. In third gear it was even more eager, but I didn’t want to push my luck by revving this elderly machine too hard.

As well as being pleasantly surprised by how quick and entertaining the Model 18 felt, I also occasionally found it infuriating. When the motor was hot it sometimes took some frantic kicking to bring it back to life.

In later years Norton fitted the carburetor with a spring-loaded control which, with a flick of the rider’s fingers, raised the slide to the ideal position for starting. Clearly I wasn’t the only one to struggle.

Chassis updates prior to 1937 meant this bike’s handling was probably better than that of the original model. By this time, Norton’s girder forks had been modified to include a smaller spring on each side, in addition to the main central spring.

The smaller pair softened the suspension’s rebound ferocity; less efficiently than hydraulic damping, but better than nothing. The forks also incorporated knobs each side to adjust their action, in similar fashion to the central friction steering damper knob just behind the headlight.

Given the bike’s rigid rear end, the job of soaking up bumps was down to the rear Avon tyre and the sprung saddle, which did a reasonable job between them. Having no rear suspension wasn’t as detrimental to handling as it might sound, and the Model 18 could be cornered reasonably confidently.

It also braked with reassuring efficiency for such an old bike, thanks to its reasonably powerful single-leading-shoe drum at each end.

The Model 18 also had a good reputation for reliability, so given the excellent condition of this bike I was surprised when it suddenly ground to a halt. Well, slightly surprised. It was a pretty ancient British motorbike, after all.

Glancing under the left of the tank revealed that one of the exposed valve rocker-arms had come loose. So much for this new-fangled “overhead valve” feature.

As I had no tools with me, the Model 18’s trip ended in a van. Fortunately, replacing the rocker was a quick job, and no damage was done. The engine was finally updated with enclosed valvegear in 1938, the year after this bike was built.

Norton was also notoriously conservative when it came to modernizing its chassis. When the firm restarted production of civilian bikes in 1946, after World War II, one of the two models it built was the Model 18—still with girder forks and rigid rear end.

Even Norton’s high command realized that this could be only a temporary measure, though, and for 1947 the Model 18 got telescopic forks, plus the option of plunger rear suspension.

Even so, the rigid rear end, which many riders thought gave better handling, remained standard fitment until the Model 18 was finally dropped from the range in 1955—fully 32 years after its introduction.

Norton’s first overhead-valve single had been granted an impressively long innings. If only the same had been true of the visionary engineer and founding father who had created it.

 

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1937 Norton Model 18

Highs: Its lean looks, lively feel and light weight

Lows: When you can’t kick-start the hot engine

Takeaway: It blends vintage Norton style with youthful charm

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Engine: Air-cooled OHV single

Capacity: 490 cc

Power: 20 bhp @ 5000rpm

Weight: 160 kg (352 pounds) with fluids

Top speed: 75 mph

Via Hagerty UK

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I hate CNBC. I hate CNN, Yahoo Finance, and MarketWatch. Well, it’s not that I actually hate them. More like I hate the fact that they are readily available to other people, and those people watch them and have equally brilliant ideas to my own.

Political turmoil, out-of-control inflation, and a formerly-disproved fiscal policy amounted to a recent exchange rate drop in the United Kingdom, the likes of which hadn’t been seen outside of a global conflict. So, methinks, if I send some cash over to the UK and hold it there until the upcoming Bonhams Stafford motorcycle auction, I should be able to buy some bikes on the cheap. I would have a 15 percent advantage just based on the exchange rate.

Fantastic.

So, I arranged finances and notified my international transporters of choice, Shippio in England and Schumacher over here, that the entire auction would be loaded up and shipped over to me at pennies on the dollar.

Only trouble is that apparently, others had the same idea.

As a dealer of all things on two or four (and sometimes even three) wheels, and having spent the first half of my life in England and Europe, I am most drawn to machines of that area of manufacture. So, when an auction house offers a plethora of motorcycles, I’m there, dressed in my buying boots, even if it is in the middle of the night California time. But, regardless of all that coffee and a trigger finger on the bid button, I only managed to snag a handful of what I believe are good bikes at reasonable prices.

According to sources, the sale was, and I quote, mental: 96 percent sell-through with over half of the 300-odd bikes heading overseas, and about a quarter of the sale heading Stateside. A shocking number for a country that has historically been importing collector bikes from around the world by the container load. Many of these bikes were bought by dealers, but a noticeable number went to individual collectors, including a Honda Z50 that was flown in for an impatient enthusiast. The bikes that stayed in the UK likely were those that didn’t have much appeal outside the country (such as those from a museum divested itself of British speedway racing motorcycles).

This auction wasn’t a fluke. Hagerty analysis of shipping data for classic cars shows a 15 percent uptick in imports from the UK to the States. For bikes, those in the know in international transport tell me exports from the United States are down—way down—and imports are up. It used to be about 80 percent for export, but now it is more like 50/50 in/out.

So, what does this say about the motorcycle market? That it’s global, and as a result, quite resilient. Despite (or maybe because of) a barrage of news about interest-rate hikes, inflation data, and downturns in stock and real estate, buyers believed that these motorcycles are unlikely to be cheaper over the next few months or years.

All to say, many more bikes are coming into the United States. Should you join the fray? If so, how does it work?

First, I can’t recommend buying from anyone but a reputable dealer or established auction company. There are too many horror stories about private party deals that don’t really exist. All the firms you would deal with have done this before and can recommend an international transporter to help you. Let them do the paperwork. Customs can be a relationship business, and for the nominal cost to get the paperwork right, these relationships are worth their weight in motorcycles. A seasoned seller will also take the bike to the port, get it loaded, and reverse the process at this end with nice, tidy import documents. Then it is up to you to work out how to get a title for it in the state in which you reside. Research that at the outset: It can be painful, arduous, and expensive.

What to buy and import? Therein lies the trick. You have to juggle interest rates, socioeconomic factors and tastes. That last nugget is the fiddly bit: what is worth more here than there, wherever “there” is? Simple to research, but asking prices are not reliable information, and tastes and associated prices move. A lot. I’d love to recommend a year, make, model, but with my luck that rose will shed its bloom before I finish writing this article. And prices will adjust as a taste shifts with remarkable speed, once word is out.

What we can be sure of is that all these external factors are cyclical, and that my handful of machines that are now bobbing their way across the Atlantic will be worth more in the UK as soon as economics and politics right-side. They will then have an exchange rate advantage and can afford to buy them all back. And so the world turns.

Nick Smith is a motorcycle and car appraiser and principle of motorcycle dealer Classic Avenue. He’s based in California but a Briton at heart.

Via Hagerty Insider

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Last month, we asked members of Hagerty Media about their wish list for Santa. While it woulda been fun to see who was naughty and who was nice, perhaps discretion is the better part of valor. So instead, we’ll ring in the new year with some of our favorite moments from last year.

Who knows, maybe these picks will inspire us (or you) to seek new inspiration in 2023, or perhaps to dip back into the well that’s been so good to us in the past.

Cars and Coffee with the Family

Matthew Fink, our Branded Content Writer, said his favorite moment was when he took his Dad and son to their first Cars and Coffee with other classic car owners. He said it was an easy choice, and that moment “made all the cost and struggles to get a car and keep it running worth it.” More to the point, Matt wished he did this years ago!

Cars and Buildings

Mine was pretty easy, as I had watched the movie Columbus and always wondered what car could turn that little Indiana town into a story for automobile enthusiasts. More specifically, enthusiasts who also have an appreciation for great architecture. It took years to find the right car for that city, but luckily I found the right rolling sculpture in the Minecraft-like Hyundai Ioniq 5.

What resulted was an installment in Hagerty’s Great Reads. I am beyond proud of the hard work that went into making this happen. So if you like buildings with your cars, check this out.

Staying in the Moment

Sam Smith, our Editor-at-Large, remembered how a snapshot of an Audi race car “set off a cascade of memories that reminded me everything is forever on its way to somewhere else” and subsequently gave us a fantastic chapter in his In The Moment series.

Radical old with radical new

Eric Weiner, our Executive Editor, chose his contribution to 2022’s installment of our Great Reads where he drove a Tesla Model 3 and a Citroën DS together for a story idea that’s been simmering “for about eight years.” You can experience Eric’s Great Read here.

Barracudas and Boats

Aaron Robinson, another of our Editors-at-Large, was thrilled to work on the brakes of Mr. Bean’s Plymouth Barracuda but his time with the USS Nimitz might have been even cooler. You know, even if the Nimitz‘s connection to automobiles is, as Aaron put it, rather “tangential.”

Racing and Spectating

Senior Editor Eddy Eckart chose two moments in motorsports. What a modest guy, as his C8 Corvette Z06 review was a banger!

Anyway, Eddy loved his time as a driver, when he went karting at Nelson Ledges in 2022. While he didn’t win, he noted that “I sharpened my skills and got deeper into one of the purest forms of motorsport out there.” But Eddy went further, referencing Colton Herta’s amazing save at Indy, as seen in the video above. Wow, that was a moment to savor.

Six Ways and a Wedding

Editor Kyle Smith was actually conflicted on our question, because two of his articles “represented big shifts in my life.” The wrap-up of the Six Ways to Sunday project and the tale of Driving the Model A to his wedding were moments in time that he will hold “close to my heart for many years for a variety of reasons.”

Demolition Man

Editor and Photographer Cameron Neveu raced in his first demolition derby this summer. Cam drove a “Dodge Caravan painted like a Minion from Despicable Me. I finished second. The crowd loved me!”

Therapy behind the wheel

Grace Houghton, Associate Managing Editor, had the privilege of escaping “the glamorous hustle of Monterey Car Week’s auctions and press events” to get some quality time with a special BMW. Grace says this was a “refreshing reminder of how therapeutic driving can be, and how a moment can find you.”

Becoming Dad of the year

Ben Woodworth, Senior Video Lead, never fails to impress me in his replies for Our Two Cents. This time he gave us a true gem:

“Mine is pretty simple: Doing donuts in the snow in an empty parking lot in my crappy car with my kids giggling in the back seat.”

California Dreamin’

Joe DeMatio, Senior Manager of Content, remembered a wonderful trip in a wonderful car:

“This photo was taken near Willow Springs, but the previous Saturday morning I crossed the Oregon-California border, southbound. The section on Interstate 5 that took me up to Mt. Shasta and through the Shasta-Trinity National Forest was spectacular, traffic was light, I was behind the wheel of my newly-purchased 2019 VW Golf Alltrack, and I was headed to San Francisco, one of my favorite places.”

R/C cars and minivans

Associate Editor Nathan Petroelje said his moment was a “toss-up between overlanding in a minivan” and exploring the world of R/C vehicles in Florida. He put this community’s enthusiasm in proper perspective when he said:

“The passion that I discovered there draws from the same pool that full-size automotive enthusiasm does, but the attention to detail and the creativity that these folks put on display is truly incredible. They’re crazy fun to wheel through the forest, too!”

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Ram’s Revolution electric truck will offer a gas-powered range extender

Intake: At a round table event during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this week, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares confirmed that the forthcoming Ram Revolution electric pickup will offer a gas-powered range extender, according to Car and Driver. Rumors of the range extender surfaced as early as last February, when EVPulse sat down with Ram CEO Mike Koval Jr. and first heard about such a plan. Not every Ram Revolution will come with the extender, but it looks like it will be an option for those who may be concerned about their truck’s overall range or what will happen to that range if they try to tow anything of substance, which substantially reduces an electric truck’s range. Information on the range extender itself was scant, but don’t expect some big Hemi V-8 to be pressed into service here; we might be talking about an engine smaller than that used in any other Stellantis product so as not to impede the available space of the Revolution EV, like the trick pass-through that extends from the frunk all the way through the cabin out the back of the bed.

Exhaust: Ram hasn’t made available any details on torque, power, or range for its new EV, but the mere fact that it’s choosing to ponder a range extender lends credence to Ram’s claim that the Revolution will be “the leader in a combination of areas customers care about the most: range, towing, payload and charge time.” The Chevy Silverado EV, the GMC Hummer, Ford’s F-150 Lightning, and Rivian’s R1T all go without a range extender, so perhaps this is Ram’s idea of a unique selling proposition. — Nathan Petroelje

Mercedes to bankroll 10,000 chargers

Intake: Mercedes-Benz announced Thursday at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas that it plans to roll out a global network of 10,000 high-speed battery chargers powered by green energy. The rollout will begin this year in the U.S. and Canada and expand to Europe, China, and other major markets by the decade’s end, says Automotive News. Unlike Tesla’s network of more than 40,000 Superchargers, the Mercedes chargers will be open to other automakers’ vehicles “from the outset.” Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius said, “This is about adoption. “We want to give Mercedes customers around the world yet another reason to join us on the journey towards electrification.”

Exhaust: Mercedes plans to go all-electric by 2030 and investing in chargers seems like a smart way to spend money. Mercedes and MN8 Energy will invest about $1 billion in the North American network over the next six to seven years. “We believe this is a bankable asset,” Källenius said. “This is something that you will be able to monetize when you come out of the investment phase.” — Steven Cole Smith

Dodge “Last Call” performance festival will celebrate the end of the Hemi era

Intake: A “Last Call” event at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on March 20, 2023, will usher in the seventh and final of the brand’s “Last Call” commemorative models that signal an end of Hemi-powered muscle cars from Dodge. The Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept will be on hand to symbolize the passing of the torch from Hemi to EV power. “The Dodge ‘Last Call’ event will be a celebration of Dodge performance,” said Tim Kuniskis, Dodge brand’s chief executive officer. “While the ‘Last Call’ special-edition model we will reveal at Las Vegas and the electrified Dodge Charger Daytona SRT Concept represent different performance eras for our brand, both are linked by a commitment to delivering the Brotherhood of Muscle a vehicle that drives like a Dodge, looks like a Dodge and sounds like a Dodge. No matter the era, Dodge will always be about muscle, attitude, and performance, and that’s what this event will celebrate.”

Exhaust: The previous six “Last Call” models—the Dodge Challenger Shakedown, Dodge Charger Super Bee, Dodge Challenger and Charger Scat Pack Swinger, Dodge Charger King Daytona, and Dodge Challenger Black Ghost—have all been noteworthy and instant collectibles. The final car is bound to be something truly special, as Mopar has not let its muscle car fans down lately. We can’t even venture a guess as to what might be in store, as Mopar has resurrected most of the greatest muscle car trims and options this side of mod tops. — Brandan Gillogly

Heat belts could be the hottest in-car tech of 2023

Intake: Auto parts supplier ZF, which makes everything from transmissions to autonomous valet parking systems, has a new way to warm drivers and passengers of electric vehicles without sapping precious range. The Heat Belt, as the name suggests, is a heated seat belt with built-in conductive wires that can warm up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s been designed to be compatible with existing restraint systems, and, when used in combination with a heated seat and steering wheel, ZF claims it could improve EV winter range by up to 15 percent. Directly warming the body instead of the cabin air is more energy efficient and it would also encourage drivers to shed bulky winter coats, making for a better and safer seatbelt fit.

Exhaust: It’s not the first time the idea has been floated, with Mercedes-Benz showing a version in 2019, but the exponential rise in EVs now makes it all the more appealing. ZF doesn’t have any confirmed customers for the Heat Belt yet but says it would cost the same as adding heat to a steering wheel. For EV drivers in cold climes, it could be a game changer. — Nik Berg

More than 2000 motorcycles up for auction at Mecum’s upcoming Las Vegas sale

Intake: Even as Mecum Auctions’ Kissimmee event is underway in Florida with over 4000 vehicles, the Wisconsin-based company announced that it’s also hard at work readying a Las Vegas auction January 24–28 with more than 2000 motorcycles consigned. The auction will take place at South Point Hotel and Casino, and will feature a number of collections, perhaps most notably one from Mike Wolfe’s “As Found” inventory. Wolfe, of the TV show American Pickers, will be selling 70 barn-find cycles at Mecum’s 32nd annual Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction.

Exhaust: Also up for grabs: The BMW Centennial Selection from the Black Forest Collection, and Jim’s Forever Collection from Ohio-based Harley-Davidson dealer Jim Godwin. More information is available at Mecum.com. — SCS
 

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Although weights, measures, and currency are adjusted for a U.S. audience, colloquialisms and contextual references reflect this story’s origin on our sister site, Hagerty UK. 

Italy’s motorcycle industry is on a roll right now. Ducati has just won the MotoGP title, Aprilia’s bikes have been impressing on road and track, and Moto Guzzi has launched its first liquid-cooled V-twin, the V100 Mandello. Recently troubled marques Benelli, Bimota, Fantic, and Mondial have been revived and are building exciting machines.

But one old favorite remains abandoned and ignored, more than four decades after it was famed for producing arguably the world’s fastest and most glamorous superbike. Laverda was a small firm from Breganze, near Vicenza in Italy’s northeast. Its flagship was the mighty Jota, a 981cc triple that combined handsome looks with all-conquering performance and an unruly reputation.

That reputation was well deserved, on the evidence of a blast on this particular example, resplendent in the company’s favored orange paintwork. My charge along traffic-free Suffolk country lanes was exhilarating, the sort of ride that forged the Jota legend.

Whenever I wound open the throttle, the result was fierce acceleration, hand-numbing vibration through the low clip-on bars, and a howling three-cylinder soundtrack from the exhaust. Through the bends, the Laverda’s firm ride shook my kidneys and sometimes made me feel as though I were trying to hang onto an uncontrollable wild animal.

That image of brutal power accompanied by marginal handling helped make Jota one of the iconic superbikes of the ’70s. It was certainly one of the fastest. With a top speed of 140 mph, it had a strong claim to have displaced Kawasaki’s Z1000 as the king of the road following its launch in 1976.

And there was much more to the Jota than merely speed. It combined Italian character, design flair, and chassis rigidity with ruggedness and reasonable sophistication. And it was born not in Breganze but in Herefordshire—by brothers Richard and Roger Slater, Laverda’s U.K. importers.

The Slaters were going production racing with Laverda’s 3CL triple and tuned its double-overhead cam, air-cooled engine with high-lift camshafts and high-compression pistons, as used by the factory’s endurance racers. Free-breathing pipes helped raise power output over 88 hp at 8000 rpm. The brothers offered the tuned triple as a fresh model that they named the Jota, after a Spanish dance in three-four time.

Its impact was spectacular. The Jota’s newfound power made it unbeatable in a straight line. And although the big Laverda required plenty of muscle to change direction, and could weave at high speed, its reasonably stiff frame and taut suspension gave very competitive cornering performance.

That was confirmed on the racetrack, where the Slaters’ rider, Peter “PK” Davies, wrestled a Jota to three National production race championships in the late ’70s. The Jota sold well in the U.K. too, despite its high price, prompting the Laverda factory to produce a similar model for other markets including the U.S.

The Jota’s reputation for wildness was exaggerated; previous examples I’ve ridden have been more rider-friendly than this gorgeous but not fully sorted example. That said, the triple was certainly best suited to riders physically big and strong enough to cope with its stretched-out riding position, tall seat, and hefty wet weight of 522.5 pounds.

That potent twin-cam motor was always the Jota’s main attraction, the key to both its speed and its barrel-chested look. That was certainly true of this very clean machine, borrowed from classic dealership Made in Italy. First registered in 1980, it made do without the half-fairing that the model often wore by that time.

The powerplant fully lived up to expectations, too. It started at the press of the button (Laverdas, with their partly Japanese electrics, were generally among the more dependable of Italian bikes), burbling a rich three-pot sound through its minimally silenced pipes. For a tuned motor it ran reasonably well at low revs, responding respectably cleanly through its bank of Dell’Orto carburetors.

As the revs rose towards the 8000 rpm redline the Jota came alive, storming forward with an exhilarating, high-pitched howl and with a force that made me grip those juddering clip-ons tightly. In a straight line the Laverda was magical. Its sheer speed and presence more than made up for a raw, almost crude feel that brought to mind the company’s background as a maker of agricultural machinery.

Corners weren’t quite so much fun. Smooth, main-road curves were fine but on country lanes the Laverda was a handful despite its thoughtfully added steering damper. Its Koni shocks were very firm despite being on their lowest preload settings—to give them as much travel as possible—and over some bumps had me wondering whether I was about to punch a Jota-sized hole in a roadside hedge.

Thankfully the excellent brakes prevented that from happening. The triple Brembo discs, plumbed with braided hose, lived up to the Italian specialist’s reputation. The Metzeler tires provided plenty of grip, too, though I didn’t manage to ground an engine cover, as can happen when the big triple is cornered very hard.

Laverda later improved the Jota’s ground clearance with an updated engine, and even reduced its vibration with a smoother-running, 120-degree (instead of 180-degree, with two pistons up and one down) crankshaft. But the small firm struggled to meet tightening emissions regulations, and suffered a series of financial crises and comebacks before finally disappearing from the scene two decades ago.

Current brand owners Piaggio show no sign of adding Laverda to the list of reborn Italian marques, but the Jota legend endures—as it surely will for as long as thunderous triples like this one are ridden. I finished my blast having enjoyed a bike that was gloriously fast, loud, and aggressive, albeit requiring some chassis fine-tuning in order to approach its full magnificence.

Given that many classic superbikes inevitably fail to live up to their reputations, perhaps it was no bad thing to find a machine that matched its hairy image. If riding this Jota was a bit scary at times, it was also one hell of a thrill.

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***

1980 Laverda Jota

Highs: Arm-stretching speed, spine-tingling sound

Lows: Palm-blistering vibes, back-straining weight

Summary: More of a ’70s legend than Don Corleone

__

Price: Project, $9700; nice ride, $16,800; showing off, $23,300

Engine: Air-cooled DOHC triple

Capacity: 981 cc

Maximum power: 97 hp @ 8000 rpm

Weight: 522.5 with fluids

Top speed: 140 mph

Via Hagerty UK

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With custom-bike culture exploding in recent years, the history and importance of early two-wheeled machines are often overlooked. Stock Stories tells the tales of these motorcycles. -Ed.

Alfonso Morini founded his namesake motorcycle company, Moto Morini, in Bologna, Italy, in 1937. Bouncing back after WWII, production resumed and the company’s T125 two-stroke, based on the successful DKW engine design, was so successful that that many marques copied it—the most famous being the BSA Bantam. Throughout the next two decades, Moto Morini would fulfill Alfonso’s passion for motorsport and win hundreds of races.

However, it wasn’t until after Alfonso’s death in 1969 that one of his company’s most celebrated bikes came into existence: the Moto Morini 3 1/2.

The heroic Heron

Daughter Gabriella took over control of Moto Morini. In 1970 she hired 25-year old designer Franco Lambertini. Born in 1944, near Moderna, Franco Lambertini took on an apprenticeship at a young age as a mill operator and technical draftsman of mechanical gears, presses and tools. He next worked for Ferrari, where he bounced around various departments designing engines, gearboxes and car chassis. During this time he found that his passion was in design, and he considered himself an artisan.

At Moto Morini, Franco was tasked with drawing up designs for a Heron-type combustion chamber for the Corsaro Regolarita set to race in the 1971 International Six Days Trial (ISDT). It marked the first time a Heron-type chamber had been used in a series production motorcycle, and this design would ultimately become integral to the 3 1/2 story.

A Heron-style chamber incorporates the combustion chamber in the top of the piston rather than casting it within the head of the barrel. The design uses a main bowl at the center of the piston top, along with two half moon squish areas. These squish areas compress the inhaled mixture, forcing it across the chamber and creating a very turbulent mixture which in turn allows for excellent combustion and thermodynamic efficiency. Manufacturing Heron chambers is also efficient; the barrel head is simplified and the machining is all within the piston, which can down the road be easily refined and replaced without changing the manufacture of the cylinder head.

The Heron design had seen success in the Repco Brabham 3.0-liter V-8 engine that dominated the F1 scene from 1966-67, beating the Ferrari 3.0-liter V12. Franco must have been very aware of the efficiency of the Heron design having worked for Ferrari and would have most certainly taken note.

Morini entered 12 single-cylinder machines into the 1971 ISDT, with a mix of 125cc and 160cc machines. Out of the full contingent Morini achieved six Gold and two Silver medals. With the success of Franco’s design work on the single, he went on to work with Gianni Marchesini (general manager) on the company’s first v-twin engine. Also using the Heron-style chamber, this 350-cc, 72-degree engine would go on to become Morini’s most successful powerplant.

V-twin for the win

In the early ’70s the European market were lapping up 350cc motorcycles, the most popular being sporty singles. Franco nevertheless identified the v-twin for the basis of a flexible and adaptable engine that could power wide range of motorcycles. Its modularity would ensure a longevity to the initial design and make the investment in tooling, production, and parts support cost-effective.

The chosen v-angle was 72 degrees, a value only really seen in aero radial engines at the time. This allowed for a shorter and more compact footprint, and the good balance factor also meant the front barrel was at a sensible cooling angle should they convert the design to a single. Franco also made the engine compact, with the layout including short pushrods with the cam centrally located and positioned as high as possible. The cams were originally driven by a toothed belt, but later variations of the engine would use gears for the timing—an innovative design.

The v-twin design incorporated a close-ratio six-speed gearbox. This transmission allowed the rider to be in the right gear at the  right time to maximize engine performance.

V-twins, however, suffered the age-old problem the cooling of the rear barrel. While Harley Davidson used alloy to improve cooling, Franco employed a more cost-effective solution: 50mm offset for the barrels, so that the rear would receive sufficient cool air (rather than the majority of the air being warmed first by the front cylinder). In the 350 v-twin, the difference in temperature between the front and rear barrels was never more that 15 degrees.

With all these innovations Morini insisted that some traditions stayed, including a righthand gear change and kickstart that were nods to classic British off-road singles. Though technically antiquated at a time when other motorcycles would have offered electric start and left had change, the old-school aspects of the 350 had specific appeal, particularly to the large U.S. market.

The 3 1/2 emerges

The first incarnation of the Morini 350 twin used an over-square barrel of 62-mm bore and 57-mm stroke. This large bore size was intentional; it helped the Heron piston work efficiently when paired with appropriate valve sizes, with inlets at a large 30 mm and outlets at a relatively small 22.5 mm. This design allowed a positive scavenging effect and maintained the speed of the exhaust flow. The fuel mixture came courtesy of a pair of Dell’Orto VHBZ 25BS concentric bowl carburetors, which also worked well with the efficiency of the Heron piston. The twin used a noteworthy high compression of 10:1 in the standard engine and 11:1 in the Sport version, ratios which were high for an air-cooled engine of the time.

First shown at in 1971, the prototype motorcycle first wore “350” on the oil tank rather than the now-established “3 1/2.” Morini made sure that not just the engine and chassis were Italian, but that all the ancillary parts such as the clocks, Grimeca brakes, Borrani wheel rims, and Marzocchi shock absorbers were all domestically produced.

Moto Morini formally made the 350 available in late 1973 as the 3 1/2 Strada (touring) model, distinguished by its conventional handlebars and blue paintwork. The more famous Sports model was red with dropped handlebars and a steering damper for a more athletic feel. Both models were fitted with a solenoid which switched on the fuel tap with the ignition. The Strada used a twin leading shoe brake to go with the milder tuning of its engine.

At the time in the early 1970s, the 350 twin was at the top of the charts for four-stroke power. The Sport put out 41.7 hp at 8500 rpm and the standard model made 37.5 hp at 8200 rpm. The Sport easily revved over 10,000 rpm—pretty high for an engine of this type—and paired with the six-speed gearbox the bike could easily hit 100 mph.

Dialing up the performance

Later ‘versions of the 3 1/2 would wear cast wheels by Grimeca with disc brakes up front and drum brakes retained at the rear. The 350 twin would go on to become the basis for developments for privateer racers as well as Moto Morini itself. First attempts by tuners were to increase the capacity to over 400 cc, and it wasn’t long before Franco followed suit, taking the factory engine up to 478 cc and fitting it into the Sport chassis.

Further adjustments to the engine resulted in the Moto Morini 507, which was developed for the use in Enduro bikes. The result was the Camel 501 with 71-mm Nikasil-plated bores and updated short skirt pistons, allowing the engine to rev like its predecessors while providing increased capacity and power. The larger capacity made the 507 taller than its predecessor but the weight remained about the same. With larger cooling fins and a design that stuck to 350’s lightweight and compact philosophy. In the case of the Camel 501, the dry weight was 335 pounds—lightweight when compared to one of the forefathers of enduro motorcycles, the BMW R80 GS that weighed in at 410 pounds.

Franco’s final evolution of the twin was a 500-cc turbo which produced 80-hp-plus. Unfortunately, in part due Gabriella Morini’s declining health, she didn’t want to take on any new developments. Amid struggles in the early 1980s that included falling sales, the company sold to the Castiglioni brothers’ Cagiva Group in 1987. The brand withered under Cagiva, but to this day there are Italian bike enthusiasts that enjoy and fondly remember the golden days of the Moto Morini 3 1/2.

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Bob Maddox has been dabbling with pulsejets for more than 20 years, and initially he was interested in strapping one to his chest so he could cover more ground when skydiving. His thirst for adventure has led him to experiment with all sorts of pulsejet-powered projects along the way, and one of his most beautiful creations, this twin-jet motorcycle, is headed to Mecum’s Kissimmee sale in January.

The motorcycle looks like a stripped-down board-track racer collided with an ACME catalog in the best possible way. The faceted tank, gently curved heat shield, and long, rigid chassis are highlighted by the brightly polished stainless steel pulsejets that are mounted on either side. Those twin engines provide about 250 pounds of thrust, more than enough for spirited acceleration.

You might recognize this motorcycle, as it did get a lot of attention when it was built, but you might have also seen Maddox with another one of his pulsejet-powered creations. Maddox has crafted thrust-powered vehicles of all kinds, from lakester to skateboard, and a couple of his go-kart runs have gone viral. His most popular selfie-stick-filmed video shows him piloting a triple-jet kart at about 60 mph on a northern California dry lake bed, grinning like a kid on Christmas morning as his flowing beard wraps around his helmet and the jets glow an alarming shade of orange, then yellow, then white in the sunset light.

Maddox’s latest creations look like they use a different, valveless design of pulsejet, but his earlier versions, like the ones on this motorcycle, are also very simple pulsejets with very few moving parts. These twin pulsejets use spring steel reed valves over a CNC-milled billet aluminum block. When combustion occurs the reed valves close, forcing the expanding gases to escape rearward as thrust, and the flame goes out. The frequency of combustion varies based on the resonance of the pipe which uses the pulse of the previous combustion to pull in air for the next cycle, so whether it’s at idle or full-throttle, the drone of the engine doesn’t change much, but the power output certainly will. Here’s video of a pre-beard Maddox testing the cycle.

The modular design that Maddox created for his reed valves allows for stacks of the reeds to be added for more airflow to match the size of the jet. The jets are started with a bit of compressed air to get the air flowing and a spark plug running a powerful coil keeps the pulses going. Pulsejets create a good amount of thrust for their weight and make a fantastic sound, but they’re not at all fuel efficient. However, with hardly any parts to wear or break, the few gallons it chugs in gasoline would be a small price to pay for such a unique piece of machinery.

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In recent months the United States military has supplied a variety of weapons and equipment to the Ukrainian war effort. Motorbikes have not featured on the list, but things were very different 70 years ago during World War II, when the two-wheeled equivalent of the Jeep was Harley-Davidson’s WLA, a 742cc V-twin that was derived from a popular civilian model, the WL45.

The WLA military bike—and the closely related WLC, built for Canadian troops—entered production in 1942 and were also supplied to forces including those of Britain, the USSR, and even China. During the conflict Harley built an estimated 90,000 of the robust V-twins, many of which were later converted to civilian specification by removal of parts including the blackout lights and leather gun-scabbard.

The 45, named after its engine capacity in cubic inches, dated back to 1928 and was a simple “side-valve” V-twin with cylinders set at Harley’s traditional 45-degree angle. In 1937 it was revamped to create the W45, notably with a new lubrication system that replaced the crude total-loss design. Harley’s L was factory code for high performance but, despite its increased compression ratio, the WL produced only about 24 hp.

Harley recommenced production after the war with few updates, so the WL still had a simple three-speed gearbox, with a hand lever and foot-operated clutch. Its chassis was similarly old-school, featuring springer front forks and no rear suspension. The “hard-tail” Harley relied on its sprung saddle and fat rear tire to isolate its rider from bumps.

This neatly restored bike was built in 1949, the year the WL’s front suspension was updated with a new Girdraulic damping system, in place of the simple friction damper used previously. The improved control this gave was doubtless welcomed by riders at the time, but riding the WL confirms that any resemblance to the traditionally styled V-twins produced in Milwaukee these days is purely visual.

A modern Harley fires up with a touch of its starter button, clunks into gear with a tap of the left boot, and pulls away as easily as any new bike. Not so the WL. When cold, it required numerous jabs at the kick-starter, some with full choke and others with the lever half-on, before it finally came to life with a low-pitched chuffing through its single silencer.

That was the easy bit: The WL’s foot-operated clutch ensured that years of motorcycling experience gave poor preparation for riding this one. After adjusting the ignition advance-retard lever on the left handlebar, I engaged the clutch with a press of my left boot, then selected first gear by pulling back on the lever to the left of the gas tank. I dialed in a few revs with the conventionally placed twist-grip, then slowly released the clutch by pushing down with my left heel, until the Harley started creeping forward …

And suddenly I was away, clutch kicked fully home and throttle wound back further, changing into second with another shuffle of my left foot and a firm push forward of the gear lever. The revs rose slowly—I reached for the lever again to change into top. By now the WL was doing about 50 mph, I had both hands back on the wide bars and was bouncing gently up and down on the sprung saddle as the Harley chugged along, feeling smooth and stable.

Riding an old foot-clutch bike like this certainly takes some getting used to, and the learning is best done far from other vehicles. After a morning spent pottering along some deserted Hampshire lanes, I was sufficiently confident to pull away, change gear, and stop without worries. But I wouldn’t have fancied venturing into town without more practice.

The clutch was the most difficult part. Especially when I needed to pull away and turn left at the same time—for example, when leaving a T-junction. Provided I remained positive, it was okay. But if for any reason I’d changed my mind while pulling away and leaning to the left, I’d have been in trouble; simultaneously disengaging the clutch and putting my left foot on the ground would have been impossible.

Once under way, things were much more normal. The short first gear meant that the change up to second was best accomplished almost immediately, and the WL was torquey enough to pull fairly smoothly, though very gently, in third (top) from as little as 30 mph. So at that speed I could select top with another push of the lever, then forget about the clutch and enjoy the ride.

More aggression was needed to make quick progress because, despite its respectable engine capacity and abundant charisma, a Harley 45 is not a fast motorcycle. The WL cruised happily with 60 mph showing on its big, tank-mounted speedometer, feeling pleasantly smooth and relaxed, but by 65 mph was feeling breathless and approaching its limit.

That’s not surprising, because W-series bikes were never noted for their speed. Indian’s rival, 45-cubic-inch V-twins were faster and lighter. The WL’s chassis also received criticism when new, but I was relieved to find that this bike’s relatively modern tires helped give better handling than it would have had back then.

In fact the WL steered nicely, helped by its wide handlebars. Considering their age, the forks did a good job of soaking up bumps. Even the unsprung rear end coped surprisingly well. It was a strange sensation to rock gently up and down in the saddle, conscious that the Harley was bucking beneath me—though on one occasion I was jolted back to reality when the seat spring bottomed painfully on a pothole.

This bike’s brakes are not its best feature. The feeble front drum, in particular, makes even the WL’s modest performance seem plenty. The larger rear brake had more power, but the need to lift my right foot off the board to reach the lever increased stopping distance and reduced control.

One thing the WL does have going for it, which helped make its reputation, is reliability. The Harley might not have been as quick as Indian’s 45s, but it was far more robust—which of course had been a vital attribute when it was modified to become the WLA and put to the ultimate test.

Despite its ability to carry a rifle or machine gun (plus a box of ammunition on the sturdy rear rack) the WLA was generally used for courier work, scouting, and transportation, rather than in combat. But it was popular with its riders, served with distinction throughout, and earned the nickname “Liberator” during the Allied advance in 1945.

After WWII, many returning U.S. servicemen bought surplus WLAs at bargain prices. Some “bobbed” or “chopped” them with cut-down fenders or longer forks, putting the 45 at the heart of the booming biker scene. By Harley-Davidson standards the WL was not particularly large or powerful, but few Milwaukee models have been as versatile—or as widely admired.

***

1949 Harley-Davidson WL45

Highs: The challenge and V-twin character

Lows: Traffic, until you’ve mastered the clutch

Takeaway: It has style and a unique place in history

—

Price: Project, $12,400; nice ride, $16,900; showing off, $35,800

Engine: Air-cooled side-valve V-twin

Capacity: 742 cc

Maximum power: 24 hp @ 4000rpm

Weight: 573 pounds without fluids

Top speed: 65 mph

Via Hagerty UK

The post A wartime relic, Harley Davidson’s WL45 calls for a cool head appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Welcome back to the Hagerty Bull Market List, our annual deep dive into the collector cars (and bikes) climbing the value ranks. This vehicle is one of 11 chosen for the 2023 installment of the List. To see the other 10, click here. 

Among the many American motorcycle manufacturers that existed before World War II, Harley-Davidson emerged a victorious survivor. It was with its first production overhead-valve motorcycle, the 1936 E/ES/EL (later known as the Knucklehead due to the shape of the valve rocker covers) that Harley sealed that victory. With that series, the company set out to fix the problems and the dirty image of previous motorcycles, such as the side-valve models with their total-loss oil systems that dumped the black stuff on the roadway. Harley turned to overhead valves and 61 cubic inches to create a cross-country touring machine.

The Knucklehead was available in three versions from 1936 to ’38: The E, with 37 horsepower; the ES, for sidecar use; and the EL—the “hot” version—with 40 horsepower due to higher compression. When buyers saw more horsepower, they paid for it, and in 1938, Harley dropped the E model from the lineup. That makes an E Knucklehead one of the rarest and most desirable models today.

The war ended civilian production for a time, and the last of the Knuckles was produced in 1947, before the new bike, later referred to as the Panhead (the valve covers looked like pie pans) was introduced in 1948.

Throw a leg over this low and long cruiser and understand what freedom and rebellion meant when your grandfather was in knee pants. Once you get it kick-started—that can be a workout when the bike is cold or, indeed, hot—the engine does the classic potato-potato while your bottom settles into the single seat like it’s a leather diaper. A brace of springs underneath (along with the balloon tires) serves as your only real isolation from the road. It’s an iron machine for iron riders, not heavy by today’s standards or even very fast, but boy does it make an entrance. Gear selection is via a shifter next to the tank, while the clutch and brake controls all reside in unfamiliar locations. Even if you’re a veteran of the twist-and-lean, it’s best to do your first miles on this one in a parking lot, away from traffic.

The Knucklehead is a bike that bends the norms in a market that is underappreciated by younger buyers. However, the motorcycle market doesn’t act like the car market. Although 1940s cars aren’t blossoming, 1940s American bikes have strong appeal to a surprisingly youthful audience, making them sound investments. The main competitor to the Knucklehead is the 1940–53 Indian Chief, a swooping beauty whose value is nearly a third of what a Knucklehead brings. The Harley brand itself is the difference; Hagerty data shows that the brand resonates far more with the younger audience, and a Knucklehead owner is more than twice as likely to be a millennial or Gen Z than is an Indian Chief owner. And they’re actually likely to quote a Knucklehead at a value higher than a boomer four out of five times. Surprise, there’s something about that sensory experience and mechanical art that younger buyers love. Go ahead—ride one and you’ll understand.

***

1938 Harley-Davidson Knucklehead

Highs: A solid and stolid hunk of genuine Americana; quicker than just about any car you could have from 1938; consistent youth appeal means the long-term investment prospects look bright.

Lows: No push-button start; can be as cantankerous as any 80-year-old; unfamiliar controls from before everything was standardized.

Price range: #1 – $143,000  #2 – $101,000  #3 – $68,800  #4 – $46,600

HAGERTY AUTO INTELLIGENCE SAYS:

Harley-Davidson resonates with enthusiasts of all ages, and this interest propels the Knucklehead to a starring role among WWII-era motorcycles. Knucklehead owners are nearly three times more likely than Indian Chief owners to be under 45 years old. And those younger enthusiasts aren’t bottom-feeding—they are insuring Knuckleheads for 15 percent more than boomers. Young buyers clearly preferring one model over another and paying more for it? A recipe for success in a market that would be shocked to see them reaching for anything other than sport bikes and supercars.

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For some enthusiasts, motorcycling’s most exciting ever era is that of the two-stroke—when shrieking “stinkwheels” dominated the world’s racetracks, and street riders too could get their kicks on light, powerful bikes that made rasping exhaust notes and clouds of blue smoke.

The two-stroke’s racing dominance ended in 2002, when Valentino Rossi won the inaugural MotoGP title on Honda’s four-stroke RC211V, confirming the demise of the fearsome, 500cc factory V-4s that had ruled the tracks since the mid-’80s.

On the road, the two-stroke’s heyday was arguably the late ’80s and early ’90s, when the dream bike of young riders in a hurry was a sporty 250cc stroker—preferably Kawasaki’s KR-1, Suzuki’s RGV250, or Yamaha’s TZR250.

These quarter-liter race-replicas had engine capacities of no more than a cheap shampoo bottle, but they were a feisty breed. Their rev-happy twin-cylinder engines made 49 hp and gave top speeds of 130 mph, and their aluminum frames helped keep weight below 287 pounds.

Most importantly, their narrow power bands and sweet-steering chassis made every ride down a twisty road an opportunity to imagine you were lapping a Grand Prix circuit with factory 500cc aces Eddie Lawson and Wayne Rainey or 250cc maestro Sito Pons.

Kawasaki’s glory days in two-stroke racing were even further back, in the late ’70s and early ’80s, when the firm had won four titles with the KR250, a “tandem twin” whose cylinders sat in line with the bike. By contrast, the KR-1’s cylinders were set across its frame in conventional, parallel-twin format.

That twin-spar aluminum frame confirmed how far motorcycle technology had come since the days of the steel-framed KR250. The frame held thick front forks and a single rear shock unit operated via a rising-rate linkage system.

The KR-1’s full fairing could have come straight from a race bike, apart from its headlight and mirrors. It was finished in striking red, white, and black or the more traditional Kawasaki combination of white, light green, and blue.

Behind that fairing, the 249cc engine was liquid-cooled and featured a racing-style, six-speed gearbox that could be disassembled from the side. The exhaust system incorporated KIPS—Kawasaki’s power-valve system, designed to add torque at low revs. The maximum output of 54 hp was impressive for such a small powerplant.

There was no mistaking the KR-1’s aggressive intent, from the moment I climbed aboard. Its handlebars are clip-ons, mounted below the top yoke; the pillion seat is a thin piece of foam. At a standstill the Kawasaki seems almost ridiculously light, slim and manuverable, thanks to its claimed dry weight of just 271 pounds.

Starting is effortless. The lightest of pressure is required on the kickstarter to bring the two-stroke engine crackling into life, with a puff of smoke and that distinctive smell that has long been lost from high-performance bikes.

Pulling away is easy enough, too, though the little liquid-cooled lump is slightly rough until it warms up, and even after that its low-rev response is feeble. The Kawasaki chokes and wheezes below 5000 rpm, and pulls more strongly from that point, though still without any real enthusiasm …

Until its tacho needle hits about 7500 rpm, when the KR-1 awakes in a rage. Suddenly it was all sound, fury and aggression, screaming forward with the tacho needle flicking towards the 11,500 rpm redline while my left boot jabbed at the gearlever to keep up.

In the first three gears there is high-revving fun to be had at legal-ish speeds. By 8000rpm and into the power band in fourth gear, it was doing an indicated 80 mph, tearing forward with two cogs and 50 mph still to go.

The leant-forward riding position encourages throttle-to-the-stop behavior, especially as the fairing and screen give a useful amount of wind protection. Some riders have complained of numb hands from vibration, and there was a bit of a buzz at around 7000 rpm, but that wasn’t a problem on my relatively short ride.

If the little Kawasaki’s straight-line speed was impressive, its handling was better still. That stout twin-spar frame feels sufficiently rigid to have coped with twice the engine’s power output. And the bike’s light weight, racy geometry and 17-inch diameter front wheel mean it can be flicked into bends with a caress of the bars.

Suspension is firm without being harsh and sufficiently well damped to keep things under control. The KR-1 sometimes felt slightly twitchy on a bumpy road, but I had to try hard to get it seriously out of shape. Its brakes and tires are excellent, too.

That all adds up to a deliciously quick, agile, responsive, and enjoyable machine with the potential to make any road ride feel like a GP. The Kawasaki lived up to expectations on the track back in ’89, too, with numerous production race victories.

Inevitably with such a focused bike, there are drawbacks. The thin seat quickly becomes painful. Fuel range from the 4.2-gallon tank could drop below 90 miles with hard use (and why would you ride it any other way?). And the motor drank two-stroke oil almost as fast as it did gas, requiring frequent replenishing of the under-seat tank.

More seriously, the KR-1 was far from the best finished or most reliable model that Kawasaki has ever produced. The fact that many were raced and most were ridden hard doesn’t excuse the fact that the engine suffered with a variety of problems including piston failure.

At least Kawasaki acted quickly to update it. Just a year after its launch the model was replaced by the KR-1S, which produced an extra 5 hp and featured a new frame, suspension, and front brake—all of which made the two-stroke an even quicker and more track-ready machine.

Unfortunately for Kawasaki, what the revision didn’t do was make the KR a commercial success. Despite the twin’s performance, and some notable production racing successes, the 1S sold in relatively small numbers. At the end of 1992, after just four years, it was dropped from the range.

The rev-happy twin hadn’t lasted long, but it had given Kawasaki’s image a boost, and had become a cult machine for a small group of enthusiasts. Three decades later that passion remains. The era of two-stroke race-replicas is long gone. But for as long as bikes like the KR-1 are ridden and enjoyed, the stinkwheels will be fondly remembered.

***

1989 Kawasaki KR-1

Highs: Race bike–style thrills on the road

Lows: Race bike–style comfort and cost

Summary: Addictive speed, sound, and smell

—

Price: Project, $7K; nice ride, $11K; showing off, $15K*

Engine: Liquid-cooled, two-stroke parallel twin

Capacity: 249 cc

Maximum power: 54 hp @ 10,500rpm

Weight: 271 pounds without fluids

Top speed: 130 mph

*The KR-1 was not sold in the U.S.; note that these prices do not factor in cost of importation. 

Via Hagerty UK

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2023 Honda Accord looks sleek, goes heavy on hybrid

Intake: Honda has done a complete redesign of the Accord for 2023, and it looks and sounds impressive. “The all-new 11th-generation Accord is essential to our lineup as a critical driver of brand loyalty, and with hybrid models representing 50 percent of sales, a key part of Honda’s electrification strategy,” said Mamadou Diallo, vice president of auto sales for Honda. That electrification strategy is the hybrid Accord, which has a 2.0-liter gas engine and two side-by-side electric motors. Combined, it’s rated at 204 horsepower. The base engine is a turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder, rated at 192 horsepower. The standard transmission is a CVT; no manual is offered. The car is “longer and sleeker,” Honda says, than the 2022 model. The interior is new, and the suspension has been upgraded. The Accord will be available in six trim levels, starting with the turbocharged LX and EX and topped by the hybrid-powered Sport, EX-L, Sport-L and Touring.

Exhaust: Possibly the best-looking Accord yet, the 2023 model has a distinctive, non-Honda look front and rear. The styling and the thrifty powertrains should keep the Accord on the best-selling car list, where it has been for the last five decades. — Steven Cole Smith

Audi’s biggest, nicest SUV finally adopts the family name

Intake: Audi has announced a new name for its flagship electric SUV. Formerly known as the e-tron, the vehicle will now be called the Q8 e-tron to signify that it’s the top of Audi’s electric-only lineup. The move places it in line with the regular Q8, the most expensive SUV you can buy from Audi that still runs on dino juice. The refreshed Q8 e-tron boasts a redesigned rear electric motor and optimized aerodynamics that should help boost range for both the regular SUV and the sportback models. In the U.S., the lowest trim of Audis big EV is the Q8 e-tron 55, which boasts an all-wheel-drive setup via two electro motors. It’s good for 402 hp and 490 lb-ft of torque in Sport mode. There will be a spicier version called the SQ8 e-tron, which packs three electric motors—a 166-hp unit up front and dual 131-hp motors out back—that will produce 496 hp and a whipping 718 lb-ft of torque. Both trims draw power from a 106-kWh battery pack. Audi is aiming for certain models of the Q8 e-tron to clear 300 miles of EPA-estimated range—a major step up from early renditions of this machine. The new Q8 e-tron will arrive in the U.S. next April, with pricing to be announced closer to the launch date.

Exhaust: Audi has had a tough time packaging and communicating its EV products to buyers. The e-tron started as a single SUV, but then you had the e-tron GT, a gorgeous swooping sedan that shared its underpinnings with the Porsche Taycan but was otherwise unrelated to the SUV save for the four-ring badge. Perhaps Audi has decided that reverting to a more conventional nomenclature (see Volvo, who nailed this on the first try with rival model EX90) is the best way to un-muddy the waters. Will it be enough? — Nathan Petroelje

Toyota teases next hybrid hatchback

Intake: Toyota teased an upcoming hybrid hatchback on social media with a minimalist outline of its profile and a date, November 16, which coincides with the Los Angeles Auto Show. Toyota didn’t even mention the word “Prius” but we all know that it’s the fifth-generation hybrid hatchback that it’s going to show off.

Exhaust: Toyota has promised a solid-state battery before 2025, and the Prius uses a small battery, so that would be the logical first commercial application of such technology. The current Prius Eco achieves its 58 mpg city, 53 mpg highway, and 56 mpg combined EPA rating thanks to an Atkinson-cycle 1.8-liter four-cylinder and a 0.75 kWh battery. No matter what kind of battery is used, we expect Toyota to continue its trend of increasing efficiency with each generation. — Brandan Gillogly

Getting the full tax credit for your new EV might be harder than you think

Intake: If you are thinking of buying an electric vehicle or a hybrid and automatically assume you are due a $7500 tax credit, you should think again. Or, more constructively, you should read this story on Elektrek.co titled, “Here’s every electric vehicle that qualifies for the current and upcoming U.S. federal tax credit.” The idea in theory is quite simple, the story says: “All electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that were purchased new in or after 2010 may be eligible for a federal income tax credit of up to $7,500,” according to the U.S. Department of Energy. But it isn’t that simple. “You cannot simply go out and buy an electric vehicle and expect Uncle Sam to cut $7500 off your taxes in April. In reality, the amount you qualify for is based on both your income tax as well as the size of the electric battery in the vehicle you own.” The new Inflation Reduction Act means “there are a lot more parameters to be mindful of, like the requirement that the EV must be assembled in North America.”

Exhaust: And there’s another caveat: “For example, if you purchased a Ford F-150 Lightning and owed say, $3,500 in income tax this year, then that is the federal tax credit you would receive. If you owed $10,000 in federal income tax, then you would qualify for the full $7,500 credit.” Note the “three little words” that the government slips in front of the $7,500 credit – “may” and “up to.” – SCS

Suzuki announces new 776cc DOHC twin engine for 2023 GSX-8S and V-STROM 800DE

Intake: With increased emissions requirements and riders demanding ever more levels efficiency and technology, packaging has become more important than ever for motorcycle manufacturers. Hence why Suzuki announced this week that a new parallel twin has been born and will be found in two 2023 models. The 776cc engine sports a 270-degree crankshaft and twin balance shafts for smooth running and great traction. Of course it features throttle by wire and other standard features of modern engines, but interestingly, one of the big leaps forward for this compared to the V-twin of previous Suzuki engines is the ability to package a more efficient and power-boosting airbox with the newfound space behind the engine.

Exhaust: Suzuki put the lines far enough apart to read between with the inclusion of “permits design flexibility so Suzuki’s designers can create ideal chassis geometry for a variety of motorcycle types” in the press release. As an owner and lover of the SV650, this engine is likely a hint that the V-twin sporty standard is on the way out. I won’t mourn the loss of one of the worst kept secrets in the motorcycle world just yet, but I admit I am preparing for the eventuality. — Kyle Smith

Mercedes-AMG ONE says take that, Porsche

Intake: The Formula 1-derived Mercedes-AMG ONE hypercar just stomped the Nürburgring lap record for a road-legal production car by more than eight seconds. (Sadly, the car will not be road-legal in the U.S.) The 6:35.183 time for the full 12.94-mile lap bests the previous record, set by a Porsche 911 GT2 RS with a special performance package developed by Manthey Racing, which set a 6:43.300 on the same layout. Driver Maro Engel achieved the blistering lap on the AMG team’s final attempt of the day, which began just 30 seconds before the track was set to go cold. He had already broken the lap earlier that day but felt there was more in the car. Most impressive: the track was still wet in areas, which made for tricky conditions. The AMG ONE is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged V-6 coupled with an extremely advanced hybrid system that uses four electric motors for a combined system output of 1063 hp. Just 275 units will be built, and all have been spoken for at roughly $2.7M a piece.

Exhaust: Engel and the team of engineers accompanying him had to figure out the best times and locations to deploy the hybrid energy, where to recoup that energy, and where to let loose the drag reduction system (DRS) that boosts straight line speed. In some places, that meant abstaining from the maximum possible speed the interest of energy management. Looks like they’ve made the right calls. The on-board video below is truly mind-bending. — NP

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AEHRA doubles down on door design for first SUV

Intake: With both scissor and gullwing doors the new SUV from U.S.-Italian startup AEHRA certainly knows how to make an entrance. Designed by Filippo Perini, who led the design of Lamborghini’s Murciélago LP640, Aventador, Huracan, Centenario, and Urus, the electric AEHRA “uniquely unlocks potential afforded by state-of-the-art EV technology to rewrite (the) automotive design rulebook,” according to the company’s press blurb. It’s a big car, with a 118-inch wheelbase providing a cabin “that effortlessly accommodates four NBA-size players in complete comfort.” Constructed from carbon fiber and styled with the aid of computational fluid dynamics to cheat the air it is powered by three electric motors with a combined output of 800 horsepower, and its 120 kWh battery provides a claimed range of almost 500 miles. “The AEHRA SUV represents a radical combination of cutting-edge sustainable materials, ultra-advanced EV technology, smart manufacturing technologies, pure Italian design, and of course, a seminal moment in our company’s history,” says Hazim Nada, AEHRA Founder and CEO.

Exhaust: Priced from just over $180,000 the AEHRA comes in significantly higher than rivals such as the BMW iX, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Tesla Model X or Lucid Air. So it may well only be NBA players who can afford it. —Nik Berg

Is Toyota readying a mini MR2?

Intake: Rumors out of Japan suggest that Toyota will soon reveal a mini mid-engined sports car. It won’t be an MR2, however, as that evocative nameplate is due to return on a Gazoo Racing electric sportster. That’s according to a report from Best Car Web which claims that the smaller model is being developed with Suzuki, based on the Yaris platform, and powered by a one-liter three-pot turbo motor. The engine would be a Suzuki unit and Best Car Web suggests that the car could also be sold as a Daihatsu. The Japanese price tag is said to be two million yen—an equivalent of less than $14,000, while 2025 is the expected launch.

Exhaust: If this is true, it sounds like it will be a JDM-only machine and certainly too tiny to warrant bringing to the U.S. That’s a shame because it does sound like a pocket full of fun. –NB

Ducati Scrambler gets refresh, three new flavors to choose from

Intake: Three trims outline three different personalities of the 2023 Ducati Scrambler. A bike advertised as the polar opposite of the race replicas most riders associate with the Italian brand, the Scrambler is targeted at being confidence inspiring with the trellis frame and revised front end that now leans more towards sporty with a slight more inclined steering angle and shorter trail than the previous generation for more nimble handling. Buyers have the choice between three trim levels for the 2023 models: Icon, Full Throttle, and Nightshift. Each comes with unique color choices along with a few other small differences. The Nightshift trim eschews the 18/17” aluminum wheels of the lower models for a pair of spoked hoops that really pull on the vintage feel of the bike that comes from the steel gas tank and side panel bearing “62” for the first year Ducati marketed the Scrambler.

Exhaust: A little odd compared to the rest of the Ducati lineup and its better known machines, the Scrambler lives in an odd pocket. The effort to tie in the model’s heritage falls a little flat, but the other improvements to this new generation appear to be focused on catching the eye of buyers who are not drawn to Rosso Corsa and the thrum of a Desmo Twin. This refresh hints that it might have sorted out a few complaints from owners, like the large clutch cover that impeded some riders’ feet from finding a comfortable spot. It is a bike targeted at regular use and while the styling can be a bit love-it-or-hate-it, the increase in functionality is certainly welcome. We look forward to riding one when they become available in March of 2023. –Kyle Smith

J.D. Power: Record prices on new cars in October

Intake: In a study by J.D. Power and LMC Automotive, dealerships reportedly sold 52 percent of vehicles within 10 days of arriving at a dealership, while the average number of days a new vehicle is in a dealer’s possession before being sold was 19 days — down from 20 days a year ago. For October, the study said new-vehicle prices remained at record levels, with the average transaction price expected to reach $45,599 — a record for October and a 2.7 percent increase from a year ago. The increase in sales volume and near record level transaction prices are resulting in buyers being on track to spend nearly $46 billion on new vehicles, the highest level ever for the month of October and a 10.9 percent increase from October 2021.

Exhaust: The good news is more vehicles are available; the bad news is whether or not buyers can afford them. Said Thomas King, president of analytics and data for J.D. Power: “Elevated pricing coupled with interest rate hikes are inflating monthly loan payments. After breaking the $700 level for the first time ever in July, the average monthly finance payment in October is on pace to be $711, up $47 from October 2021. That translates to a 7 percent increase in monthly payments from a year ago. The average interest rate for new-vehicle loans is expected to increase 199 basis points from a year ago to 6.03 percent.” –Steven Cole Smith

Oh, deer: Permanent daylight savings time would cut collisions

Intake: A story published on Eurekalert.org says that the practice of moving our clocks forward in the spring, which is the start of daylight savings time, reduces night-time car accidents with deer by 16 percent. Researchers developed a model, published in the journal Current Biology, that demonstrates the benefits permanent daylight savings time has, “not only in saving animal lives but also in reduction of collision costs and human injuries.” Using data from 23 state agencies from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Cunningham’s team analyzed 1,012,465 deer-vehicle collisions and 96 million hourly traffic observations across the United States. Their analysis showed that collisions are 14 times more frequent two hours after sunset than before. Taking these numbers, the researchers were able to predict that if daylight savings time became year-round it would prevent 36,550 deer deaths, 33 human deaths, 2,054 human injuries, and $1.19 billion in collision costs annually.

Exhaust: One more argument for those who want permanent daylight savings time. Setting the clocks back this year seemed to cause an unusual amount of grumbling. –SCS

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There is no electric starter, just a polished kickstart lever rising vertically from the left side of the bike. I stand to the side, swiftly yet softly kicking it down, perpendicular to the bike and out. A well-tuned BMW doesn’t require much force—even a fluid hand push can ignite the gases in the boxer twin-cylinder engine. This is my introduction to a motorcycle that for the cognoscenti needs no introduction—the 1967 BMW R69S, arguably the most reliable and effortless touring bike from the 1960s, and, just maybe, the best motorcycle ever made.

That’s a heady statement, but the fact is that the market has favored these BMW cruisers. Now considered a blue-chip bike worth investing in—not just riding on long journeys—these bikes have surged in value of late, some more than doubling their worth since 2020 to around $50,000 for the best examples. That’s a hefty sum for an old motorcycle. Even BMW capitalized on the popularity of this bygone era, launching the R18 in 2020, a new cruiser designed to evoke their cross-country bike roots. Enjoyable though that new bike may be, today I am after the real thing.

The engine fires and my visceral interaction with the R69S begins in earnest. At idle, the engine’s arrangement—crankshaft running front to rear and opposed cylinders protruding on either side above the rider’s feet—gently twists the bike with each ignition in the combustion chambers. I swing a leg over the low seat and begin my unforgettable journey as rider and owner.

After it gets to temperature, I pull the clutch lever and tap the shifter down into first. It engages with that metallic clunk, a feeling and noise familiar to riders of BMWs old and new. With an audible whir, the clutch slowly engages and the bike surges forward. At this point, it’s just me, the fresh Colorado air, the scenery, and sensations of the motorcycle beneath.

The term “/2 BMW” (pronounced “slash-two”) is catch-all term nowadays for BMW’s top of the line twins from 1956 to 1969, rather than merely referring to the actual /2 bikes. From 1956 until 1960 they were only called the R50 (500cc, touring/sidecar), R60 (600cc touring/sidecar), and R69 (600cc, sport with higher horsepower). 1960 brought a slew of updates, most of which focused on improving the bike’s power and reliability. These new models were called the R50/2, R60/2, R50S and R69S. BMW modernized them again in 1967 with the same telescopic forks that would feature on the upcoming /5 series. The bikes now went under the monikers of R50US, R60US, and R69US. Each model and update through these years provides its own unique riding experience, especially when fitted with different seats and handlebars.

All were offered with either rubber Denfeld saddle seats and two-up bench seats (which came in two widths) from the factory, and each provides a differing riding experience. The solo saddle seats are preferred nowadays for looks by many (let’s face it, these help make the /2 one of the coolest looking motorcycles ever) but are more upright and provide less of a connected riding feel; they tend to wiggle a little bit and provide a more spongy ride. This isn’t a bad thing at all on a comfortable cruiser like the /2. If anything, I prefer the feel of the saddle over the bench. It’s also a more unique look, and that’s half the fun. Riders can further differentiate the look and feel of their /2 with low sport bars without a cross brace and higher, more relaxed ones with a brace.

It’s hard to imagine a bike that can be worth upwards of $50K today being ridden hard across the country in the ’60s, but when you realize Ferrari 250 GTOs were once thrashed on the race track and passed between owners like the used cars they were, it makes sense that the best touring motorcycle of the day was going to be used and trusted as one. The R60 became the first motorcycle to ride from the Arctic Circle at the top of Alaska to the tip of South America when Danny Lisko completed the journey in the 1960s. Even the 1967 BMW R69S pictured above has touring pedigree. It was bought new in 1968 from Recreation Equipment Inc. in Denver and quickly was put to work as intended. The husband and wife owners took it across the country and from Colorado to Canada. Many owners on more modern bikes today wouldn’t even consider trips like that.

Despite most having lived out their touring bike duties to the fullest, it seems more /2 BMWs survive today in good original condition than other bikes from the ’60s. They’re even frequently owned by the original owner or passed down in the family. After my own time on the saddle, I’d say their longevity and duration of ownership likely stems from a combination of two things: the /2 is a bike you can trust to get you to the end of your journey, and you’re unlikely to find a mechanical companion that offers such an engaging rider/bike connection during that adventure. There aren’t a lot of other bikes out there that offer both.

The engineering on these 1960s BMWs bests bikes 20 years newer, even from the same brand, and that’s what fosters the trusting relationship between owner and machine. Even the effort you can’t see will impress you: most other bikes of the era employ ball-end cables wrapped around a disk in the throttle housing. These can stretch over time, creating slop in throttle application. On a /2, the throttle cables are linked to a tiny chain wrapped around a geared cam disc. When you twist the throttle, a gear on the throttle tube rotates the cam disc, meaning there’s no opportunity for wear or slop within the throttle housing. The /2 is the antithesis of planned obsolescence, and that’s why buyers today are undaunted when they see a /2 for sale with 20,000 miles. A ’60s Triumph 20,000 miles would be unheard of.

As one of the most collectible motorcycles ever and the most expensive of the line during the time, the R69S would logically sit atop the pedigree of the model range in terms of values. Yet the R50S, the R69S’s less powerful and less-expensive-in-the-day model, takes top honors at $48,600 compared the R69S’ $47,500. This is thanks to the R50S’ limited two-year production and its riding characteristics: many prefer the 500cc sports model due to its smoother engine.

This doesn’t mean every #1 R50S or R69S sells for that amount. Rather, these values ballpark their respective market’s averages. What’s behind the strong values #1 condition bikes? Two primary reasons: original parts are hard to come by, and production for the whole range was relatively low. For instance, while the R50US was the least expensive of the bunch, it’s also the rarest by far. A perfect #1 R50US is a unicorn among unicorns, with its production numbers representing 25% of the R50S and less than half that of R69USs. As a result, when a R50US comes up for sale, it commands a premium above its original status in the lineup.

Dig deeper and you’ll notice an evolving valuation brought by certain features. Earles fork-equipped earlier versions tend to fetch more than the US bikes because of their classic /2 look, for instance. That said, US bikes have come into their own recently and are increasingly appreciated by collectors. Don’t be afraid of them, but don’t expect them to be viewed the same by the true purists.

Considering the mechanical strength of the /2, you don’t need to worry about finding a #1 bike. Just find one specced to your taste and ride it—you won’t be disappointed. Care for your /2 like its prior owners did and it’ll thank you with years of reliability and an experience that’s truly like no other in the classic bike market.

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Tesla-themed-and-sold child’s ATV recalled

Intake: The Cyberquad for Kids, styled after the Tesla Cybertruck, is being recalled for safety violations, says the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Administration. Though built in China by Radio Flyer, 5000 Cyberquads were sold exclusively through Tesla’s website. Owners are being told to remove the product’s motor controller and send it to the manufacturer for a full $1900 refund. If the owner is willing to destroy the entire ATV, there’s another $50. The Cyberquad features a full steel frame, cushioned seat and adjustable suspension with rear disc braking and LED light bars. It is powered by a lithium-ion battery with up to 15 miles of range and a top speed of 10 mph. Though made for kids, there are videos online of adults riding them. The issue, says the CPSA: “The Cyberquad fails to comply with the federal mandatory safety standard requirements for youth ATVs, including mechanical suspension and maximum tire pressure. Additionally, the Cyberquad lacks a CPSC-approved ATV action plan, which is required to manufacture, import, sell, or distribute ATVs.”

Exhaust: Not a good look for Tesla, which could likely be responsible for injury lawsuits resulting from crashing the Cyberquad. Interestingly, Radio Flyer has only one report of an incident, where the single-seat Cyberquad “tipped over when driven by an eight-year-old child and a 36-year-old adult female, resulting in a bruised left shoulder to the adult female.” While the refund is $1900, aftermarket resale is reportedly as high as $3500. Meanwhile, Tesla just had its own recall of 24,000 2017-2022 Model 3s in the U.S. over a seat belt issue. The firm is also facing a criminal probe into the misleading name of its Autopilot assisted driving hardware. —Steven Cole Smith

NADA study: Dealership employees happy, well paid

Intake: A study by the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) suggests that automobile dealership employees are happier than in any time of the 11-year old study’s history, and one reason is that average employee pay at dealerships has topped $100,000 a year, according to Automotive News. Annual turnover at dealerships was 34 percent in 2021, which may sound high but is down significantly over past years, which averaged about 46 percent, which was the rate in 2020. The drop in turnover and the increase in compensation were directly connected, said Ted Kraybill, president of ESi-Q, a research company that conducts the study for NADA, in the Automotive News story. “As much as they may not be happy about certain things about their job, like the hours and all the time they put in and everything, there’s a point at which your compensation kind of outweighs those other negative aspects that normally might cause a sales consultant to leave,” said Kraybill.

Exhaust: The combined effects of the pandemic and the chip shortage led to a backup of available vehicles, and a waiting list of potential buyers. We suspect the 2022 survey, when it’s completed, will show this happy-employee trend will continue, especially if average pay remains a healthy $103,000, as the study shows. —SCS

A facelift for Alfa Romeo’s Giulia and Stelvio

Intake: Alfa Romeo has announced a suite of updates for the Giulia sports sedan and Stelvio SUV. Most immediately noticeable is a new-look front end, which brings the duo in line with the new family face introduced with the Tonale. Adaptive headlights are configured in a triple lens configuration inspired by the SZ, while there are also tweaks to the Trilobo grille and main air intakes. Inside, the biggest change is the introduction of a 12.3-inch TFT screen with three different layouts for its digital instruments. Evolved is a simple, yet futuristic look with both digital and analog speedometers and a rev counter, Relax simplifies the screen to concentrate on a central numeric display of speed, and Heritage recreates the analog dials seen of Alfas of the Sixties and Seventies. Sprint, Veloce and Competizione trim levels are offered, and all are available with an NFT which records the car’s history—a tech trick that Alfa hopes will shore up residual values.

Exhaust: Nothing much changes under the hood with power still coming from a 280-horsepower two-liter turbo motor driving the rear wheels in the Giulia or all four in the Stelvio, so this is essentially a technology upgrade, which is pretty welcome as it’s one area that Alfa was lagging behind. —Nik Berg

BMW adds features and tech to 2023 R 1250 R with no price increase

Intake: The R 1250 R is BMW’s naked roadster that often gets overlooked for more specialized machines, but savvy shoppers now have a reason to give it a second look as the bike now comes stacked with standard features that were previously upcharge options. Included in the list are dynamic traction control, dynamic brake control, BMW Motorrad ABS Pro, a TFT display with “Sport” Core Screen and connectivity, three riding modes with a new “ECO” mode, and an on-board power socket and USB socket for powering GPS, phones, or heated gear. All this comes without a price increase over the 2022 model, which is a pleasant surprise.

Exhaust: While it might appear that most of these new standard features are tech-based, that should not to take away from the value proposition as a buyer. This big boxer twin might not have a front fairing, but with standard options that cover a rider like these, the wind is just a little more enjoyable since you have some extra dough still in your wallet to help weigh you down. Pricing is at $14,995 plus $695 destination charge which gives a rider a lot of capability for the dollar. —Kyle Smith

Some assembly required DB5 for sale

Intake: If you’re handy with the spanners you could snap up this 1964 Aston Martin DB5 for a song. The car is mostly restored, there’s just the small matter of putting all the pieces back together. The Superleggera alloy and steel body has been stripped back to bare metal from its original Black Pearl, giving the new owner a free choice when it comes to color, new panels have been hand-fabricated where required, and the suspension restored or renewed. Five wire wheels in original unrestored condition come with the car, and the interior will need to be re-trimmed as well. The engine has been upgraded to 4.2-liter specification at Bell Sport & Classic, so that’s one less thing to worry about. If you fancy building your own Bond car, then pay a visit to Collecting Cars to bid.

Exhaust: When everything is reassembled in the right order, this DB5 could be worth up to $1.3 million according to Hagerty’s valuation data. At the time of this writing, bidding had reached $350,000, so if all the pieces are there it could be quite a deal. We do wonder why this potentially very profitable project was abandoned, however. —NB

Dodge offering a “horsepower locator”

Intake: Dodge continues to keep the 2023 Challenger and Charger in the news, despite it being the last model year for the venerable but popular vehicles. All the builds for the cars have been allocated to dealers, and the Horsepower Locator, found at Dodgegarage.com, lets you punch in your zip code and see what cars your local dealers have in their allocations. We keyed in our zip and checked “Challenger:” Our local dealer will have 43 available 2023 Challengers, from a bunch of V-6 models to some 485-horsepower R/T Scat Pack Widebody 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 cars. Hellcats? Sorry, none en route at this dealership.

Exhaust: Dodge’s marketing team is doing a commendable job in keeping a focus on some lame-duck cars. Yes, the Challenger and Charger have been around forever, but they will be missed more than we know. —SCS

The post Tesla-themed ATV recalled with prejudice, Dealership employees happy, Alfas get a facelift appeared first on Hagerty Media.

It’s said that the best days of boat ownership are the day you buy the boat and the day you sell it. That has not been my experience buying and selling motorcycles. Watching one of your bikes ride off in someone else’s truck is hard. It’s especially difficult when the buyer is the type of person my experience suggests would be served better by a different machine.

Two weeks ago, I sold my 1973 Triumph TR5T. As the gray pickup drove away, a war waged in my head. What is the proper emotion when something you care about heads to a new home? Especially when you know that home has different views on appropriate treatment for a vintage object with delicate patina?

Let’s start at the start. A while back, Editor-at-Large Sam Smith bought this wicked-cool Triumph. Just seeing photos on the internet made me utter those dangerous words: “When you are ready to sell that,” I told him, “let me know.”

Months later, my phone rang. The Triumph was a former AHRMA racer, mostly sorted but in need of a few things. Sam got swept up in other projects and needed to move on. On my end, money and projects were shuffled about in order to justify the spend. Before long, the Triumph rolled out of Sam’s Tennessee shop and into a trailer. I drove north, home to Michigan, intoxicated with potential.

This bike attracted me for one simple reason—it looks bad-ass. The TR5T came to my garage in October of 2021, a back-burner winter project. After I set up the Amal carb and hacked together an exhaust, that 500-cc parallel twin roared to life. It then proceeded to annoy my neighbors on a weekly basis, as I used the beast to tow my trash and recycling cans out to the street each Wednesday night. A few members of my small neighborhood probably wish I had left the bike out with the trash.

As fun as that was, it was hardly proper use for something so cool. Guilt stacked up. I began to question if the space and funds tied up by the Triumph weren’t better used for other experiences. Around that time, another friend offered a screaming deal on another bike that I’ve long wanted, one a lot more practical.

A for-sale listing formed. A single Instagram post brought a few replies asking for details, but only one seriously interested party. And that potential buyer brought what felt, at the time, like a serious moral dilemma: Does my responsibility for an object I love extend to finding what I believe is the perfect buyer? Or does it just mean finding someone who can pay my asking price?

To be clear, that’s part of why Sam sold the bike to me. He knew I would spend the time to do the research and make it run right. The Triumph lived full-time in my garage, it was fed only non-ethanol fuel, and it was doted over whenever it so much as hiccupped. I strived to be the perfect caretaker, treating a 50-year-old bike as if it were only two years old.

The Instagram messages from that potential buyer painted a picture. “Just how bad are the brakes?” he said. “I’ve never ridden a motorcycle with a drum front brake.” Then came, “When you say it has a tickler, what does that mean?” My favorite was, “Have you had any trouble with the electronics?”

It’s a Triumph with Lucas ignition parts. Jokes come with the territory.

Still, I supplied honest answers to every question. The window shopper became a buyer, and he sent me a deposit. When we met this fall, at the Barber Vintage Festival, to hand over the bike and its trove of spare parts, I couldn’t help but notice that the new owner was maybe a little green in mechanical experience. When he mentioned plans to park this wonderfully preserved, patina-rich Triumph in the open parking lot in front of his dorm room, it felt like a dagger to my heart. I pictured the bike degrading rapidly.

Around that time, a thought crossed my mind: hand back the cashiers check, then gently suggest that this young man hit Barber’s swap meet and find a little Honda enduro. That would be a better fit for his needs and plans, I thought. He would likely have a great experience, and the bike wouldn’t be as needy or delicate as the Triumph.

Only . . . I couldn’t bring myself to do that. Because if someone would have done that to me, I wouldn’t be who I am.

See, at 16 years old, I bought a Chevrolet Corvair from a scrap yard. It was more iron oxide than car. The owner of that yard probably felt that not selling me the Corvair would have been doing me a favor. After breaking apart the locked-up engine with a scrap two-by-four and a three-pound sledge, I realized the Chevy was never going to drive again. A few smart friends recommended buying a running Corvair to stay motivated. I could enjoy driving, they said, rather than spiraling into the frustration of a never-ending project.

It took an entire summer of bagging groceries to stack up the 22 hundred-dollar bills that ended up being traded for my 1964 Corvair Monza coupe. Without a doubt, the owner was not excited to sell me that car. He knew I planned to daily drive it and park it at my high school. He knew I barely owned a complete set of hand tools.

At that point, most people would have said I had no business owning a car nearly triple my age. That man knew the potential he had to keep that Corvair in great shape and preserved for the future. He also knew that the most powerful thing he could do was let me use that Monza to create unforgettable memories and learn.

That Corvair, along with the hours spent learning to keep it on the road, is what created the oil-soaked, mechanically obsessed Kyle Smith you find here.

I literally would not be where I am, wouldn’t be at this job and writing these words, if it wasn’t for that gentleman in Lawrence, Kansas back in 2007. Who am I to gate-keep another budding enthusiast from diving right in? Sam’s old Triumph, my old Triumph, is a nice, complete bike that came with a lot of spare parts and pieces, but it’s not some rare treasure that belongs in a museum. Like that Monza, it’s an old vehicle first and a collectible second. These machines weren’t particularly special when they were new, and while we do have a duty to be caretakers for the next generation, at some point, we have to let the next generation actually join us, whether it feels right or not.

The service manuals were the last thing I handed Ben before shaking his hand and sending him off on his new adventure. On my 14-hour drive home from Barber, the idea that the Triumph “deserves better” disappeared. It was replaced by the feeling that the new owner was perfect: a young person, excited to learn, who very much wanted to be part of vintage motorcycle culture.

In the end, it did go to an owner like me. Just on a time delay. We all started somewhere in our journey with old cars, and that journey often involves jumping straight into the deep end and learning to swim.

Who am I to withhold selling a motorcycle because I don’t think someone else is ready? That choice isn’t mine to make. But I will say one thing: Ben, if you’re reading this and you end up in over your head, you know where I live. Call any time.

The post A Triumph(ant) passing of the torch appeared first on Hagerty Media.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Subtle modifications are the best ones. Unfortunately, one such combination of old and new nearly cost me my butt and my friend a low-mileage, original Kawasaki motorcycle.

It all started when he offered to give me the afternoon to exercise his vintage bikes. It’s an opportunity one doesn’t turn down, especially when the friend’s the kind of guy who scolds you for not riding his bike hard enough: “I can hear you all the way to curves on the highway, and you need to let this bike get on the pipe!” Don’t have to tell me twice.

Negotiation was simple. In return for the ride experience, I agreed to provide riding notes for a book he is working on and bring a few of his bikes back up to running order. A little carb work here, unsticking clutch plates there, and putting new batteries in just about everything. Since some bikes were waking from years of storage, that meant a couple pairs of tires to install. No big deal, and it’s why I keep tools in my van.

The last bike to get attention was a 1973 Kawasaki Z1. Since it had run most recently, among the fleet of eight or so, it needed the least work. The gas in the tank wasn’t even sour, but the battery had been pilfered for some other project, so I was directed to a small stack of new batteries in the corner of the shop. The owner is not a penny pincher and had broken out the checkbook for a bunch of very nice, very lightweight, lithium-ion batteries. Replacing lead-acid batteries with these updated, chemical-charge cells is a common strategy to shed weight. One like this in the Z1 can take as much at six pounds off a bike. That’s meaningful change. Oh, and these batteries are often more resilient during long-term storage. Win/win for a guy who owns a bunch of motorcycle in northern Michigan, snow-bound for months of the year.

I threaded the bolts for the positive and ground leads and tucked the little, red and black battery into the factory battery box before padding it with a couple chunks of styrofoam so it wouldn’t shift and arc the terminals while I was riding it. After I snapped the seat down, it only took a slight tickle of the starter for the 900cc inline-four to sputter to life. 15 or 20 seconds later, it had cleaned up and was thrumming a smooth idle. I let the bike warm up a bit as I put on my leather jacket, helmet, and a pair of gloves. As I swung a leg over the bike and picked up the kickstand, the owner popped over to point at the tachometer. “The bike only really comes alive over here,” he said, index finger circling 8,9, and 10 on the gauge.

Now I was conflicted. This was not my motorcycle, and it is both very original and quite low-mileage. Last thing anyone wants to do is blow up a bike they don’t own and can’t afford. Before I could even start my protest, my friend shut me down.

“Seriously, you have to wring it to make this bike work.”

Headed for the curves in the highway, I gave it the beans. I’ve ridden a handful of other inline-fours of this era and had made sure to read the early reviews of the Z1 before the ride, which meant my expectations were realistic. The chassis was as noodly as one would expect a bike of the era to be, yet it also was sharp, making me feel right at home turning in and apexing corners—as best I could, while staying in my lane.

A big, fast left opened up to a nice, half-mile straight run between two open fields. The tach was at 7000 right at the apex and, as I rolled on the power, the bike picked up and felt like a needle in the groove of a record.

The record scratched.

A slight loss of power, a cough through the carbs, then a puff of smoke and total engine shutdown. I had the clutch covered in less than a moment and smoothly braked into a convenient driveway to face what could only be bad news. No oil on the ground or new holes in the cases—in fact, no fluids spilled at all. Smoke was still tracing from under the seat in long whispers. Had the air filter caught fire? I didn’t know. 

This was not when I wanted to learn how to open a Z1 seat latch. Where was the seat latch? That’s a concerning amount of smoke. I had installed the battery in the bike under the seat and closed it, but it was open when I started working on it, so now I didn’t know exactly where the latch was or if I needed the key to operate it.

Sheer panic.

When I finally got the seat flipped up, I was met with a cloud of fumes that probably took three years off my life. That brand-new battery was so hot it had melted off its stickers and was cooking the plastic case. Everything near it was hot. After an unsuccessful attempt to undo the battery connection with my pocket knife, I discovered this bike still had its original toolkit. Lucky me. The factory-packed slip-joint pliers made quick work of disconnecting the terminals, allowing me to reach in a gloved hand and yank out the battery so both it and I could cool for a minute.

I took a deep breath, for clean air reasons and clear head reasons.

After some mental regrouping, and after failing to get the bike’s owner on the phone, I took a chance. I’d try to bump-start the Z1 so I could get the three or so miles back to the garage. Not all electrical systems will function without a battery installed, but I was not about to put that overcooked chunk back in the bike. Luckily, the Z1 fired right off in second gear, idling happily while I put on my helmet and balanced the battery on my right leg. I wasn’t about to abandon a potential fire hazard in some stranger’s driveway.

Back at my friend’s garage, the diagnostics began nearly instantly after I told my story: “Oh, that means the regulator failed. It’s a common issue on these.” It took me a second to understand the timeline of events that lead to that battery popping. Essentially, it looks like this:

The engine’s high-rpm run led to the charging system producing a little extra current. The regulator would typically dump this to ground, but the excess current came fast enough that the regulator either was overwhelmed or failed independently, in a way that it stopped bleeding that excess to ground and instead overcharged the battery. (This is where it gets a little nerdy, so fair warning.) Now the situation became a chemical problem rather than an electrical one. When a traditional, lead-acid battery receives extra current, it will boil off the acid and display sulfation, in which part of the acid is deposited on the plates of the battery, thus diminishing the battery’s ability to accept a charge. Lithium-ion batteries are much less forgiving. They simple cannot absorb overcharge that way. Once plating of the metallic lithium occurs, it compromises the safety of the battery. Thermal runaway is far more likely in a li-ion battery than in a lead-acid one.

Thermal runaway. Awful scary term for something that happened about two inches underneath my precious parts while traveling at highway speeds. Luckily, the Kawasaki is not damaged and its charging system can be easily repaired. More importantly, I am unscathed—and more wary than ever of mixing old and new technologies.

The post Zen and the science of motorcycle batteries appeared first on Hagerty Media.

Another ’Ring record falls to Porsche

Intake: As day inevitably follows night, so Porsche sets a new Nürburging lap record with each new RS model. Today it’s the turn of the 911 GT3 RS to complete Germany’s 12.9-mile Green Hell in six minutes and 49.328 seconds. That’s 10.6 seconds faster than the 911 GT3, proving that aerodynamic advantage of up to 1895 lbs of downforce of the RS is worth paying for. The record-setting car was fitted with Porsche’s Weissach package and Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires, and driven by Jörg Bergmeister. It sounds like conditions were even a bit sub-prime for the lap, as well. “We lost a little downforce due to the strong, sometimes gusting wind, but I’m still very happy with the lap,” said Bergmeister. The lap time was not the fastest ever from a Porsche RS Model, however; a 991.2-gen 911 GT2 RS equipped with a special package from Manthey Racing lapped the 12.94-mile circuit in 6:43.300 on June 14, 2021. Still, the 911 GT3 RS’ time is roughly 1.2 seconds short of the current production car lap record, set by a Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series, which has 202 more horsepower than the Porsche. Watch the onboard video of the lap above and the rest of your day will seem to pass very slowly.

Exhaust: In his review for Hagerty Henry Catchpole said “this new RS is capable of operating at a level most of us would struggle to reach,” and his point has just been reinforced by this new ‘Ring time. You may question the relevance of such exploits when it comes to road cars, but buyers want bragging rights for their $225,250, and they don’t come much better than this. We can’t help but look to the future and hope that a twin-turbo GT2 RS is on the way—what time will that thing manage around the Green Hell? —Nik Berg

Lotus salutes Emerson Fittipaldi with special Evija edition

Intake: The all-electric, all-wheel-drive Lotus Evija – which was a star of the Goodwood SpeedWeek two years ago – will be promoted in a special edition to honor driver Emerson Fittipaldi, who started his Formula 1 career in a Lotus in 1970, and went on to spend three more seasons with the manufacturer. The 2027-hp Lotus Evija Fittipaldi celebrates 50 years since Fittipaldi and Team Lotus won the F1 Drivers’ and Constructors’ championships. The black and gold color scheme commemorates the original Type 72 race car colors, and it also features rotary dials crafted from recycled original Type 72 aluminum, plus Fittipaldi’s signature hand-stitched on the dashboard. The Evija Fittipaldi’s designation is written in gold lettering on the side of the rear window. Black and gold Type 72-style wheels are complete with anodized center lock surrounds—red on the left side of the car and green on the right—as well as black and gold brake calipers. Decals that celebrate the Type 72’s race victories from the 1972 season are on the active rear wing, while a number 8 has been applied to the B-pillar. Fittipaldi raced with that number on his car during the 1972 season, including for his win at the British Grand Prix. A carbon and gold Lotus nose badge completes the exterior styling.

Exhaust: One of those cars that’s a serious collector’s item before it even rolls out the door, the eight examples of the Evija Fittipaldi are currently being hand-built at the factory in Hethel, with deliveries planned for early next year. Prices weren’t revealed but we’re sure it’s well north of $2 million. – Steven Cole Smith

Norton goes Commando once more

Intake: Britain’s Norton motorcycles is bringing back the classic Commando. Its new 961 Commando will come in SP and CR trims and is “a modern rendering of an iconic and timeless motorcycle that is unmistakably Norton.” The original Commando was a big hit for Norton when it launched in 1967. Over the next 15 years more than 55,000 models were sold and it was voted “Machine of the Year” by Britain’s Motorcycle News five years in a row. “Today, marks a momentous milestone as Norton unveils its best Commando 961 to date, built by the company’s team of passionate experts to the highest standards,” says Norton. The new Commando has a timeless look, but the oily bits are fully up-to-date. The 961 cc parallel twin motor develops 78 hp at 7250 rpm and drives via a five-speed constant mesh transmission and a single plate wet clutch. Suspension is courtesy of Öhlins, with adjustable twin shocks at the rear and upside-down front forks. Brembo braking components will handle stopping duty. The differences between the two trims are subtle: The SP gets conventional upright handlebars, while the CR gets sportier clip-on style bars and a tweaked polished steel headlamp. Color options are Matrix Black or Manx Platinum, and both are complemented by contrasting pinstriping in either gold or black. U.K. prices are from $18,595, but there’s no word yet on when it will reach the U.S.

Exhaust: Norton has had a troubled history, but has recently had a £100 m ($113 m) investment from its new Indian owners TVS Motor. The 961 Commando is the first fruit of this new era, and CEO Dr Robert Hentschel is understandably rather pleased. “It’s been some years since the sound of a new Commando engine has echoed through U.K. streets and we’re delighted to be able to offer our customers this experience once again,” he says. —NB

No three- or four-cylinder M cars, says BMW M boss

Intake: BMW has no plans to allow three- or four-cylinder cars to ever don the full mantle of its hallowed M performance brand, according to a new report from CarBuzz. “We’re not even going to do four-cylinder engines in high-performance cars,” said M boss Franciscus van Meel during a media preview day for the 2022 BMW M fest, which will take place at South Africa’s Kylami Grand Prix Circuit. “I know there are other companies [that] are doing that, but we’re not going to do that.” It was the same story when discussing high-output three-cylinders, too. The “other companies” that van Meel is referring to are Mercedes-AMG, who is replacing its thunderous 4-liter V-8s with hybridized turbo four-cylinders, and Toyota, who uses a turbocharged three-cylinder engine for its GR Yaris and GR Corolla hot hatchbacks. The recently unveiled 2023 M2 will be BMW’s last gas-only performance car, but it sounds like even as the next-generation models gain some form of electrification, those watts will still aid six- or eight-cylinder engines.

Exhaust: We always appreciate a performance brand boss taking a hardline stance on something near and dear to our hearts. BMW’s inline sixes such as the S58, which powers the M2, the M3 and the M4, are some of the best in the business. We’re glad to hear that it sounds like they’ll be around for at least a few more years. — Nathan Petroelje

Maserati’s new special edition Ghibli and Levante pay tribute to F1’s first female driver

Intake: Maserati has a new FTributo special edition for the Ghibli and Levante, which pays homage to Maria Teresa De Filippis, the first woman to qualify for a Formula 1 Grand Prix, having done so aboard a Maserati. In October 1955, De Filippis took part in the 39th Targa Florio, driving a Maserati A6GCS (shared with Luigi Bellucci). She would take ninth place overall. This was the turning point that would lead her, one challenge after another, to break down conventions and become the first woman to compete in Formula 1 in 1958, again in a Maserati 250F. It was at the Belgian Grand Prix, and she finished in 10th place. She also competed in the Portuguese and Italian races, and would have run in the French Grand Prix but she was not allowed, the race director telling her, “the only helmet a woman should wear is the one at the hairdresser’s.”

Exhaust: De Filippis was a gutsy lady. She was a founding member of the Maserati Club in 2004 and went on to become the chairperson. As for the FTributo, its mostly a trim package with two colors, Grigio Lamiera and Arancio Devil, which is a saturated orange, “a combination of vibrant energy and audacity, to recall Maria Teresa’s nickname, ‘the she-devil’.” Different 21-inch wheels come on each color car. The rest of the changes are all inside, including special stitching in the leather upholstery. No word yet on when, how much or how many, but Maserati does say it’s a “limited edition.” — Steven Cole Smith

KTM 890 Adventure R takes subscription features to a new low

Intake: With updates to its popular middleweight adventure bike, KTM has announced a new “demo mode” that will activate all the technological features offered on 890 Adventure R for the first 932 miles (1500 kilometers). After that point, riders will then have to buy any feature that they want to keep on the bike for the ensuing miles. KTM says that demo mode is a great way to allow riders to try features like the traction control, cornering ABS, or other rider modes tuned for various terrains and know exactly what they are getting and whether or not such a feature would make sense to have on their bike before plunking down unnecessary lumps of cash.

Exhaust: On the other hand though, this really looks like the base MSRP (which is yet to be announced) includes these features only to have them taken away by a line of code after a few months of ownership. All the hardware is there and it is clearly functioning, so neutering the bike shortly into ownership is easily perceived as a money grab similar to the old drug dealer “first hit is free” joke. The KTM adventure lineup has a good reputation with buyers who are not scared to spend the money, so what’s with the gimmick KTM? — Kyle Smith

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Ford brings #VanLife in house with the 2023 Transit Trail

Intake: Ford Pro CEO Ted Cannis announced via Twitter yesterday that Ford’s Transit Van would venture into the world of factory-backed #VanLife with the 2023 Transit Trail. The Transit trail will, according to Ford, come “equipped with its new adventure-seeking capability alongside interior and exterior enhancements providing do-it-yourselfers and motorhome distributors a turnkey canvas direct from the factory.” The Transit Trail will be assembled in Missouri alongside the more blue-collar-focused Transit and the E-Transit vans. From that statement, it sounds like this one will still be gasoline-powered, utilizing either Ford’s naturally aspirated 3.5-liter V-6 or potentially the EcoBoost twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6. In a teaser video released to YouTube, we can see that the Transit Trail appears to have some meaty off-road-oriented tires. You can spec a Transit with all-wheel-drive, and we’d expect that to be at least an option, if not standard, on this camping model. When the 2021 Ford Transit arrived, Ford announced three new packages—The Transit Motorhome Prep package, the RV Prep package, and the Adventure Prep package—each intended to court the growing swathe of buyers who wanted an off-grid adventure rig. It sounds like the Transit Trail will take things up a notch and perhaps be a fully kitted-out offering right from the word go.

Exhaust: Van living is still increasing in popularity as more folks seek to leverage remote working opportunities to go and see all the beauty that this country (and Canada, and Mexico) have to offer. There are plenty of aftermarket firms already using the Transit as a platform to build out camper vans, and Ford clearly thinks that offering the right mix of content directly from the factory as a specific model is a path to increased revenues with the Transit lineup. We’re inclined to agree. — Nathan Petroelje

Alpine concept is the hydrogen road racer of the future

Intake: French sports and race car maker Alpine hasn’t given up on internal combustion just yet. The company famous for its lightweight A110 coupe believes that clean-burning hydrogen could be the future fuel for its road and race cars. Its Alpenglow concept car, which will make its public appearance at the Paris Motor Show, takes inspiration from the brand’s Formula 1 and World Endurance Championships competitors for its rakish closed cockpit design. No details of the powertrain have been disclosed but Alpine did confirm that somewhere under that wild bodywork is an electric-assisted ICE. “Alpenglow’s mighty and lavish design hints at what Alpine cars will be like tomorrow and at our vision for motor sports moving forward. With hydrogen technology on board, we are strengthening our commitment to a responsible future and to keeping driving pleasure as real as ever,” says Alpine CEO Laurent Rossi.

Exhaust: Battery electric vehicles are weighty and resource-hungry, as we all know. By contrast, hydrogen is the universe’s most abundant element, so as long as it can be released cleanly and efficiently it could well be the perfect fuel. Saving the sounds and sensations of internal combustion that make driving such a joy would be a spectacular bonus, so good on Alpine (and Toyota) for pursuing this approach.—Nik Berg

Coming soon: Jessi Combs’ Fastest Woman on Earth documentary

Intake: The Fastest Woman on Earth is an HBO Max documentary about Jessi Combs, who, among other things, went after land speed records in a jet airplane-turned-car called the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger, a converted 52,000-horsepower F-104, ground-bound by the removal of its wings. On August 27, 2019, Combs was killed in a crash at the 13-mile Alvord Desert dry lake bed in Southeast Oregon when there was some sort of failure in the front wheel assembly. She was a popular figure on television, driving a Bugatti on Jay Leno’s Garage, and hosting the All Girls Garage, Mythbusters and Overhaulin’ TV series. A talented fabricator and racer, Combs won a lot of off-road races. Her jet car was viewed by some racers as particularly dangerous, which turned out to be true. “I’m not afraid of dying,” she says in the documentary, “but I’m not ready to die. It’s not as glamorous as it seems. If you’re chasing adventures, you’re going to sacrifice having a relationship. I can’t have a family and try to break a land speed record.” Jessi Combs was 39.

Exhaust: Combs lived life on her terms, and The Fastest Woman on Earth should be an inspiring film. She was awarded the Guinness record for going 522.783 mph before her crash. It begins streaming on HBO Max October 20. Here’s the link to the two-minute trailer on YouTube. — Steven Cole Smith

Software tweaks to 2023 Porsche Taycan bump range by 14.2 percent

Intake: Porsche’s Taycan will get more efficient with the same hardware for the 2023 model year. According to the automaker, “incremental software improvements since launch” will give certain Taycan models more than 10 percent better range than indicated by current EPA ratings. The biggest winner is the Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo, which gains an additional 29 miles of range, but every nearly every model save for the Taycan GTS Cross Turismo and the Taycan GTS sedan will see some improvement. A couple notables: The mind-bending Taycan Turbo S sedan sees range grow from 201 miles to 222 (up 10.4 percent); the more everyman Taycan sedan with the Performance Battery Plus (the 93.4 kWh battery pack, versus the normal 79.2 kWh pack) sees range jump from 225 miles to 242.

Exhaust: If you’ve got a 2020, ’21, or ’22 model year Taycan in the driveway and feel left out, take heart: Porsche spokesperson Calvin Kim confirmed to Hagerty that the older cars will benefit from the software tweaks to the ’23 MY car as well. Kim clarified that although the older Taycans would enjoy increased efficiency because of the update, the EPA rating for those older cars will not change because Porsche isn’t going to re-homologate a 2021 MY car through the EPA test cycle. What’s more, the update will also bring other features of your older Taycan—infotainment, control interfaces, etc.—up to the ’23 spec. And, it will enable more modules within the car (performance and safety modules not included) to be able to receive over-the-air (OTA) updates in the future. Technology, man. — Nathan Petroelje

Sony and Honda’s first EV will be built in the U.S.A.

Intake: Honda and Sony have confirmed that their joint-venture electric car will be built in North America with deliveries beginning in 2026. Sony Honda Mobility is the name of the new collaboration, but it’s not yet clear what badge will appear on the car itself. Honda is set to take care of manufacturing at a new EV production hub in Ohio, while Sony’s responsibility will be centered on software and electronics including imaging, sensors, communications, and entertainment.

Exhaust: If you think BMW’s plans to offer in-car video gaming are bold, just think of what the inventors of the PlayStation will come up with. Just imagine how, in a few years time, your Sony-Honda could drive you to your destination while you play Gran Turismo. —NB

BMW updates the M 1000 R track weapon for 2023

Intake: In years past, achieving a higher top speed and better drive out of corners was the type of problem that you’d normally solve with more engine. But for the 2023 M 1000 RR, BMW took a different look at the problem, instead putting the emphasis on improved aerodynamics. With unchanged engine output, the new M bike will be slipperier in a straight line while also having more downforce—even at full lean in a corner. Another nice upgrade is the option for forged wheels in place of the standard carbon fiber hoops, which can make using this machine as intended a little less stressful, depending on your tire guy. All this speed comes with an MSRP of $32,995 plus $695 destination and is expected to hit the U.S. market this January.

Exhaust: Motorcycles hit a point where horsepower was no longer the problem many years ago, and it’s been an aerodynamics race ever since. Those manufacturers in the MotoGP paddock seemed to have the advantage, but BMW is not letting its lack of top-tier entry slow them down one bit. High-downforce cars are typically a next level challenge to drive, and we can only imagine what a high-downforce motorcycle would be like. Is the M 1000 R so capable it likely cannot be fully utilized by mere mortals? Probably, but who doesn’t want to ride the hero bike? — Kyle Smith

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Moto Morini, revitalized in recent years by its Chinese owners, has announced a new pair of 650cc twins called the Seiemezzo; Italian for “Six and a half”. The name is a nod to the Seventies, when the firm from Bologna was known for its 344cc V-twins – and especially for the 3¹/₂ Sport.

The original “And a half” was a mini superbike, offering style, handling and rev-happy performance despite being much smaller than most firms’ flagship models. Its high price, on a par with the likes of Honda’s CB500 four and Suzuki’s GT750 triple, meant sales were modest but it earned a devoted following.

Moto Morini, like the bigger and better-known Ducati factory from the same city, had begun by producing small-capacity single-cylinder machines. In 1963 a Morini ridden by Italian ace Tarquinio Provini finished second in the 250cc world championship.

But the firm’s reputation owed most to the following decade’s pair of 3¹/₂ roadsters, the base-model Strada (Street) and Sport. The Strada had a conventional layout, with raised handlebars and single-color paintwork. It was an attractive and capable bike but admirers of Italian exotica had eyes only for the Sport, with its striking two-tone finish.

Low, clip-on handlebars and a humped seat gave a lean, aggressive look. On early Sports this was enhanced by a big, double-sided front drum brake. There was an appealing simplicity to the heavily finned, air-cooled V-twin engine, whose cylinders were set at 72 degrees apart.

Morini’s motor was most notable for its unusual Heron cylinder heads—flat-bottomed, with the combustion chamber in the concave piston crowns. The firm was the first motorcycle manufacturer to put this layout into production, although it had been used by car manufacturers including Alfa Romeo and Jaguar.

The two 3¹/₂ models shared most engine parts, including an electronic ignition made by the local Ducati electronics firm from which the bike company was descended. The Sport’s hotter camshaft and different pistons gave a higher, 11:1 compression ratio. Its maximum output of 39bhp was healthy for such a small engine.

In Seventies fashion the chassis was based around a frame of tubular steel, with simple but firmly sprung telescopic forks and twin shocks. This 1976-model Sport was fitted with the single-disc front brake that replaced the original model’s drum at around that time.

Few bikes are as distinctive in their look and feel as the Sport, which established its personality as soon as I threw a leg over the low seat and reached forward and down to the clip-ons. The view was basic: a pair of black-faced Veglia clocks, three warning lights above a large “Sport” logo on the top yoke, and tinny, typically Italian switchgear on the handlebars.

After locating the ignition key down by my left thigh I flicked up the choke levers of the tiny Dell’Orto carburetors and swung the left-sided kickstarter. (And on the occasions when the engine didn’t fire after the efforts of my left foot, I hopped off again and kicked harder with my right …)

The riding position was a rather strange blend of low bars and forward-set footrests, which put too much weight on my wrists and rear for comfort. But the Morini felt low, slim and light, especially when stripped of mirrors and indicators like this bike. There’s was no mistaking the red-and-black V-twin’s sporty nature.

The little motor was unhappy at low revs, vibrating slightly and spluttering when its throttle was wound back at 4000 rpm. But with the engine turning faster it was a different story. At about 5000 rpm the Sport came alive, feeling better the higher it revved.

The real power was between 6000rpm and the 8500-rpm peak. When I kept the V-twin spinning with frequent flicks through the six-speed gearbox, the Sport hammered along at an indicated 80 mph, keen to stretch its legs towards a top speed of about 100 mph.

The need for frequent shifting made it important that the six-speed gearbox worked well, which it generally did—provided I remembered that the lever was on the right. The box was less impressive at a standstill, when the Morini’s lack of a neutral light meant I occasionally discovered a neutral between second and third, then invariably stalled when I tried to pull away in second.

Such irritation was quickly forgotten when the sun came out and I found a winding road that gave the Sport the chance to show off its handling. This is a small, light bike that weighs barely 150 kg (330 pounds), so was not compromised by its old-fashioned steering geometry and 18-inch front wheel.

Stability was excellent at all speeds, and the sweet-steering Morini went round corners effortlessly, aided by suspension that was well-damped without the traditional Italian harshness.

Other cycle parts were excellent, too. The Grimeca front disc brake was spongy by modern standards but capable of hauling the light Morini to a halt very sharply, aided by the small rear drum. And the Pirelli tires gripped well enough to make good use of the narrow V-twin’s generous ground clearance.

The Sport is a singleminded little machine, built for performance rather than comfort. By sports bike standards it was not particularly fast even when new. But on the right road the Morini was hugely enjoyable. Its revvy engine and excellent chassis encouraged me to ride it hard, reassured by its reputation for reliability.

The 3¹/₂ Sport is also economical to run, and these days it’s far more affordable than classics from the firm’s Ducati neighbor. It’s no wonder that many Morini owners are enthusiasts who have owned several models. Or that the marque’s current owners have been using its classy back catalogue for inspiration.

Check out the Hagerty Media homepage so you don’t miss a single story, or better yet, bookmark it.

***

1975 Moto Morini 3¹/₂ Sport

Price: Project: $2800 – Nice Ride: $4800 – Showing Off: $6000

Highs: Style, rev-happy character, agility

Lows: The lack of comfort—and neutral light

Takeaway: Italian V-twin charm at a bargain price

—

Engine: Air-cooled pushrod V-twin

Capacity: 344cc

Power: 39 hp @ 8500 rpm

Weight: 153 kg (337 pounds) with fluids

Top speed: 100 mph

Via Hagerty UK

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Akio Toyoda expresses doubt about California, U.S. EV Targets

Intake: Despite seemingly every company making grand proclamations about electric vehicles coming down the pipeline and what portion of their total sales will be all-electric by whenever, not everyone is convinced that the goals are attainable. Speaking with reporters during a dealer meeting in Las Vegas, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda expressed skepticism over pie-in-the-sky mandates such as California’s total ban of gasoline-powered cars in the state by 2035, according to a report from Automotive News. The mandate, which was recently adopted by Washington state and even more recently New York state, doesn’t seem possible, according to Toyoda. “Realistically speaking, it seems rather difficult to achieve that,” he said. Electric vehicles are “Just going to take longer than the media would like us to believe,” he continued. Toyoda told dealers that the global juggernaut would offer the “widest possible” array of powertrains to propel cars cleanly, adding that even getting to the goal of 50-percent zero-emission vehicles by the end of the decade would be tough. Instead, Toyota will continue to investigate hydrogen combustion as a cleaner alternative to gasoline in the long-term, while in the short-term it will focus on continuing to bolster the capability of its hybrid vehicles.

Exhaust: This isn’t the first time that Toyoda poked holes in what many believe to be the future of the automobile. In September of last year, Akio Toyoda expressed similar skepticism about the inevitability of autonomy as well as the electric revolution. While automakers continuing to chase more efficient and eco-friendlier EVs, Toyoda’s remarks feel like a welcome reality check for the prevailing market forces that seem to think the various issues with EVs—where the materials come from and the rising costs of battery vehicles in general, to name a few—will magically sort themselves out in a few short years. —Nathan Petroelje

Wards 10 Best Engines and Propulsion Systems heavy on electrics

Intake: Several years ago, Wards Auto, a respected inside-the industry publication, changed the name of its longstanding annual “10 Best Engines” competition, which for years had been internal-combustion powerplants only, to 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems, reflecting the ongoing electrification of the automobile business. Good thing: The Wards editors like a lot of electrics. The Wards 10 Best list has recognized 28 years’ worth of engines, with scoring based on horsepower, torque, NVH management, observed efficiency and new technology onboard. A price cap for nominees that had been in place since 1995 was removed in 2021. For the second straight year, electrics outpaced ICE engines. The 2022 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems Winners, listed alphabetically:

• Acura Integra A-Spec – 1.5L Turbocharged DOHC 4-cylinder
• Ford F-150 Lightning – Electric Propulsion System
• GMC Hummer EV – Electric Propulsion System
• Hyundai IONIQ 5 – Electric Propulsion System
• Lucid Air – Electric Propulsion System
• Mercedes-Benz AMG EQS – Electric Propulsion System
• Nissan Rogue – 1.5L Variable-Compression Turbocharged DOHC 3-cylinder
• Stellantis Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe – 2.0L Turbocharged DOHC 4-Cyl. PHEV
• Stellantis Jeep Grand Wagoneer – 3.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-6
• Toyota Tundra i-FORCE MAX – 3.5L Turbocharged DOHC V-6 HEV

Winners will be honored Oct. 27 during the Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems awards ceremony on the second day of the AutoTech: Electrification conference at the Detroit Marriott at the Renaissance Center.

Exhaust: You might not hear much about the Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems, but within the industry, the awards are very much coveted. Cars and trucks that may not make award-winning packages get a chance to shine separately when it comes to their gas and electric engines. —Steven Cole Smith

Smit Oletha Coupe drops two cylinders

Intake: Nashville, Tennesse’s Smit Vehicle Engineering is offering a downsized version of its Oletha Coupe. Based on BMW’s Z4 platform but with styling that evokes the retro Z8, the Oletha will now be available with its original S65 4.4-liter V-8 or a S54 3.4-liter straight-six. Both engines are normally-aspirated and drive through a six-speed manual transmission with a mechanical limited slip differential. The six-cylinder version is 100 pounds lighter than its sibling and delivers 400 horsepower compared to the eight’s 450 horses. There’s a carbon intake manifold, individual throttle bodies, and a solid rocker valvetrain that encourages drivers to rev the engine to its 8000 rpm redline. In either model you get 50:50 weight distribution and a carbon fiber body, although the six-cylinder car’s hood is reshaped with a more subtle power bulge. AP Racing brakes, KW two-way adjustable suspension and forged-and-machined monoblock wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires are also fitted. “Oletha is the car we wish BMW had built – an uncompromised synthesis of BMW’s greatest design, engineering, and racing achievements,” say the Smit brothers. The V-8, which launched in 2021, weighed in at a hefty $450,000 but there’s no price for the six as yet.

Exhaust: There’s no denying that this is a high price to pay for a glorified Z4 which you could pick up new from $51,500, but there’s a lot more to the Oletha than just the slinky styling. We’ve yet to experience it for ourselves, but Top Gear’s Ollie Marriage was seemingly smitten, saying, “It’s not the speed it gains so much as how it makes you feel, the vibrations through your chest, the sense of barely tamed beast thrashing away up front. What a drivetrain, so multi-faceted and rewarding. So responsive, endlessly enthralling, confident in itself and well-mannered.” —Nik Berg

Cardboard Citroën concept is the future of French family transport

Intake: Citroën has got its quirk back and we’re loving it. First there was the impossibly cute and wildly popular Ami electric urban runabout, and now the French firm has come up with a family-hauling EV that goes against the grain of bigger and bigger batteries, and more and more mass. “Citroën believes electrification should not mean extortion, and being eco-conscious should not be punitive by restricting our mobility or making vehicles less rewarding to live with. We need to reverse the trends by making them lighter and less expensive and find inventive ways to maximize usage,” says CEO Vincent Cobée. Packing only 40 kWh of electric cells the oli (no boisterous uppercase here) is made as light as possible, and restricted to 68 mph to deliver a range of 248 miles. Citroën says the car is made from 100 percent recycled materials, including corrugated cardboard which is used in a fiberglass sandwich to form most of the boxy body panels. The styling looks to be from the Lego school of car design, with a completely flat windscreen and some clever aero on the hood to allow it to cut a clean path through the air. The only curves you’ll find are in the wheels and wheel arches. Inside there’s room for four on bare-bones seats, while up front the dash is as minimalist as can be. The rear is a spacious load deck which can extend into the cabin and turn the oli into a pickup. Other practical features include Vehicle to Grid capability and rapid charging which will take the battery from 20 to 80 percent capacity in 23 minutes.

Exhaust: This is Citroën at its best. With its light weight, low speed and money-saving design, dare we say that this could even be the 2CV of tomorrow?  Head of Design Pierre Leclercq, says, “We took a risk with Ami, and we are taking a risk with oli because we need to push creativity.” Public opinion put the Ami into production so let’s start putting the pressure on to get the oli on the road as well.—NB

BMW S1000RR gets more flexible — literally

Intake: BMW’s superbike S1000RR gets updates for the 2023 model year with a more flexible chassis and new front end geometry to make the already stable and sporty bike even more so. Additional new items include traction control settings for “Slide Control” making power drifts out of corners safer and also ABS Pro “Brake Slide Assist” that allows for MotoGP-style backing in by using a steering angle sensor to keep the bike on track. Many other track-focused features such as captured rear wheel spacers and chamfered brake pads make this machine a prime choice for a quick rider who is looking to ride both track and street.

Exhaust: The S1000RR has become a standard for a bike with rider aids that actually aid the rider combined with a powerful and reliable engine. Add in these new small changes and its easy to see why hardcore riders are willing to spend the nearly $18,000 to get onto one of these compared to one of the Japanese liter bikes. With focused tuning and improvement BMW continues to make the case as to why those riders are making the right selection. —Kyle Smith

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Nissan’s new Z GT4 is ready to race across the globe

Intake: Yesterday, Nissan unveiled the latest iteration of its novel Z car: a purpose-built track rat ready to take the flag at road courses around the world. To construct the beast, Nissan’s NISMO racing division began with the production Z, and then tuned its 3.0-liter twin-turbo DOHC six-cylinder and altered its chassis and suspension—to what degree, we do not know. Vehicle specs will be announced at this year’s SEMA show. We do know that the Nissan Z racer, featuring an aggressive front splitter and a aircraft-carrier-sized rear wing, will be eligible to compete wherever GT4-spec cars are permitted to run, including IMSA’s Michelin Pilot Challenge and SRO’s Pirelli GT4 America. There, the track-ready Z will go wheel-to-wheel with other GT4 curb hoppers, such as the Aston Martin Vantage, Porsche’s 718 Cayman, and BMW’s M4. Prospective customer teams will be able to get their hands on the new Z GT4 sometime in the first half of next year.

Exhaust: Add Nissan to the list of recent manufacturers to debut a GT4 bullet for the 2023 season. Earlier this summer, McLaren announced that it was ditching its 570S GT4 racer in favor of the lighter, wider, more fuel-efficient Artura. Big Orange’s nimble racer sports a twin-turbo 120-degree 3.0-liter V-6 married to a seven-speed sequential box. More recently, Ford revealed that its seventh-generation Mustang would join the landscape in 2023. Next year’s GT4 starting grid is growing crowded. And while we know these undercard series, regardless of sanctioning body, often put on the best show of the weekend largely due to the impressive car count, the looming question remains: which teams will uptake the new toys and which will cling to the older, more proven models? We are certain to learn more details when SEMA rolls around. — Cameron Neveu

Watch a Miata nudge 190 mph on the autobahn

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfuIhd4M3dE

Intake: The Miata has always ticked many boxes for gearheads. It’s affordable, lightweight and fun to drive, but not exactly fast. Until now. YouTuber
EVOVIISWE pushed his ND Miata RF to 187.6 mph (302 kph) on a stretch of unrestricted German autobahn by swapping the standard 181-hp four-banger for a 514-hp LS7 V-8. The build has taken over a year to complete and the high-speed run wasn’t without issues. During his first attempt there was a loud bang at around 178 mph when the windscreen trim broke off, although fortunately the retractable roof stayed in place. On a second attempt the Miata motored beyond the 300 kph (186 mph) mark with the speed measured on a motorsports-spec Racelogic VBox. EVOIISWE reckons this makes it the fastest road-legal Miata in the world. Do you know of one faster?

Exhaust: Some like the pure simplicity of the minimalist Miata, but it’s the car’s amazing mod-ability that appeals to many more. Whether you fancy a monoposto or a tribute to a 1950s Alfa Romeo there’s a Miata-based solution out there, and now there’s an autobahn-stormer as well. The Miata is due for a refresh, along with some mild electrification, very soon, let’s hope that doesn’t deter the Miata modders in the future.—Nik Berg

Hope you like 7000-pound V-8 BMWs with a side of hybrid

Intake: As BMW promised in November of last year, the XM has become reality—159,995 dollars’ worth, with 644 hp and 590 lb-ft of torque generated from its combination of electric motor and twin-turbo V-8. This SUV is the first standalone product to come from BMW’s Motorsport (M) division since 1978, when M unveiled a BMW first: a mid-engine supercar. Though we cringe at the comparison, there’s no denying that the XM earns another round of firsts: the first M vehicle with an electrified powertrain, standard rear-axle steering, a curb weight over six thousand pounds, or a Label Red trim. That latter denotes what we would, were this not an M product to begin with, identify as the M model: A more expensive, more powerful version wearing distinctive badging and paint and interior trim. By the numbers, that’s 91 more hp (735+) and 145 more lb-ft of torque (735) for an extra $26,000.

Exhaust: The self-congratulatory XM only makes us yearn for the days that M’s prestige was measured by firsts or superlatives. We know better than to wax nostalgic in the presence of such a future-looking SUV … but M did go out and put its letter on the thing. —Grace Houghton

Volvo’s in-car radar will mean no pooch or person is left behind

Intake: The upcoming Volvo EX90 electric SUV will be the first car to feature radar sensors inside the cabin to detect people and pets to make sure that drivers never leave anyone locked in the car by mistake. According to U.S. government figures, more than 900 children in America have died after being left in hot cars since 1998 and Volvo’s new tech would prevent this. Sensors throughout the car, including the trunk space, can detect sub-millimeter movements and alert the driver to check the car. If a person or animal is sensed then the car will not lock and a warning will appear on the center console. The car’s climate system can also activate to keep the cabin cool or warm depending on the weather.

Exhaust: The Swedish firm built on safety has come up trumps again. “No one chooses to be distracted or tired, but we know it can happen,” says Lotta Jakobsson, a senior technical specialist in injury prevention. “We’re all human and distraction is a fact of life. With the help of cutting-edge technology, we’ll support you when you’re not at your best and help you avoid leaving family members or pets behind by accident.” —NB

Two new variants join Bentley’s Bentayga Hybrid family

Intake: Bentley’s Bentayga SUV will get two new hybrid variants to expand the aesthetic range of its best-selling model. Both will feature Bentley’s new 18-kWh battery that will allow 27-plus miles of all-electric driving range.

The first is the Bentayga S Hybrid, which skews towards the sporting side of the model range. It offers 456 hp of combined output from a 3-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine and a 100-kW electric motor, which draws it within earshot of its 4-liter, twin-turbo V-8-powered, non-hybrid brother, the Bentayga S (542hp). That instant electric torque help spur the ute to 62 mph from a stand-still in just 5.3 seconds, and top speed is 158 mph. The chassis will boast a more athletic ride thanks to dampers whose stiffness have been increased by 15 percent, and the unique exhaust has been tuned in such a way that it can provide different auditory experiences for front row passengers vs. second-row riders. It features unique styling elements such as an optional black-out package for the window trim, mirrors, and other bits that would normally present in polished metal. There’s a body kit to make the car appear lower to the ground, and a spoiler outback.

If performance SUVs aren’t your thing, the new Bentayga Azure Hybrid might be more appealing. This cross-portfolio flavor that’s finally making it to the hybrid side of the Bentayga family is focused on the comfort and wellbeing of its occupants first and foremost. Engine noise has been turned as far down as possible, and the chassis tuned for maximum float over sub-prime pavement. Automatically adjusting heated and cooled seats will help you maintain optimal body temperature. Inside, soft veneers and open-pore wood tones help create a more relaxing environment than the high-gloss finishes of other Bentayga trims.

Exhaust: With the exception of the long wheelbase SUV, and the continental models, all bentleys are now available as a hybrid. We know that the hybrid models are simply meant to bridge the gap between the gas-powered thundercouches of yore and the wafting EVs of tomorrow, but our time with a 2022 Flying Spur Hybrid revealed that the hybrid tech was useful—if a bit unpolished. Between the new battery and the wide personality now on offer in Bentley’s best-selling model, the folks from Crewe are hoping that more customers will take their first steps toward an all-electric future. — Nathan Petroelje

Triumph sets course to race new off-road machines in MXGP

Intake: Back in 2021, Triumph declared it would began development and production of an off-road lineup of motorcycles. The latest development in that saga is the announcement that confirms a factory-backed effort in the FIM Motocross World Championship MX2 class for 2024. This will consist of a pair of 250cc four-stroke motocross machines led by one of the winningest team owners in MXGP history, Thierry Chizat-Suzzoni. The announcement also mentions that a 450cc two-bike team will join the MXGP class in 2025.

Exhaust: Entering a new race series is always a big step for manufacturers. This is a huge leap for Triumph that will likely be made significantly easier—but not any cheaper—by the partnership with Chizat-Suzzoni. In a statement from Chizat-Suzzoni, he expresses the amount of support and excitement he sees from the Triumph company and team, but we have yet to hear anything about the bike. We are reserving any predictions for how the season will go until the new chassis and engine has come to light. — Kyle Smith

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Ram’s newest half-ton salutes EMS workers

Intake: Ram trucks has unveiled the second iteration of its “Built to Serve” special edition pickups, this time tipping the hat to Emergency Medical Service (EMS) professionals. The Ram 1500 EMS model will feature two specially selected exterior colors—Hydro Blue and Bright White—as well as an American flag and a “Built to Serve” decal for the rear quarter panels. Other exterior styling cues include an all-black grille surround, black bumpers, black-bezel lighting, 20-inch aluminum wheels with a unique Technical Gray finish, black badges, and dual four-inch black exhaust tips. The cabin receives blue accent stitching as well as a special “Built to Serve” badge in the passenger-side dash. There are Velcro patches on each front seat and inboard shoulder panel for first responders to adorn the cabin with their own patches as well. The backs of the front seats feature a Pouch Attachment Ladder System/Modular Lightweight Load-bearing Equipment (PALS/MOLLE) webbing to attached additional equipment or pouches. The Built to Serve models also get the 4×4 Off-Road Group content, including all-terrain tires, an electronic-locking rear axle, underbody armor, tow hooks, and off-road calibrated shock absorbers at all four corners. You can get the Built to Serve edition on Big Horn or Lone Star crew cab models, with either the 3.6-liter, 305-hp Pentastar V-6 or the 5.7-liter, 395-hp Hemi V-8 with or without the mild-hybrid eTorque tech. The 2023 Ram 1500 Built to Serve EMS model will go on sale in the fourth quarter of this year with an MSRP of $56,810 including destination.

“The Ram 1500 Built to Serve EMS edition is our way of honoring and expressing deep gratitude to the frontline heroes who serve or have served our country,” said Mike Koval Jr., Ram’s brand CEO. “At Ram, we are pleased to recognize the important work emergency medical workers provide to their communities every day.”

Exhaust: The truck crowd tends to be among the strongest supporters of first responders, so these Built to Serve models should be well-received. The first iteration of this line, which honored firefighters, debuted in February of this year with a similar cosmetic treatment, albeit with red exterior paint instead of blue. — Nathan Petroelje

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