Motorcycle & Bikers Blog
The streetfighter: the brutal, fairing-less street bike
Born in 1980s-90s England from crashed sport bikes stripped of their fairings, the streetfighter motorcycle has evolved from a street custom into a true industrial category. History, aesthetics, and heritage, facts separated from the myth.
The Honda Monkey (Z50): The Iconic Little Bike with a Big Heart
A look back at the Honda Monkey, the Japanese mini-moto born at Tama Tech in 1961: its "monkey" nickname, its 50cc engine, its foldable version that fit in a trunk, and its big comeback as the Monkey 125.
The Honda Gold Wing: The Queen of Grand Touring Motorcycles
From the 1975 GL1000 flat-four to the GL1800's 1832cc flat-six, a look back at the Honda Gold Wing: fifty years of grand touring, the "couch on two wheels" that invented long-distance motorcycle travel.
The Yamaha XT600 Ténéré (1983): The adventurer born of the desert
Born from Yamaha's victories in the Paris-Dakar Rally, the 1983 XT600 Ténéré democratized long-distance adventure touring. A look back at a legendary travel motorcycle, from its large fuel tank to the modern Ténéré 700.
Norton Commando (1967): The Glorious Swan Song of British Twins
The Norton Commando, the ultimate British big twin: its 745 then 828 cc engine, the ingenious Isolastic anti-vibration system, and its five "Machine of the Year" titles in the face of the Japanese tidal wave.