The goal was to beat Harley-Davidson at its own flat track game, one the folks in Milwaukee understood well because they'd been playing it for decades. The challenger stepping forward in 1980 was American Honda, and at stake was the most coveted trophy in flat-track racing, the AMA's Grand ...
1985 Ducati F1Engine: 748cc air-cooled SOHC desmodromic 90-degree V-twin, 2 valves per cylinder, 88mm x 61.5mm bore and stroke, 9.3:1 compression ratio, 75hp @ 9,000rpm (claimed)Top speed: 137mph (period test)Carburetion: Two 36mm Dell'Orto PHFTransmission: 5-speed, chain final driveElectrics: ...
American heroes aren't supposed to die, but they do. Like many race fans from my generation, my American hero was Dan Gurney, one of America's greatest race car drivers of all time. He passed away Jan. 14, at the age of 86.Gurney's high-water mark occurred in a single week in 1967 when, after ...
Marketing surveys today are the lifeblood of motorcycle product planners. Time spent in the field questioning enthusiasts and potential customers helps corporate bigwigs determine what models to build in coming years.Things were different 50 years ago, when product planners relied heavily on ...
1939 BMW R51Engine: 494cc air-cooled OHV opposed-twin, 68mm x 68mm bore and stroke, 6.7:1 compression ratio, 24hp @ 5,500rpmCarburetion: Two 22mm AmalTransmission: 4-speed, shaft final driveElectrics: 6v, magneto w/coil and breaker points ignitionFrame/wheelbase: Dual downtube steel cradle ...
The world of Grand Prix motorcycle road racing gently shifted on its axis in March 1978. That’s when Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., publicly announced the formation of a one-rider team that would challenge three world championships in the coming months. The press ...
Although most people don’t know this, the first-ever Ducati 350 was made in America — by an American with an Italian surname.Before this bike existed, there was no Ducati 350, and like the mongrelized Cadillac in the popular Johnny Cash song, it was built one piece at a ...
1964 Kawasaki M5 PetClaimed power: 4.5hp @ 7,000rpmTop speed: 48mphEngine: 49cc air-cooled single-cyclinder 2-stroke, 41mm x 37.8mm bore and stroke, 6.7:1 compression ratioWeight (dry): 166lb (75.3kg)Fuel capacity: 1.5gal (5.7ltr)Price then/now: $260/$2,000Nature abhors a vacuum. And so does ...
No, your eyes aren’t playing tricks on you, and this snapshot from the past (March 1974, to be precise) hasn’t been put through the Photoshop process, either. Both riders are definitely naked as jaybirds on dirt bikes, plying California’s vast, and somewhat barren, ...
1978 Bultaco StreakerClaimed power: 13.3hp @ 9,000rpmTop speed: 72mph (claimed)Engine: 119cc air-cooled 2-stroke single, 54.2mm x 51.5mm bore and stroke, 12:1 compression ratioWeight(dry): 187lb (85kg)Fuel capacity/MPG: 2.3gal (10.5ltr)This is the ...
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