The early 1970s were trying times at Harley-Davidson. The effects of AMF’s takeover in 1969 were trashing the company’s reputation and finances, and the flood of incoming Japanese standards provided reliable low-cost alternatives. To make matters worse, Harley’s grip on dirt track racing was in jeopardy after Brits had twisted the AMA’s arm for a…
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Some partnerships are just meant to be. Take Union Motorcycle Classics out of Nampa, Idaho, for instance, as the pairing of Mike Watanabe and Luke Ransom regularly brings about some of the highest-quality motorcycle restorations undertaken behind barn doors. Furthermore, Union has struck up the perfect relationship with a discerning client who regularly hauls in…
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A motorcycle like the 1974 Ducati 750SS simply couldn’t be manufactured and sold today, and it’s a small miracle that it even passed in the 1970s. A barely homologated version of Ducati’s Desmo L-twin road racer, the 750SS was finicky, raw and probably illegal for road use in most places with its fiberglass fuel tank,…
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In relative terms, it wasn’t so long ago that it was somewhat rare to see motorcycles on the highways and byways of middle America. Mostly, they were quirky oil-dripping British bikes or nefarious “love ’em or hate ’em” Harley-Davidsons. The truth is, 1960s America was car crazy. Even 16-year-old kids could afford cars and gas…
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Classic motorcycles attain desirability for any number of reasons, but every once in a while we come across one that checks every…
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On August 11, 1973, during the GP race at the Silverstone Circuit in England, New Zealander Kim Newcombe found himself in the…
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The leaves are falling (in my hemisphere anyway), and in addition to running up our odometers in the coming weeks, fall also…
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Every classic motorcycle tells a tale, whether it’s a hair-brained origin story or volumes from a lifetime of loving use. The best…
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The Bonhams February sale is about to wrap up, so we’re taking a break from our regular scheduled programming to pick our…
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The legend of Paul Smart, Ducati, and the Imola race track is deeply entrenched in motorcycle history. Ducati’s groundbreaking 750 GT was…
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“I’ve never sat on a running Norton before,” photographer Marian Sell announces proudly. He’s just finished dialing in this 750 cc Seeley…
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Toshiyuki Kozaka doesn’t have a massive profile outside of Japan. But in the Land of the Rising Sun, he’s established himself as…
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‘Now that it’s out and running, be sure you run it,’ the 1951 Ariel’s owner said with a wink before sending me…
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While they don’t always give motorcycles their fair share of the limelight, the big auto auctions certainly have a knack for bringing…
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If you have an old motorcycle stashed in your garage, backyard or basement, waiting for its turn on the workbench, you’re not…
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