Connect with us

Published

4 months ago

on

This 1908 Harley set a new auction record
This 1908 Harley set a new record for Mecum in Las Vegas. MEcum Auctions.

A 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank, Mecum Auctions

WE LOVE CAFÉ racers, we love bobbers, and we love a killer scrambler. But we also love great classics, and sometimes they come from an unlikely manufacturer. This year at Mecum’s Las Vegas auction, a rare bike nearly sold for $1 million, and it wasn’t a Henderson, or an MV Agusta, not even a Vincent or a rare Indian. Nope. It was a Harley-Davidson.

1908 Strap Tank Harley
1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank, Mecum Auction

The most expensive motorcycle sold this year at the 2023 Mecum auction was a 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank. This rare bike has an interesting pedigree that makes it a one of a kind. Less than a dozen of these bikes exist, however this one could be the most original. This Strap Tank, so called because the gas tank and oil tank are held to the bicycle-like frame with nickel strap, is one of the oldest surviving HDs and predates panhead Harleys by decades.

1908 Harley Strap Tank
This Harley sold for $935,000 at auction, Mecum Auction

When the auction gavel fell, the bike went for $850,000. That works out to $935,000 after auction fees. Watch the gavel fall in Mecum’s video.

07 420x236 1Read More

—————-

By: Dan Mayfield
Title: Million Dollar Harley: This Strap Tank Set a Record for Mecum
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/million-dollar-harley-this-strap-tank-set-a-record-for-mecum
Published Date: Tue, 31 Jan 2023 02:15:46 +0000

Total
0
Shares
Share 0
Tweet 0
Pin it 0
Share 0
Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Motor

2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP First Look Preview

Published

11 hours ago

on

September 22, 2023

By

V4E4YNYLJRC6ZLECAGPA5GJHIQ

Honda is leaving well enough alone with regard to its top-tier superbike this year, keeping its CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP in the new motorcycle lineup unchanged in 2024. The track weapon is now available starting at $28,900 in a Pearl White color scheme.

Editor’s note: We test rode this vehicle during the 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP First Ride Review and 2021 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP MC Commute Review articles and videos.

The 2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP starts at $28,900.
The 2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP starts at $28,900. (Honda/)

The SP is designed for on-track performance, first coming to the States in its current trim as a 2021 model. That major update resulted in a sportbike with a compact 999cc inline-four with numerous elements derived from MotoGP machines. The frame was revised to accommodate the new engine size and improve handling characteristics. Those changes coupled with improved tech and Öhlins semi-active electronic suspension resulted in a much-improved motorcycle during our first outing on track back in late 2020.

Other highlights of note include a much better-performing ride-by-wire system and quickshifter, taller rev range, and an improved braking package. The update brought the bike much more in line with literbike offerings from other manufacturers and left our testers feeling that this was a “superbike like we’ve never seen from Big Red.”

Related: The Best Superbikes of 2023

No major changes this year, but rumor has it big things may be on the way in 2024.
No major changes this year, but rumor has it big things may be on the way in 2024. (Honda/)

As a homologation platform, though, the bike also needs to perform in competition and in the years since its release the results haven’t been great in World Superbike. We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for the 2024 edition, which if the rumors that have been circling prove to be true, will mark another notable update to the platform. Possibly with a better aerodynamics package to help the platform reach the top step. Only time will tell.

2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP Technical Specifications and Price

Price:$28,900Engine:999cc, DOHC, liquid-cooled inline-four; 4 valves/cyl.Bore x Stroke:81.0 x 48.5mmCompression Ratio:13.4:1Fuel Delivery:EFI w/ 52mm throttle bodies; ride-by-wireClutch:Wet, multiplate w/ quickshifterTransmission/Final Drive:6-speed/chainFrame:Twin-spar aluminumFront Suspension:43mm Öhlins NPX electronically controlled fork, fully adjustable; 4.9 in. travelRear Suspension:Pro-Link single Öhlins electronically controlled shock, fully adjustable; 5.6 in. travelFront Brake:Brembo Stylema 4-piston calipers, 330mm discsRear Brake:1-piston caliper, 220mm discWheels, Front/Rear:Aluminum; 17 x 3.5 in. / 17 x 6.0 in.Tires, Front/Rear:120/70-17 / 200/55-17Rake/Trail:24.0°/4.0 in.Wheelbase:57.4 in.Seat Height:32.7 in.Fuel Capacity:4.3 gal.Claimed Curb Weight:445 lb.Warranty:12-month unlimited-mileage, limited, transferableAvailable:September 2023Contact:powersports.honda.com

Read More

—————-

By: Byron Wilson
Title: 2024 Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP First Look Preview
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/news/honda-cbr1000rr-r-fireblade-sp-first-look-preview/
Published Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:00:00 +0000

Continue Reading

Motor

Family Wagon: A four-up Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig from Madrid

Published

13 hours ago

on

September 22, 2023

By

moto guzzi v7 sidecar 745x497 1

Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig by UFO Garage
The Moto Guzzi V7 platform is well-known to us here at Bike EXIF. Since its re-release in 2008, the practical modern classic has graced the garages of multiple Bike EXIF writers, including our founder, Chris Hunter. But despite its popularity, we don’t see that many truly wild Moto Guzzi V7 customs.

That’s because the Moto Guzzi V7 looks good enough when it leaves the Mandello del Lario factory that most owners only make minor adjustments over time. But when Efraon Triana at UFO Garage in Madrid, Spain, was tasked with building a family-friendly Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig, he knew that he and his team would have to go all out.

Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig by UFO Garage

The customer, Mike, already owned one UFO Garage bike and wanted another to enjoy the Swiss countryside with. But there was a catch—Mike has two daughters and a wife who all want to be part of the fun. So not only did UFO Garage have to add a sidecar to the Guzzi, but they had to build it with two seats.

Efraon and his crew started by building the sidecar’s tubular steel frame by hand, adding an 18” wheel to match the V7. The wheel uses an aluminum rim on a CNC-machined hub—and if you peek through the spokes, you’ll spot the sidecar’s suspension system.

Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig by UFO GarageRead More

—————-

By: Ben Pilatti
Title: Family Wagon: A four-up Moto Guzzi V7 sidecar rig from Madrid
Sourced From: www.bikeexif.com/moto-guzzi-v7-sidecar
Published Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 16:59:29 +0000

Continue Reading

Motor

2023 KTM 890 Adventure and Adventure R

Published

21 hours ago

on

September 22, 2023

By

WAMLT366N5HXZGOXFXVZ6AJQ6U

2023 KTM 890 Adventure R
2023 KTM 890 Adventure R (KTM/)

Ups

Low-slung fuel tank gives a low center of gravity that makes it easier for riders of every skill level to find their limit off-roadTop-end rider aids are simple to use and incredibly effectiveCompact LC8c engine is tractable, laugh-out-loud fun, and refined enough for touring comfort

Downs

At start-up the engine sounds like a toolbox falling down a flight of stairsAvailable in any color you want as long as it’s orangeBrakes aren’t as high-spec as what can be found on some of the competition

Verdict

The benchmarks of the middleweight adventure category, the 890 Adventure and Adventure R shatter preconceptions of adventure-touring performance. Anything but top-heavy or cumbersome, these middleweights impress with killer rider aids, a responsive chassis, and a rowdy engine.

2023 KTM 890 Adventure
2023 KTM 890 Adventure (KTM/)

Overview

Adventure bikes, by nature, are the most compromised motorcycles on the market. They’re the proverbial jacks of all trades, but masters of none. There’s no perfect intersection of touring comfort, sport-riding exhilaration, around-town usability, and off-road capability that satisfies riders who want their machine to excel in every area. However, if those required traits were displayed on a Venn diagram, KTM’s 890 Adventure and Adventure R would increase the overlap between each circle.

When KTM unveiled the LC8c-powered 790 Adventure and Adventure R in 2019, we said: “It set a new standard in the adventure segment for dirt-worthiness,” and that “it nearly makes open-class machines irrelevant.” In other words, it was a game-changer.

Since that time, the middleweight class has become arguably the hottest segment in motorcycling as OEMs have attempted to wrest the middleweight crown from the rally-worn hands of the madmen from Mattighofen. Never one to rest on its laurels, KTM upped the ante in 2021, introducing the 890 Adventure and Adventure R, with a revised, larger-displacement 889cc engine with a higher compression ratio, larger intake and exhaust valves, an updated camshaft, and lighter pistons. In 2023, KTM revised the platform yet again.

One of the qualities that sets the 890 Adventure R apart is its low center of gravity. With most of its fuel sitting in front of the rider’s shins rather than on top of the machine, the 890 feels like a smaller, more nimble machine than its competition, inspiring riders to reevaluate what they thought they were capable of tackling on an ADV bike—both on and off-road. Coupled with a supereffective parallel-twin engine, impressive rider aids, great ergos, and unbelievable suspension—particularly on the R model—the 890 puts all other ADV bikes on their heels in the dirt. Even the base-model 890 Adventure, which uses less expensive, less off-road-biased suspension, is still an effective tool off-road while being more manageable for shorter riders and more aerodynamically efficient on the street.

It’s not like the 790/890 Adventure lineup were the first middleweight adventure bikes in the world, but they certainly opened a lot of people’s eyes and made good on the promise that yes, adventure motorcycles can go off-road, and yes, you should definitely get them as dirty as possible. The 890 Adventure series is what happens when you give a dirt bike manufacturer the keys to daddy’s adventure-tourer.

The 2023 KTM 890 Adventure R in the hands of someone with more skill than most of us. The aspirational R model has 10.4 inches of ground clearance, so you know it’s serious.
The 2023 KTM 890 Adventure R in the hands of someone with more skill than most of us. The aspirational R model has 10.4 inches of ground clearance, so you know it’s serious. (KTM/)

Updates for 2023

For 2023, the 890 Adventure series was further refined with a host of changes. Redesigned rally-inspired bodywork is intended to improve aerodynamics and ergonomics, as well as to provide more support for large navigation units. Both the base model and R receive their own windshields and both have aluminum covers that extend past the skid plate to add greater protection to the engine and tank.

Both the base model and R receive a 9.3 MP ABS unit

Read More

—————-

By: Cycle World Staff
Title: 2023 KTM 890 Adventure and Adventure R
Sourced From: www.motorcyclistonline.com/ktm/890-adventure-r/
Published Date: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 10:30:00 +0000

Continue Reading

Trending