BMW R100 Vinduro Scrambler Rind Performance’s ISDE-inspired BMW scrambler…  The International Six Days Enduro (ISDE) — known until 1981 as the International Six Days Trial (ISDT) — has been held annually since 1913, testing national teams of the world’s best off-road riders in what’s come to be known as the “Olympics of Motorcycling.” BMW ISDT team riders In 1964, Steve McQueen famously competed on the first US national team organized by the legendary John Penton, and today, the ISDE attracts teams from more than 30 countries, with riders covering upwards of 1250 miles over six days while ..read more

Battle of the Twins Veteran: 1983 Harley-Davidson XR1000 Race Special…  Launched in 1983, the Harley-Davidson XR1000 was conceived as a road-going version of the mighty XR750 — the most successful race bike in the history of flat track racing. “Like everyone else who’s ever gone to an AMA dirt track race and seen the thundering Harley XR750s racing, some of the people inside Harley-Davidson have wanted to build a street version of the XR. Easier said than done, said the Engineering Department. Easier done than said, said Dick O’Brien of the Racing Department.” –Cycle World Sixty days ..read more

Photo: Handbuilt Show / Revival Cycles A show-worthy graduation present from Never Ending Cycles…  The Honda CB400F is one of our favorite Honda fours of the 1970s, a café-styled machine that sported a high-revving 408cc inline four and one of the most gorgeous factory exhausts ever designed. “The 400F was actually a replacement for the CB350 Four, a bike that Soichiro Honda himself declared at the time to be ‘the finest, smoothest Honda ever built.'” –Motorcycle Classics German ad for the CB400F Fortunately, the CB400F was significantly faster, with Cycle World clocking a quarter-mile ..read more

Gary Scotti’s 1170cc 16-valve GS Restomod…  In 1978, Suzuki entered the 1000cc inline-four arms race with the 90-hp GS1000. The 8-valve engine was developed from that of the excellent GS750, bored and stroked to 997cc, and actually lighter than its smaller displacement sibling due to the lack of kickstart and shorter / lighter crank. Says Suzuki Works Trained Mechanic Peter Rotherham, who bought one of the first GS1000s to arrive in the UK: “My own GS1000 was one of the best machines that I have owned, (and I’ve had many of all types). Despite a huge power output, and a (tested and prov ..read more

Purpose Built Moto builds a 700cc vintage twin café…  Tom Gilroy of Australia’s Purpose Built Moto has climbed into the elite echelons of the custom bike world over the past several years, and his Signature series puts his creativity, expertise, and style on full display. Previous Signature builds such as PBM’s CX500 café racer and Sportster scrambler had a markedly modern edge, but with this ’73 Yamaha XS650 — a former racer — Tom went for a much more classic look, feel, and riding experience: “This XS650 represents my collective experience and learning on what a classic motorcycle sh ..read more

Sabotage Motorcycles resurrects a sun-scorched 650 Katana…  The Suzuki Katana caused quite the stir upon its introduction in 1981. Designed by Hans Muth, BMW’s former chief of styling, the Katana was one of the first mass-produced Japanese motorcycles to use a European Design (ED). Muth immersed himself in Japanese culture, particularly the work Zen in the Art of Archery — a book that gave Robert Pirsig inspiration for Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. When presenting the bold, sharp-edged design to Osamu Suzuki, Muth said: “The sword first serves as a weapon, but a katana als ..read more

New Older Garage restores a first-year XR600R…  Produced from 1985 to 2000, the Honda XR600R was one of the most successful enduros of all time, a big-bore four-stroke that proved itself on a wide variety of terrain. “Honda’s XR600R is no ordinary motorcycle. Through its 15-year run, this legendary thumper landed multiple titles in AMA Hare Scrambles, the Baja 1000 and even GNCC woods racing with riders like Scott Summers, Johnny Campbell, Jimmy Lewis and Bruce Ogilvie.” –ADV Pulse The XR600R offered 45 hp and 40 ft-lb of torque from its twin-carb RFVC single-cylinder engine, along wi ..read more

Chattahoochee Skunkworks builds an “Outlaw CB400F”…  At the time of its introduction, the Honda CB400F was hailed as a mini-superbike.  The small, highly sophisticated 408cc inline four boasted a 10,000 rpm redline and six-speed transmission — the first sixth gear on a Honda street bike. Few other machines pointed so closely to the exotic engineering and howling fury of Honda’s small-displacement, multi-cylinder GP bikes. While two-stroke twins, triples, and large-capacity four-stroke fours were raw and plentiful, a whole segment of riders cared about charisma and cornering prowess ..read more

Last week was the 32nd annual Mecum Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction in Las Vegas, and it was quite the show. North of 1800 motorcycles crossed the auction block, including bikes from 15+ storied private collections, including Mike Wolfe’s As Found Collection, Jim’s Forever Collection, and the BMW Centennial Selection. The 1908 Harley-Davidson Tank Strap we recently featured set a new world record, selling for $935,000, and we rounded up the other Top 10 sales from the auction, as well as some noteworthy selections from the private collections. 1. 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap: $935,000 ..read more

This past week, January 24-28, was the 32nd annual Mecum “Vintage & Antique Motorcycle Auction” in Las Vegas, held at the South Point Hotel & Casino. Nearly 2000 motorcycles crossed the auction block, including bikes from some 15 private collections such as Jim’s Forever Collection, Mike Wolfe’s As Found Collection, and the BMW Centennial Selection from the Black Forest Collection, among many others. However, it was a 1908 Harley-Davidson Strap Tank (Lot S174.1) that stole the show. One of the oldest surviving models of an incredibly rare breed, it was discovered in a barn outside Mi ..read more