The Honda VFR750R Type RC30, often just referred to as the RC30, is a unicorn motorcycle on par with the likes of Paul Smart’s Ducati 750 Imola Desmo, the Vincent Black Shadow, the Norton Manx, and the Brough Superior SS100. Now before the angry emails start rolling in from the vintage motorcycle fraternity, let me…
There’s something immediately approachable about mini bikes. In fact they might be the only motorcycle genre that almost all motorcyclists like, a rare feat in the tribal world of two-wheelers. The ST/CT Series by Honda are quite different from their Monkey Bike counterparts, they have pressed-steel frames with a “T” shaped profile and an underslung…
If you have so much as a passing interest in highly engineered custom motorcycles, you’ll almost certainly have encountered the work of Pepo Rosell before. Probably under the name of his previous enterprise – Radical Ducati. He closed down Radical Ducati a few years ago in order to take a 12 month sabbatical and decide…
Meet Jeremy and Joel DownShift Studio is run by Jeremy Lacy, an industrial designer based in Denver who specializes in illustrations and sketches of custom bikes, often helping fabricators and builders from around the world visualize their ideas and projects before the metal is cut and the tools come out. The Honda CX500 you see…
The Honda CB200 was released in 1973 as a replacement for the CB175, both bikes were popular with young men, particularly teenagers, who couldn’t afford a CB750 but wanted the closet thing they could get. A Brief History of the Honda CB200 Honda sold the CB200 between 1973 and 1976, depending on which country you’re…
Steve McQueen’s love for motorcycles is well documented, he owned many over the course of his life, including Indians, Triumphs, Husqvarnas, Hondas, and even a Cyclone board track racer. In 1973 he starred in a commercial for the Honda CR250, and as part payment Honda sent him a brand new CB450 – doubtless hoping he…
History Honda had introduced their CB750 in1969 and it became clear very quickly that they had created a world beater, but even as Honda basked in the booming sales, rival Kawasaki unveiled their Z1 900cc superbike in 1972 and the CB750 was instantly overshadowed. Soichiro Honda realized that a new motorcycle was needed, and that…
Those of you who are active in the motorcycle side of the Instagram universe will probably have already seen Karly and her trusty Honda CB550. For those who haven’t, Karly is a Texan, a counsellor, a photographer, a mother, and an avid motorcyclist who picked up a junkyard Honda CB550 back in 2015 for $500….
The Honda Shadow The Honda Shadow isn’t a motorcycle you would usually associate with a top tier custom rebuild. Honda introduced the Shadow in 1983 targeting the lucrative American market – specifically Harley-Davidson buyers. The styling borrowed heavily from the cruiser market, with a V-twin, sweeping fenders, a relaxed riding position, and a generous helping…
The Honda CR500 The Honda CR500 first appeared in 1984, it was the most powerful model in the legendary CR series of two-stroke motocross bikes, and its 55 hp engine only had to move a (dry) weight of 102 kilograms (225 lbs). Honda’s first CR-badged bikes were the CR125 and CR250 released in 1973, both…
The Honda CB550 was probably the best balanced Honda of the seventies. It did not have the awe-inspiring power of the legendary CB750, but it had a stiffer frame and was a lighter and more nimble motorcycle. We might describe the Honda CB550 as Honda’s “Goldilocks bike” – the CB750 was too big and powerful…
Before the movie “Back to the Future” had been thought of Honda introduced its new model for 1978 as “First to the Future”. This was a new model that had big shoes to fill. Its predecessor, the Honda CB550 had been a simply brilliant motorcycle with good handling and balance. So the new motorcycle from…
