Racebike

Fantastic reader submittal! An insanely trick Yamaha XV1000 Virago Racebike and a sweet Desmo Ducati!

Reader Travis Lawson with Iron Spade Cycles in Houston TX sends in a pair of great bikes from 1987. A nice Ducati and a truly one of a kind Yamaha Virago! I’ll let travis explain these two. He writes:

Hey there Steve, Travis here. I’m a member of the 2 Stroke World forum and I’ve been following both your 2 Stroke Biker blog and the Picture of the Day blog for quite a while. I’ve been wanting to do something similar for a long time.

Hey I thought I send you some pictures of a couple of unique cycles. I took these at a CRRC club race at Texas World Speedway in College Station TX back in 1987 and although I really know nothing about the owner I did find the welding shop (K&K Welding Austin TX 512-444-7485) that did the fab work but was unable to contact them. This bike is a complete custom Formula USA/BoTT race bike built around a Yamaha Virago XV1000. Look closely at the carbs, they are billet one-offs! The frame and swingarm was made from .250 thick alloy plate and the rear shock has no linkage back when everything had linkage. Also this bike began life as a shaft drive cruiser. Simply amazing! Super trick! The guy who rode it that day also campaigned another hand built, vintage 80’s Rotax 250 in the Formula 2 GP class. I was told they were doing a shakedown run for the Battle of The Twins race at Daytona just a few weeks after I took these pictures.

I’m also including pictures I took that same day of a Ducati Desmo 750 that was built by the now closed House of Wheels Yamaha of Houston. I took these pictures over 20 years ago but every time I see these I just think wow!Feel free to post them on your blog. I’m planning on send you some other pictures of my several RD projects that are slowly coming around. Since I’ve joined the Street Fighter forum recently I’ve gotten so many new ideas for two of the three RD’s I’m currently building. Until then, have fun with these.

Later Travis

Hey Travis that is freaking awesome. You wouldn’t believe how much attention the Cafe Virago posts get on here and I’m sure there’ll be a LOT of attention on this one. Thanks much for the pics and keep me posted on that RD build. Now that my KZ is wrapping up I’ve got to get going on my own LC project! Winter’s coming and it’s time to get wrenching.

The amazing 171 mph (in 1955) Moto Guzzi V8 (with video).

Speaks for itself really but if you want to know more check HERE and HERE

http://www.youtube.com/v/UBdaBMmk6w8&hl=en&fs=1&

Montessa Roadracer… vintage racing behind the scenes.

I’m not sure about the actual model / history of this bike (anyone?) but I think this picture does a great job of capturing the flavor of a typical vintage racing scene. Hit’s all the right notes.. as they say. Thanks again to Dave Innola for the pics!

Regular Contributor Ted Guthrie just back from the International Six Day Reunion Ride with some outstanding shots!

Ted Writes:

Hi, Steve. I’m just back from participating in the International Six Day Trial Reunion Ride. What’s that, you ask? Well, it’s a 2-day version of the oldest motorcycle competition event in the world – the International Six-Day Trial (now International Six-Day Enduro). Routinely referred to as the Olympics of Motorcycling, the ISDT(E) pits teams of riders from different countries in six consecutive days of off-road competition. Held each year in a different country, the ISDT(E) is one of the toughest and most prestigious motorcycle competition events in the world.

The Reunion Ride is a much milder version, primarily geared for old(er) riders, on vintage bikes. Numerous ISDT vets show up and participate, as well as AHRMA regulars and many other vintage motorcycle enthusiasts.

Here are a few pics of some of the more interesting machines I spotted.. Note, one exception is the phantom Rockford flattracker, which vintage resto specialist Gary Roach brought along for display. Also shown are a neat, little Benelli enduro bike, a genuine Jawa ISDT bike (similar to those piloted by the many-time ISDT champion East German team, back in the 60’s & 70’s), a couple of Rokons, and Bruce Williams’ ISDT-replica BMW. There were lots of other cool bikes, especially Pentons, Huskys, and Hodakas. I included a nice example of one of the Pentons (also owned by Gary Roach), as well as a trick, 70’s Honda XL350-based sidecar rig. Hope you find them all interesting. Oh yeah – I did compete, on my ’75 Can-Am 175 TNT. Bike ran great, but with all those ISDT vets and AHRMA regulars present, I got my ass handed to me. Sure had fun, though!

Ted Guthrie

I bet it was a hell of a good time! Thanks as always for sharing these great pics!








The Barry Sheen Yamaha… coming full circle!

A year or so ago when I started this little hobby I didn’t really have a lot of material to work with so I figured I start out with what I had. The best pics I had were all 2-strokes (my first love) so I posted a really excellent picture of Barry Sheen’s Yamaha GP bike. I thought it was a TZ750 but it was really a YZR500. Anyway, since then I’ve come a long way and made some great online friends who’ve contributed most of the best stuff on here.

Well today has come full circle (so to speak) because I was sent some excellent pictures from my favorite new blogger Mike Stuhler of the excellent stusshotes blog. Low and behold what do I find in my e-mail! God I do love this bike.

But even after reading up on it a bit I still find it hard to think of Barry Sheen on a Yamaha. Here’s one of his rides on the crispy side after a wreck.
He was such an icon on those Suzuki’s that my minds eye can’t see him on much else. But then again Rossi started wining on a Honda and now he’s with Yamaha himself so I guess times aren’t that different after all.. LOL

2 stroke porn… TZ750 and RD400 Daytona

I realize that I have another blog for 2 stroke bikes but someties something pops up over there that just transcends the genre. This picture (for me) is one of those times. If this doesn’t get your attention then… damm.. I just don’t know how to help you..