Category Archives: Motorcycles
Suzuki’s COVID project was a stunning retro Katana
The year-long lockdown due to COVID gave all of us a lot of downtime to catch up on back burner projects. Hopefully, you used that time as wisely as Suzuki did. The company has just revealed a stunning, one-off, road-going … Continue reading
Yamaha’s YZR-M1 MotoGP race bike livery is a throwback to the 1960s
Yamaha’s 2021 MotoGP race bike has debuted with a throwback livery that pays tribute to 60 years of Grand Prix competition. The YZR-M1 is finished in a white with red chain block stripe that can be traced back to some … Continue reading
This collection of 1,200 motorcycles proves it’s better to hoard bikes than cars
It would probably be inaccurate to call Brad Boyle’s warehouse of motorcycles a collection. It’s more of an obsession. Boyle owns 1,200 motorcycles, and estimates that 300 to 400 of them are Hondas. When you’re asked how many Hondas you … Continue reading
BIKES: After 43 years, it’s the end of the road for the Yamaha SR400
After over four decades of production, the Yamaha SR series is coming to an end. These days, Japanese motorcycle manufacturers are rapidly churning out throwback bikes that hearken back to their heydays, but the Yamaha SR400 and SR500 actually existed … Continue reading
BIKES: Kawasaki revives the Meguro marque with K3 vertical twin
Kawasaki has just revealed one of the coolest bikes we’ve ever seen. Japan has seen no shortage of retro styled motorcycles in recent years, but none have been more of a throwback than this, the Meguro K3. Not only does … Continue reading
VIDEO: Here’s every generation of the Honda Trail Cub
Here’s a very informative history lesson on the Honda Trail Cub (or Hunter Cub, or Postie, depending on which continent you live on). Produced by Honda, it goes through every iteration of what started out as a Super Cub modified … Continue reading
BIKES: The Honda Trail Cub will be available in the US
The Honda Trail 125 motorcycle, successor to the once popular bike known colloquially as the Hunter Cub, is coming to the US. The stripped down, toughened up version of the Super Cub has been a favorite for outdoorsy types for … Continue reading
Kawasaki heritage parts program also creates desk art out of cylinder heads
Following in the footsteps of Japanese car companies, Earlier this year Kawasaki launched a Heritage Parts program. The first item to be reproduced was the cylinder heads for the 1972-76 Kawasaki 900 Super 4 and the 1973-78 Kawasaki 750RS, also … Continue reading
BIKES: Honda patent for electric Super Cub discovered
A patent for an electric Super Cub at the US Patent and Trademark Office has been unearthed. The patent looks like it was filed back in 2016, but was discovered by Autoblog this week. It contains an swapable battery pack … Continue reading
BIKES: Honda trademark filing could mean a new Motocompo
Honda has submitted a trademark application for the name “Motocompacto” with the US Patent and Trademark Office. The name immediately conjures visions of the 1981-85 Honda Motocompo, a folding scooter designed to fit in the cargo area of the Honda … Continue reading
BIKES: Honda reveals retro CB-F Concept
To mark the 60th anniversary of the revolutionary CB-series motorcycles, Honda had planned to debut the striking CB-F Concept at the Tokyo Motorcycle Show in March. Unfortunately, the coronavirus threw a big wrench into those plans, but Honda has revealed … Continue reading
Honda has brought back the Trail Cub
At the Tokyo Motor Show last year Honda showed a cool little concept bike that looked like a revival of the 1980 CT110. Also known as Trail Cub or Hunter Cub, the original was a more rugged version of the … Continue reading
Honda concludes its 70th anniversary year with 400 millionth motorcycle built
This year marks the 70 years since Soichiro Honda’s little venture into motorcycle manufacturing. In 1949, the Dream D-Type became Honda’s first realĀ motorcycle; prior models still had the appearance of a bicycle with an auxiliary motor strapped to them. … Continue reading
This awesome vintage motorcycle event but with cars, please
Even without a ton of knowledge about motorcycles, we can probably all agree that the Legend of Classic is a cool event. Held at Japan’s Tsukuba Circuit and Fuji Speedway, the vintage motorcycle racing event’s self-described philosophy is this: “To … Continue reading
The Shoei NXR Zork TC-7 is the raddest helmet
We don’t often write about motorcycle helmets here on JNC, but when one comes along that is this striking, it’s hard to ignore. For 2020, Shoei is releasing a version of their popular NXR helmet slathered with 80s-inspired graphics, and … Continue reading
BIKES: Honda is selling a retro CB1100 RS cafe racer
To mark the 50th anniversary of the game-changing CB750, also known as the world’s first superbike, Honda UK is selling a limited run of retro motorcycles based off the CB750’s successor, the CB1100 RS. Only 54 of the cafe racer-inspired … Continue reading
BIKES: Japan kicks off high-end collector motorcycle auctions
We at JNC certainly love our classic Japanese cars, but Japan’s true technological tour de force came on two wheels. The design, engineering, and performance of Japanese bikes had an even bigger impact on the motorcycling world than that of … Continue reading
VIDEO: Jay Leno compares a new Honda Cub with the original
When it comes to Japanese vehicles, Jay Leno’s Garage has been most entertaining when they’ve been about Honda bikes. The host has a true affinity for them in a way that’s not always there when he’s talking about, say, a … Continue reading
BIKES: Kawasaki re-releases retro W800 motorcycle
Kawasaki has re-released the W800, a vertical-twin motorcycle inspired by the original Kawasaki W-series built from 1965 to 1974. The W800 is said to not only take its layout and look from its predecessors, but its riding feel and sound … Continue reading
BIKES: Suzuki releases retro-styled Katana
Many Japanese motorcycle makers are coming out with retro-styled bikes these days. Kawasaki and Honda have made modern versions of the Z1 and CBX respectively, and now Suzuki has joined the fray. However, whereas Kawasaki and Honda referenced bikes of … Continue reading