Motorcycle Types

Triple Play

Triumph came of age in 1998 when the British manufacturer—which John Bloor had brought back from the dead in 1990—launched the sports touring Sprint ST. This first model of Triumph's post-modular era featured dedicated chassis and engine design rather than the mix-and-match formula Bloor had previously employed while getting his historic marque up and running.

Cascina Costa Beauties

It was Count Domenico Agusta's obsessive policy to keep the secrets of his racing machines well hidden; many bikes suffered the ignominy of destruction, while others were interred beneath his airstrip's runway.

Moto Masterpiece

Fire up the radial-valve 998cc 4-cylinder motor of the MV Agusta F4 Tamburini (MT4), and you will know that this masterpiece of design, bristling with technological innovation, must be Italian.

Since the reintroduction of Triumph motorcycles in the mid-1980s, the English motorcycle manufacturer has continued to make pragmatic, measured movement forward with its motorcycle model lineup. Its engines have grown gradually larger and more powerful, the styling slowly has become more modern, and sales figures have continued to climb. Triumph built its loyal fan base with reliable, enjoyable motorcycles, but it also established a reputation for having a relatively conservative nature.

When the conversation turns to German motorcycles, three letters usually spring to mind: BMW. Possibly the most famous acronym in the two-wheeled world, the Bavarian Motor Works has been producing solid, reliable motorcycles for more than 80 years. Not as recognizable in the United States, though, is another German manufacturer that has been producing motorcycles for just as long. Simply known as MZ (Motorradwerk Zschopau), the company traces its roots to the once-glorious DKW Company, which first began producing small two-stroke engines for bicycles in 1920.

The sophisticated wanderer.

Cagiva's unlikely MotoGP success.

MotoCzysz C1 Review

We all fantasize about creating the ultimate bike, one that combines the improbable ideas we dream up during commutes, long flights, or while lying on a beach. For most of us these chimeras remain unrealized, but occasionally someone surfaces with the drive, determination, and—above all—the resources to build a dreambike.

Somehow, I ended up in the same corner of the Castrol Honda Superbike hospitality tent as MotoGP World Champion Valentino Rossi and his friends while attending a World Superbike race at Misano, near Rimini and Riccione, on Italy's Adriatic Coast. I sat a few tables away and watched as Rossi's party chatted and ate prosciutto, apparently enjoying a relaxed day at the track.