BOD (Bike of the Day)

After Rick and I went our separate ways once he’d viewed the Laverda, we texted back & forth on the pros & cons of him dropping the cash for it. He was genuinely on the fence about it.

In the pro category was how rare it is to even see one of these bikes. You’d certainly be the only one at your local bike night with one. Thing is, that’s the only real pro we could come up with.

The cons were many. Where do you get parts when something has to be replaced? The bike was a little more rough than originally thought. It would need an extensive detail before it was presentable. Some minor repairs required as well.

In the end I think the main issue came down to parts. He decided it was a bit more of a project than he was after. The very next day after he decided to pass on the Laverda an insanely low mileage Ducati 900SSie popped up on FB market place.

He wound up getting that one at a very reasonable price, for what is essentially a new bike. He brought it home with less than 1100 miles on it. So, because the bike is so insanely untouched it’s my BOD

Back in the day, a high school buddy named Mario - what else? - bought a 900SS new and still has it. Sadly, he knows what it's worth.

Ducati Monster S4R








So that’s the S4R I want. Blue with the white stripe. I thought a red with a white stripe would be acceptable but there are 2 within an hour of my place selling for $6500 right now. Everytime I look at them, all I can think is “I’d really rather have the blue & white one”

Just something about it in blue & white. I dunno if it’s because so few Ducatis come in blue or if it’s because the blue & white represents the international race colors of the US or what exactly. I just know it’s the colors I want and so far at least, nothing else looks quite as good to me.

When I 1st met my wife, she told me of her best friend from high school and her husband Roy. They came over one night and Roy and I talked motorcycles almost the entire time they were over.

A few weeks later Roy came over on a spanking new Suzuki RF900. We would go on to have a decade of motorcycle adventures before Roy was tragically killed on his way home from work. That was in 2007.

For some reason, the last few weeks I’ve seen the RF900 featured on more than 1 YouTube channel. Brought back tons of memories so for my buddy Roy, the RF900 is todays BOD.


That’s what Roy’s bike looked like. It rode like a big ol comfy couch. Freeway expansion joints just made a sound when you rode over them but you’d barely feel them.

The drive train was all GSXR based. Engine was a sleeved down water cooled 1100 from ‘93-98ish. Right down to the 5 speed transmission. Brakes, wheels, swing arm etc all also straight from the GSXR parts bin.

Used to see these for sale relatively frequently but Suzuki didn’t make a huge number of them or the 600 version before they went out of production in ‘99. Today it’s rare to see one up for sale but if you see one, they’re actually quite a good “do-it-all” bike.

If you have to opportunity to pick one up for reasonable money….don’t turn your nose up. They’re kind of like a bigger more powerful EX.

Today’s BOD…..1986 GSXR-750R Limited Edition.

A true “homologation special” Suzuki built it to qualify the bike for World Superbike competition.

It came from the factory with a dry clutch, a solo saddle of hand laid ‘glass, a close ratio transmission to compliment the dry clutch, bigger brakes and 41mm forks. It arrived in showroom floors around the world a full 60 lbs lighter than the competition.

When it went on sale, it was $6,500 in 1986 money. Today? They’re worth 5 times that.

The last few days at work there has been a Royal Enfield parked next to my bike I get to the parking lot to go home.

Interesting bike….a 650 “Interceptor” So, I decided to make it my BOD

2017 MV Agusta Brutale 800 America.

I was lucky enough to see the launch of these at the MV Agusta tent/vendor display at Laguna Seca in 2017.

Even tried to talk my buddy Bill into buying one. He was “in the market” after his 848 EVO drowned when the Russian River flooded.

His apartment in Guerneville was right next to the river. He sent me pics of the bike cover filled with air like a balloon all but submerged while attached to the bike.

As in, the 848 was completely submerged under about 8 feet of water. A complete write off. He got his insurance money right before WSBK weekend so was in the market for a new bike.

We’d stopped at MV Agusta as they were debuting the Dragster RR too. Bill had his eye on one but in the end wound up getting a Yamaha.

While Bill was busy talking Dragster RR purchase & delivery etc I strolled over to this Red/White/Blue Brutale and noted there was a number plate on the top triple.

Another sales rep spotted me looking and came over to tell me about the bike. The Brutale America is an extremely limited production version as MV only built 50. One for each state in the US of A.

Presumably the number corresponds to the number in which the states were admitted to the union but who knows. I just thought it was a good looking bike. And just by chance, there is one on the Bay Area CL right now for just over $11K.

If I were one to buy a bike just to say I had #XX out of 50, I’d be all over it. Still, $11K is not a great deal of money to own #36 out of 50 made.

Honda NS400R (1985 - 1987).

Only Honda would make something as bonkers as a 400cc, V3 cylinder, 2 stroke.

Channel your inner 'Fast Freddie'.