#ChurchOfMo

In this week’s Church feature, we look at the Yamaha BT1100 Bulldog. Not familiar to some of our American readers? That’s because it never came to this side of the Atlantic, possibly a contestant for a future list about bikes we never got in this country. Sharing the same V-Twin engine from the Virago (aka V-Star 1100) we did get here, this naked standard has hints of Buell Lightning and Ducati Monster written all over it. Let’s travel back to 2002 and get Yossef Schvetz’s take on this Euro-only category buster.

Last week’s Church of MO feature brought you the Suzuki GSR 600, a naked middleweight, the likes of which are re-gaining popularity within the past few years. As we saw last week, and will see again this week with our look back at the 2002 Kawasaki ZR-7s, the naked middleweight class is a very favorable class of motorcycle. Graced with moderate power, upright ergos, and practicality beyond what any sportbike can offer, it’s no wonder why the class is seeing a reemergence as of late. Need further proof, check out MO’s ZR-7S review from 12 years ago.

With Suzuki’s announcement at its annual dealer meeting this week that it was bringing the GSX-S750 to America next year, what better time to travel back to 2006, and Yossef Schvetz’s review of the 750 little brother, the Suzuki GSR 600. With design cues similar to the B-King, the GSR 600 wasn’t quite the monster the B-King was. Instead it was formidable competition for other middleweight naked standards of the time. Bikes like the Honda 599 Hornet, Yamaha Fazer 600, and even Suzuki’s own SV650. Where does the GSR stack up? Here’s Schvetz with the answer. Also be sure to check out this GSR 600 photo gallery for more pictures not posted here. 

While Ducati might get much of the glory for being the Italian brand with a mega naked-bike presence, one must not forget Cagiva. It’s easy to do, Cagiva being an obscure brand and all, but what it showed in the Raptor was a bike that was so close to hitting the mark. It was a looker, had the right components to make it a handler, and borrowed the Suzuki TL1000 V-Twin engine. Late in the year 2000, contributor Glenn Le Santo threw a leg over one, and now, 14 years later, we revisit it for this week’s Church of MO feature.

Oh, Buell. The red-headed stepchild of The Motor Company, it seemed like Erik Buell tried his best to make a sporting motorcycle with the scraps he was given. Lemonade out of lemons, if you will. However, despite being hampered in the, of all places, motor department, Buell churned out some rather interesting motorcycles. Not least of which is the 2003 XB9S Lightning, the subject of this week’s Church of MO feature. Penned by recent MO re-hire, John Burns, it’s nice to see Mr. Burns’ bike eval skills haven’t changed much over the years. Read on to see his thoughts on an early example of what we would now call a streetfighter (In fact, Buell gets some of the credit for creating that term)

As the popularity of the Honda Grom has shown, people love small-displacement play bikes. The little funsters always seem to make grown riders act like kids. Maybe it’s the lack of power, tiny dimensions, or the fact you can have so much fun around town with them and never break the speed limit. Before the Grom came around, however, the Sachs MadAss was on the scene. In this week’s Church of MO feature, we travel back to 2010, and the Madass’ introduction. Resident scooter expert, Steve Guzman, fills us in on what makes the MadAss such an appealing motorcycle for those who understand big fun can come in small packages.

One of the coolest scooters to ever grace the streets, Yamaha’s TMax 500 eventually came to the States, but didn’t find the level of popularity it has enjoyed in Europe. It’s too bad, as fans of the TMax 500 (the numeral was later dropped from the name) will tell you the big scoot is a nice blend of motorcycle and scooter. For this week’s Church of MO feature, we travel back to 2000 and recount Glenn Le Santo’s time aboard the then-new TMax 500. Note his cautious yet optimistic approach towards the scoot. With the luxury of hindsight in our favor, we now know Le Santo had nothing to be worried about. At least in Europe.

How ironic is it that one of MO’s most watched YouTube videos is of a four wheeler? Yes, the 2008 GG Quadster has twice the amount of wheels we normally cover, but motivating the Quadster is a BMW K1200S engine — an engine we always have time to talk about, no matter what it’s powering. With 1.2 million hits on YouTube, the accompanying GG Quadster video has garnered over 600 comments from your, our adoring readers/viewers. Sure, most of you had nothing nice to say about it, but to ignore the fabrication work that went into the Quadster would do it a disservice. E-i-C Kevin Duke surely felt it worthy of coverage on this site, and now, six years later, we bring this story back to see how time has treated the polarizing quad/moto hot-rod. Tell us what you think about it (again for some of you) in the comments section below. And in case you missed it the first time around, check out the link to the original story above for a complete photo gallery.

Generally speaking, three-wheelers don’t get a favorable reception from you, our MO readers. That being said, check this out. After digging in the vaults just six years, we bring you our 2009 Brudeli Leanster 654L Preview from 2009. While many would call it blasphemy to convert a KTM 690 Supermoto into a trike, we think you’ll agree this is one cool three-wheeler. It leans into turns like the Piaggio MP3, but a flick of the wrist will also kick out the rear – something we’ve always wanted to do with a Can-Am Spyder. For this week’s Church of MO feature, check out what our European contributor, Tor Sagen, had to say about it from his 2008 preview.

It’s long, it’s weird, and it’s no doubt polarizing. Welcome to the Travertson V-Rex, the topic of this week’s Church of MO feature. The V-Rex is what happens when computer renderings based in science fiction turn into three-dimensional reality through creativity, clever engineering, and yeah, a little bit of money. In 2008, MO’s Editor-in-Chief, Kevin Duke, rode the head-turning V-Rex and now, five years later, we’re taking a look back at a motorcycle that’s as head-turning now as it was then. Has time made the V-Rex any less radical? Not a chance. What do you think of the V-Rex? Tell us in the comments section below, then click on the link above to the original story, where you’ll also find a huge photo gallery.

While this week’s Church of MO feature comes to you in the dead of summer, it’s never too early to think about what your riding plans will be come winter. For much of the country this means getting your precious bike prepped for three months (maybe longer!) in the garage while the snow piles up outside. However, it doesn’t have to be that way. Not if 2Moto Inc has anything to say about it. Its conversion kit to turn your average motocross bike into a snow-cross bike means, with this kit and some simple modifications, 2Moto is out to prove year-round riding is more than doable. The company is still around today, but our own Lucas Cooney featured the clever kit seven years ago. Here’s what he had to say.

The Honda EXP-2 is a tease of what could have been. As two-strokes have been phased out in this country due to emission requirements, many thought (and so far rightly so) that the two-stroke would be a thing of the past. At least in regards to road-going motorcycles. Honda, being the might that it is, attempted to change that. With the EXP-2, Honda was hoping to bring a competent road-legal off-roader to market that would also burn clean. Hindsight tells us the experiment didn’t quite go as planned, but the EXP-2 is still no less a technological marvel to investigate further. In this week’s Church of MO, Contributing Writer Ely Kumli takes us on a tour of the EXP-2. The two-stroke that could have been…

Who doesn’t love a little raw horsepower on a Sunday? On this week’s Church of MO, we dial the clock back to 2002 and a special ride Brent Avis got to sample at Los Angeles County Raceway. The bike? A Yamaha Roadstar Warrior. Maybe not the first thing one might think of when imagining a drag racer, but with 150 hp and 150 ft-lbs blasting from that thumping V-Twin and through the rear wheel, the Warrior monikor seems appropriate this time around. How did Avis fare at this foray into drag racing? Read on to find out.

You probably know the name Corbin as “those seat guys.” Fair enough, considering the company is one of the leading manufacturers of aftermarket seats and accessories for all kinds of motorcycles. However, transport yourself back to 1997 and we arrive at the topic for this week’s Church entry: the Corbin Sparrow. With visions of the next form of personal transportation anyone could afford, history tells us Corbin missed the mark. That doesn’t mean the Sparrow isn’t unique, and 17 years ago Contributing Writer D.C. Wilson profiled the three-wheeler. Check out the genesis of the Sparrow and how it performs in Wilson’s piece below. 

Never underestimate the power of a man determined. Umberto Borile is a testament to this fact. Inspired by the late John Britten, Borile made it a mission to create his perfect bike – a cafe racer. However, being Italian, it was in Borile’s blood to add his own Italian flare to his creation. The result is the Borile B500CR. In this week’s Church of MO feature, Yossef Schvetz tells us what it’s like to be the first journalist to test ride a distinctly Italian take on a thoroughly British specialty.