John Penton was one of the most influential figures in the development of off-road motorcycle racing in America during the 1960s and ’70s. His life’s story is triumphant and tragic. When his attempts to convince Husqvarna to produce a smaller, lighter motorcycle fell on deaf ears, Penton created his own design and commissioned KTM, a small moped and bicycle maker in Austria, to build it. The motorcycle was an instant success in off-road competition and led KTM to expand its efforts in the motorcycle realm, initially in conjunction with Penton and ultimately on its own. Today, KTM is the largest manufacturer of motorcycles outside of Japan and winning championships around the world.

When inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1998, Penton still lived on the family farm not more than a couple hundred yards from where he was born. One of his sons, Jack, became a renowned rider in his own right and competed in 12 ISDE events and was named to the Hall of Fame a year after his father. Continue Reading »

The Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame announced it will induct five new members for 2013. The Hall also announced it will add one new member to its Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame.

For 2013, the Hall will welcome to its ranks motorcycle attorney Russ Brown, custom chopper builder Rick Fairless (pictured above), Harley-Davidson dealer Bill Gikling, actor Marjoe Gortner of the television special “Sturgis: The Great Ride”, and antique motorcycle expert Lonnie Isam, Sr. Motorcycle rights advocate “Still” Ray Fitzgerald will be inducted to the Freedom Fighters Hall of Fame.

The six inductees will be honored at the Sturgis Motorcycle Hall of Fame Induction Breakfast, Aug. 7 at the Lodge at Deadwood in Deadwood, S.D. Tickets are available for $35 a piece or $300 for a table of eight at http://www.sturgismuseum.com/cart/.

Check after the jump for what the Sturgis Motorcycle Museum & Hall of Fame says about its new inductees. Continue Reading »

You may remember MotoCorsa as the dealership behind the awfully funny “Manigale” photoshoot, featuring male employees in bathing suits and heels posing like female models on a Ducati 1199 Panigale. The Portland, Ore., dealership clearly knows how to have fun. MotoCorsa also knows Ducati‘s heritage, opening an exhibition of more than 30 significant Ducati motorcycles spanning seven decades.

The “Museo Ducati” exhibition runs through the month of January at the dealership and is open to the public free of charge. The motorcycles on display include several rare and landmark models from Ducati’s history, with some motorcycles being shown in public for the very first time. Continue Reading »

As motorcyclists, we’re drawn to the freedom two wheels represent; just man, machine and the open road. The feeling rings true today as it did 72 years ago, when Wallace Van Sandt, of Birmingham, Alabama, took delivery of his 1941 Harley-Davidson WLD Special Sport Solo, purchased new in 1940 for $365 (roughly $5800 in today’s money) by his father as a high school graduation gift. Continue Reading »

The AMA Hall of Fame added seven new members to its ranks at a Nov. 16 ceremony at the Red Rock Casino, Resort and Spa during the AMA Legends Weekend.

The 2012 class included the late KTM America president Rod Bush; race tuner Nobby Clark; off-road racer Ty Davis; 1975 AMA Supercross Champion Jimmy Ellis; female motocrosser Sue Fish; motorcycle restorer Brian Slark and the late “Airborne Al” Wilcox, the iconic race starter.

“We’re a community that embraces the past, honors the men and women who have brought us to the present, and races ahead to an exciting future – largely unknown to us now – and we do it all with a zest for life that is second to none,” says Perry King who hosted the induction ceremony. “Tonight we recognize a group of men and women who have been an important part of that evolution, the Hall of Fame Class of 2012.” Continue Reading »

Thirty-two years after his death, Steve McQueen still reigns as the coolest movie star to ever ride a motorcycle. One of his preferred brands was Husqvarna (another, seen here, was Triumph) and to the delight of motorcycle enthusiasts and McQueen fans alike, one of his bikes will soon be in the hands of a new owner. This 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross owned and ridden by Steve McQueen will be up for auction on January 10th, at Bally’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, by Bonhams. The motorcycle comes with an exhaustive quantity of documents supporting its provenance and authenticity.

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Image credit: H and H Auctions

The personal motorcycle of George Brough, founder of the famous Brough Superior motorcycle company, is headed to the auction block on October 4, 2012.

H and H Auctions is anticipating the 1922 Brough Superior will bring between (£) 250,000 – 270,000, which at today’s exchange rate is approximately $392,500 to $424,000.

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BMW is entering the scooter market this year with its C600 Sport and C650 GT maxi-scooters, but the German manufacturer almost entered the scooter segment nearly 60 years earlier. In the 1950s, BMW produced a pair of scooter prototypes it called the R10.

The first prototype produced in 1953 was equipped with a 175cc Single producing about 8hp while the 1954 prototype (pictured above) was equipped with a 200cc producing about 10hp. Unlike the successful Vespas of that era the BMW 1954 R10 scooter prototype (pictured here) had a large fairing that served as both leg shield and front fender. The end result however made it look a bit like a cyclops version of Snoopy from Charles Schultz’s “Peanuts” comic strip.

Though the R10 scooter never entered production, BMW is trotting it out for display at the second annual Concours di Motociclette, a side event to the Concours D’Eleganza Villa D’Este, May 25-27 at Lake Como in northern Italy. Continue Reading »