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NEWS
Five motorcycles named after races or racetracks
Be it world-famous races or the circuits they’re battled upon, here are five brands who have used the hallowed grounds as motorcycle monikers1: Triumph Bonneville
Land speed racing has been held at the Bonneville Salt Flats in America’s Utah since 1914, 45 years before the first Triumph Bonneville was released. Very different from the machine the British firm markets today, the original Bonneville was a high performance bike of its era with power nudging the 50hp mark. Essentially a hotted up T110, it was primarily destined for the American market and so the Triumph bigwigs agreed the Bonneville moniker would be well-received. Of course it was and the model has gone on to become the brand’s most significant model.
2: Moto Guzzi Le Mans
Moto Guzzi’s 850 Le Mans was the Italian manufacturer’s response to BMW’s first true sportsbike, the R90S and what better way to portray its sporting intentions than with a badge synonymous with long-distance endurance racing. While the original Moto Guzzi Le Mans made its debut at the 1975 Milan motorcycle expo, the first motorcycle endurance race wouldn’t be held at the Bugatti Circuit until 1978. The grand prix circuit we know today was built in 1965 around the existing 24-hour circuit, where cars have famously raced since the early 1920s.
3: Honda CB900F Bol d’Or
The 1979 CB900F was Honda’s lunge at regaining the top rung of the performance ladder after its successful CB750. The Bol d’Or motorcycle endurance race had been held in France since 1922 and Honda had its first taste of success in 1969. By the time the CB900F was ready to make its debut, the Japanese firm had enjoyed four consecutive years of Bol d’Or victories and so the air-cooled 901cc in-line four-cylinder machine was not only a road-going replica of the RCB1000 endurance racer, but it was named after the famous annual French race, too.
4: Ducati 750 Imola
The Ducati 750 GT prototype of 1970 was the firm’s first-ever L-Twin mounted 90-degree V-twin engine and while its eventual production successor was originally destined for touring duties — as its GT nomenclature would suggest — it actually turned out to be a pretty handy sportsbike. In fact, in 1972, Ducati riders Paul Smart and Bruno Spaggiari beat the best of the best (including a Giacomo Agostini-mounted MV Agusta) to the finish line of the inaugural Imola 200 for a Ducati one-two. The pair’s success was on a Desmo version of the 750 V-twin and so later that year, the Ducati 750 Imola was released.
5: BMW R 80 G/S Paris-Dakar
To celebrate the successes of both Hubert Auriol and Gaston Rahier who together won three of the five gruelling Dakar races held between 1981 and 1985 on BMW R 80 G/S machines, the German firm released a Paris-Dakar edition in 1986. The original machine was essentially the first true large-capacity adventure bike and a very successful one at that, both in terms of sales and off-road competition. The Paris-Dakar edition featured a 32-litre tank (bearing Rahier’s signature) fitted with dual fuel taps and a solo seat.
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Written byBikesales Staff
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Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
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