motorbikes old/new...open thread??

rick448 said:
I bet the handling on that is, erm, interesting.Looking at the front end I bet it steers like an oil tanker..
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In the early '90s, I was looking after a Harley with a very wide front (and rear!) tyre. Handling was fine but it being a lowrider meant that angle of lean was, erm, limited! Speed bumps were a PITA too. That Harley looks to have a very square section front tyre on it so, as you say, interesting handling! Mind you, a chap I know rode a Rocket III up from Portugal with a car tyre on the rear wheel (the previous owner couldn't source a bike one big enough over there!)
 
I used to have an Avon SM (sidecar tyre) with very square tread on my old Honda CB250K4 and could drag the footpegs at will on that, so don't be too sure that tyre upsets things badly.
 
There's apparently a fresh Katana on the way. A mate of mine had one when they were first introduced - had to be kept below 120 MPH while running in! LOVE the sound of a CBX being given some wrist, although I prefer big twins and singles.
 
Nod said:
There's apparently a fresh Katana on the way. A mate of mine had one when they were first introduced - had to be kept below 120 MPH while running in! LOVE the sound of a CBX being given some wrist, although I prefer big twins and singles.
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The bike that sounds like a 1990s formula1 ? :)
 
Almost. IIRC, MotoMartin did a CBX with an all-but open/straight through 'zorst and it howled.
 
Much as I liked the CBX, I was lucky enough to own a Beneli 750 sei, the first of the production sixes. An awesome motorbike I bought it from a tiny bike shop on the Isle of Wight.

Hope to get a slide scanner so I can post a few pictures of my old bikes in this thread, including a very rare Motoplast Laverda Jota.
 
Bearair said:
Much as I liked the CBX, I was lucky enough to own a Beneli 750 sei, the first of the production sixes. An awesome motorbike I bought it from a tiny bike shop on the Isle of Wight.

Hope to get a slide scanner so I can post a few pictures of my old bikes in this thread, including a very rare Motoplast Laverda Jota.
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Current issue of Classic Bike has a feature on sixes (if you're interested.)
 
Scary compared to modern bikes though. A mate's just bought an early Z1000 in preference to a Z1 - he wants to use it rather than have it as an investment.
 
Much as I like the nostalgia of some of the old bikes, I find that 90% of the modern stuff is much more enjoyable to ride. There are lots of rose tinted specs about when discussing older machines, and it seems the 80’s era is one of the worst. I bought a 250LC and then 350LC in the day (1981/82) and toyed with spending a fortune on one today, however, my best mate saved me the bother, he did just that and let me ride one. My CB500 commuter worth about £300 hammers either in the riding stakes. And to be honest that’s where I’m at. My Blackbird is a great bike and after buying the BMW S1000R I preferred that, hence selling the BMW after a year. Though for sure it’s each to their own. It’s the same with old cars, I always wanted and RS1800/2000(Mki/2) but having driven the Mkii 2k they are worse than a starter Fiesta now. Unless you just want to live back in the day.
 
Bobsyeruncle said:
Nice
Is that yours?
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No, I quit riding bikes in 1986. - But I still like thinking back to my active years 1968 - 1986. Today, I take pictures when I see bikes at oldtimer events.

Ex-riders like myself will surely understand me, active riders perhaps ... --- :)

My last bike, a BMW R 100 after pickup from the dealer in 1981:


mot-Unbenannt-Scannen-60.jpg


With touring equipment:


mot-Unbenannt-Scannen-70.jpg
 
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Was looking through some old photo's last night and found this of my Laverda RGS with my mum sat on it. Sorry it is not a very good picture but I thought some might like to see it.
Was a really great bike, would still make a pretty good sports tourer, the only bike I could cruise at 120mph on with an open face lid, the fairing was very effective.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2dp15yT]Laverda by R Hillman, on Flickr[/URL]
 
@justpix my old man had a BMW 600/6 which he rarely rode, I went out on it one day and returned with a Ducati 900 GTS,
"where my beemer" says dad.
"swapped it for this Ducati" says I!
After he calmed down he kept the Duke for 10years!
 
Bearair said:
@justpix my old man had a BMW 600/6 which he rarely rode, I went out on it one day and returned with a Ducati 900 GTS,
"where my beemer" says dad.
"swapped it for this Ducati" says I!
After he calmed down he kept the Duke for 10years!
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Hi, I used my bikes such as the R 90/6 for long-distance touring (700 km/day). And in those days before O-ring rear chains were introduced, a BMW (or Moto Guzzi) was best for this.

Of course, if you want something sporty today, a Ducati (or KTM) is perfect, my young colleagues say - and ride them ... ---
 
justpix said:
Hi, I used my bikes such as the R 90/6 for long-distance touring (700 km/day). And in those days before O-ring rear chains were introduced, a BMW (or Moto Guzzi) was best for this.

Of course, if you want something sporty today, a Ducati (or KTM) is perfect, my young colleagues say - and ride them ... ---
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I used an R80GS to ride through Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and down into Egypt where I sold the bike, which just about paid for the trip. I had the BMWR100CS and a K1 in Blue and Yellow. For doing lots miles they are great. I am very tempted to PX my Firestorm for an R1100s as I fancy doing big miles next year.

Last duke I had was the 748 which looked like a minimoto with me on it, amazing handling but I only got 100 MPC (miles per chiropractor) out of it!
 
Bearair said:
I used an R80GS to ride through Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and down into Egypt where I sold the bike, which just about paid for the trip. I had the BMWR100CS and a K1 in Blue and Yellow. For doing lots miles they are great. I am very tempted to PX my Firestorm for an R1100s as I fancy doing big miles next year.

Last duke I had was the 748 which looked like a minimoto with me on it, amazing handling but I only got 100 MPC (miles per chiropractor) out of it!
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Oh! I see, you are a very active rider! (y)

Lots of pics from you to look forward to!
 
Saw the 400 four at Peel IOM TT this year and very tempted but was £6k...! Still got the bits of metal in my arm from coming off one of these 30 years ago.....fortunately worse thing since was my fully loaded GS Adventure falling over when the road camber meant I couldn't get my foot down to keep it up....we aren't all 6'4" Germans......
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Canon brook said:
Saw the 400 four at Peel IOM TT this year and very tempted but was £6k...! Still got the bits of metal in my arm from coming off one of these 30 years ago.....
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In my teens, a mates father bought a 400/4 new, and I really fancied one. In around 91 or 92 I finally acquired one (had to choose between that or a GT380 in poor nick) - it was astonishingly gutless, and the handling was very distinctly early-70s Honda (vague and wallowy) and I was very pleased to sell it on fairly quickly. Sometimes bikes can be so disappointing.
 
ancient_mariner said:
In my teens, a mates father bought a 400/4 new, and I really fancied one. In around 91 or 92 I finally acquired one (had to choose between that or a GT380 in poor nick) - it was astonishingly gutless, and the handling was very distinctly early-70s Honda (vague and wallowy) and I was very pleased to sell it on fairly quickly. Sometimes bikes can be so disappointing.
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I think ur right........back in the day I thought it was great after passing my test on a Suzuki GT 250 around ‘79.....Re acquired one around ‘89 but got through more Solvol Autosol than petrol.....wish I’d kept it as an investment mind.........[emoji106]
 
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