motorbikes old/new...open thread??

I had a 3 1/2 for 18 years. Put 187,000 miles on it for the cost of front exhaust valve guide and a gearbox bearing. Otherwise just consumables. It still resides in the MRC (Morini Riders Club), it was bright yellow throughout, frame, tank, side panels and wheels then polished cases. I believe my Valentini F3 prototype is still doing the rounds of the MRC too - that graced the front of Mick Walkers book on Morini and somewhere I have a picture of me holding it, literally I could pick it up.

I went from Morini to BMW, although I had a Darmah SS (one of only 310 built) at the same time. Wish I had kept it, but you know how it is - it became the deposit for our house. I got an R100RS and put 334,000 miles on it without a hiccup, it was still on the original discs and clutch when I sold it and nothing mechanical went wrong at all. I had an R100CS which was ex Leicestershire Police, special branch bike, the panniers were fitted with surveillance kit, so had holes in when I got it. Mick Barr had serviced it for the entire time the Police had it, but because it spent most of its life sat somewhere on lookout duty, it had few miles on it. It was a much nicer bike to ride than the RS, softer suspension and more steering angle, so easier to live with in a confined yard where we lived. They gave way to an 1150 Adventure, just a month shy of 3 years old with only 11,000 miles on it. I sold it just 2 years ago with 125,000 miles on it because another, exactly the same, 1 owner from new with only 26,000 miles on it came available it only cost me £500 to change - so £500 for 100,000 miles was a no brainer to me! I got taken out on the M40 in 2017 on her - just finished putting her back together, now MOTd, taxed and insured again, but after using a lightweight 650 single for 18 months, it was a shock to the system to heave that great lump about and it was quite daunting the first few times I rode her again. Possibly phased a bit by the crash, I wasn't sure if I would regain the strength to be able to get her on/off the stand but I am working on it.

I use the bike to ferry my kit about for work. I started out on Superbike when John Cutts was editor and Grant Leonard was Dep Ed. then got the job as chief photographer at BSH in 1986, I had to work on the other MMP titles as they came along including Streetfighters from day 1 to when it closed 2 years ago. That was the best fun job I have ever had - being a hooligan and getting paid for it. :D In the early days the Police were often called and were great, we would rope them in for the shoot. I remember getting one traffic car team to bend the owner over the bonnet of their squad car and pretend to thrash him with a branch I pulled out of the hedge - much to the dismay of the dopey old goat that called the Police. We used that shot across a DPS and sent a copy to their cop shop. They framed the centre spread and put it in the locker room! We had a good working relationship with the Police in most parts of the country.

DSC_2171.web.jpg

DSCN4984.web.jpg
 
Hi, thank you for sharing your rich experience, Lensflare! (y) ---

A German police-bike:


mot-DSC04937-tp.jpg
 
Last edited:
Almost Armageddon! Just needs Kickstart and Mitzi...
 
:D

As a kid, Mum and Dad had a house of flats and one of the tenants had a Norvin which lived in Dad's garage (for extra rent). Possibly what started my love for loud pipes and big Vees!
 
Hi, a German superbike attempt in the 70s, the MÜNCH (NSU) 1200 TTS. However, it was neither here nor there. Not a touring bike, not sporty, too heavy ... :


mot-L1001953-L21c-tp.jpg
 
Sounds like the Rocket III! Although the Rocket is an excellent tourer and handles remarkably well for a bike that weighs 1/3 tonne dry. Stops rather better too - twin disks rather than twin leading shoes like that Monster seems to have.
 
Nod said:
Sounds like the Rocket III! Although the Rocket is an excellent tourer and handles remarkably well for a bike that weighs 1/3 tonne dry. Stops rather better too - twin disks rather than twin leading shoes like that Monster seems to have.
Click to expand...

4 shoes. Like the TZ750 it had double sided twin leading shoes.
 
A bit better than just 2 but I'd still prefer a pair of disks! I can see a cable heading down the far side but thought it was a speedo cable.

IIRC, the Munch Monster was a good card to have in Top Trumps - as long as all you wanted was capacity!
 
Lensflare said:
4 shoes. Like the TZ750 it had double sided twin leading shoes.
Click to expand...
Hi, those big drum brakes like the ones used in the MÜNCH were the last effort before discs became widely used.

Actually, in 1973 I wanted to replace the fork and the front wheel of my BMW R 75/5 with a MÜNCH front end to get better braking.

However, I took a different route and bought a BMW R 90/6 in 1974 with double discs (the second disc being an option), which solved my braking problem
(and got me 5 gears, too).
 
justpix said:
Hi, those big drum brakes like the ones used in the MÜNCH were the last effort before discs became widely used.

Actually, in 1973 I wanted to replace the fork and the front wheel of my BMW R 75/5 with a MÜNCH front end to get better braking.

However, I took a different route and bought a BMW R 90/6 in 1974 with double discs (the second disc being an option), which solved my braking problem
(and got me 5 gears, too).
Click to expand...

the /6 bikes were beautifully built. Still tour happily today. There is a 75/6 I have had my eye on, but I can't justify it and my R80GS.
 
Lensflare said:
the /6 bikes were beautifully built. Still tour happily today. There is a 75/6 I have had my eye on, but I can't justify it and my R80GS.
Click to expand...

Yes, I experienced the R90/6 as a major step forward. The R100 I had after that, did not impress me that much ... Early /6s did not have perforated discs. ---

My R90/6 in 1974 with touring equipment:


mot-I+Bikes75009.jpg


mot-I+Bikes75008.jpg
 
Hi, a HONDA CB750 Four. It was the first 4 cylinder motorbike engine I heard - and was deeply impressed in 1967:


mot-L1002636-c-tp.jpg


One of the first CB750s in Germany, with me on it. (I look a little different now. Hair is shorter and lighter ... ):


mot-Unbenannt-Scannen-09.jpg
 
Last edited:
I really fancied one of those (500/4) but my Mrs thought it might be too big a jump from a 175 so I bought a Kawasaki 400 4 stroke twin, which was an awful bike, had a massive flat spot.
 
MatBin said:
I really fancied one of those (500/4) but my Mrs thought it might be too big a jump from a 175 so I bought a Kawasaki 400 4 stroke twin, which was an awful bike, had a massive flat spot.
Click to expand...

Well, ladies are often right (unfortunately). - I had a similar big step from my BMW R51/3 to the R75/5 in 1971. What helped me - and made me stay unharmed perhaps - was that I bought it new, meaning the running-in period
( 1 - 1000 km up to 4000 rpm, up to 2000 km max. 5000 rpm) helped me get familiar with the power increase.
 
Well this is my sort of thing photography & bikes ! Will have to dig out all my bike pick's :)
 
I had a mate (called Dave Hartfield as I recall) with a C200 - from a single ride if memory serves correctly the gearbox was very hit & miss (he said it was a known problem) but the handling was OK. Only other odd thing was the way the front end would lift under braking due to the leading link suspension.
 
Well the front end on the C200 has a torque arm on it so dips like a normal bike unlike the c90 as for the gearbox it's rather sweet,i had one in 1977 i was 15 at the time and i loved it
think i payed £5.00 for it :eek:
 
ancient_mariner said:
Really wanted one of these as a teenager, but by the time I could ride (1978) I think they were out of production and like hens teeth in the UK.
Click to expand...

Hi, they were and are extremely rare in Germany, too. - This is the first one I have ever seen ... --- The mature participants in this thread will think of Giacomo Agostini, when they see an MV ... :

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giacomo_Agostini
 
I was wondering if you had one with your forum name. Always fancied one myself but never even rode one.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top