Old bikes... which are your faves?

[mustang28027]

Anyone see the  Feb edition of Cycle World and see the article " 25 Years Ago"? The top story was about the 1983 Suzuki GS1100S. Man! That bike just  looks awesome! Am I wierd or do these 80's model bikes just do something for you, too? This is when the powerbikes were just coming into style, like the V-65 Magna, the Honda Hurricane in 1987,Yamaha FJ1100, etc...I see that Honda built a retro CB1100 for the Tokyo MC show but will not be building it for production in the US...Man,  I am Jonesing for that GS1100S! If you had a bike to rebuild as a collector/rider which would you choose?

[st2sam]

  One of my favorites! 1984 Honda 1000cc Intercepter......

[Real Bad Attitude]

It was my first street bike, and brand new 1975 Sportster. Just loved that bike.

[mustang28027]

ST2Sam, there is a Interceptor 500 for sale on craigslist here in Charlotte... $500.00!

[homebrew]

Early 80's GPz's are way cool.
I have also been a long time fan of the 82 CB900F and 83 CB1100F supersports as well.

My 82 CB900F - shouldn't have sold it.

[Orson]

I owned the first year Suzuki GS...a 1978 750.

very nice bike...nice power...nice handling....except it had points instead of electronic ignition. Those made for some moments parked at the side of the road. Electronic ignition is so much nicer  

I also had the first year FJ in 1984. All the stories about the FJ being the primo sport tourer of the late 80s / early 90s are true. A tank bag and some soft luggage and you were set to go. That was a great bike  

[Guzzipat]

I owned the first year Suzuki GS...a 1978 750.

very nice bike...nice power...nice handling....except it had points instead of electronic ignition. Those made for some moments parked at the side of the road. Electronic ignition is so much nicer  

I also had the first year FJ in 1984. All the stories about the FJ being the primo sport tourer of the late 80s / early 90s are true. A tank bag and some soft luggage and you were set to go. That was a great bike  

I thought the XJ 900 was better, I prefer shaft drive and the FJ1200 was a gas guzzler.

[windsorgreen1]

1983 Honda CB1100F or 1982 Honda CB900F

[Wockman]

I still love the old VFRs !

[OmegaSix]

Honda QA50!!!!!    

I learned to ride on it!   Two speed transmission, and a centrifugal clutch!!!!

[Lon]

Kawasaki 903cc Z1 - the bike for which the term superbike was invented. Back then, it didn't mean racer, rather, it meant frightening to ride.  Very historic bike.  Never ridden one. I'm afraid of them.

(Ref: here and in the ZX6E Haynes manual...)

Early 80s GPzs are also nice, as is that VF500 Interceptor.  

[radman]

The one I'm restoring now is pretty cool-

[SuperHans]

H-D WLA


BSA Goldstar


Norton Commando

[JonS]

This is a no brainer. I owned for 15 years. 1981 CB900F



Of the bikes I don't have a personal interest in, this is the one:

1982 GPZ1100

 Or one like this 1965 Triumph Bonneville.

[Jes_VFR]

I still love the old VFRs !

+1

[bomber]

80s bikes always looked like they were transitioning from older bikes (Bonnies, Rockets, and Sporties) into something else, but hadn't quite figured it out yet, to me

Like most, I lust after those bikes that were the best while I was learning to ride -- again, Bonnie, Rockets, Nortons, Gold Stars, all picuted here by others . . . . . .

and dream grage should include a Vincent Twin, of course, and one fo these -- the Crocker

[dlrides]

You guys are making me feel old and out of touch !  

In my opinion, just my opinion now, all bikes started to look the same after 1976.

My favorites :

Euro) pre-74 Moto-Guzzi, pre-76 BMW(especially /5) pre-76 Ducati

British) pre-73 Triumph, pre-75 Norton, pre-73 BSA

Japanese) pre-74 Honda, Kawasaki H2, sorted other pre-74's

American) pre-war HD WLA's  

Sportbikes) No REAL sportbikes were/are factory built ! True sportbikes were built in a garage, before factories ever thought about building racebikes for the public. So cafe' racer style built machines were the only true sportbikes for the public. A monkey can ride a factory built repli-racer fairly well, just point and shoot.

Read my sig line. IMHO, so no flames !

[DavidLSI]

Ride along with me on my 1983 GS1100E

I love the sound


a little faster



The rear


Man I still love the big headlight  (This me pre-STN)


This my first step into the riding world....


Currently being brought back from a crash....

SeeYa
DavidLSI

[sagerat]

1982 Honda CB750F Supersport...was my first bike.

Those military Harleys rock.  

Royal Enfield Bullet, like my Ural, you can have a "new" old bike.  

[bubba zanetti]

Kawasaki 903cc Z1 - the bike for which the term superbike was invented. Back then, it didn't mean racer, rather, it meant frightening to ride.  Very historic bike.  Never ridden one. I'm afraid of them.

I owned a 74 Z1 and later a 77 KZ1000.

The Z1 was indeed frightening especially after you dumped a Yoshimura kit, RJS pipe, K&N's, Mikuni 29 smooth bores, electronic ignition etc. What you had then was a bike of about 100 hp where the motor totally overwhelmed the frame. Accelerating through S curves was indeed frightening as you got that weird wallow and flex as you shifted side to side. Exciting, but frightening to be sure. But when you are young ... ya call that fun.  

Dr. Zorko, on this board, and I had some wild times on those Z1's and even rode them to LA, Idaho and all over. His bike had a Kerker pipe on the right, mine an RJS on the left and if we rode side by side you would hear this really distinctive resonance. Sounded awesome and mothers would cover their children's ears ... hooligans !  

Sigh ... that was a long time ago. But we is still ridin together after all these years... just a bit more quietly.