Thread: Bike Porn - Regardless of the motor, Show off your "two wheeled" beasties

Originally Posted by FRST

'98 KX250. Had a few of these in my younger years -'96 & '97. Tidy bike imported from the US. Need to get the correct lime green rear mudguard, otherwise I'm pretty happy with it. Nice to have Renthal bars and the original pipe. I made the carbon fibre frame & rear caliper guards.
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Depending what you like in a two stroke the 98 was a good engine too, very aggressive compared to other year models I had an 05' 250f back in the day and after rebuilding it several times and eventually it completely grenading itself I searched for some time and managed to find a good 98 2t engine and modified the frame etc for it to fit, was a great bike once the shitty four-stroke was binned!

Originally Posted by Ryan_Songhurst

Depending what you like in a two stroke the 98 was a good engine too, very aggressive compared to other year models I had an 05' 250f back in the day and after rebuilding it several times and eventually it completely grenading itself I searched for some time and managed to find a good 98 2t engine and modified the frame etc for it to fit, was a great bike once the shitty four-stroke was binned!
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05 06 were the worst of the 4 bangers for dropping a valve and costing a fortune.
05 was a suzuki motor they did there r&d together for 2 years.
Thankfully thats a thing of the past with the modern 4 banger motors

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Originally Posted by mudgripz

Here's example of 6 speed T250R Hustler I had back around 72 - quick little thing:

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mate had one back in the day, classic 2 stroke . . brother had the 750 waterbus. i always had a soft spot for the Titan 500

Originally Posted by mudgripz

Great bikes there.. Late 60s was when motorcycling changed dramatically - with the advent of all the new japper models. The Honda CB750K was one of those bikes that changed the course of motorcycling history with its in line four cylinder motor, 67hp, 5 speed box, great comfort, up to 125mph performance, disc on the front, quite good handling etc - and all at a reasonable price. Other important bikes there too - the Yamaha YDS3 and YDS5 250s, Suzuki T20 and T250R - little burners that would match many triumphs/beezers. Then of course the Kwakas - the Mach 111 500 triple - that was a bloody shock to ride for the first time with its wicked powerband back then. The Mach IV 750 triple, and of course the Z1 900. Amazing machines - quite revolutionary. Owned some of these and rode mate's models back in the day, and I remember that first Mach 111 was one hairy machine ... And terrible on fuel

The Brits could not compete with the power of the new 2 and 4 stroke Jap multis, but still produced some fine machines - the Bonnies etc maintained a roadbike styling which the Japs tried to copy with bikes like the Yamaha XS650, TX650 etc - not too successfully at times. I remember a lady friend had a BSA Lightning - nice to ride. So was she. And perhaps the quickest of the Brit 650s then was the BSA Spitfire. But that had reliability issues and never really caught on - don't hear of them much now. It was always interesting to hear a Triumph Trident or BSA Rocket 3 go down the road back then - usually with a bikie sitting on it! That's a bike I'd like to have ridden but never did so. After a time they didn't really compete with the Jap multis etc - esp the 70s Kwakas - Z1, Z1000, Z1100 etc. Kawasaki took motorcycling another real leap there.

What was the Trident like - about 58hp I see - so it would have pulled well. Here's example of 6 speed T250R Hustler I had back around 72 - quick little thing:

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The cb750 certainly was the beginning of the end for the British bike industry . My cb750 was quicker than my triumphs but never were as nimble ....
It's a shame it was bad management as much as anything else that finally rung the death knell .
I have done lots of research over the years and some of what was being developed behind closed doors would have given the Japs a good run for their money but were killed off by the beancounters and management .
I love modern bikes too but always had a classic trumpy parked right beside them . There's just something about a classic bike that just can't be engineered into the modern offerings , such as character or even a soul of sorts . They all seem to have their own personality , whereas modern offerings are just so good and clean and reliable - and soulless .

Well in my humble opinion anyway...

Yes agreed..

The period 1965 -75 brought huge transformation to the bike world. From about 65 we saw the emergence of the high performance little 2 strokes like the Yamaha YDS5 and Suzuki T20 - both 250 twins. I remember reading an article back then roadtesting the new 1971 Suzuki T250R Hustler alongside the Norton Dominator 88 or 99 (500 or 600cc) of the time, and the reviewers were shocked to find the little Suzi blew it away. Sign of changing times. Even the big heavy Suzuki GT750 waterjacket triple was hugely innovative with liquid cooling emerging in mainstream bikes. This development has featured in hell of a lot of makes/machines since. The 70s Suzi T500 Titan 2 stroke twin was simpler, not highly tuned at about 45hp, but it was quite a durable old girl. Mate had one in the mid 70s with umpteen thousand miles on the clock and you could hear the worn pistons hundreds of yards away when it started up. Ring-ding-ding-ding ... But he liked it.

One bike make that has to appear in any conversation of 60s-70s bikes is Norton. They made/raced machines for a long time - the Manxman etc - and by the 60s-70s had the big heavy Norton Atlas 750 cruiser, and the leaner, more performance oriented commandos plus others. Some good bikes there - like the SS Commando. Norton acquired their featherbed frames from some designer, used them in their race bikes, then adapted that technology to their later commandos. These 650/750 Commandos were often rated the best handling of the Brits, and the 750 twins good certainly move. Not comparable with emerging jap multis in the 70s but.

Looking back, I think that of all the classic 60s-70s Brit bikes I'd also choose a Bonneville. Especially that teardrop tank model. Don't know what years it was. Of all the Brits the Bonnie best defined the style for cool roadbikes for a generation - and to a fair extent it actually still does. If some modern 'naked', unfaring-ed road bike looks at all like a Bonneville - that's a big plus. Icon of its time, the Bonnie nailed cool..

Must jump on a new Triumph one day... Would be great to see one without an oil pool underneath it..

Owned both a Norton Commando 750 (bought in 3 tea chests for a total rebuild) and the lighter Suzi GT550 with home made expansion chambers.
The Norton was sex on two wheels (for an 18 year old) and the GT550 almost killed me numerous times, but fuck it was fun

I always lusted-after a Commando, the closest I got was riding one around 'the block' .My old featherbed 750 Atlas felt more 'planted', while the isolastic -framed Commando definitely felt more nimble . My latest 'toy' is a W650 (kwaka) it looks like my old 60's Triumph and is horribly-quiet but totally reliable. It really does look like a fully restored 60's-bike at first-glance . Next-step will be a better-breathing exhaust and intake, hopefully this will unleash a few more horses

2022 Tenere Rally 700cc

Really pleased with it, alot of bike for the money imho

Originally Posted by muzza

I had a 73 Norton Commando Roadster. It was a pretty good example , but it wasnt exactly reliable. Even with a belt drive primary it was a work in progress.

Loved the sound , and the acceleration but hated the severe hip cramp after ten minutes of riding . Nortons just werent the bike for me .

The things we put up with just to be ‘cool’

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

The things we put up with just to be ‘cool’

Pretty much sums up Harley riders

Originally Posted by Shearer

Pretty much sums up Harley riders

Then I was kewl for 25+ years!

Yes important to have a comfortable ride. The FZ750 Yammy I had years back was state of the art at the time, but really hard on the arse after 1.5 hours on the road. No tourer. By contrast my earlier 1976 CB750F was a delightful old cruiser - ideal for clocking 2-300 miles on a ride. In no way compared for performance or handling, but would prefer the CB every time. Nearly every time..

W650 kwaka certainly looks like a Bonnie - or perhaps a Saint. Be a nice cruiser. Could be tempted by something like that - or a Suzi SV650. Neither particularly powerful, but both ideal road cruisers.

I have a very tidy Yamaha VMax I am selling if you are after a classic cruiser.

Originally Posted by mudgripz

Yes important to have a comfortable ride. The FZ750 Yammy I had years back was state of the art at the time, but really hard on the arse after 1.5 hours on the road. No tourer. By contrast my earlier 1976 CB750F was a delightful old cruiser - ideal for clocking 2-300 miles on a ride. In no way compared for performance or handling, but would prefer the CB every time. Nearly every time..

W650 kwaka certainly looks like a Bonnie - or perhaps a Saint. Be a nice cruiser. Could be tempted by something like that - or a Suzi SV650. Neither particularly powerful, but both ideal road cruisers.

Did 848km non stop (except for fuel)on my Harley Dyna T-Sport, at the end of the ride I could have carried on had I needed to. (And no, I wasn’t in pain!).

Looking forward to better weather to get out on it again.