Out of all the bikes you've owned, which one amazed you

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 3:55 pm

...... the most?

For me it was Yamaha's 85/86FZ750. It was an Engineering marvel !! Shocked

The 93 CBR900RR comes to mind too ..... Razz

....oh, and of course Yamaha's 1998 R1 Twisted Evil

Japanese Engineering in general is amazing !! Cool

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 3:58 pm

900Supersport wrote:

...... the most?

For me it was Yamaha's 85/86FZ750. It was an Engineering marvel !! Shocked

The 93 CBR900RR comes to mind too ..... Razz

....oh, and of course Yamaha's 1998 R1 Twisted Evil

Japanese Engineering in general is amazing !! Cool

You bumped your head.
Yamahaha is and always was the bottom of the barrel.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:03 pm

fasterspider wrote:

900Supersport wrote:

...... the most?

For me it was Yamaha's 85/86FZ750. It was an Engineering marvel !! Shocked

The 93 CBR900RR comes to mind too ..... Razz

....oh, and of course Yamaha's 1998 R1 Twisted Evil

Japanese Engineering in general is amazing !! Cool

You bumped your head.
Yamahaha is and always was the bottom of the barrel.

Don't think so. Laughing

Everyone copied the basic Genesis design in one form or other after the FZ came out. Mass centralization.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:05 pm

Honda cr93 and cr110. Absolute jewels.

Hawk Joined: Sep 18, 2003 Posts: 317 Location: Bangor, ME.

I'm with Ray on this one. From a tech standpoint most wrenches will agree, Honda is the nicest machine, well designed and thought out with a very good attention to detail. Next is debatable but most will go with Suzuki, followed by Kawasaki and then Yamaha. Yamaha made some big mistakes in the eighties and early nineties and in our old minds have not recovered from them. There was a time when Yamaha's were not allowed in my shop, Ill take them now if they come recommended from a friend.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:17 pm

Racebike 1979 TZ250, went good, stopped good, handled

Streetbike 1986 GSXR 750, ditto

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:25 pm

1984 Ninja 900. Liquid cooled, hydrolic clutch, dohc, and it was a blast to ride and it got me so much pussy! I am going to buy another one someday!

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:38 pm

i dunno guys, have you been on either the YZF-R6 or YZF-R1. I think those bikes are really well engineered. extremely light-feeling compared to the modles its up against, nimble and bookoos of nuts. Out of the new bikes i would pick an R1 over most anything

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 4:43 pm

i have only owned one bike my 79 cb750F. When i got her to work (once upon a time...) she amazed the crap out of me. Fast considering power/ weight. Real solid in turns and super comfy. I have been the R6, R1, Busa, gsx-r 600, H-d sporty, v-rod, dyna wideglide... and amazingly my bike wasn't to bad for itslef. power wise it beats the sporty pretty well, and its alot my solid and comfy than the new sport bikes. the ne wbikes are just.. well... damn fast

Hawk Joined: Sep 18, 2003 Posts: 317 Location: Bangor, ME.

Not knocking the Yamaha's for their late 90's and 2000-on sportbikes. They seem to have a following, in my experience a lot of buyers on these bikes tend to get a bad taste in their mouths when the bikes get a few miles on them. New out of the box just about any liter class sportbike will give you the ride of your life. I have turned the wrenches on many an old FJ1100R and the comment I hear most is, maybe I should just get rid of it.

For me, the bike that will always do it, is my 1100F, I look at it when I go in at night and just smile all the way up the stairs. It will still accelerate hard enough to bring tears to the corner of my eyes, and the Supertrapp sings like an F1 bike at Laguna Seca. I fell inlove with them when I was a junior in HS, bought one in 85' and have owned and taken care of it since.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 5:07 pm

CBR1100XX
Super Blackbird

Any year...just pick one...

Anything less is a girly bike...

Nuff said... Twisted Evil

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 5:28 pm

ZX-1100E, that thing just FLEW!!!!!!
one I owned, 87 FZR750RT
one I still own 82 KZ1000R, after its Derek Barrett 1260cc tune up. Twisted Evil

I've shown the Myrtle Beach police department its oil pan on MANY an occasion.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 5:34 pm

quik900f wrote:

CBR1100XX
Super Blackbird

Any year...just pick one...

Anything less is a girly bike...

Nuff said... Twisted Evil

I am building my CBX so I can sell it to buy a CBR1100XX Super Black Bird. If I have to sell one of my CB1100Fs to get this Black Bird, then so be it. I do have four of them.
If any bike that I have ridden does it for me besides my CB1100F's it is the S.B.B.
I will never forgive Yamahaha for the Virago Razz

Hawk Joined: Sep 18, 2003 Posts: 317 Location: Bangor, ME.

We can't forgive Honda for the CX500/650 either.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 5:41 pm

SixSRacing wrote:

We can't forgive Honda for the CX500/650 either.

I think it to be the ugliest motor next to the BMW ever made, even uglier than a Guzzi.
But I just serviced one last week that will not die. It is shaker can painted the gayest shade of purple/blue I have ever seen and the ends have been sawzalled off the mufflers and a home made rack in back that I think is illegal in 47 states. But that is a Honda that won't quit.

Hawk Joined: Sep 18, 2003 Posts: 317 Location: Bangor, ME.

That's too bad Smile

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 5:53 pm

SixSRacing wrote:

That's too bad Smile

I would not ride one unless my life depended on it. And then I would have to think real hard.
That is one of the many bikes I will not be seen on for a test ride at work, the boss has to take the gay bikes out. It is good to be me, I can be picky.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 7:44 pm

For me it was my 1988 honda hurricane 1000 (red and black). I'd like to get another one one day.

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:04 pm

Vintage......Yetman framed CB77 superhawk.... Way too quick for the 8 pound framed holding it together. Looks like an erector set holding the engine and wheels together... CR 77 dry clutch set up. Amal racing carbs that ONLY work WFO. That's bike that I still scratch my head about. A little less than 200 pounds total weight and a top speed (claimed) of about 140mph... but who the hell could hold the loud handle WFO long enough to reach that speed.... Not me, I take too long to heal these days....

New.... either CB1100XX OR and it's only OR because of position/comfort.... the CBR1000RR.. a truely remarkably engineered bike, scary fast but very managable. Anyone got any ideas about sport tourizing one of these?

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:29 pm

I'm not really sure what year, make or model it was but it had a naked woman on it with 36DDD to be sure (maybe the wind stretched them!).
That is and was the most amazing bike to date.

Stumpie

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:30 pm

SixSRacing wrote:

I'm with Ray on this one. From a tech standpoint most wrenches will agree, Honda is the nicest machine, well designed and thought out with a very good attention to detail. Next is debatable but most will go with Suzuki, followed by Kawasaki and then Yamaha. Yamaha made some big mistakes in the eighties and early nineties and in our old minds have not recovered from them. There was a time when Yamaha's were not allowed in my shop, Ill take them now if they come recommended from a friend.

Every manufacturer had their duds.... Honda included, but I would hardly call the FZR1000 series anything but awesome. Now the Seca 750 was kind of a dud.... I had one of those, but that was early 80s. The Fazer was out there, but had a great motor .....the FJ1100 and 1200 would eat 2nd gear if you abused it too long ............... yeah, some problems here and there, but every brand had some problems to a degree.

From the bikes I have owned, Honda and Yamaha were top notch in fit and finish. Suzuki and Kawasaki alway lagged behind in the 80s and early 90s.
Currently they are all up to speed with some amazing machines. I don't really care for Suzuki, but they are kicking butt and taking names performance wise, Kawasaki too for that matter.

Yeah, someone mentioned the 84 Ninja 900 !!! Awesome bike !!

84 was a great year!!

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 8:49 pm

Hey boldorboy, if the Yetman was formerly owned by Leo, publisher of the motorcyclist's Post in.......Shelton, CT; I RODE THAT BIKE....Damn, it was loud. Oh yeah, in it's day, my Fazer would rip the headlights out of any piped 900 it'd come up against (rider was no slouch)

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:33 pm

The 1981 Suzuki GS1100E was my favorite bike that I ever had. Just a pure balls to the walls bike. Evil or Very Mad

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:38 pm

Has anyone ever ridden a GT750 Suzuki? I'm rebuilding one just because it's a 3 cylinder 2 stroke, I would like to hear from someone experienced.

Stumpie

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:43 pm

im with macman,it would have to be my 81 suzuki gs1100e that thing was a beast,SHIMS didn't need no stinkin shims to adjust the valves, and the tranny was a slambox. had a 1150 kit, yosh. stage 1 cams, smoothbore carbs, the thing was a rolling hi end bike shop. then some asshole decided they wanted it more than me,NEVER FOUND Mad

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 10:47 pm

Well seeing how I have only ever owned one bike it would have to be my used and abused 750F

Posted: Tue Jul 19, 2005 11:24 pm

my 02 harley electra glide........and why?? not because it can compare to any of the sportbikes....but because it was not the soggy slug that i always believed and I was usually on the flame em bandwagon myself..But it truly blew away any of the Jap cruisers I owned, including the wings, with the feel, handling, and the resale, and although its gone, I would pick it in a second over the jap products. In the meantime I will ride my next best favorite bikes....those that go fast..

Nitro

Twinstar Joined: Mar 25, 2005 Posts: 35 Location: Ohio

Stumpie: I put many miles on a GT750 many years ago. It was a daily rider, and was absolutely dependable, totally bulletproof. Did it handle? HELL no--thing felt like it had a hinge in the middle. After I got used to the weird wiggle, it was actually kinda fun.

The most amazing bike I've ever had was a 1984 HD Sportster XLX. Bought it new and was the sorriest excuse for a bike that the world has ever seen.....You didn't say they had to be amazing in a good way.... Smile

Favorite bike of all that I have ever owned and/or ridden is my current 1100F. That SOB is sweet.

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 12:27 am

Nitro wrote:

my 02 harley electra glide........and why?? not because it can compare to any of the sportbikes....but because it was not the soggy slug that i always believed and I was usually on the flame em bandwagon myself..But it truly blew away any of the Jap cruisers I owned, including the wings, with the feel, handling, and the resale, and although its gone, I would pick it in a second over the jap products. In the meantime I will ride my next best favorite bikes....those that go fast..

Nitro

Did you mean 1902 or 2002 model? anyway, sad you don't have what you love the most, the 2002's have a lot of jap parts/technology did you know?, I do eat Harley for breakfast every day in winter with an 84 royale with no second gear, of course I must get all the gay riders since they seems to have trouble after 100-110 mph; you must have owned a bunch o wrecked Jap bikes, including the wings? give me a break Jose!

By the way, your trip and pictures are a keeper for future reference, Excellent!

Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2005 1:46 am

Fella's;

Several bikes have amazed me. Some were leg-wetters & others were goofy grins, amazement comes in several different forms.

The first was an honest-to-Stuttgart BMW 500 Rennsport ex-GP bike.
I had been riding a '52 BSA 250cc single with a plunger rear end in Germany that we'd resurrected out of a junkyard. Well, I guess that plunger rear axle on cobblestones qualifies as amazing also, but I digress.

I'll also never forget flying a Yammie MX'er off a jump & watching two birds fly beneath me. The 77 RD400 with K-mart coils, DG pipes & heads, K81's & other assorted goodies was an eye opener. Did my first brakey on that bike.

I've had Triumphs, Yamahas, Kwackers, Suzuki's, BSA's & the 900F. Ups & downs on all of them. In most cases though I think I can honestly say that the amazement was due more to the circumstances than the equipment. In other words, if I hadn't been so damn stupid, I wouldn't have had to rely on good equipment pulling me through a situation that just begged for terminal stupidity. Several brands have been able to do that for me.

1025F