What are your favorite bikes of all time?? (w/picture)

[BubbaZanetti]

i hope i don't get in trouble for not putting the R100S first :thumb

#1
http://www.motobykz.co.uk/Manxman/manxmantt3.jpg

#2
http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/photos/photophotos/r100s.jpg

#3
http://webgrafex.com/aussie/images/76.jpg

and the "don't ask why award" goes to:

http://www.finnbike.com/boxer/images/UJ-246_2.jpg

it reminds me of my scootering days for some reason............

and the last one, i promise, i keep thinking of more "favorites":

http://www.algonet.se/~anils/assets/images/GB5002.jpg

[kbasa]

http://www.suzukicycles.org/photos/GS/GS1000S/1980_GS1000S_details_450.jpg
One year only. Rare as hen's teeth, the mighty 1980 Suzuki GS1000S.

http://www.mirai.ne.jp/~chack/gsx/kat1100-t.gif
Another one year only Suzuki. The GS1000SZ Katana. It later evolved into the TSCC Katana 1100. I always liked the 1000s. Designed by Hans Muth, the guy that designed the R90S, the R100RS, the R100RT and the R65LS, among others.

http://www.suzukicycles.org/photos/GS/GS1000G/1981_GS1000G_black_450.jpg
Yet another Suzuki and one that my dad owned. The GS1000G. Big power, advanced suspension for the time, shaft drive. It also had what was probably the best seat ever put on a motorcycle. I'd been riding an R75/7 when he bought the GS and it was a revelation. There's a road in Mass that I could get the /7 down at about 65mph. Tina and I piled on the GS and two up did it in the low 80s. Tina giggled like a nut when we got the stop sign at the other end. I'd love to have one for some big 80s Japanese motorcycle fun.

http://www.age.jp/~m-garage/gallery/real2/01gazou/82cb750f.jpg
The 1982 Honda CB750F. This bike formed the basis for the CB1000 variant that was raced. Freddie Spencer raced this bike in AMA Superbike. I have one of these in pieces in my garage.

http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/photos/photophotos/r100rs.jpg
The R100RS. This is a 1977, but I owned a 1983 in Alaska Blue. Tina and I put almost 80K on that bike and I thought I was going to cry when I sold it.

There's a whole series of BMWs I lust for, but some of the Japanese stuff still speaks to me. Here's the dream bike that won't go away.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/david.finnegan1/pics/history/rc30.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/infieldg/images/brochure-rc30-cutaway.jpg
The Honda RC30. Built as a homogation special by Honda, this is a hand assembled motorcycle, built one at a time, not on a production line. Assembly teams of Honda's most experienced workers matched parts and built the entire bike one at a time. I remember going to the local dealer and staring at the one they had sitting on a stand. It was $13K or something, absolutely nutty pricing in 1990. I wish I'd bought it, but I really didn't have the means then. If there is a bike that I'd buy without hesitation, this is it. Rare, exotic, totally collectible. Honda later had the RC45, which added fuel injection and all kinds of other stuff, but this bike, the RC30 absolutely knocked the world on its ear when it came out.

More on the technical aspects of the RC30 (http://www.geocities.com/infieldg/rc30brochures.html)

Yeah, it looks like I'm attracted to the Japanese stuff. I am. I've been riding BMWs for 25 years, but I've been riding Hondas since day one of my riding career, nearly 35 years ago.

[BobFV1]

You always remember your first. This was my first "big" bike but not my first bike. Bought it new in 1982, I think, but could have been 81-83. Traded it in on a new Ford Econoline van in 1983 which I did a sweet van conversion on. My GS750E was silver - I had an aftermarket backrest/rack and a Vetter "Vindicator" full fairing. The Vindicator was a "Windjammer" without the turn signals - it was cheaper and I had all my money tied up in the bike in those days (not much has changed - I still have a lot of money tied up in my bikes...)

[DarrylRi]

Right now, and for the last 8 months, it has been this:

http://darryl.crafty-fox.com/mcpics/2004/r52/smeyer/DSCF0070.JPG

I bought this bike last summer. It's still in Germany. I have sat on it but not actually ridden it. I'm going over next month, and I hope to ride it in two vintage rallies (http://www.keilriemenfahrt.de/), before finally getting it shipped home.

[MarkF]

My fav bike that I owned (if the tranny worked like it should have) was this one:

http://home.cshore.com/markf/v65sp.jpg

Mine was RED and I wish I never sold it! I never got around to buying hard bags and a sport exhaust.

This is the one I always wanted. Still do!

[Bob_M]

Burnt Orange and raspy growl. What's not to like. (I know the front bike and others are the 750 twins and not the 1000 triples, but what a great photo)
I would love to see a photo of the BMW world record setting streamliner that was in Art of the Motorcycle

[Chacifer]

I would love to see a photo of the BMW world record setting streamliner that was in Art of the Motorcycle

How about Ernst Henne's 1936 750ccm World-Record Bike that is on display at the BMW Museum at BMW HQ in Munich, Germany?

http://acw.smugmug.com/photos/16128308-M.jpg

http://acw.smugmug.com/photos/16129728-M.jpg

[Kbrick]

Honda RC-30,
a classic all would agree.

[Kbrick]

Honda RC-30,
a classic all would agree.

a Ducati 888

[Kbrick]

a Ducati 888
My favorite BMW R90S,
the gentlemans express!

[flash412]

Coming soon, to the USGP (hopefully): Motoczysz (http://www.motoczysz.com/).

Wait for the flash window to load and then click on the big red number one in the flash window.

http://www.motoczysz.com/downloads/desktops/C1_side_track_800.jpg

http://www.motoczysz.com/downloads/desktops/side_bodywork_trans_800.jpg

[sfarson]

Others will come in the go in the stable. This one will remain. And FWIW :), in a poll of the top 100 bikes of all time, this one was #1. KBrick, we're on the same page.

http://www.farson.com/ducati/998mich.jpg

[Kbrick]

[QUOTE=sfarson]Others will come in the go in the stable. This one will remain. And FWIW :), in a poll of the top 100 bikes of all time, this one was #1. KBrick, we're on the same page.


From the beginnings of the 851, to the 999 platform, all the red machines are winners.
They haven't done well at my favorite race, the Isle of Man TT, but short tracks they are more than competive.
When BMW ripped off the underseat mufflers for the R11S, they were taking from a very artistic group.
But I could be wrong!

[jdiaz]

I've had a lot of cool bikes, but this one has stayed longest of all of them. I still gaze back at this bike every time I park it and walk away.....the look just completely appeals to me, even when its dirty!!

http://jon.diaz.home.mchsi.com/k75.jpg

[paulsibek]

One of many I like but have not owned yet...

[paulsibek]

and still have.

[Chacifer]

One of many I like but have not owned yet...(picture of the Wraith)


The Confederate Wraith is featured in the April 2005 Motorcyclist Magazine, in case you hadn't already seen it.

[GeoffMiller]

I hope Craig Vetter is watching!!!

[Cliffy777]

my latest case of bike lust came in the latest bmw moa on. the cougar f650 built by robert lawson made my heart go pitter pat. robert, you done good.

i want it i want it i want it........you can't have it.

[CJM]

i hope i don't get in trouble for not putting the R100S first :thumb

#1
http://www.motobykz.co.uk/Manxman/manxmantt3.jpg

#2
http://www.bmbikes.co.uk/photos/photophotos/r100s.jpg

#3
http://webgrafex.com/aussie/images/76.jpg

and the "don't ask why award" goes to:

http://www.finnbike.com/boxer/images/UJ-246_2.jpg

it reminds me of my scootering days for some reason............

and the last one, i promise, i keep thinking of more "favorites":

http://www.algonet.se/~anils/assets/images/GB5002.jpg

No.1 sure looks like a MANX NORTON in a featherbed frame. Good choice.

[Visian]

Coming soon, to the USGP (hopefully): ....


I think the Motocysz is the most significant development going on in the sport today.

Here's my fave:

1973 Factory ISDT bike

http://www.visian.nu/images/70sgs.jpg

Ian

[Bob_M]

At the Art of the Motorcycle this bike was displayed. The photo does not do it justice. The restoration bodywork is without a ripple, the paint is a deep, lusterous silver, and the thing seemed about 12' long (4 m). Behind the pushers is a generous vertical fin. The bike looked like a drop of molten platinum.
In 1937 it held the world speed record at 173 mph besting a Brough Superior of considerablely larger displacement. Pilot was Ernst Henne.

[dlearl476]

>At the Art of the Motorcycle this bike was displayed. The photo does not do it justice. The restoration bodywork is without a ripple, the paint is a deep, lusterous silver,

Unfortunately, at least in my book, not at all how the bike was raced. (See the photo) I much prefered the streamliners that were in the MotoGuzzi museum that hadn't been touched since they were parked following their record runs. The hammer marks in the aluminum "dust-bins" really spoke to an era and conveyed the "hand-built by craftsmen" quality of the bikes.

Great bikes all. Not a single one I wouldn't be proud to own. Especially the 998, and the Manx Norton.
Paul, is that Craig and the entire production run of X75s? I didn't think there were THAT many.
Here's a couple of mine:

Still regret passing on one of these with both sets of bodywork and less than 1K miles:
http://www3.telus.net/gdockray/bultaco/metralla_62_5.jpg

http://www3.telus.net/gdockray/bultaco/racers/kit_america.gif

And I'd have to include this one as I just hocked my life to become the US distributor:

[Cliffy777]

david - tell us more about that wild looking puppy will you? you get to be the distributor? waaaaay cool. do you need any michigan based test pilots to see how it will run in the c-c-c-cold, rain and snow? (in an amazing act of selflessness, cliff volunteered himself to try out some foreign bike. what a guy.)

moments later: went to the website. bitchin' bike. gonna have one at the national in lima for we could ride it?

[dlearl476]

david - tell us more about that wild looking puppy will you? you get to be the distributor? waaaaay cool. do you need any michigan based test pilots to see how it will run in the c-c-c-cold, rain and snow? (in an amazing act of selflessness, cliff volunteered himself to try out some foreign bike. what a guy.)

Unfortunately, no Cliffy. I got to do that myself in Milan in January. And it runs great. Details are still up in the air until production has started, but basically it's a hand built cro-moly frame with a 4 valve Rotax 650 (same as the origninal Aprilia built Funduro/STs) with fuel injection that WORKS (built by Magnetti-Marelli) and is engineered to have the same weight distribution as a 250GP bike. (via moving the oil tank, exhaust, reworking the steering head angle, etc.) It's simply amazing. I did things on it in January in the cold and wet that would have crashed my F650 on dry pavement in a heartbeat. It's honestly as if the bike was hard-wired to your brain. I can't wait to go back and ride the first pre-production models in the Dolomites this summer.

Currently, the DOT/EPA paperwork is in process and I'm expecting my first bike (for certification purposes) at the end of the year. Going is a little difficult right now because the EPA is currently re-writing the regs, mostly to do away with the exemption for <50cc two-strokes, but it is progressing. I'm hoping to have bikes to sell by next year at this time.

The bad news: these are going to be VERY limited production bikes. As they're all hand made, I'm not expecting to get more than 10-20 per year. The good news: One of the principals is the former H-D importer for Italy and he's taking a page from their book on this. The bike will be available as a base model, and come with a substanial "accessory" catalogue. The base model will be pretty much as pictured, without the Ohlins suspension. The one I'm specing for myself will have a Team Pami/Ron Woods like stage 3 engine (74 hp vs the stock Rotax 49), carbon bodywork, custom Ohlins suspension, and Carbon Fiber Dymag wheels with dual front discs. And as these bikes are all "bespoke", you won't end up with a lot of expensive "spares" sitting in your garage if you do these types of mods. They can be ordered from the factory and the price of the OEM parts will be deducted from the MSRP, resulting in a savings of ~50% over doing the mods from the aftermarket post-purchase.

I repsect the "non-commercial" aspect of our forum, so I don't want to go to far. If you would like more information, you can pm. And mods, if I've already gone to far, please let me know and feel free to take appropriate action.

[CJM]

I know you requested pictures, but that will take about a month to track them all down...so here goes:

1. Any kick start Sportster
2. 1936 Knucklehead
3. Vincent Black Shadow
4. Any Panhead
5. 1971 FX
6. 1977 LowRider
7. 1977 XLCR
8. Softtail Standard
9. Any Norton Commando/Combat
10. Any R100RS
11. 916 Ducati
12. st4s Ducati
13 st4 Ducati
14. st3 ducati
15. Any Hodaka Dirt bike
16. R1100/1150 RT series
17. Any R-1 Yamaha
18. Brough Superior
19. Manx Norton

These are NOT in order....there can be no order for this kind of stuff.

Did I leave out the 1947 80cid Indian?

[Bob_M]

"I much prefered the streamliners that were in the MotoGuzzi museum that hadn't been touched since they were parked following their record runs. The hammer marks in the aluminum "dust-bins" really spoke to an era and conveyed the "hand-built by craftsmen" quality of the bikes." Quote Dlerl

"every gardener knows best"

[Bob_M]

The 1937 BMW supercharged 500cc streamliner. More reliable than a Norton Commando