What is your favorite non-electric motorcycle?

[oatnet]

The tomahawk.

http://www.allpar.com/cars/concepts/photos/tomahawk-again.jpg

-JD

 

[Toshi]

The current object of my motorcycle lust is the BMW R 1200 R:

I'm an old man at heart. I don't like the riding position of sportbikes, I don't want some big whale of a bike, I don't go offroad other than with pedal power, and I'd sure like me some ABS and a few more hp than in my ~60 hp Versys.

 

[applesawce]

I like the look of the white DRZs the best

 

[dogman dan]

Bet they improved em too, since 1970.

On the freaky bikes, I have no pic, but anybody else ever see the monster garage show where Jesse takes an 18 wheeler and turns it into a trike? It was cool to see the heads turning when he took it out on the street for a spin.

 

[Lebowski]

My all time favorite motorbike (Which I owned from 1996 to 2004) was a Guzzi Le Mans III.
The character and just overall experience of riding one is unique.

At the moment my main bike is (accidently) a red 2011 BWM R1200R as shown a few posts earlier
Next to this I have two stock (so not chopped or pimped, original paint and everything)
Shovelhead Harleys, one is a 1979 FXS, the other a 1982 FXB.

 

[RallySTX]

I have lots of favorites, but few that I have actually ridden. The first real offroader I owned, the two stroke single CZ-400. A Checkoslovokian powerhouse, that would lift the front wheel off the ground at fifty Mph.

Fantasy time goes to the rare XLCR.

A lotta folks are buying trike like these now.

http://www.cheetahtrikes.com/index.htm
Brian L.

 

[oatnet]

I have always wanted a TW

I think that's what they gave me when I took the MSF BRC (Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider Course)!

-JD

 

[Spacey]

A bit small if you are 6ft but all types of crazy

Good for 135mph with a 21mpg after tuning lol

 

[kold kanuck]

If a genie gave me only one wish,this would be it.

 

[Timma2500]

I love the old Guzzi Le Mans III, a neighbour had a red one when i was 16 and was a major influence on me getting into motorbikes. With Conti pipes you could hear him coming a block away! Older Ducatti's are gorgeous too.

I also have a soft spot for John Britten's bikes. Everyone should watch his doco on how he hand - made them, a very smart man and ahead of his time back in the early 90's.

I recently bought a 2008 Husqvarna TE250 and love it:



Hasn't got the grunt of my old WR450F or the flickability of my old KTM 200 EXC but is a nice compromise of the two.



Paul.

 

[vanilla ice]

For my non-fantasy street ride, something Joe can actually go out and find one and afford it... I'd have to go with one of the 70's fours. For me GS is too bulky, CB is too small, KZ fits just right. You can build these up as a drag bike, you can even make them handle well.. or just leave them the way they are and they can pretty much do anything.

 

[RallySTX]

Hey Vanilla Ice, you mean like this one?

Spittin image of the first real motorcycle I ever rode. My first experience of real speed was on my brothers green KZ 900.
At 140 the helmet was trying to pul my head off! The straight road I picked wasn't straight anymore. What a thrill. that bike made such an impression on me. Even today, I wish I could ride one again. Well mabye next year, I'll have one of these Ebikes done, and things will not be so boring. Just thought I would share something with a like minded individual.
Brian L.

 

[vanilla ice]

Yep I used to ride a 1015cc one. The old GS/KZ/CB's are like 70's muscle cars, nice fat friendly power band.. mebbe stock the car wont beat an STI. Or in this case the bikes wont keep up with a CBRRGZXR whatever. But so what.

 

[AussieJester]

Those Z 900s had quite the reputation in their day....anyone remember the first Suzuki Katanas? i thought they a sweet looking bike

 

[RallySTX]

Yeah the bike rags all said the Katana's had more power than the KZ's, but lost out in handling. I was an avid Cycle World reader. The public library in Oxnard had them. 8)
Brian L.

 

[AussieJester]

They did look a hell of a lot better, IMHO was the last of the nekkid looking bikes
the first of GSXrs came in after this, i saw a guy loop one of these out the front of bike shop
fanged it up came the front wheel and right over he went...

KiM

 

[fechter]

My first street bike was a Kawasaki 500 H1E. The one below is not mine, but looks just like it. 3 cylinder two stroke smoke belching monster. Once it got into the power band it was fast though. If you nailed the throttle on takeoff, it would make a huge cloud of oil/burnt rubber smoke. No electric start, but you could easily kick start the engine with your hand. I did have a serious frame geometry flaw which caused it to become unstable at high speeds. They tried to compensate by adding a steering damper, but getting a wobble at 110 mph can really scare the crap out of you. I sold it to one of my buddies when I moved and he later crashed it on the freeway after it went into a wobble. He suffered some road rash but was otherwise OK. I can't even imagine what the 750 H2 was like to ride.

 

[Ypedal]

ok..not exactly a motorcycle... but this is my baby !!!

 

[RallySTX]

That's ok Y, We know yer from the Great White North, so we'll cut you a break! :lol: We used to have a lot of fun with those Honda trikes on the beach in Cali. I even successfully rode one down a 20 foot cliff into the water. I had to dismount so it would float enough to drive itself back onto the sand. The guy who owned it was alwats begging his old lady to ride it with him. She always refused, but he would keep at her till she relented. Usually after she made him swear not to embarass her. Which of course he would imediately do again once she was onboard. :lol: 8) For some reason the automatic transmission would act up strangely whenever the two of them was on it. No matter how hard he tried to take off smoothly, it would wait til full rev, then drop into gear, resulting in an instant wheelie that would land them both in the sand!
With the front wheel sticking straight up in the air and the two of them still on it, everyone would imediately bust a gut! :lol: 8) This was not without it's perks, as anyone with a trophy wife that wears a sun dress will remember. 8) Thanks for bringing back the memories Ypedal.
Brian L.

 

[LI-ghtcycle]

Great thread! My favorite that I owned is the lowly EX500 (now known as the ninja 500). It was simple, peppy, light and a ton of fun!

(mine was white but same color scheme otherwise)

My "dream bike" was the 2001 ZX9R (until I owned one :lol: ) but it proved to be top heavy, painfully uncomfortable on anything more than a 20 min ride, and so powerful, you can't really have much fun on the street at anything near legal speeds.

But the bike I SHOULD have bought would probably have been this:

This is a bike that was designed to be comfortable on semi-touring distance trips, plenty of real world power (performance designed to be best at the speeds you will actually ride it most of the time in town and on the freeway) and still looks sexy. 8)

 

[vanilla ice]

The newer bikes are all pretty damn good. But besides the price problem, the styling leaves a little to be desired. Some of the nicer 60's and 70's stuff is moving in to the price range of unattainability now also. Worth as much as a brand new bike. Lucky for me I actually dig 80's styling. AJ, I have a slab side I'm working on now. The others on my short list for the 80's dream garage: gpz 900, vmax, and maybe an 1150 gs.

Its almost 2012.. time to form a 90's list!

 

[wineboyrider]

This is my first real experience with a motorcycle. My dad gave it to me when I was in high school it was 1981 model though.
Bad ass fast motorcycle one of the first naked sport bikes there were. Fast ride.
:lol: :lol:

 

[sk8norcal]

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