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Peter Henry
25-10-04, 06:27 PM
Guys and gals now time to open what has every chance of being a most contentious topic!
Taking in to account that there are many different sizes and shape of rider and riding styles and degrees of experience. Also baring in mind that we all have our own requirements from a machine,i.e there are those who will purely buy a bike on it's looks and suffer any downsides willingly.

Getting to the point .....what bikes past or present would you say simply "this is it!" no instant requirement to personalise and upgrade? The damn thing does exactly what you wanted and expected with no excuses fresh out of the crate?
Of course there are no right or wrong answers to this, but the results should prove enlightening to us all. As for me? I don't have a clue! :wink:

chazzyb
25-10-04, 07:08 PM
Cor difficult one, that! I haven't seen *any* modern bikes that would do it for me. However, there are a few older (mainly Brit) bikes, from the late 60's, early 70's that would have. Fortunately, none of them were complete lemons (though what does it matter - I never really got the chance). But... Rickman Interceptor, Interstate Commando, T150 (with home market tank), T160, X75 Hurricane, flat track-style Bonneville with export shape tank and 2-1 exhaust, OIF Lightning (contentious that), early K series CB750 (I did have one and still think they look great), Z1, any of the 3 pot Laverdas, Matchless G80CS or AJS 18CS in street-scrambler trim. That's just for starters.

wigan650s
25-10-04, 07:14 PM
at the moment none in the future the new triumph sprint st is looking promising it all depends how sporty it turns out to be,bear in mind i'm very fussy though and i want full sports handling combined with comfort for long distances and ease and comfort for pillions...hmmm maybe i should get 2 bikes :?

Iansv
25-10-04, 07:41 PM
TL1000 :wink:

OldBoy
25-10-04, 08:36 PM
Fancied a Thruxton Velo years ago
http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Bike%20Directories/Velocette%20Bikes/images/Velocette%20Thrux.jpg

As wigan650s says
at the moment none in the future the new triumph sprint st is looking promising it all depends how sporty it turns out to be,bear in mind i'm very fussy though and i want full sports handling combined with comfort for long distances and ease and comfort for pillions...hmmm maybe i should get 2 bikes :?
I think you have to make a compromise.
Did consider a Honda Deauville, good weather protection and a decent pillion perch, shaft drive etc.
But the thing wieghs about 213kg with only some 50hp and expensive to buy.
Practical but dull.:(

DeeJay
25-10-04, 09:06 PM
honda c90 :lol:

Stig
25-10-04, 09:17 PM
YZF 750 R
125.00 HP (91.2 kW)) @ 12000 RPM
80.40 Nm (8.2 kgf-m or 59.3 ft.lbs) @ 9500 RPM




http://premium.uploadit.org/bikemadsimon/YZF-2.JPG

ArtyLady
25-10-04, 09:33 PM
T140 Triumph Bonneville - american spec (with mag wheels) :love:

timwilky
25-10-04, 11:01 PM
I must be sick cos for years a munch mammoth appealed to me until the day I realised that I was not into beards or laderhosen
http://www.thecreeper.net/munch/black_munch_mammoth_supercharged.jpg

Now I just want something that will caress me and make me think of nice thinks. I just want the ride of my life.

Oh umm, tea and toast for supper again darling?

jonboy
25-10-04, 11:14 PM
YZF 750 R
125.00 HP (91.2 kW)) @ 12000 RPM
80.40 Nm (8.2 kgf-m or 59.3 ft.lbs) @ 9500 RPM




http://premium.uploadit.org/bikemadsimon/YZF-2.JPG


Is that you Simon?


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embee
26-10-04, 12:35 AM
Did consider a Honda Deauville, good weather protection and a decent pillion perch, shaft drive etc.
But the thing wieghs about 213kg with only some 50hp and expensive to buy.
Practical but dull.:(

weighs 225kg and 58BHP, but actually possibly the best example of "does what it says on the tin". I've had one for a couple of years and if it's something that even vaguely interests you (not everyone's cup of tea) then get a test ride. They are a vastly better bike than the boy racer mag journos would have you believe. They fit that Honda car advert saying "Isn't it nice when things just work?". Not in the nouvelle cuisine bracket, just steak&kidney pie and mash. Comfy armchair, pipe, slippers, all on 2 wheels. :lol: Virtually nothing to add to them other than a decent screen.

and chazzyB, where did you get those rose tinted specs?
I've had a T150V for 27yrs. You were lucky if the one you got actually fitted together, the engines are hideously designed, and they need a lot of re-engineering to make them decent......oh and sound wonderful with the right exhaust! Handling is OK in a 70's sort of way, but same size tyre front and back (19" rims at that!), and same disc brake front and back too (early ones had a twin leading sponge on the front which gradually impeded forward progress).
Did test ride a Laverda Jota once, monster of a thing, absolutely flat at low revs, vibrated, so heavy and top heavy at that, and talk about heavy clutch.....it's all legend. No thanks.
Commandos went well, in between re-shimming the isolastics, replacing the cracked gearbox casings, and fitting new main bearings every few thousand miles. The 850's had an electric motor to add extra weight, it must have been for that because it wouldn't turn the engine over! Oh, and they sounded fab on the early reverse cone silencers.

Modern bikes?
Trust me, you've never had it so good. :wink:

Stig
26-10-04, 05:46 AM
YZF 750 R
125.00 HP (91.2 kW)) @ 12000 RPM
80.40 Nm (8.2 kgf-m or 59.3 ft.lbs) @ 9500 RPM




http://premium.uploadit.org/bikemadsimon/YZF-2.JPG


Is that you Simon?


.

That'll be me alright :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh how I loved that bike :D :D

M65
26-10-04, 07:08 AM
New Aprillia RSV-R Factory. Yum yum!

howardr
26-10-04, 08:41 AM
I've already got it.

Needed a hugger, noisy pipe and scottoiler, but that's about it. :?

Does everything - fast, comfortable, not too common, and Triumph dealers are so much nicer.

jonboy
26-10-04, 11:50 AM
YZF 750 R
125.00 HP (91.2 kW)) @ 12000 RPM
80.40 Nm (8.2 kgf-m or 59.3 ft.lbs) @ 9500 RPM




http://premium.uploadit.org/bikemadsimon/YZF-2.JPG


Is that you Simon?


.


That'll be me alright :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh how I loved that bike :D :D


Mega impressed! :shock: :wink: :wink:


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chazzyb
26-10-04, 01:56 PM
and chazzyB, where did you get those rose tinted specs?

Well, Peter did include people who would buy purely on looks and willingly live with the downside. The bikes I listed are all from that perspective. :oops:

Grinch
26-10-04, 03:24 PM
Honda CB400SF

Great first time bike... reliable as hell, think the engine is just rock solid. Even ran for 10,000 miles with out a oil and filter change. I was a bit inexperienced then, but it all came out ok just a bit thin..... Never moded it in any way as it didn't need it, got me to work, got me home, got me to Holland and back. Even managed to chase down some bloke on a CBR. Had much more confidence then, never crashed it once in 3 years. Just did everything I wanted, but a little bit lacking in power... I miss that bike...... :-k
Let me know if you see a G reg CB400SF in black for sale.. might be mine.. might have it back....

vtour
02-11-04, 12:44 AM
Honda VFR. Any one of them.

vtour

RandyO
02-11-04, 01:59 AM
I have to say for me, its the nekid SV, fits like a perfect fitting glove. Ergonimics ... perfect, I can ride all day and not have to take a break from riding, Flickability, the ease of riding several hundred miles of twisties in a day without tiring. With a bulletproof motor that is currently at 103,900 miles and running as strong as ever.

Jabba
02-11-04, 09:47 AM
So far, I haven't found anything that, in the real world, I'd swap my Hornet for; it does everything that I want for 95% of the time. Plenty fast enough for me, day-long comfort, well built and reliable, looks good (to my mind anyway :wink: ), reasonably economical (better than the mags say and does about 160miles on a tank-full) and takes the twisties better than I can.

OK, it's not exactly the world's best on the motorway but what naked bike is? I'll be fitting a screen shortly just to help a little with the wind-blast above 85mph.

Sure, I drool over other bikes (like the new S3) but I'm not sure I'd like it as much to live with day-to-day and it's a lot of extra money for something I'm not certain about.

wigan650s
02-11-04, 02:34 PM
YZF 750 R
125.00 HP (91.2 kW)) @ 12000 RPM
80.40 Nm (8.2 kgf-m or 59.3 ft.lbs) @ 9500 RPM




http://premium.uploadit.org/bikemadsimon/YZF-2.JPG


Is that you Simon?


.




That'll be me alright :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Oh how I loved that bike :D :D
ermmm it looks pink :? is there something you would like to share with the group? :P

MavUK
02-11-04, 03:42 PM
Gotta be boring and say my SVS.

Goes more than nicely for what I need it for, sounds lovely even with the standard can (okay a race can may sound better :) ), rides in traffic just as well as on an open road and most importantly every time I turn the key (and it starts... bloody batteries) I get the biggest grin on my face. I look forward to going to work just to ride the thing. Even in the heavy rain I had this morning. Great machine, so pleased I went for it instead of the two year older fazer...

Stu

Jelster
02-11-04, 07:29 PM
Have to say the RR2/3 Fireblade really is a wonderful machine for what it's designed to do. It's fantastic on the track, great for touring, you can commute on it and it's not too bad 2 up either. I've ridden Topcats quite a bit and have been very impressed, especially when I had to hustle down a French motorway :lol:

It could do with a bit of seat padding, but other than that I reckon it's pretty well sorted straight out of the box. Other additions would be just cosmetic.

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