If you were allowed to recall a bike you owned and keep forever,

[GoldOxide_imp]

If you were allowed to recall a bike you owned and keep forever, what would it be?

The motive of this thread is fun.

You can keep whatever is in your stable now, and no doubt that likely includes the beloved CB1100, however, is there a bike in your past you dearly miss? Let's hear about THAT ONE (1) bike.

= = =

I will start off:

For me, it would likely be the 1984 Honda CB750S ...



I like the looks of the bike. Modeled in the shadow of 'merican muscle car presence, I think Honda did a decent job.

* In the Honda usual way, it just worked.

* It was low maintenance.

* It was agile enough.

* It sounded great in stock form.

* Handling was very good.

* For me, it had shaft final drive. I did not recall much recoil behaviour like in Yamaha's implementation.

* Lots of tech. For example: Anti-dive forks, hydraulic clutch, digital instrumentation, air-adjustable forks, hydraulic lifters, to name a few.


Some negatives:

* Typical Japanese exhaust mufflers at the time corroded pretty quickly.

* Small'ish gas tank.

* Some weird engineering design bug around the airbox that could, on a very strong cross-wind day, cause the engine to starve for air. The throttle response would become quite jumpy. In any case, it could be fixed.

* Hydraulic clutch got funky when the air/oil-cooled engine got extremely hot.

 

[the Ferret]

Boy, this is a hard one, I've had some really good bikes for their times....Kawasaki KZ1000, Suzuki GT 750, GS850G and GS 1100E, Honda CB 750, VF1100S Sabre and ST 1300, Yamaha RD 350, XS 650, FZ-1 and FJR 1300, Triumph T-100 Bsa 750 Rocket 3 to name a few

For me it would be either the Kawasaki KZ1000 or the Suzuki GS 850G. At this point in my life I just might have to go with the Suzuki 850G (although the 77 KZ1000 would be a very close second)

5.8 gallon tank, very comfortable ergos, great seat, mag wheels, triple discs, shaft drive. About 80 hp.

Me riding mine across the Blue Ridge Parkway in 1981

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Ferret: That almost looks like a classic bike owner's bike. Literally, that quintessential appeal.

 

[the Ferret]

Also looks a lot like my CB1100 Dlx. They were really nice bikes GO. If I'm not mistaken, it even had a digital gear indicator.

 

[LongRanger_imp]

Mine would have to be my 1978 CB750F2. Not that it did anything special, but I bought it brand new the week I turned 18, after reading all the road tests and salivating over it for months in the motorcycle magazines. I had been riding dirt bikes since I was a kid but didn't have my endorsement. So I hitched a ride to the Honda dealer, bought the bike and a Bell Star 120 helmet, rode fifteen minutes to the DMV, took the written test, was led outside to take the driving test (swerve between the cones, accelerate to 25 mph and then come to a complete stop, etc)., passed everything, and that was it. I was now a bona-fide motorcyclist with a brand new CB750 and ready to see the world. My gateway drug!

 

[Guth_imp]

Great story LongRanger!

 

[redbirds_imp]

No problem for me to choose a favorite, 1973 BMW R75/5. Most reliable machine I ever owned. Light, stable, comfortable, brakes not too good (drums), best center stand design ever and a cadence on the road that's hard to describe. A steady beat of that boxer twin that just felt so right and under stressed at any speed. A factory tool kit with quality steel pieces including tire irons, an air pump and an embroidered shop rag. Lovely paint with hand applied pin stripes signed under the fender by the painter. Not even close to being the fastest motorcycle in it's class but the one most likely to arrive at any destination regardless the distance.

 

[Guth_imp]

Man, what a photo redbirds! You've got to share some details regarding that image.

 

[Lord Popgun]

Wow Redbirds!! I wanted one of those pretty bad back in the day. However, third class petty officer pay wouldn’t allow that.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Redbirds, LongRanger ... some good soul soup.

 

[redbirds_imp]

Man, what a photo redbirds! You've got to share some details regarding that image.

This pic was taken at a country store in NC near the Blue Ridge Parkway, mid October 1973. I had been riding the BRP for a week in near perfect fall weather. Leaves were in full splendor and the views from the Parkway unspoiled by clouds or haze. When I think back to that time seems there were few fellow motorcyclists touring the BRP but I did meetup with two riders from Pennsylvania on Nortons and rode with them for a day. A few days later I rode to Dalton, GA and then back to Jacksonville, FL, my home in those days. BTW, the fellow in the pic was the store owner. He had just opened up for the day and was curious about my bike.

 

[Guth_imp]

Man, what a photo redbirds! You've got to share some details regarding that image.

This pic was taken at a country store in NC near the Blue Ridge Parkway, mid October 1973. I had been riding the BRP for a week in near perfect fall weather. Leaves were in full splendor and the views from the Parkway unspoiled by clouds or haze. When I think back to that time seems there were few fellow motorcyclists touring the BRP but I did meetup with two riders from Pennsylvania on Nortons and rode with them for a day. A few days later I rode to Dalton, GA and then back to Jacksonville, FL, my home in those days. BTW, the fellow in the pic was the store owner. He had just opened up for the day and was curious about my bike.

THAT was the particular bit of detail I was looking for. I had all sorts of thoughts running through my head to honest.

Key amongst them was: That redbirds was quite the dapper rider back then. I can just imagine it — "Safety be cussed! (Guth's note: I've edited my own comment to beat the forum's auto-filter. ) If I want to wear a fine suit, shirt and tie to compliment the BMW's paint job then by golly I'm going to do so."

Great story, awesome photo!

 

[jimgl3_imp]

my RZ350. I had the red white and blue one.

 

[Desert viper_imp]

Has to be my 79 CBX....what was I thinking!

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Has to be my 79 CBX....what was I thinking!

Maybe, ... naming your first born?

 

[Guth_imp]

Since I only had the one other motorcycle in my adult life, I'm left with just one answer: My 1988 Hawk GT.

While I loved owning, riding, and working on the Hawk, the reality is that I would much rather mix things up with the CB1100 and the S2000 (the reason for selling my Hawk) that I have today. Also, as much as I would love to have the yellow Z50 Mini-Trail that I learned to ride on back in my possession, it would only be as a keepsake. Therefore I would want to display it in the somewhere in the house much like Chip Beck did with his beautiful old Husqvarna. Since there is no "somewhere in the house" for it to reside, ultimately it would mean that me and all three Honda would end up out in the garage together. So that's a no-go. I realize that not everyone feels the same about the Hawk GT as I do, but I still think that it represents one of the most beautiful, stunning designs Honda has ever produced — so far ahead of it's time.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Since I only had the one other motorcycle in my adult life, I'm left with just one answer: My 1988 Hawk GT.

While I loved owning, riding, and working on the Hawk, the reality is that I would much rather mix things up with the CB1100 and the S2000 (the reason for selling my Hawk) that I have today. Also, as much as I would love to have the yellow Z50 Mini-Trail that I learned to ride on back in my possession, it would only be as a keepsake. Therefore I would want to display it in the somewhere in the house much like Chip Beck did with his beautiful old Husqvarna. Since there is no "somewhere in the house" for it to reside, ultimately it would mean that me and all three Honda would end up out in the garage together. So that's a no-go. I realize that not everyone feels the same about the Hawk GT as I do, but I still think that it represents one of the most beautiful, stunning designs Honda has ever produced — so far ahead of it's time.

I thought it was always a very clean and tidy design.

 

[peterbaron]

Has to be my 79 CBX....what was I thinking!

DV, it would be a pleasure to see some pics of your green ZRX and CBX(?)

 

[baxtercat_imp]

I miss my Kawasaki W650. Almost perfect retro.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Nice bike capture BaxterCat. Clean lump lines. Clearly you dressed just for the pic only, eh?

I mean, I wouldn't wish to discover a shoe on the boulevard.