What bike did you 'lust' after?

[ride4now_imp]

We all seem to be of a similar age... 40's to 60's. I'm 58... Which means, we came of age in the
late 60's through the 70's. And that means we 'cut our teeth' on bikes during their
golden age. What bikes did you 'lust' after? The one, or two, you wished you could
have bought back then, but couldn't afford or justify?

For me, the number one bike I wanted was Honda's original CB750. It was the bike I 'lusted' after, but
just couldn't afford.

After that, it was Kawasaki's Z1 900. In my mind, after it came out, it was the
king of the hill. But alas.. once again, it was too big and TOO expensive.

Maybe this explains why I like my CB so much. It's so similar to
both of these bikes in looks and sound. I really enjoy my Harley
and my KLR, but it's the Honda that moves my soul whenever I see
and hear it.


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[the Ferret]

Good question! There are only 3 bikes I lusted after but did not buy.... the 67 Triumph Bonneville in Burgoine and white, the 1977 BMW R100/7 series in metallic orange and a 75 GL1000 in red..in my mind the two best looking bikes ever produced and the most unbelievable bike produced up until that time.

Had a 750 Honda, had a KZ 1000 Kaw, had a GS1100E Suzuki had a BSA 750 Triple, had GT 750, and GS 850G Suzukis....as a dealer I had 79 750F, 78 GL1100, 79 CBX, and many other bikes as demonstrators, but I've always regretted not owning the 3 I mentioned above. Heck I'd like to own them now... along with a 73 to 75 DT 250 Yamaha and a 79 CBX in red and a .......

 

[thumper_imp]

The original 1985 Yamaha VMax is what turned this (then) high school kid into a drooling mess. That bike started my obsession with motorcycles, even though I'd already been riding for a couple of years at that point.

When I became older (p.s.--I never grew up!) and had adult money, I bought a 2005 20th Anniversary Vmax. Only then did I discover that my old fantasies were better than reality: The suspension was a joke, the frame was a joke, the brakes were a HUGE joke, the bias-ply tires were a joke, and the gearbox was absolutely agricultural. Oh, and for a large motorcycle, the sitting position was very cramped. She was beautiful to look at, but our marriage didn't last very long. My garage is now occupied only by Hondas.

 

[the Ferret]

I remember test riding the 85 V max when it came out it was awesome in a straight line..nothing but motor.

 

[Capo]

I was fortunate to get the bike I lusted for at 17 years of age in 1975. A Kawasaki Mach 3 500 triple. I worked since I was 12 and saved a good deal of money, and much to my parents chagrin, went out and bought the friggin thing. And it was awesome.

Sold it in college, huge mistake. But my absolute and still unrequited lust objects were the Z1 Kawasaki, Triumph Bonneville and Laverda Jota.

 

[jimigalahad_imp]

It's been interesting to see how my tastes have changed. 15 years ago I dreamed of a HD softtail. 5 years ago when I actually started riding, I dreamed of a Triumph Thruxton. Loving my 1100 but currently lusting after a small and light cafe racer or the rumored ktm rc390 to blast around town.

 

[Cormanus]

We all seem to be of a similar age... 40's to 60's. I'm 58... Which means, we came of age in the
late 60's through the 70's. And that means we 'cut our teeth' on bikes during their
golden age. What bikes did you 'lust' after? The one, or two, you wished you could
have bought back then, but couldn't afford or justify?

For me, the number one bike I wanted was Honda's original CB750. It was the bike I 'lusted' after, but
just couldn't afford.

After that, it was Kawasaki's Z1 900. In my mind, after it came out, it was the
king of the hill. But alas.. once again, it was too big and TOO expensive.

Maybe this explains why I like my CB so much. It's so similar to
both of these bikes in looks and sound. I really enjoy my Harley
and my KLR, but it's the Honda that moves my soul whenever I see
and hear it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Good post Gheil. I'm 58 too. I'm not a large bloke and, while I also lusted after the CB750 Four, I was a bit worried that it was too big for me. I was then really taken with the smaller CB500 Four when it was released.



In those days, a 500 was quite a large capacity bike as I recall. The z900 was unimaginably large and powerful. Like you, I couldn't afford it and, like you again, I'm sure that desire for a Honda 4 is why I am now so moved by the CB1100.

 

[ride4now_imp]

I was fortunate to get the bike I lusted for at 17 years of age in 1975. A Kawasaki Mach 3 500 triple. I worked since I was 12 and saved a good deal of money, and much to my parents chagrin, went out and bought the friggin thing. And it was awesome.

Sold it in college, huge mistake. But my absolute and still unrequited lust objects were the Z1 Kawasaki, Triumph Bonneville and Laverda Jota.

Interestingly... I had a Kawasaki Mach 3 too... a 1970 that I bought in High School and just like you... sold it in College. Which like you said, was a huge mistake.

We all seem to be of a similar age... 40's to 60's. I'm 58... Which means, we came of age in the
late 60's through the 70's. And that means we 'cut our teeth' on bikes during their
golden age. What bikes did you 'lust' after? The one, or two, you wished you could
have bought back then, but couldn't afford or justify?

For me, the number one bike I wanted was Honda's original CB750. It was the bike I 'lusted' after, but
just couldn't afford.

After that, it was Kawasaki's Z1 900. In my mind, after it came out, it was the
king of the hill. But alas.. once again, it was too big and TOO expensive.

Maybe this explains why I like my CB so much. It's so similar to
both of these bikes in looks and sound. I really enjoy my Harley
and my KLR, but it's the Honda that moves my soul whenever I see
and hear it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Good post Gheil. I'm 58 too. I'm not a large bloke and, while I also lusted after the CB750 Four, I was a bit worried that it was too big for me. I was then really taken with the smaller CB500 Four when it was released.



In those days, a 500 was quite a large capacity bike as I recall. The z900 was unimaginably large and powerful. Like you, I couldn't afford it and, like you again, I'm sure that desire for a Honda 4 is why I am now so moved by the CB1100.

Good post Gheil. I'm 58 too. I'm not a large bloke and, while I also lusted after the CB750 Four, I was a bit worried that it was too big for me. I was then really taken with the smaller CB500 Four when it was released.



In those days, a 500 was quite a large capacity bike as I recall. The z900 was unimaginably large and powerful. Like you, I couldn't afford it and, like you again, I'm sure that desire for a Honda 4 is why I am now so moved by the CB1100.
Just beautiful!!! Clean and classic... Love it.

 

[Guth_imp]

Back in the 70s I was just a kid into dirt bikes with no real aspirations of riding on the street. So while I admired many of the bikes already mentioned in this thread, I wouldn't say that I "lusted" after any of them. By the time I entered college, I had more or less stopped paying attention to bikes and those that I did notice seemingly had little appeal to me. That all changed in 1988 when Honda released the Hawk GT. It was definitely lust at first site. I came oh so close to buying my first street bike back then, but never pulled the trigger.

Fast forward to 2007. I finally ended up with a blue '88 Hawk, just like the one that I drooled on in the showroom way back when.

 

[Powerdogg55]

We all seem to be of a similar age... 40's to 60's. I'm 58... Which means, we came of age in the
late 60's through the 70's. And that means we 'cut our teeth' on bikes during their
golden age. What bikes did you 'lust' after? The one, or two, you wished you could
have bought back then, but couldn't afford or justify?

For me, the number one bike I wanted was Honda's original CB750. It was the bike I 'lusted' after, but
just couldn't afford.

After that, it was Kawasaki's Z1 900. In my mind, after it came out, it was the
king of the hill. But alas.. once again, it was too big and TOO expensive.

Maybe this explains why I like my CB so much. It's so similar to
both of these bikes in looks and sound. I really enjoy my Harley
and my KLR, but it's the Honda that moves my soul whenever I see
and hear it.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
[/quote

+1 on the original CB 750 four. Guy down the street from me had one and I'd go down to his house and gawk at this bike. finally saved enough money to buy a new CB 350. Loved the 350 but always wanted that 750.

 

[emptysea]

In 1977 or 78, there was major road construction on I-94 near my home. The Northfield, IL Fire Department had the reponsibility for emergency calls along this particular stretch. They decided to purchase 2 Kawasaki KZ400s so that they could get EMTs to an accident scene faster than in an ambulance. I thought those bikes looked so cool and it's the first time I ever thought seriously about riding....took me 30 years to turn that thought into realization.

 

[Elipten_imp]

Anything that ran and I could afford! Seriously a CB 750 and a CB350 from 1969 or 1970


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[Offroad]

I always drooled over the Z1 900, rode one with 4 into 1 Kerker headers, but never owned one....

I really considered buying one before the CB1100 but I knew I'd just be asking for trouble buying a 40 year old collector bike, so I went for the CB1100.

The CB had 4 into 1, about the same HP as the Z1 plus modern updates like EFI. When I get the CB to sound like that Z1 I'll be happy! ;-)

I had the 750, actual picture of mine below....it was a great bike....I could carry a 12 pack in that bag on the back of the sissy bar ;-) The baffles would come out!

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[redbirds_imp]

I wanted a BMW R90S so badly when they first appeared on the market. Unfortunately buying a new home and newly married I could not afford one. Funny, a few years ago I had the chance to buy a well kept example but after test riding it thought it felt a bit crude compared to the Triumph Tiger I had at the time.

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[Novice_imp]

Ducati 916/996/998. Total lust. I would love to take her for a ride and show her to my friends but she's just not marriage material.

 

[Razor]

Lust... ah yes, the Kawasaki H2. I owe this to a set of twins. You see their dad owned the local Kawasaki dealership back in the seventies. They had brand new H2's. You'd thinking that was cool enough, nope; they had open chambers and rejetted carbs. They were scary fast & loud. Loved every time they came around. In 1985 I finally got my hands on a '73 and went through it, and yes, it had expansion chambers. The sound coming from those pipes was music to my hears

 

[DAC]

I really thought the '83 VF750F would be cool to own. But then there was this girl . . .

25 years later, the girl (now wife) said "go ahead." Bought a 2003 VFR.

 

[HikerToo_imp]

BMW S1000R - not sure if I was to do it over, with more research if I would have picked this instead of the CB1100....
http://www.bmwmotorcycles.com/us/en/inde...&notrack=1

 

[pechorin75_imp]

Like Hiker, this is a more recent kind of lust...but yeah, that S1000R...dang. It's going to be hard to resist putting in an order over the winter. I should probably start inoculating myself by reading BMW horror stories...

 

[ride4now_imp]

Redbirds... My first bike was a 1971 Yamaha CT175 that I had when I was 17 and 18 and I loved that bike. A few years ago, I thought I might like to have one again. Low and behold, one day I spotted one on eBay and it was in Atlanta, just a few miles south of Cumming where I live. So I rang the guy up and went down to look at it and he let me take it for a ride down the street. I brought it back and we stood around and talked about it but I walked away. He only wanted $800 for it and it looked and seemed to run just fine. The problem was that it felt so small. Yet I was 6 ft tall back then too... Moral of the story... you can't go back.