All Time Greatest Motorcycle

[rickr15]

I don't know about the best,but I certainly would have to agree with a couple of others about the CB 750. This was IMO the first mass produced superbike, and changed both peoples expectations of what a bike should be and the Americans perceptions of Japanese bikes.
Anyone know how many of these were produced in one form or another?

 

[sleddogman]

Yea yea yea... Honda certainly turned around the bad ass "Wild One" Marlon Brandon image motorcycles had in America around that time. I mean, who was going to be intimidated by bikers sporting Step-through 50's even if they were wearing leather? Plus they had automatic trannies and were dirt cheap. They were the bicycle you didn't have to pedal uphill that we dreamed about as kids...

Actually, at 435 lbs wet, the motorcycle press here in the states in '72 considered the Norton 750 Commando the first real Super Bike, thus kicking off the trend followed by Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, etc. T'was enough for me to go ride one and then buy mine back then.

Now, in an effort to balance out that tsunami of Honda links, keep in mind that Triumph is far from dead. 2.3 liter, 3 cylinder anyone...?
http://www.triumph.co.uk/usa/4592.aspx

If they'd only put the gearbox shift lever back on the right side where it belongs, I'd buy one...

 

[bolly]

I always liked the reputation of The WidowMaker!!

 

[gearhead]

RE: Triumphs

The new Bonneville Thruxtons look good to me, but I don't know if the riding position would be very kind to my back.
A guy at Iron Horse, of all mags, tested a Thruxton and a Rocket III, he liked the big Rocket best.
I sat on a Rocket III at a dealer's, it was like straddling a Hereford-but I'm 5' 10".
No Thruxtons in stock to sit on.

 

[thedelihaus]

I always liked the reputation of The WidowMaker!!

Is that the legendary V-Max? I got two friends with 'em. Brutal bikes. Great in a straight line, fun to drive, just don't plan on making any sudden or smooth turns with 'em.

I don't know about the best,but I certainly would have to agree with a couple of others about the CB 750... Anyone know how many of these were produced in one form or another?

I think one or two of the links I posted above will tell you- there's a few dedicated 750 links there. My favorite was the 750 F, with 4-into-1 pipe.

...at 435 lbs wet, the motorcycle press here in the states in '72 considered the Norton 750 Commando the first real Super Bike...

Love the Norton featherbed frame. Did the Commando 750 however suffer from those unbalanced ill-made crankshafts many Nortons did? I'll take the Norton featherbed frame and be thrilled, and mount a Triumph block to make a Triton, or a BSA block to make a Norbsa, or a Vincent block to make a Norvin, gladly.

Or i guess one could just rebuild that crank and cure the inherent engine problems, no?

The new Bonneville Thruxtons look good to me, but I don't know if the riding position would be very kind to my back.
A guy at Iron Horse, of all mags, tested a Thruxton and a Rocket III, he liked the big Rocket best.
I sat on a Rocket III at a dealer's, it was like straddling a Hereford-but I'm 5' 10".
No Thruxtons in stock to sit on.

Gearhead, about the Thruxton-

Back when I was still riding, I think I sat on a Thruxton. Its been a while.

At 5'6", I felt a bit small on it, but it wasn't terrible by any means. Back felt fine. But I could see my hands getting a bit numb, my wrists a bit sore.

This was a complaint from a few people on 'em. Sore wrists.

As for straddling a Hereford- ever sit on a Boss Hoss? Now that's a big-un.

 

[Andyman]

You meet the nicest people on a Honda

Can't believe that hasn't cropped up yet

 

[gearhead]

As for straddling a Hereford- ever sit on a Boss Hoss? Now that's a big-un.

I wouldn't even try-ESPECIALLY the ones with big blocks.

 

[outlawmws]

I've thought of building a Honda Trail "trike" so I could ride again. I don't recall if the Trail 50 or 70 has electric start though. My 125 is a kickstart only, and since I can't "kick", it's pretty useless to me now.

I could graft a cub 50 electric start onto one, and then be able to ride it as a "moped".

Although I wasn't the cause of the accident, and the other guy was witnessed by others as the cause of the accident and cited (but got off anyway), it was my and my passenger's (my father) licence that got taken away.

I'd like to be able to zip around again!

Look into the Quad engines, some have pull ropes and I belive there is an electric start.

Ask here, they have done it all or know where to look:

http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/ct90/

 

[bolly]

Paul, she was a 2-stroke 750cc triple from Kawasaki, made in 1972.

 

[Duffinator]

Paul, she was a 2-stroke 750cc triple from Kawasaki, made in 1972.

The front tires never worn out on these wheelie machines! I haven't seen one of those, or a 500 for that matter, on the road in many many years.

 

[electronjohn]

"What do we ride? Vincent Black Shadow. We're with the FACTORY team."
Hunter S. Thompson "Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas"

 

[junkaudio]

i still like the kawasaki kz 900 when i can take a ride .i don´t own one but a friend got one

 

[LBPete]

Wow, this thread has taken off while I've been occupied with other things. A couple of comments.

Saying Honda and the CB 750 killed the British motorcycle industry is a little like saying a cancer patient died of a cold. The brits were already on the ropes. They were basically still selling warmed over pre war designs and didn't have the capital to bring out anything new and innovative. The British motorcycle industry was also ripe with labor problems and strikes at that time. Another cancer to add to their demise.

Honda at that time was flush with cash from their smash hit, the Honda cub (the hero of this thread.) The profits from the success of the cub, together with Honda's ethic of plowing money back into the company, enabled Honda to redirect the whole motorcycle world and the CB 750 was born. The Brits didn't stand a chance.

That said, the Brit bikes of the 1960s were certainly classics. They were the apex of the pre war design and very cool to look at. I still regret selling my 1970 Bonneville.

- Pete

 

[Fisherdude]

http://www.walnecks.com/

Buzz is my cousin.

 

[LBPete]

I've thought of building a Honda Trail "trike" so I could ride again. I don't recall if the Trail 50 or 70 has electric start though. My 125 is a kickstart only, and since I can't "kick", it's pretty useless to me now.

I could graft a cub 50 electric start onto one, and then be able to ride it as a "moped".

Although I wasn't the cause of the accident, and the other guy was witnessed by others as the cause of the accident and cited (but got off anyway), it was my and my passenger's (my father) licence that got taken away.

I'd like to be able to zip around again!

The C70 Passport, a 70cc variant of the Cub, has electric start. It would make a great platform for a mini trike.

- Pete

 

[LBPete]

I have to agree with the old Honda's. My first street bike was a CB360G. Single disc in the front, 6 speed, 34hp of fury. That bike taught me just about everything I know about motorcycling and repair (Ok - the RS250 track days helped out too ). Anyway, I bought the bike for $100, as it sat in a barn full of gas/oil/mice/filth since 1977. After about a 1 year restoration in my 2nd floor apartment, I was ready for the road.
Naturally I sold it a short time thereafter, I sold the bike and purchased what I believe was Honda's WORST motorcycle ever - the CX500. Thankfully a super clean CB650SC came along, and I had that up until the end of last year (Which BTW - is a *real* fast bike with some flat-slides, pipe, and cam). Guess what ? I now have a CL360 sitting awaiting some love and work.
However, I wouldn't kick a Vincent out of the garage for dripping oil on the floor. I really REALLY like these too:

Is that an R67? It has telescopic forks so it predates the /2s.

BMW was able to make the transition from their pre war designs like this bike to their modern boxers and later brick engine. They were helped from their automobile manufacturing side. I have a 1967 R69S under a cover in my garage. This picture makes me want to put it back on the road. I has a magnito ignition so all it should need is some fresh gas and a few stiff kicks.

It is an amazing bike. Everyting in the engine that turns, rides on roller or needle bearings, including the rocker arms!

- Pete

 

[outlawmws]

Wow, this thread has taken off while I've been occupied with other things. A couple of comments.

Saying Honda and the CB 750 killed the British motorcycle industry is a little like saying a cancer patient died of a cold. The brits were already on the ropes. They were basically still selling warmed over pre war designs and didn't have the capital to bring out anything new and innovative. The British motorcycle industry was also ripe with labor problems and strikes at that time. Another cancer to add to their demise.

Honda at that time was flush with cash from their smash hit, the Honda cub (the hero of this thread.) The profits from the success of the cub, together with Honda's ethic of plowing money back into the company, enabled Honda to redirect the whole motorcycle world and the CB 750 was born. The Brits didn't stand a chance.

That said, the Brit bikes of the 1960s were certainly classics. They were the apex of the pre war design and very cool to look at. I still regret selling my 1970 Bonneville.

- Pete

It's OK Pete, a few of us know what the point of the thread was suposed to be. :yes:

 

[sleddogman]

Love the Norton featherbed frame. Did the Commando 750 however suffer from those unbalanced ill-made crankshafts many Nortons did? I'll take the Norton featherbed frame and be thrilled, and mount a Triumph block to make a Triton, or a BSA block to make a Norbsa, or a Vincent block to make a Norvin, gladly.

Or i guess one could just rebuild that crank and cure the inherent engine problems, no?

The Featherbed frame used in the Atlas series was replaced with the Isolastic suspension in the very early 70's. The nifty thing about it is that the engine, separate gearbox, and swing arm are bolted together between two plates as a "unit" so that any torque generated stays in the same plane. The "unit" is then mounted into the frame which utilizes hefty neoprene bushings at the lower front of the engine, just above the swing arm, and at the head bracket between the cylinder head and frame tube below the gas tank.

Besides being the fastest thing on two wheels that I had ridden back then, the beauty of that Isolastic suspension still is that once you've cracked the throttle over an idle, there's virtually NO vibration in the foot pegs or handle bars. I use to ride a friend's Bonneville that after a few hours of riding use to leave me with rather numb extremities. As a matter of fact, you can actually tell which isolastic bushing mount needs adjusting by the way the image in your mirror vibrates at idle.

I've never had a problem with the crankshaft in my 750 and it's still using the factory original. Maybe the older Atlases had problems or perhaps the unbalance you refer to is the fact that the engine is 'under-squared" (bore is bigger than the stroke) and that both pistons move in tandem together, rather than opposite of each other during all four strokes. Faced with that kind of continual torture, I have beefed up the main bearings and tweaked the oil pump and some of the internal oil passages to keep things well lubed.

Don't think I'll ever sell it unless I give up riding for good... mainly because I just about kill myself every time I ride a newer bike with the gearbox shifter on the left and the foot brake on the right. Also tough to blow a shift when it's one up and three down...

BTW... I've got nothing against Hondas, as I graduated from a 305 Scrambler to the Norton.

 

[2DualsNotEnough]

I owned a few bikes,but far and away my favorite was a 1983 Kawasaki KZ 750,with the black tank with the orange stripes.That little guy could haul some ass,be used to commute every day without breaking a sweat,or making me break one.
Fun,reliable and fast.What more could you ask for?

 

[thedelihaus]

...Saying Honda and the CB 750 killed the British motorcycle industry is a little like saying a cancer patient died of a cold....

It's the "romanticized" way of singing the praise of the 750- makes for good magazine type. A lot of the magazines like to say it was the 750 alone that dethroned the British cycle industry. It's much more poetic then the "exact" truth" even if it's an exaggerated claim. Makes for nice story blurbs. :yes:

... The brits were already on the ropes. They were basically still selling warmed over pre war designs...

Besides a very few exceptions, like the Hurricane Triple, it seems that you are spot on. But...

... They ... didn't have the capital to bring out anything new and innovative. The British motorcycle industry was also ripe with labor problems and strikes at that time...

...I didn't realize they were cash-strapped at the time, and I didn't realize they were having labor problems, besides a few small grumblings. This is good to know, and makes a lot of sense.

http://www.walnecks.com/

Buzz is my cousin.

You're a lucky fella. I'd love to be at Christmas at your house. Buzz owns RoadDog, correct? Ever get to see it?

...I've never had a problem with the crankshaft in my 750 and it's still using the factory original. Maybe the older Atlases had problems...

I really like the Nortons, just classically beautiful bikes and loads of charm and personality.

As for the cranks, a few articals in Classic Bike and some other Brit magazines got into some good stories about a good amount of Norton engines being built with cranks that were a "bit off" or "slightly warped" from the factory. What period of Nortons this was, I'm unsure, but a rework of the crank supposedly did magic to the engine. If I can find the articals I'll copy them for you if you'd like.

There seems to be no other serious complaints about the Nortons other than that, and since I didn't grow up in the period when Nortons and Ariels and Triumphs ruled the streets, I have to humbly and honestly admit I don't know how serious the problem was.

...both pistons move in tandem together, rather than opposite of each other during all four strokes...BTW... I've got nothing against Hondas, as I graduated from a 305 Scrambler to the Norton.

There's a great modification where some machinists take a vertical twin and take the 360-degree crankshaft and set it up around 270 degrees, making what they call a "vertical vee twin". Supposedly this mod is quite successful in taming vibration and increasing engine grunt. I've got articals on this too, with them doing it to at least a Triumph and a Yamaha 650. An aside, the Honda 305 and 350 were 180-degree cranks, and while this seemed to make it more user-friendly at idle and low rpms, it'd get a bit "buzzy" in the higher revs.

The Featherbed frame used in the Atlas series was replaced with the Isolastic suspension...

I think the isolastic suspension frame was pretty innovative. Why do you think the Featherbed gets all the glory though? Do you think it was because before the isolastic setup the featherbed was "thee" best frame out there at the time?

... I've got nothing against Hondas, as I graduated from a 305 Scrambler to the Norton.

Being a small guy, at 5'6", 130 pounds, and living in the thick of the city, not to mention New England, and also riding nearly every day, the lightweight Hondas worked out well for me.Anything over 420 pounds to me became a situation of me "riding on" the bike, instead of just "riding" the bike. My Scrambler 350, at about 354 pounds, was quite manageable. The VT500 was easy, too, and comfortable, but at just under 420 pounds, would get a bit wobbly around 90-95. The 205-210 pound CL125? I put DOT knobbies on it and rode it year round, including in the snow.

That said, I'd liked to have had the opportunity to build a real proper British Triton Cafe, lightweight and beautiful in all it's glory.