Best Bikes are GUZZIs!

[rktman1]

No need to vote on it... Guzzis rule and riders of other bikes drool...

Edited March 17, 2005 by rktman1

[Murray]

And the piont of the exercise would be???

[Guest rrbasso]

I love this idea I love to see other peoples ideas of there favorite bikes, because I have my own opinion on the subject lets do it ! Like I said here is my top 6, and I kept it to bikes I have owned not some dream list

 

#1, Moto guzzi v11, 2003

#2, Norton Camando, 1972

#3, BMW R90, 1975,1976

#4, Moto Guzzi Lamans 1, 1978

#5, HD FLH, 1969

#6, Honda 400 four, 1977

#7, Yam SRX, 1988

#8, Norton Manx, Only one I have never owned or seen in real life

[rktman1]

And the piont of the exercise would be??? 

46316[/snapback]

 

See rrbasso's response.

[helicopterjim R.I.P.]

1- MGS-01

2- Laverda 750 SFC

3- Britten

4- Brough Superior SS100

5- Ducati Monster M900

6- Vincent HRD Black Shadow

7- BSA Sloper

8- Indian Scout (1930's)

 

Rest to be decided later.

[TX REDNECK (R.I.P.)]

This ain't gonna work. Helicopter Jim has already broken the rules

 

1- MGS-01

 

3- Britten

4- Brough Superior SS100

 

6- Vincent HRD Black Shadow

 

8- Indian Scout (1930's)

 

I was going say Honda 305 Super Hawk as one of my choices, but it looks like I need to join the country club first

[Steve G.]

Yeah, this is kind of fun. It is difficult though. I mean, how to define best. Best at what? Best for motorcycling? Best for the rider? And as much as we may think it not possible, 'best' can easily be confused for 'favourite'. I will tell you this. Any of you who ride new machines, of any make, should in all honesty admit the fact that the quality of machines are getting better and more user friendly every year, and I for one will say that the best bikes there are right now are the ones that are being made right now. 5 yrs from now, those new ones will be the best.

With that in mind, I will list the 10 machines that I think warrant a nod as landmark, or technical leap bikes for their period, again a tough thing.

 

[1] 1885 Damlier Einspur. Essentially an engine test bed rather than originating as a motorcycle, still, it is the first "single track" motorized vehicle!

 

[2] 1928 Brough Superior SS100. The first road going machine confirmed and guaranteed to do 100mph. Enough said.

 

[3] 1958 Honda Super Cub. It might have been the sohc 750 Honda that put the final nail in the coffin for almost every other non Japanese maker including all of England, but it was this little machine that built the coffin. The biggest selling machine ever!

 

[4] 1999 Suzuki Hyabusa. It is now confirmed. This is and always be the fastest production motorcycle ever made. A true 5 star collector machine of the future!

 

[5] 1994 Britten. The last and most potent of the evolution of this wonderous machine, inspired by a true genious. I remember the early years of this bike, racing for several years on the west coast of Canada by John Britten's buddy and transplanted Kiwi Gary Goodfellow, here at the old Westwood track. I remember this thing booming through the trees there, and vividly remember being there at the IOM 94, when John himself, and Nick Jeffries [Mark Farmer had died on the Thursday practice] rode these monsters into downtown Douglas to a Bata shoe store. He took on the factory [Ducati] and whipped 'em.

 

[6] 1969 Honda 750. This thing changed the motorcycle industry. Not the first production inline 4, but as a whole package, it killed England, and almost killed all of Italy, and BMW, in bike production.

 

[7] 1894 Hidebrand & Wolfmuller. The first 'production' for sale motorcycle.

 

[8] 1939 Triumph Speed Twin. This machine revolutionized, and finally made popular the thought of non- single cylinder motorcycles, once thought to be faster than 'multis'.

 

[9] 1954 Moto Guzzi v8 500. The technological tour-de-force of it's time. If not essentially still-born by the racing pull out of Guzzi, it would have advanced motorcycles decades.

 

[10] 1946 Vespa 100. The longest produced motorcycle ever. It singlehandedly mobilized Italia, crushed after WW2.

 

Well, I didn't really go by the rules, but as I don't own any of these, I can say it's not a popularity thing. About the only one I would really own would be the Busa, it's the only really usable one for today, for me. And, probably the easiest to obtain today.

Ciao, Steve G.

[joe camarda]

 

1. 01 V11 Sport

2. 95 Ducati 900 SS/CR

3. 82 BMW R100RS

4. 2004 Triumph Speed 3

5. 96 Honda VFR 750

6. 01 BMW R1150R

7. 05 Honda VTR

8. 04 Ducati Multistrada

9. 93 Yamaha TDM

10.88 BMW K75S

 

But I could be wrong.......and not necessarily in this order. Sorry for my spinelessness, maybe.

 

PS. TX, in the name of God, what kind of images run thru your mind when your NOT thinking?

[dlaing]

My picks are in ascending order of favorites for reasons of nostalgia, which is what is 'best' for me.

I am guessing at the years...

1976 Vespa 250, first bike I ever rode (and crashed) friend's bike

1970 Honda CT90, second bike I ever rode (and crashed)

1973 Honda SL125, third bike I ever rode (and crashed) and 1st road legal bike

1973 Honda CB500F, fourth bike I ever rode (and crashed) Paid $900 for it when it only had 1000 miles on it!

2000 MG Jackal

1984 MG V65SP fifth bike I ever rode (and fifth bike crashed) and first bike I ever bought new.

1972 Norton Commando 850

1994 BMW R100GS

2000 MG V11S the best! well almost...

MGS01 the best( I can only assume till I ride one...)

[Admin Jaap]

My list:

 

1. MG V11 LM 2001 red/gray

2. Vincent Black Shadow (no explanation needed)

3. BSA DBD 34 Goldstar (IMO the only true café racer)

4. Van Veen OCR 1000 (because the name sounds like a Xerox machine )

5. Britten (because of the David - Goliath story behind it)

6. Yamaha RD 350 LC (inspired by Dutch race heroes Jack Middelburg and Boet van Dulmen)

7. MGS01 (it would be in 2nd place if there had been a Strada version)

8. Brough Superior SS100 (brute pre-war power)

9. Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica (I even have it as a scale model!)

10. Kreidler RMC 50 (my dreambike when I was 16)

 

I have actually ridden only 2, so this list is veeerrryyy subjective!

[Guzzirider]

1. Moto Guzzi V11 (all variants)

2. Ducati 999R (Italian, red, tasty looks, suspension and shedloads of power)

3. Ghezzi Brian Supertwin Folgore (minimalist, original, light for a Guzzi)

4. KTM 950 Supermoto (a huge supermoto- wacky as hell!)

5. Aprilia RSVR (pre 2004) (jealousy- they always pass me on trackdays!!!!)

6. Velocette Venom (very modern ride for a old Brit single)

7. Magni Sfida (classic but original)

8. BMW R1150GS (common as muck but for a good reason)

9. MV Agusta 1000F4- (great looks now with added bhps!)

10. Yamaha XT600 (included for sentimental reasons- one took me across Australia in all terrains)

 

Guy

[Baldini]

how about...

ten bikes you'd most like to own....??

 

....And the piont of the exercise would be???....

that's entertainment - you ol grouch. (it already got you out from under to post... )

 

KB

[tikkanen]

"Good evening, Dublin.

 

Here are the results from the Danish jury:"

 

 

1. V11 Le Mans Scura (for obvious reasons)

2. Laverda 750 SFC (breathtaking beautyful)

3. Ducati 900 SS (slick and slender)

4. Ducati 888 (first real superbike from the Bologna boys)

5. Laverda 1000 Jota (all muscles; looks like a bike should look like)

6. MV Agusta 800 SS (saw one as a kid and I'll never forget the sound)

7. Norton Commando 850 Roadster (best built British bike IMO, real pukka)

8. HD FLH Electra Glide (1966, Early Shovelhead engine. Used to have one myself)

9. Honda VTR RC51 (a big brute with crappy fuel consumption, but the looks..)

10. Benelli Tornado Tre (crazy about the green/silver colour combo)

 

As you may have noticed I'm heavily biased towards the Italian bike scene and for obvious reasons. The Eye Ties know a thing or two when it comes to designing vehicles, just think Maserati, Lamborghini, Ferrari und so weiter.

 

Regarding the Norton and the MV I just can't seem to forget these two particular models. When I was young there was a bloke living nearby, who had a red Norton 850 Interstate and I always stood there on the spot when he fired it up. My family had a white poodle (no jokes! ) and I was always the one who had to take it for a walk in the evening. I had a fixed route: first the Honda CB 750 on that road, then the Triumph Trident on that road and so on. In this way I sort of mapped all the bikes in my area and this was also how I first spotted the MV Agusta.

 

The FLH was the first Early Shovelhead engine (replaced the Panhead, 1948-1965) and in my opinion this is the most beautyful Harley engine ever built. The new HD V-Rod looks like shite and I find it amazing that people cough up zillion $ for that particular model. The engine may be great (designed by Porsche) but it looks like something the cat has created in the litterbox (I'm sorry, but Danes are renowned for being very direct and tactless )

 

And the headline? Well, the European Song Contest is just around the corner and this is the standard remark from all European juries when they report their votes to the hosting nation. Ireland won two (three??) years in a row, so that's why.

 

Søren

 

PS: Still waiting for my bloody engine to return from the importer after the engine case repaint recall. Outside it's cold and rainy but the snow has finally decided to give up and started to melt. I'm getting a bit grumpy when I see you guys already riding your bikes under sunny sky and temperatures around 15-20 degrees C but as the Governator says/said: "I'll be back!"

[Baldini]

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned Featherbed Manx & Inters....

 

KB

[gthyni]

I'm surprised no-one's mentioned Featherbed Manx & Inters....

 

Manx and Goldstar as classics

900SS (70-ties) and Jota as modern classics

GasGas 450 for pure fun

750F4, 916RS and MGS/1 for fast cornering

Martin CBX and Bimota Tesi for oddness

V11 Nuda for love