Greatest single motorcycle?

[Zedhed]

One of the great regrets of my life was when I sold my '72 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport. Considered by many to be the first factory "sport" bike. Mine was a red tank/silver frame model. I sold it cause I didn't want to fix the chrome cylinder liners that were peeling. Had "shark-gill" Selintium mufflers and "goose-neck" clip-ons. Very cool bike.

 

[bigbird_1]

Originally Posted By: Zedhed
One of the great regrets of my life was when I sold my '72 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport.


WOT (way off topic) but my greatest regret was selling my 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 4spd in Hemi Orange. I had bought it new (first new car) and sold it a year later to continue my education.

 

[rszappa1]

1973 to 1975 BMW R90S in Daytona Orange....

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: bigbird_1
Originally Posted By: Zedhed
One of the great regrets of my life was when I sold my '72 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport.


WOT (way off topic) but my greatest regret was selling my 1970 Plymouth Duster 340 4spd in Hemi Orange. I had bought it new (first new car) and sold it a year later to continue my education.
I had a 70 challenger Purple with a white vinyl top 340 with a 4 speed and the pistol grip shifter trick hood etc . Yep I regret selling it.

 

[Zedhed]

Well, if now we are talking cars we regretted selling -- I sold my '69 Dodge Dart GTS 'cause I wanted a '69 Pontiac Grand Prix? How stupid was that?

 

[bigbird_1]

Originally Posted By: Zedhed
Well, if now we are talking cars we regretted selling -- I sold my '69 Dodge Dart GTS 'cause I wanted a '69 Pontiac Grand Prix? How stupid was that?


Was that a 340 6-pack Dart? If so, in retrospect, very stupid.

 

[rszappa1]

Never made that in a six pack...

 

[bigbird_1]

Originally Posted By: rszappa1
Never made that in a six pack...


What came with the 340 6-pack? Just the 'Cuda and Challenger? I don't remember. That was 40 years ago. Geez, that's a long time ago.

 

[rszappa1]

that was it. the 440 six pack came in the Dodge Super Bee and the Plymouth Road Runner and onr that most people do not remember... the Plymouth Fury as an option....

 

[Norm Olt]

Had an H2 (and an H1 and an S1) for 20 years: I agree, they were awesome.

'69 Honda 750 changed everything. But the Honda Cub 50 got it really going ("You meet the nicest...")

The "King of the Road", my 1993 ZX-11D was on top for half a decade until the Blackbird and the 'Busa came out: that's a very long time to be the fastest, quickest, etc. in the world of motorcycles... Not like being King (Kong) for a Day.

The Goldwing changed what it meant to be able to ride long distance in reliable comfort.

He's (BBDartCA) right: it is a lot like picking the "most beautiful girl".

Cheers!

p.s. Those two ain't too bad, either!

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Ike_Clanton
I'd have to say the original Kawasaki Z1 900 because they say it was a King Kong for it's day, and also because my dad had one.


I had the first model year ('73) and it was King Kong back then. Nothing would touch it.

 

[grampi]

Originally Posted By: Norm Olt
Had an H2 (and an H1 and an S1) for 20 years: I agree, they were awesome.

'69 Honda 750 changed everything. But the Honda Cub 50 got it really going ("You meet the nicest...")

The "King of the Road", my 1993 ZX-11D was on top for half a decade until the Blackbird and the 'Busa came out: that's a very long time to be the fastest, quickest, etc. in the world of motorcycles... Not like being King (Kong) for a Day.

The Goldwing changed what it meant to be able to ride long distance in reliable comfort.

He's (BBDartCA) right: it is a lot like picking the "most beautiful girl".

Cheers!

p.s. Those two ain't too bad, either!


ZX-11s were a bad machine! They're still fast even by today's standards. Low 10 second 1/4 miles is nothing to shake a stick at....

 

[Zedhed]

Originally Posted By: bigbird_1
Originally Posted By: Zedhed
Well, if now we are talking cars we regretted selling -- I sold my '69 Dodge Dart GTS 'cause I wanted a '69 Pontiac Grand Prix? How stupid was that?


Was that a 340 6-pack Dart? If so, in retrospect, very stupid.


That's the one, yep -- very stupid. Hey, but when your 18 yrs old....? Who knew?

 

[SWSportsman]

Final answer: Harley-Davidson Electraglide/FLH. When looked at objectively, the classic V-Twin is the single "greatest" especially in the USA. Wildly popular, often copied, but never duplicated.

The UJM in-line four would place a distant second, probably best exemplified by the Honda CB750.

 

[Zedhed]

Originally Posted By: SWSportsman
Final answer: Harley-Davidson Electraglide/FLH. When looked at objectively, the classic V-Twin is the single "greatest" especially in the USA. Wildly popular, often copied, but never duplicated.

The UJM in-line four would place a distant second, probably best exemplified by the Honda CB750.


Yeah, we know how many world racing championships have been won by the "classic American V-Twin" By "classic" you must mean: made since the 1930's, Right?

 

[Robenstein]

I would not call any of the AMF era H-D V Twins "great".

As far as the often copied but never duplicated remark, AMF/H-D had to lobby the US Govt to put heavy import tariffs on Japanese "copies" to keep from going under. This was especially aimed at the Yamaha Viragos which has a superior V Twin compared to the H-D motors of the time IMHO.

 

[SWSportsman]

Originally Posted By: Zedhed
Yeah, we know how many world racing championships have been won by the "classic American V-Twin"


I don't how many. Do you? Fairly irrelevant don't you think? I would bet that most of the motorcycles mentioned on this thread haven't won racing championships. How many readers here buy motorcycles only for racing? How many RC whatevers do you see tooling down the highway? How many Honda C50 Cubs were great on the racetrack? Blinded by bias may be worse than being misinformed.

 

[SWSportsman]

Originally Posted By: Robenstein
I would not call any of the AMF era H-D V Twins "great".

As far as the often copied but never duplicated remark, AMF/H-D had to lobby the US Govt to put heavy import tariffs on Japanese "copies" to keep from going under. This was especially aimed at the Yamaha Viragos which has a superior V Twin compared to the H-D motors of the time IMHO.



LOL! Yep, every motorcyclist worth his salt is out looking for one of those wildly popular Viragos to buy!

 

[Steve S]

There was one time in my life that only the fastest was the best I used to have a 1971 Kawasaki H1 and it was the fastest bike around at the time .Faster than other H1s . I had lots of fun on it. Now its performance is an entry level bike. But for example I rode a friends 500 Yamaha single dirtbike and I had a great time. I like all motorcycles ! Each one has its purpose. Harleys are great ,Crotch rockets are cool. There are some cruisers and touring bikes that are unbelievable. Triumphs and Nortons are neat . Is there anyone that remembers the Rickman bikes? I still first model think the Yamaha DTI as one of the nicest looking bikes ever . The Vincent Black Lightening!!!There are lots of bikes I like to look at.

 

[Steve S]

Originally Posted By: Zedhed
Well, if now we are talking cars we regretted selling -- I sold my '69 Dodge Dart GTS 'cause I wanted a '69 Pontiac Grand Prix? How stupid was that?
Not at the time!!!!