Greatest single motorcycle?

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Which single motorcycle do you feel was the best of all time. This is taking into effect it's racing heritage, influence on motorcycling design, etc. Please don't just say Honda or Harley.

We all know that "best" is a relative term, but we all have our fantasies...

Example: Harley XR750 flat-tracker. Most successful flat-track racer of all time. Not my choice, however....

My choice is is the Honda RC166. It won Honda multiple World Championships and was completely unbeatable in Mike the Bike's competent hands. It led to the CB750 which basically changed the way the world looked at motorcycling.

Here it is in all it's 6 cylinder, 16,000rpm, 250cc glory --

122_0604_09_z_+honda_rc174six+racebike_static_engine.jpg
 
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I always loved the Honda CB750 SOHC bikes. I have a 69 (with a 1080 big bore kit) and a 74.

The one with the 1080 kit was my fathers 70's drag bike. It is a heck of a ride with the OEM narrow rear tire.
 
Here's a real example of an RC166 as the previous was a repro.

These are so loud that if you are standing behind one during warm-up it will leave you temporarily deaf.... See YouTube.

rc166-1.jpg
 
Honda 50 Cub. This started the ball rolling back in the 60's. It brought Honda out of Japan and made them a transportation force to be reckoned with.
honda-50cc.jpg
 
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Honda went from the C50 Cub to the RC166 in 5 yrs !! WOW !! Talk about engineering.....

C50 has been produced in greater numbers than any other motorcycle in the world.
 
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I think Honda C50 Cub is the greatest mini-motorcycle of all-times. Even it was more than 40 years ago, every detail of the bike was perfectly designed and engineered.
 
The one in the picture that I uploaded has electric start. That picture is not the original C50, but close to it.
 
Without any doubt, the original Honda CB750 series, starting with the KO in 1969. This single bike changed motorcycling forever. This was a quantum leap over anything that was generally available at the time. They were smooth, powerful, handled well, and were utterly reliable. I had both a 1972 and 1978. Wish I still had one now!
 
Originally Posted By: Zedhed
Which single motorcycle do you feel was the best of all time. This is taking into effect it's racing heritage, influence on motorcycling design, etc. Please don't just say Honda or Harley.

We all know that "best" is a relative term, but we all have our fantasies...

Example: Harley XR750 flat-tracker. Most successful flat-track racer of all time. Not my choice, however....

My choice is is the Honda RC166. It won Honda multiple World Championships and was completely unbeatable in Mike the Bike's competent hands. It led to the CB750 which basically changed the way the world looked at motorcycling.

Here it is in all it's 6 cylinder, 16,000rpm, 250cc glory --

122_0604_09_z_+honda_rc174six+racebike_static_engine.jpg



Nothing like quite like the magnum opus of a company whose core competency was motorcycles... That's an amazing bike.
 
I would like to add a slight variation on this.

The single best sounding motorcycle in all of history I feel must be awarded to the Aprillia Cube Moto GP 3 cylinder 4 stroke. See youtube video here (the first bike in the video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4A7WkEqmwI&feature=related

The best bike I ever owned was the 1985 Yamaha FZ750. A motorcycle that stirred the soul.

The most memorable ride, was doubling my older sister's boyfriend on his CB750 Honda ,when I was a wee little lad, and he said I could change out of first when I was already in 3rd. I was 13 and I was riding a brand new 1973 model CB750. What a blast.
 
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Laverda Jota. Up until this bike came out, no magazine had ever driven a bike this fast before. The bike had huge amounts of torque and was close to 100 HP. The modern age of SuperSports and Repli Racers owe their success to this bike. IIRC it had a top speed in the 130's (MPH).

Jota.jpg
 
Originally Posted By: Kiwi_ME
The Ducati V-twin series.
533-Ducati.jpg



Ahh, NZers and their love of V-Twins. Britten must have been the ultimate outpouring of that sentiment.....
 
If your talking how the machine impacted motorcycling history, I have to agree with the Honda Cub then the CB750. One for it's prolific production and unsurpassed reliability and the other for being an icon of "stepping out of the motorcycling designing box" with the introduction of a transverse four cylinder sohc engine in a production motorcycle. And ll of that quality and sophistication could be had for a very reliable price.

I believe that honorable mention should also go to the speedy, exciting two strokes of the mid sixties to mid 70s. I think it was these smoking rockets that delivered the first and most painful blow to all other manufacturers. Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha all built a line of two stroke motorcycles that were very powerful, nimble, reliable and inexpensive. When the guys on the 650 Triumphs, BSAs, Nortons and even larger Harleys were being embarrassed by little 250cc and 350cc motorcycles costing a fraction of the cost right off the show room floor, the writing was on the wall. The message wasn't good.

The introduction of the two strokes back in the sixties was the first blow of a heavy on-two combination. The second being the Honda CB750 with it's introduction of transverse fours.

It didn't take too long for other forward thinking motorcycle manufacturers to see the Honda's stroke of genius and follow suit with their own lines of excellent transverse fours.
 
In general the CB750 and Z900. For me, of the personally owned bikes, I still regret selling this -99 Mille. It was the first customer delivered RSV in this country.

mille.jpg


Nowadays I only have one of these, an -83. I will never sell it so they can bury it with me.

1983-suzuki-katana-1100-01.jpg
 
Greatest single motorcycle of all times is like saying hottest babe of all time. Too many different flavors, styles, experiences to choose from.

Some of my personal favorites:

Kawasaki H2 triple two stroke
SiegeTonyTriple.jpg


Honda CBX
IMG_0529.jpg
 
Good choices. The H1 and H2 were wicked machines. The original "hooligan bikes". Fierce accelerators albeit not too nimble in the handling department.


That six cylinder liquid cooled KZ1300 is also a piece of technological achievement.

I have to agree with you though. Way too many excellent bikes to choose from over the years.
 
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