Most sexy MuFu Motabike EVA!

[paolo]

The last great 2 stroke

The Aprilia RS250 might have come after, but the RGV was the definitive machine. Good examples now are only about £1500, but it's a weekend toy really... 2 stroke (un)reliability and all that.

 

[zed66]

The more I see of truly classic stylish bikes, the more I want one RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY LIVING ROOM for all to see its beauty.

Riding them is just the cream on the cake

No, you buy two identical bikes. One bike you ride like you stole it (ie: as the good lord intended), then while that bike is cooling down in the air conditioned underground secure garage the first bike is rotating on a plinth in your front front room, with tiny liitle dry ice jets occasionally firing for dramatic effect, the theme tune from 2001 a Space Oddessy on loop in the background, and the only furniture in the room is a lazyboy armchair (recliner of course) and a beer fridge.

(Not that I've given this matter any thought whatsoever)

 

[zoltan]

Stroker ? best one has got to be to KH750 .

By all accounts was a one way ticket to hospital

 

[paolo]

Stroker ? best one has got to be to KH750 .

By all accounts was a one way ticket to hospital

Hence why the RGV gets my vote. Razor sharp handling - wave goodbye to the big four strokes in the twisties.

The VFR750R mentioned above was lovely, and when it comes to GSXR750s it's this shape I like best...

 

[zed66]

Another favourite, designed by Target Design, same people responsible for K-Series BMWs.The bike is nothing special to ride engine or handling wise, but the sheer fun of flipping the headlight into on, giving it a flash then putting it down again has to make it one of the coolest bikes ever built...original 750 Katana.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

To me the beauty of a bike is inseperable from it's function. To this end I nominate the aircooled R80 GS in all incarnations. The bike that people choose when they want to ride around the world (without a ten vehicle support team and film crew).If its good enough for Ted Simon (http://www.jupitalia.com/) its good enough for me.

My R80G/S monolever is the only bike I ever regret selling. They're build to last for ever and are insanely simple to service...and boy are they tough.

 

[zed66]

My R80G/S monolever is the only bike I ever regret selling. They're build to last for ever and are insanely simple to service...and boy are they tough.

I've been looking for a good monolever for the last five years. They are rarer than rocking horse poo now (at non collectors prices anyway).Eventually got a paralever GS a couple of months ago, still haven't stopped grinning.

 

[ice-is-forming]

this is a sexy thread..i'v got one of these.
took the fairing off tho.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

I've been looking for a good monolever for the last five years. They are rarer than rocking horse poo now (at non collectors prices anyway).Eventually got a paralever GS a couple of months ago, still haven't stopped grinning.

How much does an '81-'87 80 G/S go for these days then? Sold mine in 2000 for £1600 with 70k on the clock but all the right mods (twinplugged heads, Ohlins shock, paralever Marzocchi forks, unleaded conversion).

 

[pogofish]

The more I see of truly classic stylish bikes, the more I want one RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY LIVING ROOM for all to see its beauty.

NO! You ride the bloody thing!

The immaculate MV Agusta America that a friend kept in his living room was just the saddest sight. Never did a bike scream-out to be ridden like this one but would he? Despite being a capable rider (Ratty Suzuki), nothing would persuade him to fire-up his pride & joy. He died on Piper Alpha & his widow got rid of it for a pittance.

 

[zed66]

How much does an '81-'87 80 G/S go for these days then? Sold mine in 2000 for £1600 with 70k on the clock but all the right mods (twinplugged heads, Ohlins shock, paralever Marzocchi forks, unleaded conversion).

It's a case of tying to find one at all.The only ones that seem to come for sale are R100GS Bumblebees and Paris-Dakars. An immaculate R100GS with receipts for work can go for up to 3500UKP. Even ratty versions seem to nudge 2000. An Ohlins rear shock for a later GS costs nearly 390quid, Marzocchi front end must have cost a fortune.Sounds like your bike was totally sorted by the time you sold it.

 

[zed66]

this is a sexy thread..i'v got one of these.
took the fairing off tho.[/QUOTE]
You own a 900SS? Not worthy, not worthy. What are they like to own? I've heard horror stories about 10000 engine rebuilds and weak cranks.What about setting up Desmo valves, is it possible to do it as a DIY mechanic?

Whenever I've been out and about, air-cooled Ducatis just seem to effortly outclass any other bikes on the road, combination of sound, looks and function. Wish I was brave enough to own one (and rich enough given classic prices).

 

[gentlegreen]

The more I see of truly classic stylish bikes, the more I want one RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF MY LIVING ROOM for all to see its beauty.

Riding them is just the cream on the cake

That was where my Norton spent most of its life - either in an upstairs bedroom or the kitchen

Bedrooms are ideal for rebuilding bikes - the bed is very easy on the paintwork when working on the frame

.

 

[Sigmund Fraud]

It's a case of tying to find one at all.The only ones that seem to come for sale are R100GS Bumblebees and Paris-Dakars. An immaculate R100GS with receipts for work can go for up to 3500UKP. Even ratty versions seem to nudge 2000. An Ohlins rear shock for a later GS costs nearly 390quid, Marzocchi front end must have cost a fortune.Sounds like your bike was totally sorted by the time you sold it.

Those forks cost me £150 s/h. The shock was also s/h but rebuilt by a bloke at Bracken BMW in Rotherhithe and cost me about £200. All I had left to do was add a second cast iron brake disc and brembo caliper and yeah, it would have been totally sorted...but I was a tad hard up so sold it and bought an Italian import XL600 Paris-Dakar - big mistake!

 

[loud 1]

ive had a few xt's over time..


i can hoestly say there the strongest bike ive ever owned,i know 3 people who have been round europe and asia on the 350..

there invincible!!

 

[Spion]

Stroker ? best one has got to be to KH750 .

By all accounts was a one way ticket to hospital

Successor to the late 60s 500 and 750 H1 and H2, which - quite handily - enabled them to be known as H-Bombs. Supposed to have been a wheely-tastic set of bikes, back from the days when Jap bikes just did not handle.

I always had a liking for Suzuki's 'kettle' 750 strokers. I had the air-cooled 380 triple and that did about 25 to the gallon so god knows what the 750 did

 

[geminisnake]

Men obviously have very different opinions from women about how sexy a bike is.

Not one of the photos on this thread ooze sexy(can't open all the links pc is running slow) And Katanas!! Didn't like them when they came out, still don't.

Not one Buell with purple wheels have I seen a photo of

 

[gentlegreen]

Men obviously have very different opinions from women about how sexy a bike is.

Not one of the photos on this thread ooze sexy(can't open all the links pc is running slow) And Katanas!! Didn't like them when they came out, still don't.

Not one Buell with purple wheels have I seen a photo of

I painted my norton commando dark blue with sunshine yellow details

 

[pogofish]

Not one Buell with purple wheels have I seen a photo of

We are talking bikes here, not two-wheeled ornamental codpieces

 

[Cobbles]

If you're looking for something not too fast then how about an Enfield Diesel - a throbbing 6 horsepower - I had a shot on one in India 3 years ago - it was sexy (in a deply pulsating kind of way) and sloooooooow.

 

[zed66]

If you're looking for something not too fast then how about an Enfield Diesel - a throbbing 6 horsepower - I had a shot on one in India 3 years ago - it was sexy (in a deply pulsating kind of way) and sloooooooow.

These are available for road use in America, based on the KLR650, used by the military, 100mpg apparently. Not sure if there are any importers in the UK.
http://www.dieselmotorcycles.com/models.htm

 

[djbombscare]

thsi is all I have to say on the matter

 

[pogofish]

. Not sure if there are any importers in the UK.

There are, for the Enfields. A firm in Inverurie was importing them new & used (extremly cheap!) & I think I saw a Falkirk-based bike dealer claiming it was now the UK distributor for the marque.

 

[Louis MacNeice]

These are available for road use in America, based on the KLR650, used by the military, 100mpg apparently. Not sure if there are any importers in the UK.
http://www.dieselmotorcycles.com/models.htm

If you really want one these are the people to talk to:

enfield diesel

Cheers - Louis Mac

 

[zed66]

If you really want one these are the people to talk to:

enfield diesel

Cheers - Louis Mac

Thanks, but that Enfield looks bloody hideous.I think if you can't do better than 6.5hp from a 325cc lump you might as well give up. True it does give up to 200mpg, but top speed is 45mph (off a cliff). Doesn't sound like something that could keep up modern traffic.A C90 has more style imo.

The American bike actually looks like it might be fun to ride and is recognisably a motorbike. Peak torque maxes out at 3000rpm, top power is only 30hp odd, but that should be enough to chug along at 60-70mph quite easily. Plus the fact that being a military design you can run it on just about anything (kerosene/vegetable oil/bio-diesel) and looks like it is righteously over engineered, as opposed to the engine which looks like something Phileas Fogg would recognise.

 

[longdog]

Rode one once. Felt as cool as the Fonz in a deep-freeze

 

[han]

^^ ooh, that is a beaut.

I *heart* chrome 'n' black...