I was born in 1975 and a teenager in the early 90s by the time my generation was old enough to ride these bikes they were well used and plentiful. I spent most of my teenage years acquiring, taking apart, modifying and putting back together and riding the wheels off of these old Superbikes, and I absolutely love every one of them. Such wonderful machines.
I was racing at Vaca Valley Raceway, west of Sacramento, California, back in 1972. Paul Smart from England, raced the new '73 Z1 and won his race very easily. After the racing was over, I went to his pit to have a look at his bike. He was very congenial to talk to and said, "if you want to take a ride on it, go ahead". I took it around the track and came back in and handed the bike back to him. He could see that I had a large grin on my face. A week later, I bought one and enjoyed it for several years. It was, and still is, a very reliable, good handling and fast bike!
What an awesome story! You must have enjoyed telling it when riding your Z1. Did you see our film about the Z1 and CB750? th-cam.com/video/YW4_YZ3Skh0/w-d-xo.html
I worked at both a Honda and Yamaha shop in the 70's and rode them all... My last personal street motorcycle was a 79 RD400F Daytona Special... not sure if i'd rather have that back or the CBX... the sound of six cylinders at speed was incredible...
Born in 1965, I remember One motorcycle more than any other... the Honda 750 Four! The flying wings, extended forks, padded sissy bar and chopped open pipes. That was So dope for '70! Nothing else like it :)
Great video...brings back excellent memories! I had a Honda CB500 1972. Took it to California from Canada, about 3500 miles each way when I was 17 with no faring, bags or anything....man that was living! Just a bike and an open road! Thanks for sharing the video! Safe riding!
I was 24 in 1970 and I remember well the progression of these bikes. I saw them all when they first started hitting the road and was amazed by many. I ended up buying a 1971 750 Honda 4 in the same gold color he showed in this video. It was a fantastic ride and I had a great time with it. Some friends at work had the Kawasaki 500 triple and the 750. Both of them managed to wheelie them over backwards because the power comes on with a burst if you twisted the throttle at low RPM. When it came up on the power band the darned thing would start reaching for the sky, SUDDENLY without warning. It was not a smooth increase in power it was instantaneous. Both of them eventually traded for the Kawasaki 900. It was a much more sensible bike. This was a great video, sort of a walk down memory lane and it was reassuring to hear him mention how some of those "old bikes" were stable and comfortable.
Kawasaki's KZ-1000 LTD was one of the fastest production bike in its time.. just before the CBX. My first bike was the KZ-454.. ran it to the ground...went everywhere. Own a Vulcan 900 Custom today... great machine.
Enjoyed your video. I am the proud owner of a totally restored 1972 Honda CB 750. It was a few years in the making but, she is finally done! My dream bike is a Kawasaki ZR1 1000.
We're sure it was a labour of love and completely worth the time and effort. Congrats on a successful restoration :-) Did you see our latest film about a beautiful K0? th-cam.com/video/hcdUgUu66bk/w-d-xo.html
Afternoon of June 7, 1973 - I rode my new Z1 to work, then after the longest workday ever, I rode it home, taking the long way. Didn't get home until the sun came up. I still have it, still original except for the seat. Not for sale.
I drooled over a Z1 my friend had in high school. He was the coolest kid there on that bad boy. I was 15 and couldn't afford a big bucks bike. I went the rd350 route. I got a red 2002 ZRX1200 now.
I had a buddy with a RD 350 he put chambers on it and some other mods I had a H2 750 he was a smaller guy and could keep up pretty well with me on that machine !
Wow,LOVED watching ALL these Beautiful machines zooming by!!! What a feast for the eyes indeed!!! BUT..........like many others have already commented on here......................I'LL be awaiting an "80's " version,featuring all the game-changing bikes that came about during THAT decade!!! Can't wait!!! :)
Me and everyone I knew as a teenager had all the bikes in your video collectively... My first was. Honda 550-4 witha kirker 4-1 pipe! I have owned over 30 bikes since then currently down to two.. but oh the memories riding those older bikes...
@@mitchtucker awh yes a time when I be came an apprentice under the instruction of pop yoshimura of Honda's R&D as the EPA was killing the last of our muscle cars with phony propaganda that you can easily prove to yourself by simply asking Google to show you a pie chart of all the gases that comprise the entire Earth atmosphere that is monitored and posted annually by every major college and university in the entire United States.. and the findings are composed from mandatory classroom technology required for those students for future careers of meteorology... Has Bob Dylan used to saying you don't need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind blows.... As we had no idea back then but Bob did as he seen it coming...and today if you look at what I have been telling everyone who will listen who are as scare us as hen's teeth to find the total carbon dioxide level is 0.040 of 1% of the 0.98% of all pollution total of the entire 100% of the entire Earth's atmosphere by volume that absolutely beyond any doubt is telling you that the total pollution is less than 1% and of that less than 1%, not even a half a percent of that is carbon dioxide which is barely enough to keep plants producing photosynthesis that makes the oxygen we breathe.... Now add the problem of all of you millennials who have bought this very big huge lie of propaganda from the EPA that if they get their way you will not have any Oxygen left to breathe very shortly if bye 2025 they manage to cut the carbon dioxide level in half of what it barely is today.... Now as I said here helpless I can die with the rest of you imbeciles knowing I told you so
When I was a Sr. in H.S. in '74 I bought a '72 H2 750, she was very slightly used and was stock except for expansion chambers and a rejet job, and I had the dealer put lower handle bars on...I grew up on mini bikes and mini cycles and dirt bikes and had just hung up my motocross racing boots at the time from a pretty long racing career (I earned an AMA Experts license in 125cc Motocross), so I was a very accomplished rider but had never ridden a fast street bike (just a couple Enduro bikes I had previously owned). I bought her from a big dealer and on my first test drive when I got on it the acceleration startled me and almost caused me to loose my grip with one hand...it got my attention real quick. So when I bought her, I had about a 50 mile drive to get home (through downtown Orlando to get back to the east coast...Titusville, Fl.), so by the time I went thru a few of the Downtown Orlando stop lights I learned pretty quick that I could spin the back tire with just throttle roll...it suddenly dawned on me it was just like my YZ except on pavement...after that I got comfortable real quick. By the time I reached the coast I was doing 3 gear power wheelies. So I'm driving her all over town showing her off when one of my friends walks up and says hey you know the guy who has the badass Z1, well he said he wants to race you and tonight. Apparently word had spread quick that a kid with a fast H2 750 was in town and the guy with the Z1 didn't like it. I didn't personally know him but I had seen him and his Z1 and it had headers and the guy knew how to ride it and it did look like a badass bike...I had only had the bike for a few hours but I already felt pretty comfortable on it and my GF was standing right there, and I was extremely confident of my two wheeled skills so I said okay tell him beach road at 10:00 pm...So I pull up at 10:00 m with my GF on the back and there is a big crowd to see the Big race...I'm starting to feel a little trepidation thinking Wow Steve it may have been smart to tell him to give you a few days to get used to it...I mean I had never even done a full on launch...but I'm there now so need to get it done...as we get our bikes pointed in the right direction he starts smoking his rear tire getting his launches all prepared...I had never attempted one and so I just sat there waiting for him to get lined up and he has me a little bit intimidated...I'm trying to come up with my launch strategy when it dawns on me to launch just like in motocross...do what you know how to do...So I got weight up off the seat, leaned way forward, went full throttle and at redline I dumped the clutch...my first full throttle clutch drop launch and it felt just like my motocross launches, rear tire breaking loose, bike getting squirrely, front tire clawing for the air and a finely orchestrated effort to keep her going straight and fast...it was an absolutely PERFECT launch and I never saw the Z1...I beat him and beat him badly...afterwards he was shocked and humiliated and really pissed...he couldn't understand how I had beaten him and kept mumbling about something not being right with his bike. I told him well when you get her running right give me a shout...I never heard from him again...so I beat the fastest bike (vehicle) in town after having only ridden an H2 750 for a few hours. Obviously my riding skills were mad and though he was good I was much better and he also weighed probably about 185 to 195lbs whereas I weighed 140 lbs soaking wet...I later added 34mm Mikunis and had the man who did my Motocross port work on my YZ's also do some port work...she was crazy fast then....she would pull 100 mph power wheelies in 3rd gear when she came on port....ahh those were the days....oh and a word about the H2 handling...it was indeed known as the widow maker (that title was given the H2 not the H1 as the gentleman says in this clip), but when I had mine I thought she handled just fine...I used to beat riders I respected on modified RD-350's through the twisties...again maybe it was just my skill but she'd twist and wobble through the turns but if you just rode it you could deal with it and get her to go pretty damn fast thru the twisties....I only dropped her once and that was on a wet road when I was pushing the pace.
Ian MacRae Yeah isn't that how it goes? I've looked at the H2's over the years...a good restored one is about $17+K...I never really considered it though. I am however considering a 2 stroke Road Race track bike; a very nice TZ(R)-250 can be had for about $27K and I've even considered a TZ-750, of which a nice OW31 (or a TZ-750 with some of the OW31's goodies)will run about $85K...which is a chunk of change but I'm a retired Engineer with a very nice paid off 4/3 pool home, a nice pension and a 7 figure portfolio so I have some financial options if I want to buy a toy.
Me too Steve Fowler,I never rode anything as savage as this! I stripped an H2 to the bone, powder-coated the frame and went mad dog from there. I will skip the nitty gritty. but did a second stage porting and got all of the right pieces afterwards. Scary fast. Pussed out because I did not want to widow my wife. /.
This video brought back fond memories. I was there and enjoyed every bit of motorcycling when it was for fun and not prestige. You got it all right. Thanks.
I had a CB 750 1968 and a 1978 Gold Wing , Blue like the 1 in the video, I loved them both and would love to have either restored, I'll give you my Harley.
God, I was a kid when these came out and I wanted every one of them. My favorite was the Kawasaki Z1 and the other if I couldn't have it was the CB 750 Four by Honda. Did this video ever bring back good memories. These bikes changed everything in the refinement of power and handling leading the way for what is out there today.
This brought back memories for me. My first motorcycle was a 1971 Honda CL 100 my Dad purchased for me. I remember when the first Honda 750 FOUR's appeared in 1969. I was 12 years old and had my first mini bike. Today at 59, I now ride an FJR 1300. I'm a few decades older, but my love for two wheels has never ended..
Loved my GS750. Graduated Navy boot camp in San Diego Ca in 1983. Saw a ad in the paper. Had my friend take me there to see it. Bought it from the original owner with only 458 miles on it and drove it all around California in the 1980"s in my early 20's. Top that.
Back in the early 70's I had a red Kawasaki '71 350 S2 and then an orange '72 500 H1. Later went on to ride the purple '73 750 H2 and a brown '74 900 Z1 . I then gave up the bikes for classic British sports cars having had a '59 MGA and a '62 TR3. In '75 drove my TR from British Columbia to Nova Scotia in the middle of winter. It worked like a charm. Yup, fun times for sure! 😊
Thank you so much, With this film about a piece of history. What a beautiful motorcycles raced in 1975 to 1980 on a Suzuki GT 550 and a Laverda 750 FS.
I remember well. Superbikes happened all at once, in the fall of 1968. In 1967 the bikes were the same models that had been available for years. The Harley Sportster at 116 mph was the fastest stock bike tested, aside from a single specially tuned straight piped BSA Hornet and the exotic Dunstall Norton. One year later the Honda 750, BSA Rocket 3, Triumph Trident, Kawasaki 500 and amazingly the old Norton 750 reinvented into the Commando could all claw their way to 120 mph or a little better. And all cost less than the 1967 Harley Sportster.
Amazing how these people always dress like twats to talk about 60/70/80 and even 90's bikes. Thats wasn't a 70's helmet and definitely not 70's fashion and yet ...
Who says they have to? He dressed for the conditions. I wouldn't wear what I wore in the seventies, I've learned from them. Personally I wouldn't wear an open face helmet ever again.
The "77"+ "78" KZ 1100 and GS 1100 were the shit when I Was 13 and already a seasoned rider, although mostly in the dirt! I had a KZ 400 I rode all over Spokane on. I never got pulled over on it once in 4 year's. I rode it to grade school +junior high, and parked it at a friend"s house 1 block from my school!!
In 1975 I had a Honda 550 and my friend had the earlier 500 I'm not sure of what the difference was except the additional 50 cc but I could easily run away and hide from him. Every gear I would start pulling away with it pulling harder as the revs climbed. If we switched it was the same. My bike pulled away. The 70s was the best time for bike lovers. 4 stroke 2 stroke even a rotary engine bike . Those days will never be back.
Oh man I loved this ride back in time. My Z1B 900 Kaw was such a blast. I started out with a 72 CB350, gold just like the CB500 in your video. Haven't owned a street bike since the 900 though. Dang...bucket list item for sure. Thanks again...I'm sharing this.
Had a Honda 750 4 cylinder, it ran great and handled better than any bike I bought before or after. I think I'm going to look around and see if I can find one to put it on the road. Fond memories
I feel so lucky to have been born in 1966 , I grew up with my dad dropping me off at school from Grade 1 on the back of a 1972 Harley Davidson Super Glide , an XR 1000 , a 1973 Kawasaki H2 500cc and H2 750cc Mach 3 , and Triumph Bonneville ,, I Had a 1972 TY 80 Trial bike at 7 and at 12 to 13 I had a 1977 Yamaha DT250 and the first monoshock YZ 125c , then from 16 to 22 had a 1979 Honda CB 250, 1966 Honda CL - CB 350 and about five Honda CB 350 to 400 4s and 2 Yamaha RD 350LCs,, I am on bikes 22 and 23 now and I wish they were from the 70s
What a channel!! I just found this. Most of these bikes were owned by the older guys in y neighborhood. Great bikes, great memories. Awesome channel gentleman.
What a beautiful video! Thank you. I remember beeing a schoolboy and waiting at a bus stop next to a bikers meeting point in West-Berlin called "Spinnerbrücke". I saw all the bikes passing by: Honda CB 750, Goldwing, CBX 1000, Kawasaki Z1R, Z1000, Suzuki GS 1000, Guzzi Le Mans etc. It has changed my life! Beautiful collection!! I own a Cb 400 four and a ZRX
Thank you for watching :-) That bridge in Berlin must have been awesome, and what a great name for it too! Well done on your CB400. If you like, check out our latest film about the CB750: th-cam.com/video/hcdUgUu66bk/w-d-xo.html
Great video. The Kawasaki Z650, released in 76 would also of been a good addition, arguable the best middle weight bike of its time, with an engine design, namely 4cyl, DOHC with plain bearings that became the blueprint for all future inline 4s.
Thank you for an excellent and enjoyable blast from the past. I'm proud to say I owned three such bikes. Having ditched my hideous (read dangerous) BSA A10 Super Rocket, I bought a CB 500 Four. What a delight. And the 4 into 2 megas made it sound awesome! Then came the CB 750 Four K2; silent and civilised; a proper tourer - and I did some touring back then. And the one you missed out? My last Honda was the CB 750 F2. OK, you are quite right to miss this one out; not because it was a poor motorcycle, just that it didn't really represent a step forward from my K2. It sported Comstar wheels, restyled livery and a slight bump up to 77HP. I really should have rounded out my biking days with a CBX! But hey!! What's a young guy to do on an apprentice wage?
first time I had ever been on a bike, I picked up my friend's Kaw z1 from the repair shop and rode it 500 miles to where he was. very first time on a bike. on-the-job training lol
@@mitchtucker You don't need a piece of paper to know how to ride a motorcycle or fly an airplane. Just use common sense, stay alive and don't get caught.
@@zeggle5229 I was 13 y.o. in 1969. My begging finally paid off. My mother and I went to Fulton Marine where we bought a YAMAHA RD350. I felt like a king. It was very fast. One time Ronald Cunningham, my friend, and I were riding around town when a person riding a Honda 450 Scrambler pulled up beside us and raised two fingers. He wanted to race. We came to a stop sign where I told him I didn't have money to bet so he said we will race for fun. We raced and I thought he had shut down because I was so far ahead. That is when I learned the RD350 is a fast bike. The only reason I didn't have a Honda 450 Scrambler is because it cost 950.00 and the YAMAHA RD350 cost 715.00. I loved my RD350 but the Honda 450 had a beautiful engine. Still love the Honda 450 Scrambler today.
Thank you for making this video. I grew up in the 80s and yes the Honda CBX was on my bedroom wall. I love the presentation in this and other videos. Big cheers to team Brightside Media.
Another well done video! The bikes are awesome in their own way, and makes one want any of them. Thank you for reminding us of how good these were back in the day!
I had a cd400/4.....smoothest running engine I had encountered...perfect size for bombing around town, back country roads and the occasional jaunt on the highways....
What a great video, those are the bikes I remember from my youth, absolutely loved seeing them again. In 1986 I bought a third hand GT 500 twin and then 6 months later I got a "slightly damaged" 550 triple, both long gone now but I have great memories of the amazing feeling of the acceleration from a standing start, nearly dying or least shitting myself because although they sped up quickly they weren't so great at slowing down again.😉
To be honest, we must have been good riders, because I guarantee you riders these days couldn't handle these bikes. Crap brakes, tyres, suspension, the lot, and that was most of the fun!
I started out with a Suzuki GS400, but quickly matured to a GS850G (bought new in 1980 - the first owner of that "G" model in South Africa). Unable to resist I got a Honda CBX as well, but the power scared me a bit, so sold it after 18 months (very sorry now) to get a Kawasaki GPZ-1100. All were (are) great, iconic machines... Today, some 42 years after my first superbike, I'm too frail to handle anything more challenging than my little Kia Rio - but the memories are great - JoBurg to Cape town in under ten hours, through the night and the desolate Karoo...
GS850 was a great bike. I bought one new in 1981, fitted Rickman fairing and panniers and did three tours around Europe. The bike never missed a beat, I was so sad to finally sell it in 1990 when my biking days were brought to an end by circumstances. I came back to biking in 2020 and had to have four Japanese cylinders, so bought my excellent Versys 1000 SE Grand Tourer. But why does no Jap manufacturer offer a shaft-drive four?
When I was young having one of those beautiful bikes would be same like owing helicopter today. I was seeing them almost every day and they were out of reach. Ever lasting beauties. Great video, gave it a thumbs up.
Ive owned and still own many of the bikes in this video. Here is what I have to say about them: Honda CB750: Smooth running, but no power. Decent brakes for the time, but heavy. Honda CB500: Same as above but much less powerful. Im not sure how Honda's CBs were considered super bikes. They seemed pretty average after owning an H1 500. Kawasaki H2: I still own mine. Its insanely fast for its time and is quicker than the other bikes on the list. The brakes aren't as bad as people say and it actually does corner well. The trick is to get use to the power band. Suzuki GT750: Big, Heavy and has no power band. Not at all what you would expect from a two stroke. The bikes are stone reliable though. They weren't built as a super bike, but a touring bike. Kawasaki z1: Faster than the Honda, but not as fast at the H2. Handles about the same as the H2, but is heavier so slower cornering. Suzuki GS1000: Fast bike, but late to the game. Designed a little better than Kawi Z1. In my opinion, the winner of the era is the Yamaha R5/RD350 (not mentioned in the video). These bikes were insanely fast for the time and can out handle all the bikes mentioned. I still own a tuned R5 350 (non power reed valve version of the RD) and I prefer to ride it over my other bikes. These bikes were never considered "super bikes" for unknown reasons even though they shared the same frame as the TR350 race bikes of the time. They were called "Giant Killers" for a reason... my 350 will outrun a CB750 fairly easily.
+Retroman My first bike was the final version f the RD series, a 1979 RD400 Daytona Special. Sure, it could out run and out handle most of the big bikes of the time, but not the easiest to use for more than an afternoon's outing. Loved it regardless. My second bike was a 1981 GPz550.
+orangelion03 Actually the final version of the RD was the water cooled Yamah RZ 350. It was night and day compared to the old RD. Why was your RD 400 not so easy to use? I ride my R5 just about everywhere without issues. I used to have an 84 GPZ 550. Great bike!
Yeah, I had a CB750 after my CL550 was so slow i traded it in 3 weeks, lost money, CB750 was overly complicated with 4 carbs, mechanical linkages, I got rear ended by an idiot at a red light. Current Harley fatboy is a universe ahead of that old Honda
What an awesome collection and it was nice to see and hear them in motion. I had a poster of a CBX way back then as well as the KZ1300 and now decades later I enjoy my old ZRX.
Beautiful video lads I really do appreciate this one! If anything could be different I would have liked to hear that GT750 go by. It likely none of us will ever even get to see one let alone hear it run in person.
That was a great time. Had a pre-K1 750 that was a little heavy but a blast to ride fast. Had a friend with K0 500 that was sweet. BSA 500 Gold Star,650 Bonneville and BMW 600(?) were great bikes. Kawasaki 750 almost killed a friend. They were fast, but had horrible handling. Thanks for bringing it all back for me.
The greatest advantage of the first 'Wing', of course, was it was built with the tolerances of an aircooled motor...and then they watercooled it. This made it virtually indestructible.
Very very cool video. Where these all your bikes? If not, I’m surprised you didn’t include the 6 cylinder Kawasaki KZ 1300, I believer was called? My first bike was the ‘83 Honda 750 Nighthawk. Loved how wide that seat was, and it looked amazing. Wasn’t super fast, though. My next was an ‘84 Honda 1200cc Goldwing. My next will most likely be another Goldwing, probably a ‘93 or ‘94.
Grieg Ragen yeah i had a 75 or 76 my dad gave to me when I was 17... got about 2000 miles on it the cam chain broke. Tricky repair, lots of metal debris in the case. I was in the navy had saved some $$ bought a 6 mo. old 81 CB750C when I was at the dealer picking up the tensioner for the 360. Looked so nice I could not walk away from it.
Terrific coverage of many of the bikes of that era. My first big road bike was the '78 Z1R a beauty. I was lucky to have mates who had all of these machines so I got to ride a CBX 1000, a GS1000, a K7 750/4, Z1B 900, Z1300, an XS1100 ....and my second Kwaka a Z1R-II. They were all terrific bikes. A mate put his z900 into a Rickman kit and wow was that a nice bike. The power of the Kwaka and the wonderful handling geometry of the Rickman frame. Great days!!
60HP motor in a 20HP frame. Everyone who had one spent ages looking for the hinge in the frame. You didn't ride it, you influenced its general direction but hell it was fun to ride.
Loved watching this video. Brought back a lot of great memories. I had friends with Kawa 750 triple, Z-1 and Honda CB750 and first Goldwing. I had a Suzuki Water Buffalo. Smooth bike. Heavy and didn't handle that great, but it sure ate up the miles with ease. I took it from Alaska to Texas when I got out of the Air Force back in the early 80's. I always wanted one of those Honda 350 four cylinders -- and their 500 twin.... Aw heck, I wanted all of them.
Ride My restored 1972 Suzuki GT750J every Sunday...out here in Northwestern Arizona... Run AV gas ... 100 Octane.... and use Amsoil dominator 2 Stroke Racing oil in the injector bottle. With the original Front and rear Highway Bars.... not afraid to take it up to 100 MPH . It screams , especially with that 3 into 4 exhaust system... sounds like angry bees..............The only drawback are those front dual drum brakes... hard to stop it.......With that amsoil 2 stroke oil... virtually no smoke out the back......I am 62, but when riding that bike, I feel like I am 20 again............what a blast....
My 10th grade friend's had GT750. We rode the shit out of. Was doing some hard burn outs on it and broke the chain. The chain went up in those deep cases and boke all kinds of cases. His dad got rid of it in disgust.
In 1986 my army buddy had a 1972 GT750 (with the original cooling fan). What a beast! A disaster in really slow turns, it tended to fall into the the turn (oversteering). But when you got it up to speed with those 3 cylinder screaming under your ass, it was a monster! Almost flat out around Den Bosch on the highway, it was like riding on rails. This thing was glued to the road and rode like a knife on those really long turns. There was one for sale that same year, but I did not have the money. My dad wouldn't lend it to me either (you will go out and ride it before you have your license!!), so I never got it. Still some regrets in that one. 2 years later I got another Suzi, an even better one. A 1981 GSX750L. Yes indeed, the famous GS750L, but with that fat (120kgs) 16 valve engine, producing 85 bhp. And with the original 4 in 2 exhaust replaced with a 4 in 1 Marshall Deep Tone, she sang a great tune! Specially in tunnels.. :-) She weighed over 240 kgs dry, but man... was she agile. Once I got to know her, she was a twisties dream. She never let me down and she took me through every twist and turn, like she loved it! My friend, a way better rider than me, could not keep up on the winding roads of the French Alps, that how good she was. Still miss that bike.
My buddy bought a brand new Water Buffalo in 72 thinking he was upgrading from his previous 69 Suzuki Titan 500. He couldn't believe how much slower the 750 was. At the time I rode a 68 Matchless 750 that would leave him behind and could easily be outrun by his old Titan.
Very good video. "what bike did I have then...then...then......" I was fortunate to have some memorable bikes. First new bike .... 1966 Aermacchi / Harley Sprint 250cc, 1971 BMW R60/5 for touring around Europe, 1972 Suzuki T350, 1973 Honda K3 CB 750, a used 1974 CB 250, 1975 Yamaha RD 350B, 1977 Yamaha RD400D, 1987 Sportster 1100 Evo, 2000 Road King, 2002 Honda CBR600 F4i, 2006 Yamaha Vino 50 and a Vino125, a Suzuk DR400 and Honda dirt bikes in between. All great bikes...good memories....only one crash over all these years.
Thanks :-) The Yamahas were very cool. And they made a lot of other bikes look old quick. Did you see our film about the RD350? th-cam.com/video/uzCRRTM4rEk/w-d-xo.html
Good old Rd350. Lightweight 6 speeds, nimble handling and could pull a wheelie in the first several gears. My favorite though was a 1970 Yamaha 650 4 stroke twin. Lots of torque, good handling no electric starter but only 409 lbs if I remember right. It was almost a clone of a triumph 650
I've had 35 bikes. Including a Kawasakis KZ 1300 which is also a six cylinder. The inline 4 changed everything. I now own a Kawasaki 1982 B2 GPZ 1100, triple discs, mag wheels, and fuel injection. The king of the air-cooled Superbikes. I rode a Yamaha Seca 750 triple discs with shaft drive. It was a good bike. Small enough yet big enough. The reason I bought the GPZ was I thought it was the peak. So many were built, so many were raced and abused. I remember when the Honda 305 was the Superbike.
I was around ten years old in 1968. The Mini Bike craze was in full gear. I have always admired the bike styles in this video. Such a great look and style.
'78 was the GS1000 Suzuki, but not mentioned was a better balanced tremendous performer, the GS750. I bought one that spring, and rode it for years. The dealer wanted me to upgrade to the 1000, but a test ride just left me feeling that it was for me too heavy, and not as nimble on a twisty road. A dedicated bike lover friend was amazed at how well the 750 would track highway on and off ramps at silly speeds. Loved that bike, would certainly like to have another one, if the opportunity arose. Currently riding a VFR 800. Fantastic in it's own right.
I have a friend that has one in his garage. He hasn't touched it in a few years. We're getting A little old also now as he hasn't ridden in several years .The 750 is a different animal.
My first bike was a 1974 Honda 750-Four, with the same color scheme as the 1973 that appears in your video. It was awesome. Wish I had never let it go.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED my '72 Kawi H2 750 two stroke! So glad still to be alive! Got into Suzukis later with the gixxers. I bought and sold five GSXR's. I miss those beasts sometimes.
The H2 750 was the most exciting to ride. When it hit the power band it gave you a real fright especially if you had trick porting & chambers. However it couldn't hold a chosen line on a high speed corner - the frame was too bendy.
+More Core Yes - the H2 750 was king of the drag strip. Many people modified the Kawa 900 with Yoshimura big bore kits to beat the H2 750 - but then people modified the ports & put chambers on the H2 750. It was a race in development. Nowadays I see the H2 750 drag bikes doing low 9s in the 1/4. That's quicker than a Hayabusa. LOL
The Honda CBX was always my favourite, my first encounter with a CBX was when i was 16 and my parents next door neighbour just moved in, he started that bike, gave it a couple of revs and shook all the windows of my parents house, i ran outside to see what it was and i saw this 6 cylinder beast of an engine with a bike wrapped around it (LOL)😃 I'm still looking for a CBX of my own to ride to this day.
Before I learned to ride a bike I desired that big, beautiful CBX. Maybe just as well I didn't have one in my early 20's- think I would have been a real arsehole and probably would have acted like my dick was as big as my bike!
In the 80s and 90s I use to pull these out of bushes and with some carb parts have them on the highway days later.. The CB and Kawasaki scramblers were fun
What a lovely video, sound a bit up n down though. Takes me right back to a little boy in the 70's. Staring up through a shop window looking at what looked like a 'huge' Suzuki GS850. Never forgot that image !!
"Seventies SuperBikes?" That's an easy one! The "Honda CB-750-4". THAT's the motorcycle that put "Harley" "Norton" "BSA""Triumph" and others either 'out-of-business' or forced to declare bankruptcy and hope to re-organize.
Gerry Nightingale a lot of guys with 70's era sportsters are still riding them with many miles on the clock. They didn't go to the trash like most of these "super bikes"
One reason was that Honda listened to the riders on the streets and made 4-cyl. engines with electric starters, and use die casting techniques for the manufacture of crank cases etc thus eliminating the need for much expensive machining. Now 80-years old I remember it all.
Nice ride down memory lane. Between my brother and I we owned several of the bikes featured in this video with my ultimate bike being a CBX. That bike got lots of attention and compliments, even parked. Didn't handle worth a crap though.
I was born in 1975 and a teenager in the early 90s by the time my generation was old enough to ride these bikes they were well used and plentiful. I spent most of my teenage years acquiring, taking apart, modifying and putting back together and riding the wheels off of these old Superbikes, and I absolutely love every one of them. Such wonderful machines.
I was racing at Vaca Valley Raceway, west of Sacramento, California, back in 1972. Paul Smart from England, raced the new '73 Z1 and won his race very easily. After the racing was over, I went to his pit to have a look at his bike. He was very congenial to talk to and said, "if you want to take a ride on it, go ahead". I took it around the track and came back in and handed the bike back to him. He could see that I had a large grin on my face. A week later, I bought one and enjoyed it for several years. It was, and still is, a very reliable, good handling and fast bike!
What an awesome story! You must have enjoyed telling it when riding your Z1. Did you see our film about the Z1 and CB750? th-cam.com/video/YW4_YZ3Skh0/w-d-xo.html
I worked at both a Honda and Yamaha shop in the 70's and rode them all... My last personal street motorcycle was a 79 RD400F Daytona Special... not sure if i'd rather have that back or the CBX... the sound of six cylinders at speed was incredible...
Born in 1965, I remember One motorcycle more than any other... the Honda 750 Four! The flying wings, extended forks, padded sissy bar and chopped open pipes. That was So dope for '70! Nothing else like it :)
Great video...brings back excellent memories! I had a Honda CB500 1972. Took it to California from Canada, about 3500 miles each way when I was 17 with no faring, bags or anything....man that was living! Just a bike and an open road! Thanks for sharing the video! Safe riding!
As a kid growing up in the 80's these bikes inspired in me a passion for motorcycles which continues to this very day. 70's bikes rock!!
I was 24 in 1970 and I remember well the progression of these bikes. I saw them all when they first started hitting the road and was amazed by many. I ended up buying a 1971 750 Honda 4 in the same gold color he showed in this video. It was a fantastic ride and I had a great time with it. Some friends at work had the Kawasaki 500 triple and the 750. Both of them managed to wheelie them over backwards because the power comes on with a burst if you twisted the throttle at low RPM. When it came up on the power band the darned thing would start reaching for the sky, SUDDENLY without warning. It was not a smooth increase in power it was instantaneous.
Both of them eventually traded for the Kawasaki 900. It was a much more sensible bike.
This was a great video, sort of a walk down memory lane and it was reassuring to hear him mention how some of those "old bikes" were stable and comfortable.
The GS1000's impeccable handling is what really set it apart from all of the other superbikes of that era.
With such effortless speed it needed it . very comfortable too.
Kawasaki's KZ-1000 LTD was one of the fastest production bike in its time.. just before the CBX. My first bike was the KZ-454.. ran it to the ground...went everywhere. Own a Vulcan 900 Custom today... great machine.
Enjoyed your video. I am the proud owner of a totally restored 1972 Honda CB 750. It was a few years in the making but, she is finally done! My dream bike is a Kawasaki ZR1 1000.
We're sure it was a labour of love and completely worth the time and effort. Congrats on a successful restoration :-) Did you see our latest film about a beautiful K0? th-cam.com/video/hcdUgUu66bk/w-d-xo.html
I've never been so impressed by anything I've viewed on the internet as I was with your story !! Can't wait to view the rest of them..!!
Afternoon of June 7, 1973 - I rode my new Z1 to work, then after the longest workday ever, I rode it home, taking the long way. Didn't get home until the sun came up. I still have it, still original except for the seat. Not for sale.
Good lord that may be a $20,000 bike now !
Nice one Danny ,bet u luv that machine
Wow! And you chose the right one to keep. Congrats!
I drooled over a Z1 my friend had in high school. He was the coolest kid there on that bad boy. I was 15 and couldn't afford a big bucks bike. I went the rd350 route. I got a red 2002 ZRX1200 now.
I had a buddy with a RD 350 he put chambers on it and some other mods I had a H2 750 he was a smaller guy and could keep up pretty well with me on that machine !
Wow,LOVED watching ALL these Beautiful machines zooming by!!! What a feast for the eyes indeed!!! BUT..........like many others have already commented on here......................I'LL be awaiting an "80's " version,featuring all the game-changing bikes that came about during THAT decade!!! Can't wait!!! :)
Me and everyone I knew as a teenager had all the bikes in your video collectively... My first was. Honda 550-4 witha kirker 4-1 pipe! I have owned over 30 bikes since then currently down to two.. but oh the memories riding those older bikes...
1977, 24 years old, bought a low miles, like new '75 Kawi Z1. God, I felt like the king of the road. Still have dreams about those days.
I'm now 24 years old and just got my first bike, a 1977 Honda. I'll remember these days forever that's for sure
@@mitchtucker awh yes a time when I be came an apprentice under the instruction of pop yoshimura of Honda's R&D as the EPA was killing the last of our muscle cars with phony propaganda that you can easily prove to yourself by simply asking Google to show you a pie chart of all the gases that comprise the entire Earth atmosphere that is monitored and posted annually by every major college and university in the entire United States.. and the findings are composed from mandatory classroom technology required for those students for future careers of meteorology... Has Bob Dylan used to saying you don't need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind blows.... As we had no idea back then but Bob did as he seen it coming...and today if you look at what I have been telling everyone who will listen who are as scare us as hen's teeth to find the total carbon dioxide level is 0.040 of 1% of the 0.98% of all pollution total of the entire 100% of the entire Earth's atmosphere by volume that absolutely beyond any doubt is telling you that the total pollution is less than 1% and of that less than 1%, not even a half a percent of that is carbon dioxide which is barely enough to keep plants producing photosynthesis that makes the oxygen we breathe.... Now add the problem of all of you millennials who have bought this very big huge lie of propaganda from the EPA that if they get their way you will not have any Oxygen left to breathe very shortly if bye 2025 they manage to cut the carbon dioxide level in half of what it barely is today.... Now as I said here helpless I can die with the rest of you imbeciles knowing I told you so
When I was a Sr. in H.S. in '74 I bought a '72 H2 750, she was very slightly used and was stock except for expansion chambers and a rejet job, and I had the dealer put lower handle bars on...I grew up on mini bikes and mini cycles and dirt bikes and had just hung up my motocross racing boots at the time from a pretty long racing career (I earned an AMA Experts license in 125cc Motocross), so I was a very accomplished rider but had never ridden a fast street bike (just a couple Enduro bikes I had previously owned). I bought her from a big dealer and on my first test drive when I got on it the acceleration startled me and almost caused me to loose my grip with one hand...it got my attention real quick. So when I bought her, I had about a 50 mile drive to get home (through downtown Orlando to get back to the east coast...Titusville, Fl.), so by the time I went thru a few of the Downtown Orlando stop lights I learned pretty quick that I could spin the back tire with just throttle roll...it suddenly dawned on me it was just like my YZ except on pavement...after that I got comfortable real quick. By the time I reached the coast I was doing 3 gear power wheelies. So I'm driving her all over town showing her off when one of my friends walks up and says hey you know the guy who has the badass Z1, well he said he wants to race you and tonight. Apparently word had spread quick that a kid with a fast H2 750 was in town and the guy with the Z1 didn't like it. I didn't personally know him but I had seen him and his Z1 and it had headers and the guy knew how to ride it and it did look like a badass bike...I had only had the bike for a few hours but I already felt pretty comfortable on it and my GF was standing right there, and I was extremely confident of my two wheeled skills so I said okay tell him beach road at 10:00 pm...So I pull up at 10:00 m with my GF on the back and there is a big crowd to see the Big race...I'm starting to feel a little trepidation thinking Wow Steve it may have been smart to tell him to give you a few days to get used to it...I mean I had never even done a full on launch...but I'm there now so need to get it done...as we get our bikes pointed in the right direction he starts smoking his rear tire getting his launches all prepared...I had never attempted one and so I just sat there waiting for him to get lined up and he has me a little bit intimidated...I'm trying to come up with my launch strategy when it dawns on me to launch just like in motocross...do what you know how to do...So I got weight up off the seat, leaned way forward, went full throttle and at redline I dumped the clutch...my first full throttle clutch drop launch and it felt just like my motocross launches, rear tire breaking loose, bike getting squirrely, front tire clawing for the air and a finely orchestrated effort to keep her going straight and fast...it was an absolutely PERFECT launch and I never saw the Z1...I beat him and beat him badly...afterwards he was shocked and humiliated and really pissed...he couldn't understand how I had beaten him and kept mumbling about something not being right with his bike. I told him well when you get her running right give me a shout...I never heard from him again...so I beat the fastest bike (vehicle) in town after having only ridden an H2 750 for a few hours. Obviously my riding skills were mad and though he was good I was much better and he also weighed probably about 185 to 195lbs whereas I weighed 140 lbs soaking wet...I later added 34mm Mikunis and had the man who did my Motocross port work on my YZ's also do some port work...she was crazy fast then....she would pull 100 mph power wheelies in 3rd gear when she came on port....ahh those were the days....oh and a word about the H2 handling...it was indeed known as the widow maker (that title was given the H2 not the H1 as the gentleman says in this clip), but when I had mine I thought she handled just fine...I used to beat riders I respected on modified RD-350's through the twisties...again maybe it was just my skill but she'd twist and wobble through the turns but if you just rode it you could deal with it and get her to go pretty damn fast thru the twisties....I only dropped her once and that was on a wet road when I was pushing the pace.
Great story mate. Well done. :)
I had a Z1 in the mid 80's kickin my ass now for getting rid of it!
Ian MacRae Yeah isn't that how it goes? I've looked at the H2's over the years...a good restored one is about $17+K...I never really considered it though. I am however considering a 2 stroke Road Race track bike; a very nice TZ(R)-250 can be had for about $27K and I've even considered a TZ-750, of which a nice OW31 (or a TZ-750 with some of the OW31's goodies)will run about $85K...which is a chunk of change but I'm a retired Engineer with a very nice paid off 4/3 pool home, a nice pension and a 7 figure portfolio so I have some financial options if I want to buy a toy.
Me too Steve Fowler,I never rode anything as savage as this! I stripped an H2 to the bone, powder-coated the frame and went mad dog from there. I will skip the nitty gritty. but did a second stage porting and got all of the right pieces afterwards. Scary fast. Pussed out because I did not want to widow my wife.
/.
Steve Fowler. Yep. And no Rolling Stones
This video brought back fond memories. I was there and enjoyed every bit of motorcycling when it was for fun and not prestige. You got it all right. Thanks.
thank you for the memories - OMG what a time I had!
I had a CB 750 1968 and a 1978 Gold Wing , Blue like the 1 in the video, I loved them both and would love to have either restored, I'll give you my Harley.
God, I was a kid when these came out and I wanted every one of them. My favorite was the Kawasaki Z1 and the other if I couldn't have it was the CB 750 Four by Honda. Did this video ever bring back good memories. These bikes changed everything in the refinement of power and handling leading the way for what is out there today.
Had a 1980 Suzuki GS10000E. Miss that bike soooo much. Bought it new, off the showroom floor, in '82! Man, I wish I still had that bike!
GS 10000E ? Thats big !
This brought back memories for me. My first motorcycle was a 1971 Honda CL 100 my Dad purchased for me. I remember when the first Honda 750 FOUR's appeared in 1969. I was 12 years old and had my first mini bike. Today at 59, I now ride an FJR 1300. I'm a few decades older, but my love for two wheels has never ended..
mates older brother had a k1 one ride on the back of that and i was hooked.
Ahhh! my gold Honda 500 four 0:54
So enjoyed riding that through the country side in New Zealand.
That was a good well built and would run for ever
Loved my GS750. Graduated Navy boot camp in San Diego Ca in 1983. Saw a ad in the paper. Had my friend take me there to see it. Bought it from the original owner with only 458 miles on it and drove it all around California in the 1980"s in my early 20's. Top that.
Back in the early 70's I had a red Kawasaki '71 350 S2 and then an orange '72 500 H1. Later went on to ride the purple '73 750 H2 and a brown '74 900 Z1 . I then gave up the bikes for classic British sports cars having had a '59 MGA and a '62 TR3. In '75 drove my TR from British Columbia to Nova Scotia in the middle of winter. It worked like a charm. Yup, fun times for sure! 😊
Thank you so much, With this film about a piece of history. What a beautiful motorcycles raced in 1975 to 1980 on a Suzuki GT 550 and a Laverda 750 FS.
I remember well. Superbikes happened all at once, in the fall of 1968. In 1967 the bikes were the same models that had been available for years. The Harley Sportster at 116 mph was the fastest stock bike tested, aside from a single specially tuned straight piped BSA Hornet and the exotic Dunstall Norton. One year later the Honda 750, BSA Rocket 3, Triumph Trident, Kawasaki 500 and amazingly the old Norton 750 reinvented into the Commando could all claw their way to 120 mph or a little better. And all cost less than the 1967 Harley Sportster.
YOU KNOW IT! These guys missed all that.
The fastest bike was capable of 149mph a long time before the sporster's lame 116 mph.
Great video. The only gripe I have is music overpowered the sounds of the bikes.
Yes, that hurts, well, that and the shaky shoulders..
The bikes sound like hair dryers, you didn't miss much.
Amazing how these people always dress like twats to talk about 60/70/80 and even 90's bikes. Thats wasn't a 70's helmet and definitely not 70's fashion and yet ...
If you think those sound like hair dryers something is either wrong with your hearing or your hair dryer.
Who says they have to? He dressed for the conditions. I wouldn't wear what I wore in the seventies, I've learned from them. Personally I wouldn't wear an open face helmet ever again.
The "77"+ "78" KZ 1100 and GS 1100 were the shit when I Was 13 and already a seasoned rider, although mostly in the dirt! I had a KZ 400 I rode all over Spokane on. I never got pulled over on it once in 4 year's. I rode it to grade school +junior high, and parked it at a friend"s house 1 block from my school!!
In 1975 I had a Honda 550 and my friend had the earlier 500 I'm not sure of what the difference was except the additional 50 cc but I could easily run away and hide from him. Every gear I would start pulling away with it pulling harder as the revs climbed. If we switched it was the same. My bike pulled away. The 70s was the best time for bike lovers. 4 stroke 2 stroke even a rotary engine bike . Those days will never be back.
there's nothing to stop manufacturers making 2T engines and selling them to people to retrofit. There's no law or rule to stop that.
Oh man I loved this ride back in time. My Z1B 900 Kaw was such a blast. I started out with a 72 CB350, gold just like the CB500 in your video. Haven't owned a street bike since the 900 though. Dang...bucket list item for sure. Thanks again...I'm sharing this.
Had a Honda 750 4 cylinder, it ran great and handled better than any bike I bought before or after. I think I'm going to look around and see if I can find one to put it on the road. Fond memories
I feel so lucky to have been born in 1966 , I grew up with my dad dropping me off at school from Grade 1 on the back of a 1972 Harley Davidson Super Glide , an XR 1000 , a 1973 Kawasaki H2 500cc and H2 750cc Mach 3 , and Triumph Bonneville ,, I Had a 1972 TY 80 Trial bike at 7 and at 12 to 13 I had a 1977 Yamaha DT250 and the first monoshock YZ 125c , then from 16 to 22 had a 1979 Honda CB 250, 1966 Honda CL - CB 350 and about five Honda CB 350 to 400 4s and 2 Yamaha RD 350LCs,, I am on bikes 22 and 23 now and I wish they were from the 70s
I rode a push bike
@@wiganfan3373 - I had a 50cc moped, then 4 wheels for the next 30 years before returning to two !
What a channel!! I just found this. Most of these bikes were owned by the older guys in y neighborhood. Great bikes, great memories. Awesome channel gentleman.
What a beautiful video! Thank you. I remember beeing a schoolboy and waiting at a bus stop next to a bikers meeting point in West-Berlin called "Spinnerbrücke". I saw all the bikes passing by: Honda CB 750, Goldwing, CBX 1000, Kawasaki Z1R, Z1000, Suzuki GS 1000, Guzzi Le Mans etc. It has changed my life! Beautiful collection!! I own a Cb 400 four and a ZRX
Thank you for watching :-) That bridge in Berlin must have been awesome, and what a great name for it too! Well done on your CB400. If you like, check out our latest film about the CB750: th-cam.com/video/hcdUgUu66bk/w-d-xo.html
Great video. The Kawasaki Z650, released in 76 would also of been a good addition, arguable the best middle weight bike of its time, with an engine design, namely 4cyl, DOHC with plain bearings that became the blueprint for all future inline 4s.
The KZ900 was the first super bike and I took one to college in 1977 !! It's a wonder I'm alive....
Spot on. Surprised he never brought it up. Up until then nothing could touch the KZ900
Thank you for an excellent and enjoyable blast from the past. I'm proud to say I owned three such bikes. Having ditched my hideous (read dangerous) BSA A10 Super Rocket, I bought a CB 500 Four. What a delight. And the 4 into 2 megas made it sound awesome! Then came the CB 750 Four K2; silent and civilised; a proper tourer - and I did some touring back then. And the one you missed out? My last Honda was the CB 750 F2. OK, you are quite right to miss this one out; not because it was a poor motorcycle, just that it didn't really represent a step forward from my K2. It sported Comstar wheels, restyled livery and a slight bump up to 77HP. I really should have rounded out my biking days with a CBX! But hey!! What's a young guy to do on an apprentice wage?
Great job thank you for this nostalgic educational and enjoyable video to watch and hear.
Love this video. I bought my first big bike, and Honda 750 in 1972. I remember all of these bikes, and man they almost killed off BSA's and Triumph's.
first time I had ever been on a bike, I picked up my friend's Kaw z1 from the repair shop and rode it 500 miles to where he was. very first time on a bike. on-the-job training lol
How were you able to drive it on the road if you didn't already have a bike license?
@@mitchtucker You don't need a piece of paper to know how to ride a motorcycle or fly an airplane. Just use common sense, stay alive and don't get caught.
Awesome! I wish you would have did a ride on the Yamaha RD 400 one of my 70 favorites.
I had the RD 200 / 250 and torque induction 350. So I know where your at.
@@zeggle5229 I was 13 y.o. in 1969. My begging finally paid off. My mother and I went to Fulton Marine where we bought a YAMAHA RD350. I felt like a king.
It was very fast.
One time Ronald Cunningham, my friend, and I were riding around town when a person riding a Honda 450 Scrambler pulled up beside us and raised two fingers.
He wanted to race.
We came to a stop sign where I told him I didn't have money to bet so he said we will race for fun.
We raced and I thought he had shut down because I was so far ahead. That is when I learned the RD350 is a fast bike.
The only reason I didn't have a Honda 450 Scrambler is because it cost 950.00 and the YAMAHA RD350 cost 715.00.
I loved my RD350 but the Honda 450 had a beautiful engine.
Still love the Honda 450 Scrambler today.
Nice vid. Shame the music drowned out the real music- those engines!.
Indeed! I so wanted to hear that GT750...
The guy opened the video admitting he knew squat about music.
Good point I agree with your comment
@@stephencrewdson7848 touché
Thank you for making this video. I grew up in the 80s and yes the Honda CBX was on my bedroom wall. I love the presentation in this and other videos. Big cheers to team Brightside Media.
Another well done video! The bikes are awesome in their own way, and makes one want any of them. Thank you for reminding us of how good these were back in the day!
Glad you like them! You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.
I have a soft spot for 1970's Japanese bikes. These were often our first bikes, for my generation.
And out last most any bike built today
OMG, THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, KEEP SHINING.
Owned and drove a 1973 Kawasaki Z1 900 - nice memories.
Mr. Phillips
Canada
You might like the next film that's in the works then - The Birth of the Z1. It'll be up soon. Stay tuned.
New film about the Kawasaki Z1 & CB750 up now: th-cam.com/video/YW4_YZ3Skh0/w-d-xo.html
Blair Phillips
I had a cd400/4.....smoothest running engine I had encountered...perfect size for bombing around town, back country roads and the occasional jaunt on the highways....
z1 in graphite grey.
sorted machine man
What a great video, those are the bikes I remember from my youth, absolutely loved seeing them again. In 1986 I bought a third hand GT 500 twin and then 6 months later I got a "slightly damaged" 550 triple, both long gone now but I have great memories of the amazing feeling of the acceleration from a standing start, nearly dying or least shitting myself because although they sped up quickly they weren't so great at slowing down again.😉
To be honest, we must have been good riders, because I guarantee you riders these days couldn't handle these bikes. Crap brakes, tyres, suspension, the lot, and that was most of the fun!
I started out with a Suzuki GS400, but quickly matured to a GS850G (bought new in 1980 - the first owner of that "G" model in South Africa). Unable to resist I got a Honda CBX as well, but the power scared me a bit, so sold it after 18 months (very sorry now) to get a Kawasaki GPZ-1100.
All were (are) great, iconic machines... Today, some 42 years after my first superbike, I'm too frail to handle anything more challenging than my little Kia Rio - but the memories are great - JoBurg to Cape town in under ten hours, through the night and the desolate Karoo...
GS850 was a great bike. I bought one new in 1981, fitted Rickman fairing and panniers and did three tours around Europe. The bike never missed a beat, I was so sad to finally sell it in 1990 when my biking days were brought to an end by circumstances. I came back to biking in 2020 and had to have four Japanese cylinders, so bought my excellent Versys 1000 SE Grand Tourer. But why does no Jap manufacturer offer a shaft-drive four?
When I was young having one of those beautiful bikes would be same like owing helicopter today. I was seeing them almost every day and they were out of reach. Ever lasting beauties. Great video, gave it a thumbs up.
Thanks :-) Glad you enjoyed it.
Ive owned and still own many of the bikes in this video. Here is what I have to say about them:
Honda CB750: Smooth running, but no power. Decent brakes for the time, but heavy.
Honda CB500: Same as above but much less powerful. Im not sure how Honda's CBs were considered super bikes. They seemed pretty average after owning an H1 500.
Kawasaki H2: I still own mine. Its insanely fast for its time and is quicker than the other bikes on the list. The brakes aren't as bad as people say and it actually does corner well. The trick is to get use to the power band.
Suzuki GT750: Big, Heavy and has no power band. Not at all what you would expect from a two stroke. The bikes are stone reliable though. They weren't built as a super bike, but a touring bike.
Kawasaki z1: Faster than the Honda, but not as fast at the H2. Handles about the same as the H2, but is heavier so slower cornering.
Suzuki GS1000: Fast bike, but late to the game. Designed a little better than Kawi Z1.
In my opinion, the winner of the era is the Yamaha R5/RD350 (not mentioned in the video). These bikes were insanely fast for the time and can out handle all the bikes mentioned. I still own a tuned R5 350 (non power reed valve version of the RD) and I prefer to ride it over my other bikes. These bikes were never considered "super bikes" for unknown reasons even though they shared the same frame as the TR350 race bikes of the time. They were called "Giant Killers" for a reason... my 350 will outrun a CB750 fairly easily.
+Retroman My first bike was the final version f the RD series, a 1979 RD400 Daytona Special. Sure, it could out run and out handle most of the big bikes of the time, but not the easiest to use for more than an afternoon's outing. Loved it regardless. My second bike was a 1981 GPz550.
+orangelion03 Actually the final version of the RD was the water cooled Yamah RZ 350. It was night and day compared to the old RD. Why was your RD 400 not so easy to use? I ride my R5 just about everywhere without issues. I used to have an 84 GPZ 550. Great bike!
They were super bikes compared to most at the time. When I bought my 750 in 1972, it was just about the ulitmate.
Yeah, I had a CB750 after my CL550 was so slow i traded it in 3 weeks, lost money, CB750 was overly complicated with 4 carbs, mechanical linkages, I got rear ended by an idiot at a red light. Current Harley fatboy is a universe ahead of that old Honda
Brough back memories when you mentioned the rd350, used to scare the crap out of 750 and 900 riders through the ranges.
Great production... Thanks for the memories!!
What an awesome collection and it was nice to see and hear them in motion. I had a poster of a CBX way back then as well as the KZ1300 and now decades later I enjoy my old ZRX.
Beautiful video lads I really do appreciate this one! If anything could be different I would have liked to hear that GT750 go by. It likely none of us will ever even get to see one let alone hear it run in person.
That was a great time. Had a pre-K1 750 that was a little heavy but a blast to ride fast. Had a friend with K0 500 that was sweet. BSA 500 Gold Star,650 Bonneville and BMW 600(?) were great bikes. Kawasaki 750 almost killed a friend. They were fast, but had horrible handling.
Thanks for bringing it all back for me.
Beautiful collection of bikes and you are privileged to be able to ride them
The greatest advantage of the first 'Wing', of course, was it was built with the tolerances of an aircooled motor...and then they watercooled it.
This made it virtually indestructible.
Awesome love my classic bikes :) really can't beat the soul of an old bike
Very very cool video. Where these all your bikes? If not, I’m surprised you didn’t include the 6 cylinder Kawasaki KZ 1300, I believer was called? My first bike was the ‘83 Honda 750 Nighthawk. Loved how wide that seat was, and it looked amazing. Wasn’t super fast, though. My next was an ‘84 Honda 1200cc Goldwing. My next will most likely be another Goldwing, probably a ‘93 or ‘94.
The KZ1300 was quite late 70s as was pretty epic as well. Similar to a CBX in some respects, but not playing ball then.
@@BrightsideMedia when I was a teenager, my neighbor had the crazy 1300 six-cylinder! Oh my God, so freaking fast!
i had the Honda cb 550 it was a great bike!!
What a really GREAT video.
Beautiful bikes my very first bike when I was 16 was a 1971 Honda CB 360 metallic blue paint job beautiful bike. I wish I had it today.
My first also ,except mine was gold metalflake and had the gears changed for top end freeway crusin'.
Wil Reyes I got the same bike and im 16 it's not my first but I love this bike
One of my first bikes in hs '75. Rd400 Kenny Roberts colors was the other
Grieg Ragen yeah i had a 75 or 76 my dad gave to me when I was 17... got about 2000 miles on it the cam chain broke. Tricky repair, lots of metal debris in the case. I was in the navy had saved some $$ bought a 6 mo. old 81 CB750C when I was at the dealer picking up the tensioner for the 360. Looked so nice I could not walk away from it.
Wil Reyes fit and finish was very nice on those.
Great video!
I miss the 70's!
I owned a CB-550, a Suzuki GS-1000 E, a GS-1000S and a CBX! Too many near death experiences to count!
Terrific coverage of many of the bikes of that era. My first big road bike was the '78 Z1R a beauty. I was lucky to have mates who had all of these machines so I got to ride a CBX 1000, a GS1000, a K7 750/4, Z1B 900, Z1300, an XS1100 ....and my second Kwaka a Z1R-II. They were all terrific bikes. A mate put his z900 into a Rickman kit and wow was that a nice bike. The power of the Kwaka and the wonderful handling geometry of the Rickman frame. Great days!!
Thanks :-) You've really been lucky to ride all those great bikes, nice one. Great days indeed!
I wish they still made bikes like that. Had a 1980 Honda 750 CB custom. Great all around bike. Not many old bikes being ridden nowadays
I had the 750f, the silver racing model. Fast bike ,Different engine. Hondas always got you home!
had a Kawazaki Mach III......scary fast!
YUP!!!
Yeah, a mate had one, rode it a few times. I had the Ducati 900SS at the time.
60HP motor in a 20HP frame. Everyone who had one spent ages looking for the hinge in the frame. You didn't ride it, you influenced its general direction but hell it was fun to ride.
500 cc? Yeah , ungodly fast
The bikes of my youth....wonderful
That was a great video, sent it to all my friends.
Thank you for doing that. We really appreciate your shares and likes.
In 1976 YAMAHA had a 750 triple with self-cancelling signals, electronic ignition, shaft drive and 3 disc brakes leading everyone in tech.
That was a cool bike too. We made a film about the XS11 as well: th-cam.com/video/k-PkPXJrV0Q/w-d-xo.html
Wow. What a ride down memory lane. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this.
Loved watching this video. Brought back a lot of great memories. I had friends with Kawa 750 triple, Z-1 and Honda CB750 and first Goldwing. I had a Suzuki Water Buffalo. Smooth bike. Heavy and didn't handle that great, but it sure ate up the miles with ease. I took it from Alaska to Texas when I got out of the Air Force back in the early 80's. I always wanted one of those Honda 350 four cylinders -- and their 500 twin.... Aw heck, I wanted all of them.
Ride My restored 1972 Suzuki GT750J every Sunday...out here in Northwestern Arizona... Run AV gas ... 100 Octane.... and use Amsoil dominator 2 Stroke Racing oil in the injector bottle. With the original Front and rear Highway Bars.... not afraid to take it up to 100 MPH . It screams , especially with that 3 into 4 exhaust system... sounds like angry bees..............The only drawback are those front dual drum brakes... hard to stop it.......With that amsoil 2 stroke oil... virtually no smoke out the back......I am 62, but when riding that bike, I feel like I am 20 again............what a blast....
I'm 63 and have a Gs 750 I ride everyday. I know what you mean by feeling 20.
My 10th grade friend's had GT750. We rode the shit out of. Was doing some hard burn outs on it and broke the chain. The chain went up in those deep cases and boke all kinds of cases. His dad got rid of it in disgust.
In 1986 my army buddy had a 1972 GT750 (with the original cooling fan). What a beast! A disaster in really slow turns, it tended to fall into the the turn (oversteering). But when you got it up to speed with those 3 cylinder screaming under your ass, it was a monster! Almost flat out around Den Bosch on the highway, it was like riding on rails. This thing was glued to the road and rode like a knife on those really long turns.
There was one for sale that same year, but I did not have the money. My dad wouldn't lend it to me either (you will go out and ride it before you have your license!!), so I never got it. Still some regrets in that one.
2 years later I got another Suzi, an even better one. A 1981 GSX750L. Yes indeed, the famous GS750L, but with that fat (120kgs) 16 valve engine, producing 85 bhp. And with the original 4 in 2 exhaust replaced with a 4 in 1 Marshall Deep Tone, she sang a great tune! Specially in tunnels.. :-)
She weighed over 240 kgs dry, but man... was she agile. Once I got to know her, she was a twisties dream. She never let me down and she took me through every twist and turn, like she loved it! My friend, a way better rider than me, could not keep up on the winding roads of the French Alps, that how good she was. Still miss that bike.
My buddy bought a brand new Water Buffalo in 72 thinking he was upgrading from his previous 69 Suzuki Titan 500. He couldn't believe how much slower the 750 was. At the time I rode a 68 Matchless 750 that would leave him behind and could easily be outrun by his old Titan.
Very good video.
"what bike did I have then...then...then......" I was fortunate to have some memorable bikes. First new bike .... 1966 Aermacchi / Harley Sprint 250cc, 1971 BMW R60/5 for touring around Europe, 1972 Suzuki T350, 1973 Honda K3 CB 750, a used 1974 CB 250, 1975 Yamaha RD 350B, 1977 Yamaha RD400D, 1987 Sportster 1100 Evo, 2000 Road King, 2002 Honda CBR600 F4i, 2006 Yamaha Vino 50 and a Vino125, a Suzuk DR400 and Honda dirt bikes in between. All great bikes...good memories....only one crash over all these years.
Beautifully restored bikes.. good editing to keep it interesting.. I had a 1976 Yamaha RD-400 later a 1971 R-5 and a 1984 RZ-350
Thanks :-) The Yamahas were very cool. And they made a lot of other bikes look old quick. Did you see our film about the RD350? th-cam.com/video/uzCRRTM4rEk/w-d-xo.html
I loved my 750 4 . It was my dads and it got handed down to me. I fixed it and rode it for years. I gave it back to my dad and he's redoing it.
No mention of the GS750 which preceded the 1000. The first of the UJMs that hinted at good handling.
John Crowley Or the 1100 which became a total super bike for five years. I had a 1977 750, a 1978 850 shaffty, and a 1979 GS1100E.
Loved them all!
Had a 79 GS 1000 L in HS I bought new, neighbor across the bottom got the first GS 1100E in our area. I loved my bike but I loved that 1100E more.
And probably the most bullet proof bike around at the time
Good old Rd350. Lightweight 6 speeds, nimble handling and could pull a wheelie in the first several gears. My favorite though was a 1970 Yamaha 650 4 stroke twin. Lots of torque, good handling no electric starter but only 409 lbs if I remember right. It was almost a clone of a triumph 650
@@nolanmegehee6452 Don't you hate it when that happens
I've had 35 bikes. Including a Kawasakis KZ 1300 which is also a six cylinder. The inline 4 changed everything. I now own a Kawasaki 1982 B2 GPZ 1100, triple discs, mag wheels, and fuel injection. The king of the air-cooled Superbikes. I rode a Yamaha Seca 750 triple discs with shaft drive. It was a good bike.
Small enough yet big enough.
The reason I bought the GPZ was I thought it was the peak. So many were built, so many were raced and abused. I remember when the
Honda 305 was the Superbike.
What was your favorite bike you ever owned??
I was around ten years old in 1968. The Mini Bike craze was in full gear. I have always admired the bike styles in this video. Such a great look and style.
Thanks man, well done. I had a 76'Honda CB400-F, nice to see it included
I had a Yellow 1974 cb 400 4 in one exhaust and I loved it.
I had a blue 400-4 I wished I kept it. Simple to keep running very good mph
'78 was the GS1000 Suzuki, but not mentioned was a better balanced tremendous performer, the GS750. I bought one that spring, and rode it for years. The dealer wanted me to upgrade to the 1000, but a test ride just left me feeling that it was for me too heavy, and not as nimble on a twisty road. A dedicated bike lover friend was amazed at how well the 750 would track highway on and off ramps at silly speeds. Loved that bike, would certainly like to have another one, if the opportunity arose. Currently riding a VFR 800. Fantastic in it's own right.
Where is this garage? It's perfect!
Check out properbikes.co.uk
I noticed you edited out the GT 750 sound, What's up?? you don't like strokers???
+Tim Mason We love strokes. We just made a new film about 250s. The sound on the GT just didn't work at all on the day - it happens.
Ok.
I owned 1 and its the best sound ever!!!
So true.
I have a friend that has one in his garage. He hasn't touched it in a few years. We're getting A little old also now as he hasn't ridden in several years .The 750 is a different animal.
My first bike was a 1974 Honda 750-Four, with the same color scheme as the 1973 that appears in your video.
It was awesome. Wish I had never let it go.
Very nice overview of my bike whist list during the seventies! Thanks!
Never fancied a goldwing but you can't deny their longevity
In the late seventies my superbike was my Norton 750 Commando.
Finally the video I was looking for, couldn't find it through search. Is there an 80's version?
+FroztiProductions There isn't an 80s one (yet). But stay tuned for a review of the 'two-stroke tearaways' - the KH250, RD250 & GT250.
+Brightside Media Well?
lol
+john robert New video is online: th-cam.com/video/SxgvUK-lazg/w-d-xo.html
Sweet
I LOVED LOVED LOVED my '72 Kawi H2 750 two stroke! So glad still to be alive! Got into Suzukis later with the gixxers. I bought and sold five GSXR's. I miss those beasts sometimes.
Great video mate. It's very nostalgic for me watching this. Those bikes...
Wheres the mighty Kawasaki Z1300 A1 1979?
Probably rust dust off a corner in the weeds near the skeleton of the guy you sold it to.
Yea...wicked bike!!
YES!
Engine was stuck in a hard tail frame and dragged :) Oh... those roundabouts though !! Bit of a knack..
The H2 750 was the most exciting to ride.
When it hit the power band it gave you a real fright
especially if you had trick porting & chambers.
However it couldn't hold a chosen line on a high speed corner -
the frame was too bendy.
Al Pal My 75 H2 agrees (Supersport spec by Purple Haze and Fast by Gast chambers)
+More Core Yes - that 2 stroke power band is a thrill
not given by the other bikes.
+Al Pal I've driven my dads H2 750 1972. It has higgspeed chambers. And you really gotta hold on
+More Core Yes - the H2 750 was king of the drag strip.
Many people modified the Kawa 900 with Yoshimura big bore
kits to beat the H2 750 -
but then people modified the ports & put chambers on the H2 750.
It was a race in development.
Nowadays I see the H2 750 drag bikes doing low 9s in the 1/4.
That's quicker than a Hayabusa. LOL
test
The Honda CBX was always my favourite, my first encounter with a CBX was when i was 16 and my parents next door neighbour just moved in, he started that bike, gave it a couple of revs and shook all the windows of my parents house, i ran outside to see what it was and i saw this 6 cylinder beast of an engine with a bike wrapped around it (LOL)😃 I'm still looking for a CBX of my own to ride to this day.
We've just made a new film about the CBX that's being edited right now. Watch this space.
Before I learned to ride a bike I desired that big, beautiful CBX. Maybe just as well I didn't have one in my early 20's- think I would have been a real arsehole and probably would have acted like my dick was as big as my bike!
In the 80s and 90s I use to pull these out of bushes and with some carb parts have them on the highway days later.. The CB and Kawasaki scramblers were fun
What a lovely video, sound a bit up n down though. Takes me right back to a little boy in the 70's. Staring up through a shop window looking at what looked like a 'huge' Suzuki GS850. Never forgot that image !!
WHERE HAVE ALL THE GOOD TIMES GONE???
They never left. You just stopped having them
"Seventies SuperBikes?" That's an easy one! The "Honda CB-750-4". THAT's the motorcycle that put "Harley" "Norton" "BSA""Triumph" and others either 'out-of-business' or forced to declare bankruptcy and hope to re-organize.
Gerry Nightingale a lot of guys with 70's era sportsters are still riding them with many miles on the clock. They didn't go to the trash like most of these "super bikes"
Those manufacturers would have had people riding around on old tractor style bikes for another decade, Harley still does!
One reason was that Honda listened to the riders on the streets and made 4-cyl. engines with electric starters, and use die casting techniques for the manufacture of crank cases etc thus eliminating the need for much expensive machining. Now 80-years old I remember it all.
In the 1970's, the only Honda I ever saw that could beat a Norton 750 was a Yashamura built racer 500.
Yes Sir. My 850 Norton Commando left CB 750's. in the dust all day long. @@ZempelProductions
You nailed it on the Rolling Stones, but you missed the '76 900 LTD and the KZ 1300.
The KZ900 LTD and KZ1000's were updates of the Z1. He said derivatives of the Z1 ruled until the GS1000.
Nice ride down memory lane. Between my brother and I we owned several of the bikes featured in this video with my ultimate bike being a CBX. That bike got lots of attention and compliments, even parked. Didn't handle worth a crap though.