IMPORTANT Dakar have hit me with a copyright strike so ive had to delist some of the videos just in case i guess they got pissed that mine were better because of the MOTOGP one before xmas that means im really vulnerable now and the channel could be removed at any time I have set up this backup channel so please go and follow it NOW, this could all be removed at any moment now so it is critical to stay in touch via the backup channel here th-cam.com/channels/CSl6i-tZJNC5DQ38vgCtvw.html sorry for this if i get another strike it wipes out all my work all my old videos will be removed I wont be posting anything much on the new channel unless this goes down but this is a just in case because it really could go down at any point the videos are still visible if you have a link so if you have problems message me for links so you can still watch them, if you follow the channel and this one gets taken down you will be able to find me there sorry if thats a bit garbled ive just woken to this but i guess i could have had the channel taken down already so i should be thankful ride free everyone
i passed my mates Plop Brown vauxhall Nova on an FJ11; stuck both arms in the air and ended up lying backwards along the seat. Fighting my way back up, more in surprise than actual panic I was pleased to note I was still in front and in a straight line.
I have a 1988 CBR600...head has never been off the engine, burns no oil, goes like a rat up a drainpipe and is ridiculously fast for a bike of its size and age. I am 80 now and still enjoy it....Good video ... thanks...
I bought a 1989 CBR600, it was a beautiful bike, smooth, powerful and easy to ride. I hadn’t ridden for years, and weight was difficult for me, so I sold it and bought a KTM 390 Duke, which is light, that about all! Watching this great video to find a replacement!
I vote the Honda CX500-650. My Dad would thrash his one around like a superbike because of the relatively low centre of gravity. He retired it to running a premier sidecar. It just kept going until it shat itself in the late 90's. Had it been better treated I think it would still be running. A lovely bike which was a staple of courier riders in that era.
great bike but not so much of a bargain these days, prices been going up a while now at least in part because of the custom buyers, it gets a mention in the honda section :-) :-) Cheers for watching, ride free
Good memories. I worked in a big motorcycle store from 1981 till 1990. We sold and serviced bigger bikes from the big 4 Japanese brands, Moto Guzzi, Ducati and some others. There weren't many bikes I didn't ride back then. Also the switch from '70s and '80s style to the '90s bikes was interesting. I am glad I survived that era. In my early 20's riding GPZ 750 turbo, GSX-R 750 and 1100, FJ's, VFR's... I also remember a Moto Guzzi California III with a sidecar and hand shifter for a handicap guy. Good times!
Ooh! A Cali with a chair would be perfect. Poor Moto Guzzi seems to get forgotten about. The engine design is still a great idea. Glad you have managed to keep the rubber bits down and the ugly bits up! Keep rolling
This is an excellent assemblage of some of the best motorcycles of the time. The narration is superb and provides a good balance between a description of the bike and the history behind it. Well done and thank you.
Being a former 1981 Suzuki GS650E owner I loved that you mentioned that bike. Unlike most 4 cylinder bikes of that era its efficient combustion chamber design produced very high torque from as low as 3000 rpm and good top end as well. I managed 20,000 mi. in the year I owned it including one 1,100 mi. day. Definitely one of my favorites of the bikes I've owned!
I had the same bike and with a few minor modifications and re jetting the carbs no less than 30 times I found enough power to take out the 4 valve 750 that came out shortly after. I got a good laugh one morning beating a KZ 1100 that needed some carb work 3 lights in a row. I miss that old girl.
The FJ1100 deserves it's place. So agile with it's frame and 16 inch front wheel but very stable at high speed. The following Kawasaki of the GPZ1000 was the ZX-10, a great improvement. Should also mention the GPZ550. Honda's original VFR750 and VF400/500's. For Suzuki, the GS450E and GS850. If you want really original the Moto Guzzi California. All these are at rock bottom prices, but not for long. Thank's for your excellent video's !
I really liked the GS650G but could never find one for sale in Canada where I live. However, I bought a leftover 1979 GS850G in 1981 and truly enjoyed its power, granite-like reliability, quiet powertrain, steady handling and astoundingly good seat (IMO, the best seat ever put on a motorcycle). I put more than 100,000 miles on mine with zero issues and truly regret selling it.
glad you enjoyed it mate 🙂 Theres plenty more on the channel, hope you will look around and find something your interested in. there is more on the website too. and there will be more to come. Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
I bought a VF400F from 83' to avoid that issue, a bit weak but still awesome! Wanted the VF500F but sadly it's almost it never sold in Sweden and don't want to go trough the hassle to import from Germany.
Nice to see the CB400N mentioned and a mint example. The Japanese had a knack for excellent 400's, perhaps there's a reason, their home market capacity laws maybe? what's nice about that one is you can hear Level 42 and Sade tunes playing out of the 6 valve zorst 😉
I had exactly such a CB400N in this beautiful blue color. It handled great, although it became a bit unstable at top speed. And I wonder how many of us were dreaming of driving a CB 900 F Bol d'Or while driving it's little brother. The CB 1100 R was completely unaffordable and I have only seen it in magazine and I think one time at a local dealer. But there was the CB 1100 F Super Bol d'Or and later the VF 1000 F, that were pretty good bikes, I think. Thanks for bringing back some old memories!
@@daybyter glad it brought some memories back mate, enjoy the ride, and yes the R was always a rarity, Ive only seen them at the odd classic races or on parades
I worked at a Yamaha Honda and Suzuki dealership from 81 to 88 starting assembly of new bikes which we put a minimum of 8 miles on during the test rides. I got to be the first to ride Interceptors, katanas, Hurricanes, VMax Goldwings and GSXRs. Loved it.
Oh yes, my first new bike was a 1979 Honda 250N Super Dream. A great first proper bike, I even went touring in France on it. It was underpowered, though, as you said, going up into top gear up any kind of hill or into wind, it'd slow down! After that, I had a 1980 Honda 750KZ that I bought new in the Middle East and shipped back to Blighty, and that was, by far, the best motorcycle I've ever owned, despite being told by a UK Honda dealer in 1986 who serviced it that 'not many were sold in the UK and parts were hard to find'! But it was a lovely rorty machine, handled very well, comfortable, reliable, and always a pleasure to ride. When it was stolen in 1990, I bought a 8000 mile used BMW K75 which I was less impressed with, it was OK but unexciting to ride and expensive to maintain - the low side HT leads didn't like the wet, and I didn't like that ever-present odd burbling sound of the motronic fuel injection. Had it for ten years until a rip-off BMW service bill made me sell it. I've had a Honda Transalp XL650V since. It has it's charms, but I still miss the 750KZ.
Fantastic video. Thanks for this. started riding in the 70s and still manage to throw a leg over from time to time here in the 2000's. love Your memory lane!!
glad you enjoyed it mate 🙂 Theres plenty more on the channel, hope you will look around and find something your interested in. there is more on the website too. and there will be more to come. Cheers for watching.Hope you will climb aboard. Ride Free 🙂
I bought a Suzuki GS650 GL 7 years ago! Was off bikes for nearly 20 years and dedicated a Spring and Summer relearning then road tripoed 500 miles up to Mackinac Island to see some friends!
This is the best channel on YT..Full of facts and none of the self obsessed nonsense delivered by others.Good to see my favourite FJ included.I'm without one at present,but can't get my head around the way the prices have crept up.The ads on eBay etc. just seem to me like profiteering.IMHO.
glad you enjoy the channel mate, our support is appreciated, remember, what people advertise them for and what they are sold for is often very different, not sure if its still there but there used to be a way to search for sold items so you could see the actual sale price 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
I couldsn't agree with you more, but then I am biased. I got a BMW k75C 3 years ago, bought from the original owner and I restored it over the 1st Covid lockdown. She a wonderfully smooth bike and with only 50,000 miles on her she's got years of life left.
That ride up through Edale and over the top of Mam nick, man the times I've driven and ridden that road, let me tell you not much fun in winter, took me well back that did. 👍 great vid thanks.
im fairly local so i know it well, i made money out of derbyshire winters for a few years lol glad it jogged some good memories mate 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
great bikes, they will find their place in time 🙂 Cheers for watching mate and glad you enjoyed it, theres plenty more on the channel, hope you will climb aboard. Ride Free 🙂
This was a great video that I saved for further reference. I had to subscribe and hit all notifications. I am building up my motorcycle collection now that I am retired. I collect bikes from the '30's to the '70's but this video has convinced me that I should bump it up a decade. Thanks for the wonderful, informative video. Cheers from Connecticut in the states!
The 80s were the renascence decade for motorcycles, performance and reliability increased greatly. Enjoyed the intimidating CBX, as well as the turbo’s, CX 500 & 650s, GPZ 750 and NX85. Also had an early production (11/82) VF750F with the cheese cams/improperly designed forked rockers. Hondas crate engine program offered a VF750F crate engine for $450 USD in the mid 80s, if memory serves me correctly a GL1100 flat four was a bit less.
The problem with the VF750Fs engine was the cam caps weren't line bored in situ with the head, causing issues with clearance. I had just started my first job at a Honda dealership on the parts counter, and remember the VF debacle clearly. Honda screwed up even more by not admitting there was an issue and dragging their heels over warranties.
One of the reasons the Superdream 250 sold in droves in the UK and was trashed is that it was a learner motorcycle; they came out before the 125cc/12hp limit was introduced (the 250LC has a lot to answer for even though it's a cracking bike). Th Superdream also became a good second hand buy once you'd passed your test if you'd done that on a smaller bike.
I have an 82 XJ-750 Maxim that became My First Cafe/Brat Project. It has a Mac 4 into 1 and a 10" Muffler with no Baffling. I went with Pods but realized even Tuned properly They Killed Velocity, so I Modified Them to fit on the Factory Airbox Boots which really did the trick after Jetting it out from #120 to #135.. After Removing everything that didn't hold Gas I got it down to 445lbs Wet. I put adjustable Nitrogen Shocks on the Rear, and lowered the Front 2-1/2 inches. Then went with a 110 front tire to correct the bad dip in the Angled stance created. It's actually a really fun little Bike, on a Cool Night it will get to 60 in around 3.5 seconds and handles great. No, it's not My R6, but it's much better than it has any business being lol.
Pristine, low mileage 2-stroke street bikes from the 1970's - e.g. Yamaha RD's, Kawasaki Triples, various Suzuki models, etc. etc. - were a dime a dozen throughout the 1980's, and they were a hoot to ride. They have exponentially increased in value too. I wish I had kept a few of mine.
Watched through to the end. All good and chimed with what people told me back in the '80s nd early '90s. I taught on a Council motorcycle training scheme and some of the guys had things like the FJ 1100 and GPz 1000. Alas, I never rode any of these as I was one of Maggie's millions ("Job? You have a degree in botany? You're overqualified so we didn't interview you.") and then an ecologist so never paid over £100 for a bike. Even when I got a job, I never had 'finance'. So I had a 250 K4 and a GS400 (built from two, one rotten, one turned out to have had sugared petrol). Mates had some of the bikes you feature. The bike breaker I worked for (swapped time for used parts and discounted new parts - I was his 'stripper') used to ride a 400 fat dream as his personal bike. He rated it over the 400 slab dream but I think it had a Superdream motor in it with fat dream RHS cover and kickstart and a twin disc front end.
It was a golden era. And I know I was lucky as I never had the cash to buy most of what I got to ride. I spanners my way through to the rides😊 welcome aboard mate. Have a great day 😊
I Have 6 what I call classic motorcycles, my favorite being my 1981 Honda CB900f2 Bold'or, (The Flying Coke Can!) Once voted the most beautiful bike Honda had ever produced!!! It's all original, rides as if it was purchased yesterday, 100% reliable and generates a gathering where ever I go!!!
I started riding as a 20 year old, in 1985. My first bike was a previous model year 1984 Honda Shadow 500, that was on sale. The perfect bike to learn on. Great for bombing around the city, big enough for reasonable day/weekend trips, and very forgiving of rookie mistakes. The 500 Shadow was such and ideal bike for a new rider (IMHO) that when I was first introducing my oldest son to riding as a teen, I found one in good condition, and bought it for him as a high school grad gift. However after a year on the Shadow I was ready to move up. Always on the hunt for a bargain, in the spring of ‘86 I found a previous model year 1985 Honda V45 Magna 750, on sale at a different dealership in the city I lived in at the time. There was also a previous model year V65 1100 Magna available, but as a relatively new rider I was admittedly intimidated by “10 seconds that shook the world”, and opted for the smaller (and less expensive to both purchase or insure) V45. It was my primary ride for the next 15 years. My wife and I did our honeymoon on it in 1987 (around 4500 kms over 3 weeks). I had countless solo adventures on it. I still have it. My wife used it when she was first learning to ride 20 years ago. We vowed years ago to never sell it. While I’ve had many bikes since (I currently own 4) my beautiful old Magna will always be number one in my heart. My son and I tore it down, and restored it during the COVID insanity. I still use it regularly for commuting to/from work. I still enjoy riding it, and particularly after restoring it, still think it a beautiful looking bike.
I own a 1984 700 Magna bought in OK same year I graduated HS, love it and rides sweet with plenty of power with shaft drive only 10k miles, have some carb issues but been garage kept since bought it in 1995, prior to that day in storage for seven years they said. Tops out at 97 has the California governor on it
I agree with many of your choices, but I owned a Honda VF750SC, which wasn't a good bike. The exhaust collector box rotted very quickly and was expensive to replace. It also needed a new spark unit, it had two of them. The bike went from four to two cylinders until I found the problem. The dash was amazing though. I do own an FJ1200 and an FZR1000 Genesis, pre EXUP. The 250 Superdream had a design fault with the electronic ignition, but I don't know if the 400 was the same. I started with an SS50 in 1976, then a CB250G5 in 1977.
Ive still got my G5 manual lol, and as Ihave said before i love the Genesis engines, I started Honda Novio :-) and Kawasaki KC100, then to the LC when i passed my test :-) since then its a big old list lol wish I still had some of them :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free
Bought a Cb 400N ca two weeks ago. Absolutely love it. The smoothness, gearchanges etc… Feels weird to say this, but I’m not sure if I would have bought my Triumph Trident if I would have tested the CB first. They are different but it doesn’t make sense to pay roughly 7 times more for the Trident anymore. Oh well.
Well put mate and here’s to the 400 superdream 😊 to your point. I’ve looked for a better replacement for the wee strom for many years now. But why would I pay money for a bike that’s no better in reality? 😊 so I keep riding the old one 😊 have a great weekend
I passed my bike test in 1971 so I would be happy if you featured bikes from the 1970's. Enjoyed watching this video of 80's bikes, I remember them well.
Mine was 1978 in the rain, I still had the Japanese tyres on and had fell off once so a bit worried about the emergency stop. But passed and at 16000 miles replaced them with TT 100s.
Great video. I’ve had a few of those. I now have a 96 CBR600F3 for fun, which I’m hoping to use for sone track days at Cadwell in the near future. I assume you are local to Lincolnshire.
enjoy it mate, not far, closer to Mallory and Donnington, but Cadwell just better, always was 🙂 I just wish they hadnt put the chicane in lol, i might still have my own collarbone one side lol
yep, i guess the 750 and 900 F2 were the next step on from the CBX750 which was our version of the Nighthawk S, cheers for watching mate, enjoy the ride
@@barebonesmc when I look back at the bikes I've had...cx500 cx 650euro sport. Gpz900r gsxr400. Cbx750 gs550. Cb750. Never wanted to sell them, but u just don't think, in 20 years they be worth alot! Which I why I don't think I'll sell my 87 gsxr1100h! Had her 22 years and always puts a smile on my face, just looking at her!
I'm surprised not to see the Yamaha xj range get a mention on this list. I've currently got an 82 xj750 and an 84 xj900 in my workshop, both still performing very well, fun reliable, cheap and still fairly well available parts
80's & 90's gave us some great bikes, i had the ZX10, still got a CBR1000fl. We had none of this electrickery, traction control, wheelie control, electric suspension, we just had big hairy arsed bikes. My mum still has a framed picture of a Gpz1000Rx in her toilet.
The Kawasaki GPZ900 R is another really great bike, it was absolutely ground-breaking at the time.. The GPZ 750 Turbo is making big money now (around 10 K..) but a good GPZ900 can be bought for less than half that figure - That's a lot of innovative bike for your money, I'm looking for an early GPZ900 R right now !!..
First, I want to thank you for this fantastic review. Agree, the bikes of the 80 was really something extra. Would be nice to see a similar film about the bikes of the 1970-ies. A bit sad you didnt mention the Kawazaki 900 of the 80-ies though. I own one, GPZ 900R, and bougth it to a price lower than many bicycles costs today. I think they also will be winners in the long run, and that prices will go up, for sure.
prices on the GPZ9 are already starting to rise i would say, and yes, a sure bet i would say, i just have to stop somewhere, and i do like to include some curved balls :-) so there is always one or 2 that arent included. you dont want to see the list i had to trim down lol, cheers for watching mate, have a good day 🙂
Im riding an 84 Honda sabre 700. It sat for a good while before I bought it due to carb problems. The carbs and steering stem bearings are both common points of concern on the early v4 bikes. My bike has high miles (75k+) and the engine itself is my main concern. It doesn't sound the best but still fires right up and goes every day.
As a London Despatch Rider in the 80s with six years of service my vote also goes to the GS range from Suzuki - Those inline fours they produced back then were absolutely bulletproof - ln those years l worked a 550E a 750E a 550M-(Katana) and a 650M - All great bike that never let me down - My favorite of all though of all was the 550 Kat - ln fact l loved it so much l've still got one today - Over and out - Druid66
I know I thrashed my CB250N like it was stolen the whole year and a half I rode it. Only threw it down the road twice. Straightened the forks out with long piece of pipe after the second slide. Great buy if you come across it.
Back in 1980 I bought a Suzuki GS450 - had it for 4 years until it got stolen in London one day. Lovely little mid range bike it was, top speed around 108, could cruise easily at a steady 85 amd could mix it well on the twisty bits (story about that below). It did eat inlet valves every 15000 miles and exhaust valves every 30000, but that was it's only real fault. I was on the way home from work one summer's evening, enjoying the twisty back road, and slowed to 30 to go through a village. A Lotus Eclat came right up my rear end blipping his throttle and trying to force his way past - but there were children playing on the village green we were passing so I wasn't giving him space to pass. At the exit from the village and speed limit the road goes through a double very sharp bend chicane between steep grass banks - I dropped a couple of gears and went through that chicane so hard I was hauling the bike from one full lean to the other faster than I'd ever done before. I heard a loud bang behind me. The Eclat never emerged from the chicane behind me. They had a fibreglass body. Probably quite a mess. Place? The village of Benson in England. Near Wallingford.
@@barebonesmc Another occasion on the way back from work: I was accelerating firmly but nowhere near really hard up the hill from Gt Missenden toward Chesham and could see what I thought was an RD 200 ahead going quite slowly up the hill. As I passed I saw I'd misidentified it quite badly - it was an RD 400. I was only going about 60 when I passed him and sure enough when I was about 50 yards past - in my mirrors I saw blue smoke suddenly appear out the back of the RD. So I drop a gear, wind it up, flat on the tank. Top of hill flattens out then a long gradual downhill almost straight. Nose between the clocks, see the needle creep past 115, then shut it down for the 30 limit at Chesham. I get to the first small roundabout, giving way to traffic and he catches up, reaches down and lifts my left leg so he can see the side panel. "Damn!" says he - "Thought there was something wrong with me bike!"
Thanks for sharing the story, My first street bike was a GS 450 with the mirrors on the end of the handlebars it was candyapple red, I received it for the greatest Christmas present I have ever had at the age of 12 years old it was a beast at My age, I was a large kid at least a foot taller than most my age now I am 6'8" and had grown up on dirt bikes at that time I had the Suzuki 400 dirt now voted the most dangerous bike ever haha Gosh that thing was the hardest motorcycle ever to get started only way I could was push it down a hill real fast jump on it then jump real high in the air a try to slam My weight on it as I slammed it in gear I about lost My middle finger doing that it one to many times foot slipped wrecked with the handle bar broke My birdie finger in every joint the Doctor was able to save it but anyway sorry I got sidetracked in My memories of My glory days that 450 in My mind it was king in my town for four or five years two wheels or four wheels in the early 80's in middle Tennessee USA I sure did love that bike it was a babe magnet tru My teenage years what a great childhood I had and lived life to the fullest on that motorcycle.
@@barebonesmc Just down the road from Aylesbury. Just a couple of years before there was a famous motorcycle shop in Gt Missenden - Bert Jeffries Motorcycles. When Bert died the contents of his shop included a BSA Gold Star still in it's crate, a Vincent V twin and a Thruxton Velocette - there was loads more but after more than 40 years that's all I can remember now. I remember an occasion in there when a chap came in and asked if he had some ultra obscure gasket for some ancient bike engine. Bert dissappears out the back and was gone a good quarter hour, and came back with said gasket still in it's waxed brown paper original envelope. "How much?" asks the bloke - "Hmm - it says 6d on the packet" says Bert - "how about 50p?" Chap gives him a fiver and refuses change. That was Bert all over. Used to come up the bike club on a 1914 Triumph single with a leather belt drive, straight through exhaust pipe, cork helmet and goggles - you could hear him coming a mile away - bang bang bang bang bang - oh there's Bert....
The TL is in this video, th-cam.com/video/gYetZtEpPcM/w-d-xo.html , I had a Cagiva Navigator with the same engine, some great racing footage in there . Glad you enjoyed it mate, Ride free.
As the owner of both an FJ1100 and FJ1200, thr forst few seconds really brought me back. I owned the FJ1200 from 1986 when it was new until 1999. Great bike.
I’ve just restored a 1983 VF750FD. Despite its reputation of having chocolate camshafts it runs as sweet as anything. I always wanted one but couldn’t afford to buy one back in the day so I ended up on Suzy GS750’s and 1000’s. The VF always turns head riding round the south coast and I still haven’t seen another one on the road, so they are quiet rare yet I paid less than a £800 for mine and even with rebuilding most critical systems it was a cheap bike. It’s plenty quick enough for me too. Thanks for the video great Trip down memory lane, surprised there wasn’t any Italian metal, Le Mans? Jota? SS900 I know they suffered a bit with electrics and our weather but May have been worth a mention imho
They will find their place :-) the Italians of that era arent so much of a bargain though so it will be a slightly different angle. I picked a VF up for silly money but ran out of space so passed it on to a mate, last time I saw it it was looking beautiful again, great bikes 🙂cheers for watching mate, enjoy the ride
Great video! I'd love to see one on 70's bikes, especially learner bikes of that period as that's the era when I started riding. I prefer four strokes to two strokes personally. You also get the opportunity to compare Japanese with British/European machines.
Excellent review. I can't agree with you more about Eighties Bikes, especially the Japanese models. I started riding in 83 and I was amazed with the plethora of bikes offered by the Japanese manufacturers. In 2005 I bought my first and only Harley,, an Ultra Classic that I still love and ride today. But I also own 3 Yamaha's from the early Eighties. I will always enjoy and admire these Japanese machines.
Another most enjoyable video. The CB400N intrigues me, but I have my doubts it came to Canada where we get mostly larger bikes for the American market. Too bad, because the small bikes are very practical. Glad to see the airheads mentioned, I have a '78 R100 RS that I got in a trade sitting in the garage. It had sat in storage for years, possibly decades. Still had the original Continentals, however cracked and crumbling. I call it my 'litre bike' for kicks. Kinda landed in my lap, really.
@@barebonesmc -I love V4 bikes. I had a Yamaha Venture with the V Max motor. Now, I cannot ride due to being disabled. If I could ride again, I would get a V65 Magna and a Nighthawk S (Canada got the full 750 version!!!)
glad it jogged some good memories mate 🙂Cheers for watching. with the Nighthawk S, the problem with the 750 is the same as we had with the CBX 750 engie, it just doesnt rev like the 700. the 700 really is one of those happy accidents 🙂
@@barebonesmc Thanks for the Conversation, friend. I recall one of the bike magazines saying that the closest competition for the VF750F was the Nighthawk S. Sometimes I wish that I had bought it instead of the Intercepter 750.
@@buzzbbird I love mine ill be honest. itll probably be a while, but itll be back on the road at some point, the Laverda has just taken up all of my time this year. once ive ridden the Laverda more I will see which i prefer riding, the Laverda will take some getting used to, the Nighthawk S is just easy 🙂
I took a Honda CB400 Super dream for a test ride and was amazed how beautifully smooth the engine was and how quickly it travelled along the road,the only minus point being the mirrors which were terrible
Most noticeable thing,I found,is the monoshock on newer bikes, thought I was doing 60,looked down-120! Sorry, can only find one thing to say about superdreams, reliability, the 250 I once had put me off Hondas haven't bought one since
if we all thought the same it would be a boring world mate, the 250 Superdream wasnt their best moment, but the 4 pot CBR250R that came later was a fantastic bike, im down to 2 Hondas now lol, My Nighthak S and the SuperBlackbird Frankensteins monster project 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
I really enjoyed the video a fun walk down memory lane. Owning two GS 1150 ES bikes I always secretly wanted the original FZR1000 and I owned a 88 zx10 . I think every bike on your list I have dreamed of owning at one time especially the Nighthawk 700 S . Thanks for making this interesting video
lol, ive just said in someone elses comment, i have to say the Nighthawk S along with the Vstrom will probably go to the grave with me The EXUPS will probably have 1 last hurrah before i sell them as i cant see me doing many more track days now but who knows :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free
When getting back into motorcycles 15 years ago in my mid 50s, rode when I was in my 20s, I picked up a 1986 K75C with 13K miles. Now that I'm retired just picked up a 1993 K75RT with 59K miles from of all places a BMW dealer. Was a trade in which they did a full going over and full service. Looking forward to touring the USA on it. As for why the K75 bikes are so popular there are a couple reasons besides their bombproof reputations. One is better weight distribution and handling than the K100 bikes and the other is with the internal balancers on the camshaft the engine is supper smooth at any rpm. Almost turbine in nature. You can cruise hour after hour at any speed without fatigue from vibration. Only limited by your butt, bladder, or fuel.
Last year I bought a used 1984 Yamaha 1200. I bought it to ride across country. It had 46000 and some miles on it. A great bike. Air, radio, helmet to helmet etc. All around a great bike.
I had a 1982 250 Ninja Replace the air filter, clean the carbs and adjust the chain, $1200 total. As it was built before some of the pollution controls were in place and there was no governor. it could easily reach and maintain Turnpike speeds (75 to 85 mph in NJ) I loved it. I also had a kawai 500 that was my dream. I do wish I live long enought to get a used Kawai 300 with slipper clutch, injection and, maybe ABS
@@barebonesmc yeah the LTD750 was really fast, but that inline 4 cylinder was a heavy mutha, still could do 80mph in 2nd gear, was the fastest ive ever been on a bike...I dont know if I got a freak bike but mine was exceptionally fast. The 454 was uncommonly quick too but I didnt do a break in period on it, as soon as I drove it off the showroom floor I was wide open throttle everywhere lol I paid $2,115. out the door for that 454. Wish we still had those prices
I owned an 83 Honda V65 Magna back in college during the late 80s. Such a fantastic motorcycle! Torque on demand! Still,the 84-86 Nighhawk S is my favorite of all time!
Exactly what I rode for years, except I had the EZ model, slightly different bodywork. There was a reason Vance & Hines went with the big GS Suzukis of the day.
I owned the 86 Nighthawk 700 S. I road cross country 1500 miles in 32 hours. Best bike I ever owned. I now ride a 05 VFR 800 and wish it was shaft drive! Keep between the ditch's my brothers and sisters. 🙏 🍺
BMW K75, great choice. Bought one new in 1987 and sold it 18 months later with 68000 miles on the clock. 36 years later it still seems to be in existance but hasn't reached 80000 miles yet! Also owned R45, R65, R80, CB250N, CX500, all great bikes in their own way.
I own a 1984 Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S which I purchased new. It's a truly brilliant machine and I will never ever part with it. Thank you for this video.
had mine about ten years now, think it will probably be my retirement bike :-) we will see when i finish the Laverda :-) :-) cheers for watching mate, ride free
One of the most reliable and affordable bikes ever made was the Yamaha TX-XS650 twin. Also the best bargain on the market every day are the Yamaha Viragos from 1984 on up. Smooth, torquey, best clutch, trans, & charging systems in the business. I've never seen one with a bad rear drive in it. They didn't leak and the seats were all day.
I've had one for almost 10 years. Great bike but parts are a bit of a problem here in the Netherlands (they were never officially imported here). Specifically the exhaust. No aftermarket and the original was still available but would set me almost 2000 euro's back. Plus: I wasn't that keen any longer on high performance and high revs. Matter of aging: of myself, not the bike ;-). Sold it to someone who was buying two Nighthawks 700 S to combine the best parts of both to get himself a bike in the best possible condition. So my bike found a good next owner.
Still have my 86 cb700sc, still very clean and riden regularly . Bought new, garage kept it's whole life. Could never sell it, it:s more than a bike, it's an old friend.
I just picked up a 81 XS1100 Midnight special. I haven’t gotten it fully road ready yet, so I can’t speak to reliability, but it was definitely a bargain, and it has a timeless look.
Agree on most. USA received different models. The Sabre was an underrated bike. Another forgotten champion was the rather plain KZ400/440. Nearly bulletproof.
VFR 750 F. Fantastic to ride. Phenomenal acceleration, great on Welsh roads, can take on the best and beat them in the twisties. I had a 1986 model, ran it for 3 years.
on most welsh roads i reckon the RVF 400 would be my choice :-) but the Vstrom makes the Abergwesyn pass much easier than most, its just a bit more relaxing too :-) 🙂Cheers for watching mate, Ride Free
Nice video mate - Awakened many a fond memory. I've been biking since 1984. My first wee steed was a beautiful, emerald green Kawasaki KH100EX (seven spoke wheels and not the less attractive five spoke) I bought it secondhand at age 15 and rode it before I was even allowed to... Naughty boy that I was. Since then, I've owned 25 bikes and have ridden pretty much everything out there. Massive fan of 80s and 90s bikes. Subbed.
@@barebonesmc I remember the KC and indeed the KE. I ended up trading the KH in for a brand new AR80 - Fantastic little motor - but the man today would choose the KH every time, as it's a more substantial machine imo. But hey, I was 17 and a sporty AR was the right bike for my age. Every road saw 10,000rpm. Fun rides.
@@AnthonyDonnellyTT fun indeed 🙂 mine was just a means to an end, i passed my test pretty quick n moved on to the 350 LC lol but the KC took me to work every day and plenty of gigs and never let me down 🙂
Snap, started on a black kh with the five spoke wheels. And then an Ar125 almost all kwackers since except a rush of blood to the head when I bought a pair of xs400s what horrible bikes!
I bought an '82 KZ650 CSR in 1998 for $500. My Dad bought an '82 CB650 Special shortly after that. My "Kawi" was my daily ride for over 2 years, to 2 jobs. I didn't even own a car. While my Dad's Honda was smooth and more refined, I preferred the power and aggressiveness of my "Kawi", and I miss that bike to this day. Both bikes were stolen in '08.
@@barebonesmc as a mechanic i can say for sure that the fuel we get gets worse as time goes by. And I would say that most if not all the newer bikes, are not built as good enough as they used to
@@bikeserv i think youre right on both, they dont want to build them as well anymore. i just hate plain bearings lol, they arent real bearings they are bushes FFS
Really ? ive noticed that on cars and vans here but not with bikes. I have friends over there who have picked up some bargains over the last 6 months too. and the containers keep coming over here full , Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
@@barebonesmc Was looking for a Honda ST1100 specifically about a year back which is where I came up with those numbers. Also looked into the 650 VStroms and other similar bikes, same thing. Did find a 1980 Yamaha XS1100 with all the touring gear on it for $1600 which I bought and put a weekend worth of work and about $100 worth of parts into. This bike has treated me well with close to 20,000 miles put on since I bought it, other than the usual tires and maintenance she's rock solid
glad you enjoyed it mate 🙂 Theres plenty more on the channel, hope you will look around and find something your interested in. there is more on the website too. and there will be more to come. Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
Only cruiser bike I ever owned was a bright yellow 750 Magna. Handled ok, smooth rider, wasn't so heavy I couldn't toss it around a bit, and had enough acceleration to keep me grinning.😁 I remember when the V65 came out they had a commercial about it on the deck of an aircraft carrier and how it could beat a Tomcat being catapulted off the deck.🤣 Good times and great bikes!😎👍🏻
My favourite 80s bike is the VT500E. It was much, much better than its big rival, the sluggish GT550 and better than the NTV600 and 650s that followed using a bigger (but no more powerful) version of the same engine. I even think it was better than the CB500 of 93-on which is regarded as the best middleweight of the 90s. It was very slim and light, would easily do 100mph and over 60mpg. Very very reliable and cheap to run, very nimble on its skinny tyres having a 120/80 18 on the rear. Faster and comfier than the XBR too. It was more than capable two-up with a long seat and plenty of torque. Lovely clear clocks that glowed red in the dark not stark, tiring white like CB500. Plus, it had shaft drive! It had the unique oddity of a warning lamp covering the eventuality of your rear bulb blowing. As a fun/tourer/ commuter it had EVERYTHING. The only possible downside being its enclosed disc ( which wasn't very powerful either) making wheel removal hard. They do come up occasionally for sale, I recently saw one on ebay for £1500 which is gonna be an absolute steal for someone. Oh dear. Maybe I've said too much and prices are gonna go up as a result! Most OVER rated, yes I'm gonna get some stick here, the 250 and 400 Suetdreams. Noisy, slow and terrible mpg. The money they now fetch is simply ridiculous. I was appalled in 1989 when the vt500 was dropped and replaced by the Brazilian Superdream. What we're H playing at???
Ive had more than one mate and they are an underrated bike (theres a picture late on in the video going up today :-) ) the 500 just revs better and that long 6th gear makes so much difference :-) the only issue is that bloody tank. ive only ever had 1 that wasnt like a collander lol. one had so much petseal in in weighed a ton, and still leaked lol, the joys 🙂cheers for watching mate, ride free 🙂
@@barebonesmc the ntv was a disappointment imo. Sometimes making a motor bigger doesn't make it better. Same when Honda's 192cc twin was increased to 233cc by taller rods. Your leaky tank was just bad luck. Not specific to VTs. I've only ever had 2 car punctures, both on my very first car, a Volvo 360 in the mid 90s. None since!
@@TomBartram-b1c i certainly agree bigger isnt always better, As to the VT tanks, Ive got a whole collection of em lol, theres a water trap at the rear behind the taps that can never empty because its lower than the taps, the heavier water settles there and rots the tank from the inside, try and find a decent 2nd hand one if you can, the metal was very thin to start with and it was just a design flaw IMO. have a good weekend mate
Agreed the VT500 was a great bike - As an 80s courier myself IMHO if ever a bike was designed for despatch riding the VT was it - Enough legs for distance but slim and light enough for town - The only design fault on that bike was the horrendously dangerous side stand which if you forgot to kick it back up refused to flip up - Peace, Druid66
You got it mate :-) i always remember a guy on an MV Dragstar at Cadwell saying he hit 140mph at the end of park straight, i was passing him on my old Daytona like he was standing still. my comment was, bloody hell my bike must be faster than i thought pmsl, he was probably just breaking the ton in reality, terrified of breaking his new shiny toy 🙂cheers for watching mate, ride free 🙂
ill still be talking bikes when im in my grave im sure lol. every time someone says 70s someone else says 90s first so im no closer lol, i will get them both done :-) cheers for watching mate, ride free
Great, No nonsense video. Thank you. I have owned both a 1986 BMW K75C and a 1978 Suzuki GS750E. Loved both. Interestingly the Suzuki was the easier, more comfortable bike to ride, not sure why. I would very much a video on 1990s and 2000s. I won’t be purchasing any 70’s bikes.
Amigo, gracias al traductor se de lo habla en su vídeo y en verdad tiene a un nuevo suscriptor y que gusto saber de modelos que medianamente conozco por verlos en revistas, en la ruta o charlando con los dueños; pero gracias por hacer sus videos con gran contenido. Saludos desde Querétaro México!
Absolutely fantastic you have made all my memories as as kid trolling though all the bike shops dreaming and sitting on all or some of these legends I now own a GPZ900R which I waited 33 years to get and have a VF1000F honda again another bike as a kid wanted thank you from John (jock) In the Falklands islands 👍👍❤
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IMPORTANT
Dakar have hit me with a copyright strike so ive had to delist some of the videos just in case
i guess they got pissed that mine were better
because of the MOTOGP one before xmas that means im really vulnerable now and the channel could be removed at any time
I have set up this backup channel so please go and follow it NOW,
this could all be removed at any moment now so it is critical to stay in touch via the backup channel here
th-cam.com/channels/CSl6i-tZJNC5DQ38vgCtvw.html
sorry for this if i get another strike it wipes out all my work
all my old videos will be removed
I wont be posting anything much on the new channel unless this goes down
but this is a just in case because it really could go down at any point
the videos are still visible if you have a link so if you have problems message me for links
so you can still watch them,
if you follow the channel and this one gets taken down you will be able to find me there
sorry if thats a bit garbled
ive just woken to this but i guess i could have had the channel taken down already
so i should be thankful
ride free everyone
A
@@MauriceConnevey ???
i passed my mates Plop Brown vauxhall Nova on an FJ11; stuck both arms in the air and ended up lying backwards along the seat. Fighting my way back up, more in surprise than actual panic I was pleased to note I was still in front and in a straight line.
Great story 🙂Cheers for adding your bit mate. Ride Free 🙂
PMSL😂 Great story and another great vid, gonna chuckle a bit longer now, be safe😊
I have a 1988 CBR600...head has never been off the engine, burns no oil, goes like a rat up a drainpipe and is ridiculously fast for a bike of its size and age. I am 80 now and still enjoy it....Good video ... thanks...
they are great bikes 🙂 Cheers for watching mate, ride free
I bought a 1989 CBR600, it was a beautiful bike, smooth, powerful and easy to ride. I hadn’t ridden for years, and weight was difficult for me, so I sold it and bought a KTM 390 Duke, which is light, that about all! Watching this great video to find a replacement!
theres plenty of choice from the 80's and 90's, i will get to the 90s one soon 🙂
That is a great bike! I test rode one back then and loved it. Fast and still looks great. One of my biggest regrets was not buying it. Enjoy!
Had a 89 RWB. Kill to have it back
I vote the Honda CX500-650. My Dad would thrash his one around like a superbike because of the relatively low centre of gravity. He retired it to running a premier sidecar. It just kept going until it shat itself in the late 90's. Had it been better treated I think it would still be running. A lovely bike which was a staple of courier riders in that era.
great bike but not so much of a bargain these days, prices been going up a while now at least in part because of the custom buyers, it gets a mention in the honda section :-) :-) Cheers for watching, ride free
Good memories. I worked in a big motorcycle store from 1981 till 1990. We sold and serviced bigger bikes from the big 4 Japanese brands, Moto Guzzi, Ducati and some others. There weren't many bikes I didn't ride back then. Also the switch from '70s and '80s style to the '90s bikes was interesting. I am glad I survived that era. In my early 20's riding GPZ 750 turbo, GSX-R 750 and 1100, FJ's, VFR's... I also remember a Moto Guzzi California III with a sidecar and hand shifter for a handicap guy. Good times!
great memories mate :-) :-) Cheers for watching, ride free
Ooh! A Cali with a chair would be perfect. Poor Moto Guzzi seems to get forgotten about. The engine design is still a great idea. Glad you have managed to keep the rubber bits down and the ugly bits up! Keep rolling
Something about a guzzi
This is an excellent assemblage of some of the best motorcycles of the time. The narration is superb and provides a good balance between a description of the bike and the history behind it. Well done and thank you.
thanks for the great comment mate, :-) I do my best :-) Cheers for watching, ride free
Being a former 1981 Suzuki GS650E owner I loved that you mentioned that bike. Unlike most 4 cylinder bikes of that era its efficient combustion chamber design produced very high torque from as low as 3000 rpm and good top end as well. I managed 20,000 mi. in the year I owned it including one 1,100 mi. day. Definitely one of my favorites of the bikes I've owned!
Sounds like it did you proud mate :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
I had the same bike and with a few minor modifications and re jetting the carbs no less than 30 times I found enough power to take out the 4 valve 750 that came out shortly after. I got a good laugh one morning beating a KZ 1100 that needed some carb work 3 lights in a row. I miss that old girl.
Toured a GS650G to Alice Springs back in the day....
I remember once talking to a guy with a 1000c BMW brick. It had done 608,000 miles, on the original engine.
i think he must have been commenting on the bombproof bikes video lol :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
The FJ1100 deserves it's place. So agile with it's frame and 16 inch front wheel but very stable at high speed. The following Kawasaki of the GPZ1000 was the ZX-10, a great improvement. Should also mention the GPZ550. Honda's original VFR750 and VF400/500's. For Suzuki, the GS450E and GS850. If you want really original the Moto Guzzi California. All these are at rock bottom prices, but not for long. Thank's for your excellent video's !
It is a buyers market out there right now :-) i do love the ZX 10 Tomcat :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
7
Excellent channel could listen to you all day fantastic
thanks for your support 🙂Cheers for adding your bit too mate. Ride Free 🙂
‘85 KZ 750 was my first bike. Blazing fast!
great bikes 🙂 Cheers for watching mate. Ride Free 🙂
I really liked the GS650G but could never find one for sale in Canada where I live. However, I bought a leftover 1979 GS850G in 1981 and truly enjoyed its power, granite-like reliability, quiet powertrain, steady handling and astoundingly good seat (IMO, the best seat ever put on a motorcycle). I put more than 100,000 miles on mine with zero issues and truly regret selling it.
The GS's were great bikes :-) Cheers for watching, ride free
@@barebonesmc Yes. Had my 1982 GS650G for 15 years, loved it & miss it.
glad you enjoyed it mate 🙂 Theres plenty more on the channel, hope you will look around and find something your interested in. there is more on the website too. and there will be more to come. Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
Once the cam shaft on the vf750f Honda interceptor was fixed….it was awesome!! Still riding two of them from 1984.
indeed, and led to a whole family of other great bikes too :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
I bought a VF400F from 83' to avoid that issue, a bit weak but still awesome! Wanted the VF500F but sadly it's almost it never sold in Sweden and don't want to go trough the hassle to import from Germany.
Nice to see the CB400N mentioned and a mint example. The Japanese had a knack for excellent 400's, perhaps there's a reason, their home market capacity laws maybe? what's nice about that one is you can hear Level 42 and Sade tunes playing out of the 6 valve zorst 😉
🙂cheers for watching mate, the bikes made for the home market have always been great bikes :-)
I had exactly such a CB400N in this beautiful blue color. It handled great, although it became a bit unstable at top speed. And I wonder how many of us were dreaming of driving a CB 900 F Bol d'Or while driving it's little brother. The CB 1100 R was completely unaffordable and I have only seen it in magazine and I think one time at a local dealer. But there was the CB 1100 F Super Bol d'Or and later the VF 1000 F, that were pretty good bikes, I think. Thanks for bringing back some old memories!
@@daybyter glad it brought some memories back mate, enjoy the ride, and yes the R was always a rarity, Ive only seen them at the odd classic races or on parades
I worked at a Yamaha Honda and Suzuki dealership from 81 to 88 starting assembly of new bikes which we put a minimum of 8 miles on during the test rides. I got to be the first to ride Interceptors, katanas, Hurricanes, VMax Goldwings and GSXRs. Loved it.
sounds like a perfect job 🙂cheers for watching mate, have a good day 🙂
The wacky names that the U.S importers named their market bikes always makes me laugh.
Oh yes, my first new bike was a 1979 Honda 250N Super Dream. A great first proper bike, I even went touring in France on it. It was underpowered, though, as you said, going up into top gear up any kind of hill or into wind, it'd slow down!
After that, I had a 1980 Honda 750KZ that I bought new in the Middle East and shipped back to Blighty, and that was, by far, the best motorcycle I've ever owned, despite being told by a UK Honda dealer in 1986 who serviced it that 'not many were sold in the UK and parts were hard to find'! But it was a lovely rorty machine, handled very well, comfortable, reliable, and always a pleasure to ride.
When it was stolen in 1990, I bought a 8000 mile used BMW K75 which I was less impressed with, it was OK but unexciting to ride and expensive to maintain - the low side HT leads didn't like the wet, and I didn't like that ever-present odd burbling sound of the motronic fuel injection. Had it for ten years until a rip-off BMW service bill made me sell it.
I've had a Honda Transalp XL650V since. It has it's charms, but I still miss the 750KZ.
the KZ is a good un. cheers for watching mate , ride free
16.46 ...Thanks for mentioning it .Was thinking and trying to remember the spec on that one .Cheers man .Well done .
glad you enjoyed it 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
Fantastic video. Thanks for this. started riding in the 70s and still manage to throw a leg over from time to time here in the 2000's. love Your memory lane!!
glad you enjoyed it mate 🙂 Theres plenty more on the channel, hope you will look around and find something your interested in. there is more on the website too. and there will be more to come. Cheers for watching.Hope you will climb aboard. Ride Free 🙂
Great video, right up my street. (I started riding in '75 ) Thanks and subscribed.
glad you enjoyed it mate, cheers for watching. Ride Free
I bought a Suzuki GS650 GL 7 years ago! Was off bikes for nearly 20 years and dedicated a Spring and Summer relearning then road tripoed 500 miles up to Mackinac Island to see some friends!
Good on you mate 😊 they are a good un and worth keeping going
This is the best channel on YT..Full of facts and none of the self obsessed nonsense delivered by others.Good to see my favourite FJ included.I'm without one at present,but can't get my head around the way the prices have crept up.The ads on eBay etc. just seem to me like profiteering.IMHO.
glad you enjoy the channel mate, our support is appreciated, remember, what people advertise them for and what they are sold for is often very different, not sure if its still there but there used to be a way to search for sold items so you could see the actual sale price 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
I couldsn't agree with you more, but then I am biased. I got a BMW k75C 3 years ago, bought from the original owner and I restored it over the 1st Covid lockdown. She a wonderfully smooth bike and with only 50,000 miles on her she's got years of life left.
enjoy it 🙂 :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free 🙂
That ride up through Edale and over the top of Mam nick, man the times I've driven and ridden that road, let me tell you not much fun in winter, took me well back that did. 👍 great vid thanks.
im fairly local so i know it well, i made money out of derbyshire winters for a few years lol glad it jogged some good memories mate 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
Thank You,for showing my first motorcycle,the Honda Night Hawk S,in witch I bought brand new in the 80's,Keep the rubber side down,Spazz in Cali.
Theres some more footage on the channel if you are interested, just me exploring the peak district and derbyshire dales 🙂 love my Nighthawk S 🙂
Really enjoyed your video…was hoping you were gonna have my bike on your list 😄(86 Honda 450 Nighthawk)
great bikes, they will find their place in time 🙂 Cheers for watching mate and glad you enjoyed it, theres plenty more on the channel, hope you will climb aboard. Ride Free 🙂
This was a great video that I saved for further reference. I had to subscribe and hit all notifications. I am building up my motorcycle collection now that I am retired. I collect bikes from the '30's to the '70's but this video has convinced me that I should bump it up a decade. Thanks for the wonderful, informative video. Cheers from Connecticut in the states!
your welcome mate and glad you enjoyed it, I do my best :-) Cheers for watching, ride free :-)
The 80s were the renascence decade for motorcycles, performance and reliability increased greatly. Enjoyed the intimidating CBX, as well as the turbo’s, CX 500 & 650s, GPZ 750 and NX85. Also had an early production (11/82) VF750F with the cheese cams/improperly designed forked rockers. Hondas crate engine program offered a VF750F crate engine for $450 USD in the mid 80s, if memory serves me correctly a GL1100 flat four was a bit less.
when manufacturers didnt mind you fixing things :-) The rennaissance term fits quite well id say Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
The problem with the VF750Fs engine was the cam caps weren't line bored in situ with the head, causing issues with clearance. I had just started my first job at a Honda dealership on the parts counter, and remember the VF debacle clearly. Honda screwed up even more by not admitting there was an issue and dragging their heels over warranties.
One of the reasons the Superdream 250 sold in droves in the UK and was trashed is that it was a learner motorcycle; they came out before the 125cc/12hp limit was introduced (the 250LC has a lot to answer for even though it's a cracking bike). Th Superdream also became a good second hand buy once you'd passed your test if you'd done that on a smaller bike.
great bikes 🙂 Cheers for watching mate. Ride Free 🙂
I had an '83 GS 650 L, engine was bullet proof. Comfortable for a larger sized human and had all the gauges I required.
:-) Cheers for watching, ride free
I have an 82 XJ-750 Maxim that became My First Cafe/Brat Project. It has a Mac 4 into 1 and a 10" Muffler with no Baffling. I went with Pods but realized even Tuned properly They Killed Velocity, so I Modified Them to fit on the Factory Airbox Boots which really did the trick after Jetting it out from #120 to #135.. After Removing everything that didn't hold Gas I got it down to 445lbs Wet. I put adjustable Nitrogen Shocks on the Rear, and lowered the Front 2-1/2 inches. Then went with a 110 front tire to correct the bad dip in the Angled stance created. It's actually a really fun little Bike, on a Cool Night it will get to 60 in around 3.5 seconds and handles great. No, it's not My R6, but it's much better than it has any business being lol.
Nice one for adding to the story mate. And good on you for keeping it going😊 have a great week
Such a great era. Feel very fortunate to have experienced it first hand. Love this content.
Me too mate. An age when the engineers were kings
Kawi GPZs rocked!
indeed :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
Pristine, low mileage 2-stroke street bikes from the 1970's - e.g. Yamaha RD's, Kawasaki Triples, various Suzuki models, etc. etc. - were a dime a dozen throughout the 1980's, and they were a hoot to ride. They have exponentially increased in value too. I wish I had kept a few of mine.
me too mate, the last 1KT i had went about 8 years ago now 🙂cheers for watching, enjoy the ride
Watched through to the end. All good and chimed with what people told me back in the '80s nd early '90s. I taught on a Council motorcycle training scheme and some of the guys had things like the FJ 1100 and GPz 1000. Alas, I never rode any of these as I was one of Maggie's millions ("Job? You have a degree in botany? You're overqualified so we didn't interview you.") and then an ecologist so never paid over £100 for a bike. Even when I got a job, I never had 'finance'. So I had a 250 K4 and a GS400 (built from two, one rotten, one turned out to have had sugared petrol). Mates had some of the bikes you feature. The bike breaker I worked for (swapped time for used parts and discounted new parts - I was his 'stripper') used to ride a 400 fat dream as his personal bike. He rated it over the 400 slab dream but I think it had a Superdream motor in it with fat dream RHS cover and kickstart and a twin disc front end.
It was a golden era. And I know I was lucky as I never had the cash to buy most of what I got to ride. I spanners my way through to the rides😊 welcome aboard mate. Have a great day 😊
I Have 6 what I call classic motorcycles, my favorite being my 1981 Honda CB900f2 Bold'or, (The Flying Coke Can!)
Once voted the most beautiful bike Honda had ever produced!!!
It's all original, rides as if it was purchased yesterday, 100% reliable and generates a gathering where ever I go!!!
The Bol D'or front does make that bike :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free
I agree, the Bol'dor is a beautiful bike. In Oz they were nicknamed the "Roller door".
@@bradster1708 lol 🙂
I started riding as a 20 year old, in 1985. My first bike was a previous model year 1984 Honda Shadow 500, that was on sale. The perfect bike to learn on. Great for bombing around the city, big enough for reasonable day/weekend trips, and very forgiving of rookie mistakes. The 500 Shadow was such and ideal bike for a new rider (IMHO) that when I was first introducing my oldest son to riding as a teen, I found one in good condition, and bought it for him as a high school grad gift.
However after a year on the Shadow I was ready to move up. Always on the hunt for a bargain, in the spring of ‘86 I found a previous model year 1985 Honda V45 Magna 750, on sale at a different dealership in the city I lived in at the time. There was also a previous model year V65 1100 Magna available, but as a relatively new rider I was admittedly intimidated by “10 seconds that shook the world”, and opted for the smaller (and less expensive to both purchase or insure) V45.
It was my primary ride for the next 15 years. My wife and I did our honeymoon on it in 1987 (around 4500 kms over 3 weeks). I had countless solo adventures on it. I still have it. My wife used it when she was first learning to ride 20 years ago. We vowed years ago to never sell it.
While I’ve had many bikes since (I currently own 4) my beautiful old Magna will always be number one in my heart. My son and I tore it down, and restored it during the COVID insanity. I still use it regularly for commuting to/from work. I still enjoy riding it, and particularly after restoring it, still think it a beautiful looking bike.
I own a 1984 700 Magna bought in OK same year I graduated HS, love it and rides sweet with plenty of power with shaft drive only 10k miles, have some carb issues but been garage kept since bought it in 1995, prior to that day in storage for seven years they said. Tops out at 97 has the California governor on it
Some very well restored examples of bike engineering there.
If there were more well kept ones around it'd be easy to buy one.
true 🙂
I agree with many of your choices, but I owned a Honda VF750SC, which wasn't a good bike. The exhaust collector box rotted very quickly and was expensive to replace. It also needed a new spark unit, it had two of them. The bike went from four to two cylinders until I found the problem. The dash was amazing though.
I do own an FJ1200 and an FZR1000 Genesis, pre EXUP.
The 250 Superdream had a design fault with the electronic ignition, but I don't know if the 400 was the same.
I started with an SS50 in 1976, then a CB250G5 in 1977.
Ive still got my G5 manual lol, and as Ihave said before i love the Genesis engines, I started Honda Novio :-) and Kawasaki KC100, then to the LC when i passed my test :-) since then its a big old list lol wish I still had some of them :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free
Bought a Cb 400N ca two weeks ago. Absolutely love it. The smoothness, gearchanges etc… Feels weird to say this, but I’m not sure if I would have bought my Triumph Trident if I would have tested the CB first. They are different but it doesn’t make sense to pay roughly 7 times more for the Trident anymore. Oh well.
Well put mate and here’s to the 400 superdream 😊 to your point. I’ve looked for a better replacement for the wee strom for many years now. But why would I pay money for a bike that’s no better in reality? 😊 so I keep riding the old one 😊 have a great weekend
I passed my bike test in 1971 so I would be happy if you featured bikes from the 1970's. Enjoyed watching this video of 80's bikes, I remember them well.
pwhichever comes next i will get to both, may take a few weeks thought o do them properly but i will get there, cheers for watching mate, ride free
Mine was 1978 in the rain, I still had the Japanese tyres on and had fell off once so a bit worried about the emergency stop.
But passed and at 16000 miles replaced them with TT 100s.
All my bike's I bought in the 1970,s .
Until 1989 when I bought my FJ 1200.
A lovely bike.
@@philipbooth7779 you cant beat a good Genesis engine 🙂cheers for watching mate, ride free
great vid mate. real funny to see the fuel gauge dancing around on the FJ, i have an 87 1200 still one of my favorite bikes of all time
the best Ar*e on any bike ever :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free
Good video…I‘m riding until now my 1989 Suzuki GSX 1100 F. Still everything I need. No electronic gimmicks…
enjoy it mate Cheers for watching , Ride Free
I had a 1988 GSX 1100 F here Canada it was call Katana, most powerful bike I have ever owned, and a dream to drive 😎
Great video. I’ve had a few of those. I now have a 96 CBR600F3 for fun, which I’m hoping to use for sone track days at Cadwell in the near future.
I assume you are local to Lincolnshire.
enjoy it mate, not far, closer to Mallory and Donnington, but Cadwell just better, always was 🙂 I just wish they hadnt put the chicane in lol, i might still have my own collarbone one side lol
The 1981 CB900F took some beating. My first Japanese superbike.
yep, i guess the 750 and 900 F2 were the next step on from the CBX750 which was our version of the Nighthawk S, cheers for watching mate, enjoy the ride
I had a 750kz!! Great looking big brother to the 250 wetdream!
@@terrystratford1235 indeed, the 750 and 900 were both great bikes
@@barebonesmc when I look back at the bikes I've had...cx500 cx 650euro sport. Gpz900r gsxr400. Cbx750 gs550. Cb750. Never wanted to sell them, but u just don't think, in 20 years they be worth alot! Which I why I don't think I'll sell my 87 gsxr1100h! Had her 22 years and always puts a smile on my face, just looking at her!
@@terrystratford1235 and that last bit is all that matters mate, keep smiling 🙂 Ride free
I'm surprised not to see the Yamaha xj range get a mention on this list. I've currently got an 82 xj750 and an 84 xj900 in my workshop, both still performing very well, fun reliable, cheap and still fairly well available parts
great bikes, I featured the XJR's and the XJ900 Diversion here th-cam.com/video/ZBbf0xF7TbU/w-d-xo.html 🙂 Cheers for watching mate. Ride Free 🙂
Thx 4 grt vid!1981 Yamaha XJ650 owner here.This bike has served me very well!
great bikes they will find their place in time 🙂 Cheers for watching and welcome aboard mate. Ride Free 🙂
loved the 750...clocks were a bit sketchy though, lol
80's & 90's gave us some great bikes, i had the ZX10, still got a CBR1000fl. We had none of this electrickery, traction control, wheelie control, electric suspension, we just had big hairy arsed bikes. My mum still has a framed picture of a Gpz1000Rx in her toilet.
Give yer mum a pat on the back :-) 🙂 The early Tomcat was a great bike :-) cheers for watching mate, ride free
The Kawasaki GPZ900 R is another really great bike, it was absolutely ground-breaking at the time.. The GPZ 750 Turbo is making big money now (around 10 K..) but a good GPZ900 can be bought for less than half that figure - That's a lot of innovative bike for your money, I'm looking for an early GPZ900 R right now !!..
great bikes, but not so much of a bargain these days 🙂 Cheers for watching mate. Ride Free 🙂
First, I want to thank you for this fantastic review. Agree, the bikes of the 80 was really something extra. Would be nice to see a similar film about the bikes of the 1970-ies. A bit sad you didnt mention the Kawazaki 900 of the 80-ies though. I own one, GPZ 900R, and bougth it to a price lower than many bicycles costs today. I think they also will be winners in the long run, and that prices will go up, for sure.
prices on the GPZ9 are already starting to rise i would say, and yes, a sure bet i would say, i just have to stop somewhere, and i do like to include some curved balls :-) so there is always one or 2 that arent included. you dont want to see the list i had to trim down lol, cheers for watching mate, have a good day 🙂
Im riding an 84 Honda sabre 700. It sat for a good while before I bought it due to carb problems. The carbs and steering stem bearings are both common points of concern on the early v4 bikes. My bike has high miles (75k+) and the engine itself is my main concern. It doesn't sound the best but still fires right up and goes every day.
Great story 🙂Cheers for adding your bit mate. Ride Free 🙂
As a London Despatch Rider in the 80s with six years of service my vote also goes to the GS range from Suzuki - Those inline fours they produced back then were absolutely bulletproof - ln those years l worked a 550E a 750E a 550M-(Katana) and a 650M - All great bike that never let me down - My favorite of all though of all was the 550 Kat - ln fact l loved it so much l've still got one today - Over and out - Druid66
enjoy it mate 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
I ve still got a 750 es it handles brilliantly and is comfortable too👍🏻
enjoy it mate, great bikes @@davidbamford4303
Those were the days. Before bus & cycle lanes. At every traffic light you would be one of five or six 500cc+ bikes.
I know I thrashed my CB250N like it was stolen the whole year and a half I rode it. Only threw it down the road twice. Straightened the forks out with long piece of pipe after the second slide. Great buy if you come across it.
lol, new stantions n away ya go :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free
Back in 1980 I bought a Suzuki GS450 - had it for 4 years until it got stolen in London one day. Lovely little mid range bike it was, top speed around 108, could cruise easily at a steady 85 amd could mix it well on the twisty bits (story about that below). It did eat inlet valves every 15000 miles and exhaust valves every 30000, but that was it's only real fault.
I was on the way home from work one summer's evening, enjoying the twisty back road, and slowed to 30 to go through a village. A Lotus Eclat came right up my rear end blipping his throttle and trying to force his way past - but there were children playing on the village green we were passing so I wasn't giving him space to pass. At the exit from the village and speed limit the road goes through a double very sharp bend chicane between steep grass banks - I dropped a couple of gears and went through that chicane so hard I was hauling the bike from one full lean to the other faster than I'd ever done before. I heard a loud bang behind me. The Eclat never emerged from the chicane behind me. They had a fibreglass body. Probably quite a mess.
Place? The village of Benson in England. Near Wallingford.
great story, i think people forget how entertaining a smaller bike can be 🙂
@@barebonesmc Another occasion on the way back from work: I was accelerating firmly but nowhere near really hard up the hill from Gt Missenden toward Chesham and could see what I thought was an RD 200 ahead going quite slowly up the hill. As I passed I saw I'd misidentified it quite badly - it was an RD 400. I was only going about 60 when I passed him and sure enough when I was about 50 yards past - in my mirrors I saw blue smoke suddenly appear out the back of the RD. So I drop a gear, wind it up, flat on the tank. Top of hill flattens out then a long gradual downhill almost straight. Nose between the clocks, see the needle creep past 115, then shut it down for the 30 limit at Chesham. I get to the first small roundabout, giving way to traffic and he catches up, reaches down and lifts my left leg so he can see the side panel. "Damn!" says he - "Thought there was something wrong with me bike!"
Thanks for sharing the story, My first street bike was a GS 450 with the mirrors on the end of the handlebars it was candyapple red, I received it for the greatest Christmas present I have ever had at the age of 12 years old it was a beast at My age, I was a large kid at least a foot taller than most my age now I am 6'8" and had grown up on dirt bikes at that time I had the Suzuki 400 dirt now voted the most dangerous bike ever haha Gosh that thing was the hardest motorcycle ever to get started only way I could was push it down a hill real fast jump on it then jump real high in the air a try to slam My weight on it as I slammed it in gear I about lost My middle finger doing that it one to many times foot slipped wrecked with the handle bar broke My birdie finger in every joint the Doctor was able to save it but anyway sorry I got sidetracked in My memories of My glory days that 450 in My mind it was king in my town for four or five years two wheels or four wheels in the early 80's in middle Tennessee USA I sure did love that bike it was a babe magnet tru My teenage years what a great childhood I had and lived life to the fullest on that motorcycle.
@@vipertwenty249 i remember riding through Great Missenden at some point, No idea where it is or when that was lol, but i have been there 🙂
@@barebonesmc Just down the road from Aylesbury. Just a couple of years before there was a famous motorcycle shop in Gt Missenden - Bert Jeffries Motorcycles. When Bert died the contents of his shop included a BSA Gold Star still in it's crate, a Vincent V twin and a Thruxton Velocette - there was loads more but after more than 40 years that's all I can remember now. I remember an occasion in there when a chap came in and asked if he had some ultra obscure gasket for some ancient bike engine. Bert dissappears out the back and was gone a good quarter hour, and came back with said gasket still in it's waxed brown paper original envelope. "How much?" asks the bloke - "Hmm - it says 6d on the packet" says Bert - "how about 50p?" Chap gives him a fiver and refuses change. That was Bert all over. Used to come up the bike club on a 1914 Triumph single with a leather belt drive, straight through exhaust pipe, cork helmet and goggles - you could hear him coming a mile away - bang bang bang bang bang - oh there's Bert....
Great video, I'd like to see something on Suzuki's TLR's and the TLS, I own a 2000 model TL1000R, doesn't appear to be a lot of info on them???
The TL is in this video, th-cam.com/video/gYetZtEpPcM/w-d-xo.html , I had a Cagiva Navigator with the same engine, some great racing footage in there . Glad you enjoyed it mate, Ride free.
As the owner of both an FJ1100 and FJ1200, thr forst few seconds really brought me back. I owned the FJ1200 from 1986 when it was new until 1999. Great bike.
glad it stirred some good memories mate. cheers for watching , Ride Free 🙂
I’ve just restored a 1983 VF750FD. Despite its reputation of having chocolate camshafts it runs as sweet as anything. I always wanted one but couldn’t afford to buy one back in the day so I ended up on Suzy GS750’s and 1000’s. The VF always turns head riding round the south coast and I still haven’t seen another one on the road, so they are quiet rare yet I paid less than a £800 for mine and even with rebuilding most critical systems it was a cheap bike. It’s plenty quick enough for me too. Thanks for the video great Trip down memory lane, surprised there wasn’t any Italian metal, Le Mans? Jota? SS900 I know they suffered a bit with electrics and our weather but May have been worth a mention imho
They will find their place :-) the Italians of that era arent so much of a bargain though so it will be a slightly different angle. I picked a VF up for silly money but ran out of space so passed it on to a mate, last time I saw it it was looking beautiful again, great bikes 🙂cheers for watching mate, enjoy the ride
Great video! I'd love to see one on 70's bikes, especially learner bikes of that period as that's the era when I started riding. I prefer four strokes to two strokes personally. You also get the opportunity to compare Japanese with British/European machines.
ill give it some thought 🙂 cheers for watching mate, enjoy the ride
CBX 550? Was it a 6cyl . I remember riding on the back of the CBX with my dad when they were new and I was 4 years old.
no, the CBX550 and 750 were both fours, only the big CBX was a six, 🙂 Cheers for watching mate, Ride Free
Excellent review. I can't agree with you more about Eighties Bikes, especially the Japanese models. I started riding in 83 and I was amazed with the plethora of bikes offered by the Japanese manufacturers. In 2005 I bought my first and only Harley,, an Ultra Classic that I still love and ride today. But I also own 3 Yamaha's from the early Eighties. I will always enjoy and admire these Japanese machines.
🙂Cheers for watching mate, in general if its got 2 wheels im there lol, Ride Free
Another most enjoyable video. The CB400N intrigues me, but I have my doubts it came to Canada where we get mostly larger bikes for the American market. Too bad, because the small bikes are very practical.
Glad to see the airheads mentioned, I have a '78 R100 RS that I got in a trade sitting in the garage. It had sat in storage for years, possibly decades. Still had the original Continentals, however cracked and crumbling. I call it my 'litre bike' for kicks. Kinda landed in my lap, really.
cheers for the support mate, glad you enjoyed it, have a good one
I owned 3 of the Honda VF middleweight bikes.
'85 VF750F
'85 VF700S
'86 VFR700
I cannot say which I loved more.
great bikes 🙂 Cheers for watching mate. Ride Free 🙂
@@barebonesmc -I love V4 bikes. I had a Yamaha Venture with the V Max motor. Now, I cannot ride due to being disabled.
If I could ride again, I would get a V65 Magna and a Nighthawk S (Canada got the full 750 version!!!)
glad it jogged some good memories mate 🙂Cheers for watching. with the Nighthawk S, the problem with the 750 is the same as we had with the CBX 750 engie, it just doesnt rev like the 700. the 700 really is one of those happy accidents 🙂
@@barebonesmc Thanks for the Conversation, friend. I recall one of the bike magazines saying that the closest competition for the VF750F was the Nighthawk S. Sometimes I wish that I had bought it instead of the Intercepter 750.
@@buzzbbird I love mine ill be honest. itll probably be a while, but itll be back on the road at some point, the Laverda has just taken up all of my time this year. once ive ridden the Laverda more I will see which i prefer riding, the Laverda will take some getting used to, the Nighthawk S is just easy 🙂
I took a Honda CB400 Super dream for a test ride and was amazed how beautifully smooth the engine was and how quickly it travelled along the road,the only minus point being the mirrors which were terrible
ldamn good bikes :-) cheers for watching mate
Most noticeable thing,I found,is the monoshock on newer bikes, thought I was doing 60,looked down-120!
Sorry, can only find one thing to say about superdreams, reliability, the 250 I once had put me off Hondas haven't bought one since
if we all thought the same it would be a boring world mate, the 250 Superdream wasnt their best moment, but the 4 pot CBR250R that came later was a fantastic bike, im down to 2 Hondas now lol, My Nighthak S and the SuperBlackbird Frankensteins monster project 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
I really enjoyed the video a fun walk down memory lane. Owning two GS 1150 ES bikes I always secretly wanted the original FZR1000 and I owned a 88 zx10 . I think every bike on your list I have dreamed of owning at one time especially the Nighthawk 700 S . Thanks for making this interesting video
lol, ive just said in someone elses comment, i have to say the Nighthawk S along with the Vstrom will probably go to the grave with me The EXUPS will probably have 1 last hurrah before i sell them as i cant see me doing many more track days now but who knows :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free
When getting back into motorcycles 15 years ago in my mid 50s, rode when I was in my 20s, I picked up a 1986 K75C with 13K miles. Now that I'm retired just picked up a 1993 K75RT with 59K miles from of all places a BMW dealer. Was a trade in which they did a full going over and full service. Looking forward to touring the USA on it. As for why the K75 bikes are so popular there are a couple reasons besides their bombproof reputations. One is better weight distribution and handling than the K100 bikes and the other is with the internal balancers on the camshaft the engine is supper smooth at any rpm. Almost turbine in nature. You can cruise hour after hour at any speed without fatigue from vibration. Only limited by your butt, bladder, or fuel.
lol, cheers for your words mate :-) Thanks for watching, ride free
Last year I bought a used 1984 Yamaha 1200. I bought it to ride across country. It had 46000 and some miles on it. A great bike. Air, radio, helmet to helmet etc. All around a great bike.
A golden era :-) Cheers for watching mate, Ride Free
I had a 1982 250 Ninja Replace the air filter, clean the carbs and adjust the chain, $1200 total. As it was built before some of the pollution controls were in place and there was no governor. it could easily reach and maintain Turnpike speeds (75 to 85 mph in NJ) I loved it. I also had a kawai 500 that was my dream. I do wish I live long enought to get a used Kawai 300 with slipper clutch, injection and, maybe ABS
ejoy the ride mate, cheers for watching, Ride Free 🙂
I had an 81 Kawasaki LTD750 and a 86 LTD 454, loved that 454 its was light n quick
i know the 750 better , good bikes, solid engine 🙂Cheers for watching mate. Ride Free 🙂
@@barebonesmc yeah the LTD750 was really fast, but that inline 4 cylinder was a heavy mutha, still could do 80mph in 2nd gear, was the fastest ive ever been on a bike...I dont know if I got a freak bike but mine was exceptionally fast. The 454 was uncommonly quick too but I didnt do a break in period on it, as soon as I drove it off the showroom floor I was wide open throttle everywhere lol I paid $2,115. out the door for that 454. Wish we still had those prices
@@BillyBlaze7 indeed lol
Great list. When it comes down to it we'd all come up with a different top 10 which is what it's all about, personal choice.
indeed mate, if we were all the same it would be a boring world :-) Cheers for watching , ride free
I owned an 83 Honda V65 Magna back in college during the late 80s. Such a fantastic motorcycle! Torque on demand! Still,the 84-86 Nighhawk S is my favorite of all time!
was always a dream bike for me, then i got it, few bikes live up to your dreams but that one does :-) 🙂 Cheers for watching mate, Ride Free
The 1982 GXS1100E in champagne color is to me the best 1980s bike, sadly overshadowed by its Katana cousin.
great bikes they will find their place in time 🙂 Cheers for watching mate. Ride Free 🙂
Exactly what I rode for years, except I had the EZ model, slightly different bodywork. There was a reason Vance & Hines went with the big GS Suzukis of the day.
I owned the 86 Nighthawk 700 S. I road cross country 1500 miles in 32 hours. Best bike I ever owned. I now ride a 05 VFR 800 and wish it was shaft drive! Keep between the ditch's my brothers and sisters. 🙏 🍺
Just put mine back on the road
BMW K75, great choice. Bought one new in 1987 and sold it 18 months later with 68000 miles on the clock. 36 years later it still seems to be in existance but hasn't reached 80000 miles yet! Also owned R45, R65, R80, CB250N, CX500, all great bikes in their own way.
glad you enjoyed it mate 🙂cheers for watching , ride free
I own a 1984 Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S which I purchased new. It's a truly brilliant machine and I will never ever part with it. Thank you for this video.
had mine about ten years now, think it will probably be my retirement bike :-) we will see when i finish the Laverda :-) :-) cheers for watching mate, ride free
One of the most reliable and affordable bikes ever made was the Yamaha TX-XS650 twin. Also the best bargain on the market every day are the Yamaha Viragos from 1984 on up. Smooth, torquey, best clutch, trans, & charging systems in the business. I've never seen one with a bad rear drive in it. They didn't leak and the seats were all day.
it was a great era for Yamaha 🙂cheers for watching mate, ride free
My 85 honda 700 nighthawk was fantastic. I loved it. Very dependable.
just putting mine back on the road, it officially becomes a historic vehicle next year lol
That is so cool! I sure do miss mine. Historic vehicle, I must also be a historic something. Time goes WOOSH!
@@MarkTurner-vs7uc a good vintage mate 🙂
I've had one for almost 10 years. Great bike but parts are a bit of a problem here in the Netherlands (they were never officially imported here). Specifically the exhaust. No aftermarket and the original was still available but would set me almost 2000 euro's back. Plus: I wasn't that keen any longer on high performance and high revs. Matter of aging: of myself, not the bike ;-). Sold it to someone who was buying two Nighthawks 700 S to combine the best parts of both to get himself a bike in the best possible condition. So my bike found a good next owner.
@@janvandamme8920 glad to hear it found a good home
Still have my 86 cb700sc, still very clean and riden regularly . Bought new, garage kept it's whole life. Could never sell it, it:s more than a bike, it's an old friend.
I do love that bike :-) :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
I just picked up a 81 XS1100 Midnight special. I haven’t gotten it fully road ready yet, so I can’t speak to reliability, but it was definitely a bargain, and it has a timeless look.
enjoy it mate, they have a loyal following, if you haven't already there are some great XS forums around 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
My buddy had the FJ11 and I had the '82 Nighthawk 750 -- marvellous good times!
glad it jogged some good memories mate 🙂I still have my 700SC 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
Agree on most. USA received different models. The Sabre was an underrated bike. Another forgotten champion was the rather plain KZ400/440. Nearly bulletproof.
someone else mentioned the Z400 yesterday so it hasnt been forgotten 🙂
VFR 750 F. Fantastic to ride. Phenomenal acceleration, great on Welsh roads, can take on the best and beat them in the twisties. I had a 1986 model, ran it for 3 years.
on most welsh roads i reckon the RVF 400 would be my choice :-) but the Vstrom makes the Abergwesyn pass much easier than most, its just a bit more relaxing too :-) 🙂Cheers for watching mate, Ride Free
Had an ER 185, GS 550 and a Katana 650 with shaft drive in the 80's, the katana was such a great bike.
a GS 650 E in a space 1999 outfit :-) (dont know if youll remember the show lol) cheers for watching mate, ride free
@BAREBONESMC Oh yes, I remember Space 1999. Specially Gabrielle Drake. My spelling is a bit off. I've had a few.
Nice to see the fj mentioned, i have a 1200 and its a keeper. The 400 superdream was so good i bought another after selling my first one!
🙂Cheers for watching mate, ride free
@@barebonesmc will do, you too 👍
Nice video mate - Awakened many a fond memory. I've been biking since 1984. My first wee steed was a beautiful, emerald green Kawasaki KH100EX (seven spoke wheels and not the less attractive five spoke) I bought it secondhand at age 15 and rode it before I was even allowed to... Naughty boy that I was. Since then, I've owned 25 bikes and have ridden pretty much everything out there. Massive fan of 80s and 90s bikes. Subbed.
welcome aboard mate, youre in good company here :-) i started on a KC100 lol, the cheaper version of the KH :-)
@@barebonesmc I remember the KC and indeed the KE. I ended up trading the KH in for a brand new AR80 - Fantastic little motor - but the man today would choose the KH every time, as it's a more substantial machine imo. But hey, I was 17 and a sporty AR was the right bike for my age. Every road saw 10,000rpm. Fun rides.
@@AnthonyDonnellyTT fun indeed 🙂 mine was just a means to an end, i passed my test pretty quick n moved on to the 350 LC lol but the KC took me to work every day and plenty of gigs and never let me down 🙂
Snap, started on a black kh with the five spoke wheels. And then an Ar125 almost all kwackers since except a rush of blood to the head when I bought a pair of xs400s what horrible bikes!
@@barebonesmchilarious my 1st bike was the KC100 ringgg-dinggg-dinggg, occasionally it hit 55mph (on a slight downhill slope)
I bought an '82 KZ650 CSR in 1998 for $500. My Dad bought an '82 CB650 Special shortly after that. My "Kawi" was my daily ride for over 2 years, to 2 jobs. I didn't even own a car. While my Dad's Honda was smooth and more refined, I preferred the power and aggressiveness of my "Kawi", and I miss that bike to this day. Both bikes were stolen in '08.
bike thieves deserve their own special hell in my opinion, cheers for watching mate, ride free
Used to work on a k75, had 298000km on it.Sat for 10 years, I cleaned the tank and replaced the fuel pump assy, and she worked like a charm
imagine that with todays fuel lol they cant even make fuel as well as they used to, what is the world coming to eh :-) ride free mate
@@barebonesmc as a mechanic i can say for sure that the fuel we get gets worse as time goes by. And I would say that most if not all the newer bikes, are not built as good enough as they used to
@@bikeserv i think youre right on both, they dont want to build them as well anymore. i just hate plain bearings lol, they arent real bearings they are bushes FFS
I had a 'pre-owned' '83 GS 650 L. A lovely ride.
nice, an underrated bike
A buyers market? Not here in the U.S. quite the opposite! Bikes that where $2500 before COVID are now $4k.
Really ? ive noticed that on cars and vans here but not with bikes. I have friends over there who have picked up some bargains over the last 6 months too. and the containers keep coming over here full , Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
@@barebonesmc Was looking for a Honda ST1100 specifically about a year back which is where I came up with those numbers. Also looked into the 650 VStroms and other similar bikes, same thing. Did find a 1980 Yamaha XS1100 with all the touring gear on it for $1600 which I bought and put a weekend worth of work and about $100 worth of parts into. This bike has treated me well with close to 20,000 miles put on since I bought it, other than the usual tires and maintenance she's rock solid
@@LeoTheComm as least you know the XS will hold its value too 🙂
Why the price hike?
great video!!! congratulations and many thanks .
glad you enjoyed it mate 🙂 Theres plenty more on the channel, hope you will look around and find something your interested in. there is more on the website too. and there will be more to come. Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
If there is one missing, it would be the 750 triple Yamaha. They were a solid reliable bit of kit with oodles of character.
thats a whole other can of worms lol, im sure theyll come up at some point :-) Cheers for watching, ride free
Only cruiser bike I ever owned was a bright yellow 750 Magna. Handled ok, smooth rider, wasn't so heavy I couldn't toss it around a bit, and had enough acceleration to keep me grinning.😁
I remember when the V65 came out they had a commercial about it on the deck of an aircraft carrier and how it could beat a Tomcat being catapulted off the deck.🤣 Good times and great bikes!😎👍🏻
indeed :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free :-)
My favourite 80s bike is the VT500E. It was much, much better than its big rival, the sluggish GT550 and better than the NTV600 and 650s that followed using a bigger (but no more powerful) version of the same engine. I even think it was better than the CB500 of 93-on which is regarded as the best middleweight of the 90s.
It was very slim and light, would easily do 100mph and over 60mpg. Very very reliable and cheap to run, very nimble on its skinny tyres having a 120/80 18 on the rear. Faster and comfier than the XBR too. It was more than capable two-up with a long seat and plenty of torque. Lovely clear clocks that glowed red in the dark not stark, tiring white like CB500. Plus, it had shaft drive! It had the unique oddity of a warning lamp covering the eventuality of your rear bulb blowing.
As a fun/tourer/ commuter it had EVERYTHING. The only possible downside being its enclosed disc ( which wasn't very powerful either) making wheel removal hard. They do come up occasionally for sale, I recently saw one on ebay for £1500 which is gonna be an absolute steal for someone.
Oh dear. Maybe I've said too much and prices are gonna go up as a result!
Most OVER rated, yes I'm gonna get some stick here, the 250 and 400 Suetdreams. Noisy, slow and terrible mpg. The money they now fetch is simply ridiculous.
I was appalled in 1989 when the vt500 was dropped and replaced by the Brazilian Superdream.
What we're H playing at???
Ive had more than one mate and they are an underrated bike (theres a picture late on in the video going up today :-) ) the 500 just revs better and that long 6th gear makes so much difference :-) the only issue is that bloody tank. ive only ever had 1 that wasnt like a collander lol. one had so much petseal in in weighed a ton, and still leaked lol, the joys 🙂cheers for watching mate, ride free 🙂
@@barebonesmc the ntv was a disappointment imo. Sometimes making a motor bigger doesn't make it better. Same when Honda's 192cc twin was increased to 233cc by taller rods. Your leaky tank was just bad luck. Not specific to VTs. I've only ever had 2 car punctures, both on my very first car, a Volvo 360 in the mid 90s. None since!
@@TomBartram-b1c i certainly agree bigger isnt always better, As to the VT tanks, Ive got a whole collection of em lol, theres a water trap at the rear behind the taps that can never empty because its lower than the taps, the heavier water settles there and rots the tank from the inside, try and find a decent 2nd hand one if you can, the metal was very thin to start with and it was just a design flaw IMO. have a good weekend mate
Agreed the VT500 was a great bike - As an 80s courier myself IMHO if ever a bike was designed for despatch riding the VT was it - Enough legs for distance but slim and light enough for town - The only design fault on that bike was the horrendously dangerous side stand which if you forgot to kick it back up refused to flip up - Peace, Druid66
Love your videos, so knowledgeable.
i do my best mate, i dont always get it right but i try 🙂cheers for watching , ride free 🙂
We got the CB 700 Nighthawk as the CBX750 Horizon here in NZ, not to be confused with the CBX750F (RC17) sports bike which it shares its engine with.
the short throw crank on the 700 just changed the engine characteristics completely 🙂
Nice to see a cb700sc, I've recently bought one! Not something you see very often in the UK
Welcome to a very small UK owners group mate :-) great bikes :-) had mine a few years now :-) Cheers for watching mate, ride free
I have to agree, the feeling of spanking new bikes on a classic is one of the best feelings ever, especially if you did the work ✌️🇺🇸
You got it mate :-) i always remember a guy on an MV Dragstar at Cadwell saying he hit 140mph at the end of park straight, i was passing him on my old Daytona like he was standing still. my comment was, bloody hell my bike must be faster than i thought pmsl, he was probably just breaking the ton in reality, terrified of breaking his new shiny toy 🙂cheers for watching mate, ride free 🙂
I am wanting to see the best bikes of the 90s thank You for all the knowledge that You share with Us
ill still be talking bikes when im in my grave im sure lol. every time someone says 70s someone else says 90s first so im no closer lol, i will get them both done :-) cheers for watching mate, ride free
Great, No nonsense video.
Thank you.
I have owned both a 1986 BMW K75C and a 1978 Suzuki GS750E.
Loved both. Interestingly the Suzuki was the easier, more comfortable bike to ride, not sure why.
I would very much a video on 1990s and 2000s.
I won’t be purchasing any 70’s bikes.
i will get to the 90s soon im sure :-) :-) Cheers for watching and thanks for the comment mate, ride free :-)
Amigo, gracias al traductor se de lo habla en su vídeo y en verdad tiene a un nuevo suscriptor y que gusto saber de modelos que medianamente conozco por verlos en revistas, en la ruta o charlando con los dueños; pero gracias por hacer sus videos con gran contenido.
Saludos desde Querétaro México!
gracias amigo y bienvenido. Me alegro de que hayas disfrutado el vídeo. Cabalga gratis
Absolutely fantastic you have made all my memories as as kid trolling though all the bike shops dreaming and sitting on all or some of these legends I now own a GPZ900R which I waited 33 years to get and have a VF1000F honda again another bike as a kid wanted thank you from John (jock) In the Falklands islands 👍👍❤
bless ya mate :-) I waited about 30 years for my nighthawk S too :-) welcome aboard :-)