Am so glad u did this as Honda guy since 15 am 62 know have 9 old Hondas currently it's funny see 6hr footage from oran park Australia look all smoking ads king-size indeed .
I'm mostly a HD guy but owned many brands in the last 58 years. That CB 500 looks might tasty. My brother found that bikes were cheaper in California in the early 70's. He got a flight from Ohio to California to buy the 500. The money he saved on his new 500 paid for his flight and he rode the 500 back to Ohio!
@@martincvitkovich724the cb500 was special. But I am biased😊😊 mine was pearl black with a dunstall 4 into 1 and rear sets 🤣🤣 when I was an apprentice my mum said she knew when to put the kettle on because she always heard it starting 😊. Work was just over a mile away 😂😂😂
A motorcycle can be exciting and some can be less exciting but riding one is never boring . And if you get bored you are probably on a High way and did not give yourself enough challenging rurns and or let it rip
I Soooo do agree with you there .. BUT .. exciting often ISNT desirable .. ever had a speed wabble on a z1 in a bend .. asked our selves was it the bikes tires or noodle frame .. those were the days .. no adjustable suspension other than fork oil viscosity & pathetic preload .. such a choice these days especially classics .. in my day .. a thirty years old bike was junk .. now .. a thirty yr old bike is still very much up with sporty riding if you want it
@@Errol.C-nz we do live in a strange world when 25 year old bikes are built better than many of todays bikes though 😊 the spec might be better but the manufacturing? Hmm😊
My wife was looking through some files the other day and found the receipt for our Honda Super blackbird. It was 1998, a gray import at the time and had to be imported from europe. I am English frtom the North East of England. It was cheaper to have it imported than to buy it from the shops. This was when the bike was carbed an the first of its kind. I remember that we had a flat spot around 50-60 mph so I had it dyno jetted from an engineering firm on Westgate road to get rid of the flat spot. Worked good. Moving on to emigrating to Australia, I have not used the bike much in the 22 years since moving here. I have it in my back yard under our pergola and see it every day out of my window. I paid a lot of money to get micron pipes fitted back then and remember they had to be re-jigged 3 times for them to fit. They still look perfect after all these years as does the bike. I paid $400 to get it started again after so many years of standing idol and never rode it since then. It has to be one of the saddest things of my life but cannot bear to sell it, but know someday I'll have to. The mileage on it is about 15 klm ( next to nothing ) . It is in mint condition. I have had it to 162 mph back in the uk when I first got it to see what it really could do. I have been regularly 150 mph with my wife as the pillion (and still have the bruises on my thigh to prove it lol). Because it was an import from Europe, it only had klms on the tacho and I had to buy an mph sticker to go over the top to make it road legal. Good thing about that was, when I emigrated, i could take the sticker off and only have klms showing. I must apologise to any fellow bikers if this is a boring story, but it is true and I'm sure we have many, many strange stories to tell about biking. I'm now 74 yo and if I can muster enough energy to have the bike fixed again, I will take her on her last journey before it's too late to enjoy my Superb Honda Sports touring bike. THANK YOU HONDA FOR PRODUCING GREAT BIKES! (and a big shout out to Barebonesmc for his great naratives). Bike safely everyone. Regards.
Yeh, everytime I pass 7000 RPM on my Super Blackbird and the speedo leaves 150 mph in the dust on its way to 180 mph, I think, yawn, how boring.....not 😂.
Now now boys lol 😊 I wish I had roads closer that speed was doable on. That way I might get mine back on the road quicker 😂😂 having to go to Germany every time I want to open it up got a bit much 😂
@@barebonesmc I'm lucky enough to have spent quite a lot of time working across Germany (travelling between Braunshweig and Stuttgart) with my BBird being my transport between the two cities. Used to get a mileage allowance from work of 24p/mile (which was nowhere near enough to cover the BBird at autobahn speeds but I didn't care 😊). For the record, the speedo on the BBird is wildly optimistic, indicated 180mph is really only just over 160 mph (GPS) and for those readers who think that 160 mph is still a big deal, they almost certainly haven't ridden a BBird on a big road with no speed cameras. It will cruise quite happily all day at a GPS speed of 150 mph with no drama at all (and still give quite a kick when you open it up from there). Aero is king once you start hitting big speeds, and the BBird just gets better and better the faster you go.
I was expecting something else from the title of the video, and assumed I would comment that boring bikes often do not get stranded waiting for the tow truck. Good show of historic bikes!
I loved my CB250RS when I was 17 and just passed my test to move up from a 125, I also loved my VF500F2 that bike handled like no other. These days I ride a CBR600F4 and go touring with all my camping gear on it all over Europe and the UK, it is perfect for me, fast enough but still light enough to handle well, even with the luggage
Blumming great video! But what about the VF 400 naked.. 84 I think it came out? It looked so gorgeous, with out the fairings to hide the engine.. I did ride one once for about 40 quick miles. Must be rair as hens teeth now!
The CB500F brings back some interesting memories. The gold run escort from Salisbury to Beitbridge some time in ‘78? 100% reliable flat out. Half of it was after dark, dodging wild animals and terrs. I had one rule: NEVER volunteer for stupid stuff. The Honda swung it. No other bike would have given me the same confidence. We will never know those times again. Another great vid mate. Just one issue: There’s no apostrophe in the plural Honda!!!🧐😎 Peace 🏴
@@barebonesmc None of us are brother. It’s just part of my mission to reduce the level of apostrophe abuse on the WWW - before Webster’s and the Oxford decide that it’s acceptable…👀🙈 Peace 🏴
Bona fides in storytelling is an attribute that even if know one ever gets a glimpse of that mug of yours they might remember the voice behind the motorcycle vlogger. That's something that caught me early on with your work. I hope you never give up even as things get more difficult. I appreciate it even more knowing how hard you are working right now & about the bikes here. Wow is all I can say but there are a few that if the circumstances were right(had bike/money) that I'd put one together to ride w/ pride ! I like the nostalgic beauty, the lines -n- color schemes, and dammit, I like those seats ! Good evening from the Lone Star State & tell that Little Gal I said hello. Fight on to the next day of stories, I'll be here the Lord willing. peace & GB ALL
My arse is lacking.... lol, it lacks in many ways. When I think of a motorcycle, I think of elongated seats that can seat two people stretching from the tail light to the fuel tank. I think of the fuel tank as being just higher than the seat but nothing radical in shape or height above the seat height. That testifies to my age here but Honda & other Japanese companies have continued to build some retro looking bikes over the 90's until today even. I read that Honda has catered to the Japanese public by offering some of the qualities I spoke of above b/c they like the old style looks as I do. And I'm not including the "Cafe Bikes" but as good as some of those look, I've got to have a functional bike that rides well but also that can carry things I need like a passenger(blow up doll?), a few tools, and travel stuff. But I have the king of trips in your knowledge of traveling, you know how to pack it in & go down the road. My vehicles need to be able to carry enough to carry on. Did you really ride an R1 ? I don't think I could tuck into that position & hang on but I like that bike a lot = I'm smart enough to know she ain't for me ! Off to the store. Feeling a little better, both of us. Can't believe we both lost our gallbladders just 1 1/2 days apart? Now that is crazy & I don't believe in coincidences but what are the chances of 2 people, same house, both needing an emergency surgery to pull out the same part & do it in 2 Hospitals so 70 miles apart? Super Weird to me. I'll be catching up w/ you guys soon, I trust. Off to face the day..... peace & GB You/yours
@@diggy-d8wglad recovery goin ok. And yep that’s a mad one lol. And yes I had the last carb era R1. It was a great bike for track but far faster than me lol. So I kept the fzr’s and sold the R1 after I’d tuned it lol. 2 days work and about £200 on dyno time doubled its value 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for the kind words & the rehab is progressing. It's a chore that makes pulling teeth seem easy but we are both helping each other to move forward. I've known you as a story teller & wise man which I don't just say about people.... lol, the bit on the R1, your experiences, reaffirm the wisdom. Knowing the R1 is more than what you need & getting it to someone else before you & the bike got destroyed is pretty wise - I'd bet you've seen many who didn't heed the warning signs & they probably paid the price. Your time/money to invested & letting her go on to another owner was just smart. See, I know my limitations now & even if I had the money to own an H2 / R1 or any of the others, I would not do it ! For the same reasons you sold her ! Remember, it's 1 step at a time & hopefully the next step will be easier than the last. I can only hope/pray it goes down just like this & if not, you are the kinda tough man who ain't gonna let it stop you. That's just my take of you...... I am glad you have support with you. peace my brother >> GB You/yours
@@diggy-d8w the words are from my heart mate. And believe me I know the battles 😊 but you’re a fighter. And you know it makes sense. Thought always with you. I’ve walked further in the last few weeks than I’ve managed all year. Aching and bruised but I’m doing what I know I have to do ffs I’ve even been climbing which I haven’t managed in years so I have to be thankful. Bless you both. Sleep well
I love Honda Motorcycles. I have 2 in my collection, a Honda 750 and a Honda V 65 Magna. Most of those bikes you mentioned I never heard of, which is the reason I'm a subscriber to this channel. I collect street bikes, not racing models although I like to see them. I'm STILL looking for a fairly priced 1979 Honda CBX for the collection. Is there such a thing as having too many motorcycles. I dare say "NO"! Great job, BAREBONESMC! Ride safe.
Its amazing how many models (from all the big four Japanese manufactures) were never sold in the U.S. not just 2 strokes or smaller 400cc bikes, but big 1000cc plus models that you would think would sell well there.
@@uhtred7860 yeah it never made any sense why the 01 was singled out but i believe it was the beginning of some political campaigning that quickly lost traction
@@Errol.C-nz Yeah, because they sold the cruiser model that used the engine the 01s motor was based on, maybe they thought Buell would suffer sales losses.🤷♂
When I was 16, (42 years ago) a used Honda CB 550 four was my first street bike. Spent lots of time on dirt bikes before that. It was IMO a very good bike, one that I under appreciated at the time.
My cbx 400f was 200kg full tank I was allowed weigh it on my dad's scales at the docks loved it felt way better than my 81 cb 400n which felt much more top heavy and way faster more fun.
I have had multiple Hondas. One of my favorite rides was an old 72 CB 500 F. One ride I remember I was going across the Benicia bridge In California socked in with the fog. What I liked about that bike is that I could turn the headlight off and let the street lights guide me at five in the morning. It was an interesting ride.
I had a 89 NSR250 it wasn't boring. 👑 Of tank slappers only had it a couple of months before wrapping it around a directional chevron post on a roundabout. Probably not the best 1st fast bike, but it taught me cold tyres don't do extreme lean angles 😊
@@barebonesmc The Honda NC30 was THE best handling bike I have ever had the pleasure to ride. (OMG that hurt) Rode it at Cadwell at a race school many years ago. (from a Yamaha FanBoy)
@@funkygrib1lol. I just love the baby fzr 😊😊 but cbr fzr vfr all so close. Depending on years of course. The vfr was probably the hardest bike to stay ahead of on track. However far away you get they always come fighting back 🤣🤣🤣
Dunno if you cast an eye over Motogymkhana in Japan, if not you should. Anyhoo, their are loads of NSR,250's still being used. Always blows my mind seeing them, 30+ year old 2t's running flawlessly round a load of cones. Honda have built some astonishing bikes.
There’s a pan doing motogymkhana and I think something else in a different video 😊 I tried it a couple of times for fun. Once on vt500 and then on a Z650 I built with a mono shock rear. It’s damn hard 🤣🤣🤣 some of the riders control is unbelievable
I've had six different Honda's since 1978. They have all been mega reliable and "nice" to ride. However I never kept any one of them for more than 2 years. In 2007 I bought a Buell XB12X and cherished it for the next 12 years..... I know it goes against the perception of Buells, but in the 12 years I owned and rode it the only MOT failure repair I had to make was repairing a broken wire to the horn. It had "character" in buckets and was so comfortable and at ease on the road. Had I been a little taller I would still have it today. Unfortunately as I got older managing a bike that was just a little too tall for me was the reason for selling it. Bad mistake.
I love Hondas, I rode my CJ360T from Monterey, Ca. to Massachusetts in July of 1976. Bicentenial year. You might say " that's too small" and you'd be right. It's all I had.
As a young lad I used to gaze trough the window of the local Honda dealership, they all had pressed steel frames and chrome panels on the tanks. Capacities were small 50 to 250cc, all were quite uninspiring. So was the case when I was old enough to ride, I preferred 2 stokes although I realise now the Honda's were probable better designed and made.
I don't think of Honda as boring, more like quality. All the Japanese bikes are good, and I've owned them all, but honda is well known for reliability and longevity. Performance too.
Interesting. Always loved Honda. Ssv50, CB750F, CB900F2 rode them for many years, no problems. Not the fastest in their classes but enjoyed every moment
@@barebonesmc it was a crazy dangerous track, but spectacular to watch. Though after watching six hours of racing of one minute laps, I never had the faintest idea what position anyone was in (and sometimes the organisers didn't know either)
@@gasdive sounds like Mallory used to be in its heyday. That’s where I first saw Graeme Crosby. Short fast n with one of the sharpest hairpin bends on the calendar. Now they’ve stuck 3 chicanes in n it barely gets used for anything other than track days. Sad when you think back to days of the transatlantic and race of the year
@@barebonesmc PS, if you're interested in the history of the track, and the Castrol 6 hour (initially called the Castrol 1000 after the size of the purse) then put "A road racing circuit, motocross track, tar hill climb, oiled-dirt short circuit (and briefly, a speedway). And less than an hour from Sydney CBD. A dream?" Into you-know-what.
@@barebonesmc - one of mine has an FT500C motor, with a 10.8:1 Wiseco piston. The other has an XL500S motor with a 10.6: 1 competition slipper piston in. Lively! But a Git to kickstart as no decompressor
@@barebonesmc - the first 250 RS I made, with the 10.8:1 Wiseco piston, was an evil thing to start. One time, it backfired, shot the kickstart upwards and put my boot through the side-panel!
Over the years I've owned a CB750, a CBR1000 and a VF1000 , all were fun to ride at any speed, reliable and had state of the art design technology when new, so no I don't think they are boring.
Honda’s are not boring when they don’t want to be, which ironically you showed at the start of the video with Grahame Crosby racing a CBX 1000 Honda Six in the worlds biggest production race at the time the Castrol Six Hour at Sydney’s Amaroo Park in Oz But Honda did have a problem in 1979-1980 with its CB900 Bol Dor getting beaten by GS1000’s & XS1100 Yamaha’s so it brought out specially for that race the CB1100R with close on 120 hp & ground clearance & a huge alloy 25 Litre tank for less fuel stops , the most un-boring Honda of all. And it worked , but Suzuki’s GSX1100’s gave it a run for its money. Great video , but no Honda 750/4’s which started everything before Kawasaki’s Z1’s in 1972 , it could have its own video for that importance.
Here in NZ the Suzuki importer built a very small amount of special GSX1100 Katanas called the GSX1100SXZ "Wire-Wheeler", (not the same as the Aussie wire wheel one) 45 were built to beat the CB1100Rs in production racing, they had quite a few upgrades like, the lighter wheels, different carbs, brakes, freer flowing exhausts, different cams, braided brake lines etc. (only 20 units were required to homologate the machines as production bikes under the rules of the New Zealand Autocycle Union) and they won the 1981/1982 NZ National Production Championship.
Ah, the 650 Bros / Hawk at last. Did I already mention my near standard one now has a Revere tank (18 l in stead of 10 l) and gold wheels? Today I even put M handlebars on it. Beside the Italian air of a red bike with gold alloys it now also gives off a strong British cafe racer vibe. Didn’t Royal Enfield make a 650 V-twin? Or maybe one could compare it to a modernised small Vincent, although that description will probably be sacrilege to most. Tomorrow I’ll take my first ride on it with those low handlebars. Together with the broad shouldered Revere tank it increases the feeling of becoming more integrated into the bike. And then there is the optimised weight distribution. Broooooap! 😁
We got the MVX250 here in NZ. They were terrible bikes, not only were they completely outclassed by the competition of the time, (RZ, RG KR 250s) but they had terrible reliability as well. My KR250 would blow pass my mates MVX250 like it was going backwards. The NS250 that followed was far superior, we got them in the same colours as the one at 17:43.
It was back in the 1980's, after some particularly hateful 'UJM' review in 'Cycleworld' magazine.... One of the editors wrote; "why is it that anything I've ever had that just *worked* has been declared by somebody else to be a 'soulless appliance'?" 😂 Honda's. Just. Work. and that 'becomes' their character. I prefer Yamaha's generally because you get 80% of that 'Honda-ness', but from folks who worship the tuning fork as well.😊
The MVX 250 was a hand grenade. Not a good bike as it had issues with cooling on the rear cylinder. The RGV and RD ate it for breakfast. I had a CR250rb... it was a beast and the spares kit was such a winner, one bike I wish I never sold. Had a CX500sport that was a slug but carried me over 220 000 kms I loved that bike cos it did its job. Had many hondas that did their job. The XL and XRs were brulliant, but love my KTM more.
People called the Zane era Laverda’s hand grenades too 🤣 possibly my favourite ever bike n yes. Still miss it n on one level wish I’d never sold it. But I wouldn’t fold up enough for that or the tzr 1kt in the end 😊 the 350LC would probably be next on that list of wish I hadn’t sold it bikes. But vest la vie I guess
I always thought that somewhere in Hondas decision making boardrooms they was a "wet blanket" type, the type of guy that doesn't like anyone having to much fun. Honda have had the ability for decades to make the best in class, performance wise, but very rarely did. Their bikes more than often have a built in all round usability, that is great, but rarely makes them the most exciting in there class, which can be mistaken for being boring or bland. There has been some exceptions tho.
Honda motorcycles aren't boring but l did enjoy the footage of the Castrol 6 hour at Amaroo Park in N.S.W and l was at that race went to many Castrol 6 hours and l still have the badges l rode and owned motorcycles back in the 1970s and 1980s
I had a cbr1000 2000 first injection model , i nearly fell asleep on it , but it could stop like no other bike and was as stable as a monument . I chopped it in for a zx10r for a bit more frills , it used to slide the front into roundabouts , lift the front off the throttle at over 120 if you needed to bang it open ( to get out of trouble) and the brakes were on or off …. Axed out from under me one morning under hard braking and broke my collar bone and a couple of ribs . The blade wouldve stopped no problem 🤷🏻♂️
Like i said , first injection model . Swingarm bolted to engine and had a horrible dead spot when you off on’d the throttle , felt like it needed the needles dropping . Was red white and blue - matched my nikes 🤷🏻♂️
If talking production bikes only, then yes, for the most part, hondas can be a bit vanilla to ride. However, every now and then an oddity appears. The CBX750 was one example. It had a really Peaky power delivery more akin to a Kawasaki power delivery. A more recent example is the new 750 parallel twin used in the hornet and transalp. It's also very un Honda. But for the most part compared with other brands category equivalent, they can be less...err... interesting to ride.👍
@@barebonesmc The new parallel twin 750 motor doesn't run hot. I live in Australia. So running hot and throwing hot air at the rider are potentially more detrimental here due to it being 40°C in the shade. I own a transalp 750 which I do a lot of tight slow off-road on, is excellent when it comes to heat. Previous BMW F900XR was horrible. It used to bake my left leg. So bad I didn't bother with the heated seat in winter. Just tuck left leg into the bike and warm up.
@@martythompson6509 not what i keep hearing at all. i had a test ride but it wasnt long enough. do me a good and bad points? i couldnt get a try with a passenger and the pillion comfort is a big problem for me (or should i say my beloved passenger) thats the biggest reason i never got a T7 lol
Love my 87 yamaha but parts are getting hard to find ,rear rotor was a gigantic pain took 2 weeks to find in Australia and im in Canada .phaser is up and rocking though.
@@joesutherland225 The rear disc used on those is used on many different Yamaha models, all the FZRs used the same disk, as do the 87 on FZs. Yambits in the UK sell pattern ones as do Wemoto, and CMSNL Try finding exhaust valves for an 87/88 FZR1000 took me 3 years to locate enough to recon my FZRs head. 😫
@@uhtred7860 oh oh didn't want to hear that last bit about heads. I'm thinking of a complete reman of the motor as I've done everything else already but cost is a factor for a retired guy thanks on the leads for parts may need more.motors fine for now but...
You should have asked mate. Got a complete exup head and valves spare. I have 2 exups still but one has YZF750 head and cams so have all the bits left after the swap 😊
To me it seemed that they (usually) picked an exciting bike, did their generally reliable version of it that was 15mph slower then got accused of being boring.
They have made some lemons but love the styling of many like the early cb500 four first Africa twin first fireblade and nsr 😊 making so many bikes always means some will be bad😊
I don’t know where the boring think comes from fare from it. CB1100R, RC30, CBR BLADES, CBX 1000 and so on. I’m sure Honda has the record of the most motorcycles sold & championships.
I think the boring bit is a joke and I agree re the bikes you mention and many more. The cub is still the best selling bike ever but I’m not sure on the most bikes sold. Long live the mighty cub 😊
@@barebonesmc I think it’s everso touch and go with those big street fighters. Remember the concept B-King was a work of art, then when it came out it was all just a bit off.
What led to me and those around me forming a view Hondas were boring were the models they offered during our youth - that being in the early 80's. There SS50 was slower than the Yamaha FS1E and Suzuki AP50 (no Kawasaki 50 available) and their 250 Superdream was no fun compared to the 2 stroke 250's and even some of the 4 strokes. These views stuck for a while although the high reving Honda 125 twin helped a bit. The 'Rather my sister in a w*orehouse than my brother on a Honda' T shirts didn't help Honda' case either.
lol, not a tshirt ive seen :-) ive still got an SS50 mudguard in the shed somewhere :-) they have made some of the worst as well as some of the best i guess :-)
@barebonesmc Yes they did make some excellent and innovative bikes, often going their own way (enclosed discs and their anti-dive system spring to mind) But this was hard to see in the choice they offered teenagers in the 80's. Talking of anacronims, do yo recall their alternative to Yamaha's Yamaha Power Valve System - ypvs? It was called the Honda Exhaust Reactive Power Expansion System or, yes, no kidding, herpes. I believe the name featured briefly on a 125 before they changed it
@@tonygarlick7775 PMSL no i hadnt heard that one either lol. and yes, although the Superdream wasnt exciting, it was probably the best of the 250's for riding 2 up once youd passed your test 🙂 the 400N was a great bike and still underrated in my opinion. no nothing like the later 4 pot 400s for power, but it could still hang with many bigger bikes. The CB250RS still has a loyal fanbase too, not my cup of tea, but each to their own 🙂
Hondas allways seem to be a lucky bike, both in reliability and accidents that didn't somehow quite happen. Due to various wives and a bunch of great kids, my bikes have been old doer uppers, never spending more than £600 on anything, last one a CB1000F. I'm too big for small bikes and really that 1000f was too small. Getting older has it's own disappointments.😂
Not always (CBX, RVF, XR, NS), but mostly true nowadays in the UK. Honda Hawk 11 looks great, but waaaaay too exciting to bring to Europe, as was the US spec CRF 450R. I blame the UK/EU importers - seems they all wear cardigans and beige slacks. 19:16
@@mrsilbo6499 Ah, you're talking CRF450L, not 450R Edit: the 450L is just a street-legal 450X (6sp./ comp. rtaio 12:1). The 450R is the MX bike, has a 5sp gearbox and 13.5:1 compression
I grew up loving Honda motorcycles. I always preferred the finish on them, designs and they were bulletproof. As far as boring😅 What's the word for the bikes the Japanese are manufacturing now? SHITE! Theyre de- evolving in HP output and excitement factor. And 400's 30yrs ago are as fast as the R7 and R9 of today.😢
A good point well put mate 🙂Days when they paid for great engineers rather than relying on computers to put the package together lol. Cheers for the comment. Ride Free 🙂
In terms of its impact around the world, possibly the greatest motor vehicle ever. Also for so many of us, the first bike we rode, around the fields at the age of 14:)
Honda has always made bikes that were intelligently designed, very performant & reliable, yet they were often very "smooth", providing less sensations and showing less character than their competitors.
Sadly the oft overlooked 12000rpm VT250 Spada was missed & NRX1800 Valkerie that cost well more than the rc213.. The motorcycle WORLD would be much more boring without Honda.. never to confuse boring with predictable.. Honda make "predictable" machines vs Kawasaki's exciting noodle monsters of the past.. chassis if you could call them that.. of spaghetti.. there are old bikers & there are bold bikers but .. .. there are plenty of old .. Hondas .. a marriage made in biker heaven.. there's an old biker in this town rides his cb500-4 mk1 most week days.. has a few oil leaks.. & so does his bike.. takes me back to great biking times of the 70s & earlier
Honda has always produced runofthemill bikes, and these tend to be boring yes. They used to, on rare occasions, bring an exciting bike, however this has stopped - of looong late already. What's left is boring stuff, no thank you.
I would argue even the new Blade's could never be described as boring, or the RC213V :-) but i get your point, they do play it safe a lot these days, but then after some of their failures, maybe thats understandable :-)
In reality for racing speed is always relative to the track. Most tracks they will choose very specific gearing so top speed achievable is different on each. It could be as simple as the nc30 came standard with shorter gearing
Yes Honda have made some fantastic machines with character however their new machines are soooo good at doing everything well they have lost all personality and soul.....
i've never heard honda's referred to as boring and over the years they have built SOME great bikes BUT like with everything else in life where the status of something is derived from the resulting success from the cumulation of all it's individual parts so should a manufacturers status be a reflection based on the sum of all it's individual models and honda has built some real dogs, wait let me rephrase, honda is the only motorcycle manufacturer i've ever heard to take one of their existing barely adequate models of bike and re-release after eliminating almost all the redeeming qualities the bike did have, case and point, 1st gen vt750 shadow, 465 lbs curb wt, 70hp, 6 speed o/d, 8500 rpm redline, 131 mph top speed, double disk front brakes, instrumentation- speed, tach, temp, low fuel, fuel econ 61 mpg average. 2nd gen vt750 shadow, 580 lbs c/w, 43 hp, 5 speed U/D, est. 6000 rpm redline, top spd 95mph downhill, single front disk, inst only speedometer, uncorrected fuel econ 50mpg, corrected 40mpg.. 1st gen shadow praised for it's capable highway cruising, 2nd gen shadow more for cruising around town and short lower speed stints on highway's with only mild inclines and no head winds. So 43hp at the crank on a chian driven bike is about what, 36 at the rear wheel?
I can see your point lol, putting the 750 block on was the mistake lol. my old 600 VLX weighed loads less and tuned was pulling over 60hp at the back wheel :-) the VT500 shaft drive was another great (but flawed) bike that just never sold like it should have, and yes, they have built some awful bikes too. but credit where it is due, the RC30 has to be one of the best engineering jobs ever, in any top ten or bottom ten, Honda will be there lol, when i started the Worst bikes video, the first 4 bikes were Honda's and i nearly changed the video to the 10 worst Honda's :-) i didnt realise the first gen VT750 was so different, I have had 3 VT500s a VT600 and a VT700(which was awful), the 750 i tried wasnt great and the 1100 was all the things people criticise cruisers for lol, soft, slow, boring, terrible brakes, awful handling and not even comfortable, so an all round failure :-) cheers for adding your bit mate :-) have a great weekend
@@barebonesmc yes, this is so individual! Even for myself, there are bikes I sometimes would like to ride, but for space, financial or practical reasons not pertinent. So, the perfect bike which does it all to perfection doesn’t exist 😊
Honda are generally boring, by virtue of their styling and reliability(yup, that's such a wrong concept)! - BTW their cars are too, but with awful angular styling as per most "modern" Japanese cars... Yamaha have the balance of styling and image(by virtue of DECADES of affordable and innovative fperformance eg. RD, DT, TY, YZ, R6, R1, EXUP...... Whilst Suzuki has been slowly withering since the GSX/R, RM.... days, as has Kawasaki since GPZ/R, KX, KR1S, ZX10 days. Meanwhile, the Chinese manifacturers have not been sleeping....... ie. most affordable, reliable and performing 125's have got Chinese derived engines. electronics....... - even Aprillia use them! The motorcycle industry reflects geopolitical reality, andJapan has been hobbled by the US, to become a subservient "partner", as opposed to a dynamic, imaginative and creative "competitor", since the late 80's/ early 90's - remember NSX cars and NSR bikes....or Supras, or Skylines..... ?! Sad times.... ❤👍
Quite right - I got a 1987 VT500 as a back up for my old or fragile others, thinking it would be reliable, and because it had shaft drive low seat height, and was relatively light weight at '180kg dry, 204kg wet' and low seat height '31"' (but really more like 29"). However, what a surprise! It is packed with character, handling, suspension/comfort, and go, to suit any mood; very flexible engine with both low end torque and 9000 rpm still readily accessible. Legs are a bit cranked up but I got used to that. Love the effective handlebar fairing, shaded twin clocks and clear turning indicatiors, and reckon it is of higher quality and has more scope and refinement than the current 500. It was supposed to be boring but instead it fits your characterisation of Honda's cars and bikes of the late 80s/early 90s!
@@gplayer1862 And then came the VTR1000 - The sound and characteristics of those bikes is when Honda last tried to be rebellious! It's such a shame really, but perhaps things will change for the better in the long term? Keep safe and well. PS. Shafts belong on cars! 🤭👍
Am so glad u did this as Honda guy since 15 am 62 know have 9 old Hondas currently it's funny see 6hr footage from oran park Australia look all smoking ads king-size indeed .
Welcome aboard mate😊 and yep re the ads. How the world has changed 😊. Graeme Crosby on the cbx was a god 😊
😂🐨 🇦🇺
@@Australian_Made have a great week mate😊
I'm mostly a HD guy but owned many brands in the last 58 years. That CB 500 looks might tasty. My brother found that bikes were cheaper in California in the early 70's. He got a flight from Ohio to California to buy the 500. The money he saved on his new 500 paid for his flight and he rode the 500 back to Ohio!
@@martincvitkovich724the cb500 was special. But I am biased😊😊 mine was pearl black with a dunstall 4 into 1 and rear sets 🤣🤣 when I was an apprentice my mum said she knew when to put the kettle on because she always heard it starting 😊. Work was just over a mile away 😂😂😂
A motorcycle can be exciting and some can be less exciting but riding one is never boring . And if you get bored you are probably on a High way and did not give yourself enough challenging rurns and or let it rip
A good point well put mate 🙂Cheers for the comment. have a great weekend 🙂
I Soooo do agree with you there .. BUT .. exciting often ISNT desirable .. ever had a speed wabble on a z1 in a bend .. asked our selves was it the bikes tires or noodle frame .. those were the days .. no adjustable suspension other than fork oil viscosity & pathetic preload .. such a choice these days especially classics .. in my day .. a thirty years old bike was junk .. now .. a thirty yr old bike is still very much up with sporty riding if you want it
@@Errol.C-nz we do live in a strange world when 25 year old bikes are built better than many of todays bikes though 😊 the spec might be better but the manufacturing? Hmm😊
My wife was looking through some files the other day and found the receipt for our Honda Super blackbird. It was 1998, a gray import at the time and had to be imported from europe. I am English frtom the North East of England. It was cheaper to have it imported than to buy it from the shops. This was when the bike was carbed an the first of its kind. I remember that we had a flat spot around 50-60 mph so I had it dyno jetted from an engineering firm on Westgate road to get rid of the flat spot. Worked good. Moving on to emigrating to Australia, I have not used the bike much in the 22 years since moving here. I have it in my back yard under our pergola and see it every day out of my window. I paid a lot of money to get micron pipes fitted back then and remember they had to be re-jigged 3 times for them to fit. They still look perfect after all these years as does the bike. I paid $400 to get it started again after so many years of standing idol and never rode it since then.
It has to be one of the saddest things of my life but cannot bear to sell it, but know someday I'll have to. The mileage on it is about 15 klm ( next to nothing ) .
It is in mint condition. I have had it to 162 mph back in the uk when I first got it to see what it really could do. I have been regularly 150 mph with my wife as the pillion (and still have the bruises on my thigh to prove it lol). Because it was an import from Europe, it only had klms on the tacho and I had to buy an mph sticker to go over the top to make it road legal. Good thing about that was, when I emigrated, i could take the sticker off and only have klms showing.
I must apologise to any fellow bikers if this is a boring story, but it is true and I'm sure we have many, many strange stories to tell about biking.
I'm now 74 yo and if I can muster enough energy to have the bike fixed again, I will take her on her last journey before it's too late to enjoy my Superb Honda Sports touring bike. THANK YOU HONDA FOR PRODUCING GREAT BIKES! (and a big shout out to Barebonesmc for his great naratives). Bike safely everyone. Regards.
Cheers for a great tale mate 😊💪 the force is strong with the blackbird 😊 and a good story of life on 2 wheels never gets boring 😊 ride free brother
Yeh, everytime I pass 7000 RPM on my Super Blackbird and the speedo leaves 150 mph in the dust on its way to 180 mph, I think, yawn, how boring.....not 😂.
😂Yeah you wish Rossi…..😂
@@wolfdog7265 Sorry, did I trigger your inadequacy? Don't worry, you'll probably be able to go a bit faster once you're grown up.
@@jonm7272 😂 Yeah you really did.
Now now boys lol 😊 I wish I had roads closer that speed was doable on. That way I might get mine back on the road quicker 😂😂 having to go to Germany every time I want to open it up got a bit much 😂
@@barebonesmc I'm lucky enough to have spent quite a lot of time working across Germany (travelling between Braunshweig and Stuttgart) with my BBird being my transport between the two cities. Used to get a mileage allowance from work of 24p/mile (which was nowhere near enough to cover the BBird at autobahn speeds but I didn't care 😊). For the record, the speedo on the BBird is wildly optimistic, indicated 180mph is really only just over 160 mph (GPS) and for those readers who think that 160 mph is still a big deal, they almost certainly haven't ridden a BBird on a big road with no speed cameras. It will cruise quite happily all day at a GPS speed of 150 mph with no drama at all (and still give quite a kick when you open it up from there). Aero is king once you start hitting big speeds, and the BBird just gets better and better the faster you go.
I was expecting something else from the title of the video, and assumed I would comment that boring bikes often do not get stranded waiting for the tow truck. Good show of historic bikes!
Glad i surprised you mate 😊 there’s plenty more on the channel. Hope you will climb aboard 😊 have a great day
I loved my CB250RS when I was 17 and just passed my test to move up from a 125, I also loved my VF500F2 that bike handled like no other. These days I ride a CBR600F4 and go touring with all my camping gear on it all over Europe and the UK, it is perfect for me, fast enough but still light enough to handle well, even with the luggage
Great bikes. The 250RS was underrated too
Blumming great video! But what about the VF 400 naked.. 84 I think it came out? It looked so gorgeous, with out the fairings to hide the engine.. I did ride one once for about 40 quick miles. Must be rair as hens teeth now!
There are always some that get missed 😊 I did some of the 400s here 😊 9 Fastest 400cc Motorcycles Ever Built
th-cam.com/video/0d0spjRFIQk/w-d-xo.html
The CB500F brings back some interesting memories. The gold run escort from Salisbury to Beitbridge some time in ‘78? 100% reliable flat out. Half of it was after dark, dodging wild animals and terrs. I had one rule: NEVER volunteer for stupid stuff. The Honda swung it. No other bike would have given me the same confidence. We will never know those times again.
Another great vid mate. Just one issue: There’s no apostrophe in the plural Honda!!!🧐😎
Peace 🏴
lol. Cheers mate you aren’t the only one to notice lol. I’m not perfect 🤣🤣🤣
@@barebonesmc None of us are brother. It’s just part of my mission to reduce the level of apostrophe abuse on the WWW - before Webster’s and the Oxford decide that it’s acceptable…👀🙈
Peace 🏴
@@G58😂😂😂
Bona fides in storytelling is an attribute that even if know one ever gets a glimpse of that mug of yours they might remember the
voice behind the motorcycle vlogger. That's something that caught me early on with your work. I hope you never give up even as
things get more difficult. I appreciate it even more knowing how hard you are working right now & about the bikes here. Wow is
all I can say but there are a few that if the circumstances were right(had bike/money) that I'd put one together to ride w/ pride !
I like the nostalgic beauty, the lines -n- color schemes, and dammit, I like those seats ! Good evening from the Lone Star State
& tell that Little Gal I said hello. Fight on to the next day of stories, I'll be here the Lord willing. peace & GB ALL
Cheers mate 😊 and I will. What is it about MODERN seats lol. I can ride all day on my 25+ year old fzr1000 😊 an R1 and after 2 hrs I’m done
My arse is lacking.... lol, it lacks in many ways. When I think of a motorcycle, I think of elongated seats that can seat
two people stretching from the tail light to the fuel tank. I think of the fuel tank as being just higher than the seat but
nothing radical in shape or height above the seat height. That testifies to my age here but Honda & other Japanese
companies have continued to build some retro looking bikes over the 90's until today even. I read that Honda has
catered to the Japanese public by offering some of the qualities I spoke of above b/c they like the old style looks
as I do. And I'm not including the "Cafe Bikes" but as good as some of those look, I've got to have a functional
bike that rides well but also that can carry things I need like a passenger(blow up doll?), a few tools, and travel
stuff. But I have the king of trips in your knowledge of traveling, you know how to pack it in & go down the road.
My vehicles need to be able to carry enough to carry on. Did you really ride an R1 ? I don't think I could tuck into
that position & hang on but I like that bike a lot = I'm smart enough to know she ain't for me ! Off to the store.
Feeling a little better, both of us. Can't believe we both lost our gallbladders just 1 1/2 days apart? Now that
is crazy & I don't believe in coincidences but what are the chances of 2 people, same house, both needing an
emergency surgery to pull out the same part & do it in 2 Hospitals so 70 miles apart? Super Weird to me.
I'll be catching up w/ you guys soon, I trust. Off to face the day..... peace & GB You/yours
@@diggy-d8wglad recovery goin ok. And yep that’s a mad one lol. And yes I had the last carb era R1. It was a great bike for track but far faster than me lol. So I kept the fzr’s and sold the R1 after I’d tuned it lol. 2 days work and about £200 on dyno time doubled its value 🤣🤣🤣
Thanks for the kind words & the rehab is progressing. It's a chore that makes pulling teeth seem easy but we
are both helping each other to move forward. I've known you as a story teller & wise man which I don't just
say about people.... lol, the bit on the R1, your experiences, reaffirm the wisdom. Knowing the R1 is more
than what you need & getting it to someone else before you & the bike got destroyed is pretty wise - I'd bet
you've seen many who didn't heed the warning signs & they probably paid the price. Your time/money to
invested & letting her go on to another owner was just smart. See, I know my limitations now & even if
I had the money to own an H2 / R1 or any of the others, I would not do it ! For the same reasons you
sold her ! Remember, it's 1 step at a time & hopefully the next step will be easier than the last.
I can only hope/pray it goes down just like this & if not, you are the kinda tough man who ain't
gonna let it stop you. That's just my take of you...... I am glad you have support with you.
peace my brother >> GB You/yours
@@diggy-d8w the words are from my heart mate. And believe me I know the battles 😊 but you’re a fighter. And you know it makes sense. Thought always with you. I’ve walked further in the last few weeks than I’ve managed all year. Aching and bruised but I’m doing what I know I have to do ffs I’ve even been climbing which I haven’t managed in years so I have to be thankful. Bless you both. Sleep well
I love Honda Motorcycles. I have 2 in my collection, a Honda 750 and a Honda V 65 Magna. Most of those bikes you mentioned I never heard of, which is the reason I'm a subscriber to this channel. I collect street bikes, not racing models although I like to see them. I'm STILL looking for a fairly priced 1979 Honda CBX for the collection. Is there such a thing as having too many motorcycles. I dare say "NO"! Great job, BAREBONESMC! Ride safe.
Its amazing how many models (from all the big four Japanese manufactures) were never sold in the U.S. not just 2 strokes or smaller 400cc bikes, but big 1000cc plus models that you would think would sell well there.
@@uhtred7860 bikes like the mt01.. a 1700cc "sport bike" .. "banned" in the US .. as I recall from Harley Davidsons political efforts
@@Errol.C-nz 😆 I always wondered why the MT-01 was not sold there.
@@uhtred7860 yeah it never made any sense why the 01 was singled out but i believe it was the beginning of some political campaigning that quickly lost traction
@@Errol.C-nz Yeah, because they sold the cruiser model that used the engine the 01s motor was based on, maybe they thought Buell would suffer sales losses.🤷♂
Great video! I would love to see you make a video on bikes having or not having "character". To hear your thoughts about that.
Sounds like a good idea 👍 I’ll put it on the list. I might do a ones that don’t too lol
As you've shown, no definately not boring! I've always wanted a VF1000RF... Passed my test on a mate's CB200, back in '77 or '78 can't remember.
CB200 always stood out for a big following 😊 I always wanted the cbr1100 four but that was because of the association with Joey and Ron Haslam 😊😊
When I was 16, (42 years ago) a used Honda CB 550 four was my first street bike. Spent lots of time on dirt bikes before that. It was IMO a very good bike, one that I under appreciated at the time.
I had the 500 and loved it 😊
I remember lying flat on my first Honda CB250RS. On the Christchurch By-Pass. 96mph! Not shoddy.
I remember people always talking the RS down back in the day but I liked them 😊
@ - light, great handling, fast and economical on fuel. I got 87mpg on mine running it in
@@timhicks2154 yep. And they say modern bikes are more economical 😂😂😂
My cbx 400f was 200kg full tank I was allowed weigh it on my dad's scales at the docks loved it felt way better than my 81 cb 400n which felt much more top heavy and way faster more fun.
They just put the cbx400 on a diet to make the first cbr 😂😂😂
I have had multiple Hondas. One of my favorite rides was an old 72 CB 500 F. One ride I remember I was going across the Benicia bridge In California socked in with the fog. What I liked about that bike is that I could turn the headlight off and let the street lights guide me at five in the morning. It was an interesting ride.
Great story. Thanks for sharing 😊 I did love mine. Blacked out engine rear sets drop bars n dunstall 4 into one. Glorious bike
Great video. Love it!
thanks as always mate, have a great weekend
I had a Honda VF500F2. Revvy and very quick.
I don’t know the vf 5 so well but I can imagine they were great when you consider the 400s and 750 😊
@ - rapid for a 500!
@@timhicks2154 wheelie monsters too I’d guess😂😂
I had a 89 NSR250 it wasn't boring. 👑 Of tank slappers only had it a couple of months before wrapping it around a directional chevron post on a roundabout. Probably not the best 1st fast bike, but it taught me cold tyres don't do extreme lean angles 😊
Lesssons learned as they say mate :-) Great story 🙂Cheers for adding your bit mate. Ride Free 🙂
baby blade top ! merci njoylife
Cheers mate 😊 #ridefree
@@barebonesmc The Honda NC30 was THE best handling bike I have ever had the pleasure to ride. (OMG that hurt) Rode it at Cadwell at a race school many years ago. (from a Yamaha FanBoy)
@@funkygrib1lol. I just love the baby fzr 😊😊 but cbr fzr vfr all so close. Depending on years of course. The vfr was probably the hardest bike to stay ahead of on track. However far away you get they always come fighting back 🤣🤣🤣
Dunno if you cast an eye over Motogymkhana in Japan, if not you should. Anyhoo, their are loads of NSR,250's still being used. Always blows my mind seeing them, 30+ year old 2t's running flawlessly round a load of cones. Honda have built some astonishing bikes.
There’s a pan doing motogymkhana and I think something else in a different video 😊 I tried it a couple of times for fun. Once on vt500 and then on a Z650 I built with a mono shock rear. It’s damn hard 🤣🤣🤣 some of the riders control is unbelievable
@@barebonesmc I would have another Pan in a heartbeat.
@@1998TDM my brother bought one and my mum said what you bought an old man’s bike for 😂😂😂 I never got over that comment 😊😊😊 but they are great bikes
I've had six different Honda's since 1978. They have all been mega reliable and "nice" to ride. However I never kept any one of them for more than 2 years. In 2007 I bought a Buell XB12X and cherished it for the next 12 years..... I know it goes against the perception of Buells, but in the 12 years I owned and rode it the only MOT failure repair I had to make was repairing a broken wire to the horn. It had "character" in buckets and was so comfortable and at ease on the road. Had I been a little taller I would still have it today. Unfortunately as I got older managing a bike that was just a little too tall for me was the reason for selling it. Bad mistake.
Great story mate and I do have a soft spot for Eric’s creations 😊
I love Hondas, I rode my CJ360T from Monterey, Ca. to Massachusetts in July of 1976. Bicentenial year. You might say " that's too small" and you'd be right. It's all I had.
I had a cj360 for years 🤣🤣 took me many places 🤣🤣
There are other breed of fun Hondas, like the monkey, grom, xr650r. My kind of fun...
Amazing video as always 👏 🎉
Thanks! 😃 had a dax for messing around in the woods years ago 😊 great fun 😊👍👌
As a young lad I used to gaze trough the window of the local Honda dealership, they all had pressed steel frames and chrome panels on the tanks. Capacities were small 50 to 250cc, all were quite uninspiring. So was the case when I was old enough to ride, I preferred 2 stokes although I realise now the Honda's were probable better designed and made.
Although small capacity bikes Honda had a long racing history
@@barebonesmc yes and not an oil leak in sight
@@andypandy9931 true lol, that was a big difference 🙂
I don't think of Honda as boring, more like quality. All the Japanese bikes are good, and I've owned them all, but honda is well known for reliability and longevity. Performance too.
Well put
Interesting. Always loved Honda. Ssv50, CB750F, CB900F2 rode them for many years, no problems. Not the fastest in their classes but enjoyed every moment
Still have my old cb700sc 😊👌💪
Still have my X Plate Honda CB 1300 last of the carbs. 🤘🏻😉❤️💛
Great bikes
The 2-strokes were beautiful, glamorous and fast. I accidentally knocked over an NSR125 belonging to JM Jarre's son lol
Ouch 😣
I was spectating at that race you featured at the beginning! Sadly that track has fallen to the developers.
That’s sad. The racing looked fantastic
@@barebonesmc it was a crazy dangerous track, but spectacular to watch. Though after watching six hours of racing of one minute laps, I never had the faintest idea what position anyone was in (and sometimes the organisers didn't know either)
@@gasdive sounds like Mallory used to be in its heyday. That’s where I first saw Graeme Crosby. Short fast n with one of the sharpest hairpin bends on the calendar. Now they’ve stuck 3 chicanes in n it barely gets used for anything other than track days. Sad when you think back to days of the transatlantic and race of the year
@@barebonesmc haha, if 40 years old memory serves, that CBX with the number 2 plate in the clip was Graeme Crosby.
@@barebonesmc PS, if you're interested in the history of the track, and the Castrol 6 hour (initially called the Castrol 1000 after the size of the purse) then put "A road racing circuit, motocross track, tar hill climb, oiled-dirt short circuit (and briefly, a speedway). And less than an hour from Sydney CBD. A dream?" Into you-know-what.
I still have 2 x Honda CB250RS’s. Both with 500 motors in. 110 was achievable. Allegedly, Officer……
lol. I always fancied an ft500 😊
@@barebonesmc - one of mine has an FT500C motor, with a 10.8:1 Wiseco piston. The other has an XL500S motor with a 10.6: 1 competition slipper piston in. Lively! But a Git to kickstart as no decompressor
@@timhicks2154that’s what I don’t miss about the old dr600. Even with my old diadora mx boots my leg was permanently traumatised 😂😂😂
@@barebonesmc - the first 250 RS I made, with the 10.8:1 Wiseco piston, was an evil thing to start. One time, it backfired, shot the kickstart upwards and put my boot through the side-panel!
@@timhicks2154ouch 😂 been there 😊
Loved my 88 cbr400rr...
Gauranga!
Sometimes they just get it right 😊
Like that CBR 400 F Formula 3 at 10:48 min. I love half faired bikes! Best of both worlds. 👍👍
The early 400 was a stunning bike
Over the years I've owned a CB750, a CBR1000 and a VF1000 , all were fun to ride at any speed, reliable and had state of the art design technology when new, so no I don't think they are boring.
As you can see I totally agree mate 😊💪
Honda’s are not boring when they don’t want to be, which ironically
you showed at the start of the video with Grahame Crosby racing a CBX 1000 Honda Six
in the worlds biggest production race at the time the Castrol Six Hour at Sydney’s Amaroo Park in Oz
But Honda did have a problem in 1979-1980 with its CB900 Bol Dor getting beaten by GS1000’s & XS1100 Yamaha’s
so it brought out specially for that race the CB1100R with close on 120 hp & ground clearance & a huge alloy 25 Litre tank for less fuel stops , the most un-boring Honda of all.
And it worked , but Suzuki’s GSX1100’s gave it a run for its money.
Great video , but no Honda 750/4’s which started everything before Kawasaki’s Z1’s in 1972 , it could have its own video for that importance.
Here in NZ the Suzuki importer built a very small amount of special GSX1100 Katanas called the GSX1100SXZ "Wire-Wheeler", (not the same as the Aussie wire wheel one) 45 were built to beat the CB1100Rs in production racing, they had quite a few upgrades like, the lighter wheels, different carbs, brakes, freer flowing exhausts, different cams, braided brake lines etc. (only 20 units were required to homologate the machines as production bikes under the rules of the New Zealand Autocycle Union) and they won the 1981/1982 NZ National Production Championship.
There are so many I could have included but I had to stop somewhere 😊
Ah, the 650 Bros / Hawk at last. Did I already mention my near standard one now has a Revere tank (18 l in stead of 10 l) and gold wheels? Today I even put M handlebars on it. Beside the Italian air of a red bike with gold alloys it now also gives off a strong British cafe racer vibe. Didn’t Royal Enfield make a 650 V-twin? Or maybe one could compare it to a modernised small Vincent, although that description will probably be sacrilege to most. Tomorrow I’ll take my first ride on it with those low handlebars. Together with the broad shouldered Revere tank it increases the feeling of becoming more integrated into the bike. And then there is the optimised weight distribution. Broooooap! 😁
I think Enfield did make a v twin but memory is vague on it 🤣🤣 and your bikes a credit to your imagination mate 😊👍👌
Honda VFR750F RC36 1993 is my bike and i love it🤎
Great bikes
Nice thanks for sharing
Cheers mate. Glad you enjoyed it 😊
We got the MVX250 here in NZ. They were terrible bikes, not only were they completely outclassed by the competition of the time, (RZ, RG KR 250s) but they had terrible reliability as well. My KR250 would blow pass my mates MVX250 like it was going backwards. The NS250 that followed was far superior, we got them in the same colours as the one at 17:43.
They can’t get it right every time lol
I have a Honda ns 250 bit basket case been raced so missing few bits and pistons rear hens teeth I love get running one day was kept in woodshed
Is no one making equivalent size pistons? If not maybe approach one of the specialists? Maybe an opportunity 😊
It was back in the 1980's, after some particularly hateful 'UJM' review in 'Cycleworld' magazine....
One of the editors wrote; "why is it that anything I've ever had that just *worked* has been declared by somebody else to be a 'soulless appliance'?" 😂
Honda's. Just. Work. and that 'becomes' their character. I prefer Yamaha's generally because you get 80% of that 'Honda-ness', but from folks who worship the tuning fork as well.😊
I do have more Yamahas than Hondas now lol 😊
I owned a CB500F in the late 70's early 80's, it was a great bike.
loved mine, even after a 350LC 🙂 it took me to so many places, Cheers for watching and for the comment mate. Ride Free 🙂
@@barebonesmc I came from Kawasaki triples.
@@marktiller1383 a more relaxed ride then 🙂 and a lot better miles to the gallon lol
The MVX 250 was a hand grenade. Not a good bike as it had issues with cooling on the rear cylinder. The RGV and RD ate it for breakfast. I had a CR250rb... it was a beast and the spares kit was such a winner, one bike I wish I never sold. Had a CX500sport that was a slug but carried me over 220 000 kms I loved that bike cos it did its job. Had many hondas that did their job. The XL and XRs were brulliant, but love my KTM more.
People called the Zane era Laverda’s hand grenades too 🤣 possibly my favourite ever bike n yes. Still miss it n on one level wish I’d never sold it. But I wouldn’t fold up enough for that or the tzr 1kt in the end 😊 the 350LC would probably be next on that list of wish I hadn’t sold it bikes. But vest la vie I guess
I always thought that somewhere in Hondas decision making boardrooms they was a "wet blanket" type, the type of guy that doesn't like anyone having to much fun. Honda have had the ability for decades to make the best in class, performance wise, but very rarely did. Their bikes more than often have a built in all round usability, that is great, but rarely makes them the most exciting in there class, which can be mistaken for being boring or bland. There has been some exceptions tho.
Wise words as usual 😊 hope alls well mate 😊
Honda motorcycles aren't boring but l did enjoy the footage of the Castrol 6 hour at Amaroo Park in N.S.W and l was at that race went to many Castrol 6 hours and l still have the badges l rode and owned motorcycles back in the 1970s and 1980s
glad it jogged some good memories mate 🙂Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
Supermoto Xr650r gang. Definitely not boring large bore.
The thumpers are coming 😊😊
Bleed Red.. Ride Free..
🤣🤣 ride free brother 😊👌👌
I had a cbr1000 2000 first injection model , i nearly fell asleep on it , but it could stop like no other bike and was as stable as a monument . I chopped it in for a zx10r for a bit more frills , it used to slide the front into roundabouts , lift the front off the throttle at over 120 if you needed to bang it open ( to get out of trouble) and the brakes were on or off …. Axed out from under me one morning under hard braking and broke my collar bone and a couple of ribs .
The blade wouldve stopped no problem 🤷🏻♂️
The early blade was a game changer 😊😊
They didn't make a cbr 1000 in 2000
Like i said , first injection model .
Swingarm bolted to engine and had a horrible dead spot when you off on’d the throttle , felt like it needed the needles dropping . Was red white and blue - matched my nikes 🤷🏻♂️
@user_1664 a 929
If talking production bikes only, then yes, for the most part, hondas can be a bit vanilla to ride. However, every now and then an oddity appears. The CBX750 was one example. It had a really Peaky power delivery more akin to a Kawasaki power delivery. A more recent example is the new 750 parallel twin used in the hornet and transalp. It's also very un Honda. But for the most part compared with other brands category equivalent, they can be less...err... interesting to ride.👍
I just don’t like how all the new batch seem to run so hot. Not just the Honda either
@@barebonesmc The new parallel twin 750 motor doesn't run hot. I live in Australia. So running hot and throwing hot air at the rider are potentially more detrimental here due to it being 40°C in the shade. I own a transalp 750 which I do a lot of tight slow off-road on, is excellent when it comes to heat. Previous BMW F900XR was horrible. It used to bake my left leg. So bad I didn't bother with the heated seat in winter. Just tuck left leg into the bike and warm up.
@@martythompson6509 not what i keep hearing at all. i had a test ride but it wasnt long enough. do me a good and bad points? i couldnt get a try with a passenger and the pillion comfort is a big problem for me (or should i say my beloved passenger) thats the biggest reason i never got a T7 lol
@@barebonesmc which one...Transalp or F900 are you asking about?
@@martythompson6509 transalp
Love my 87 yamaha but parts are getting hard to find ,rear rotor was a gigantic pain took 2 weeks to find in Australia and im in Canada .phaser is up and rocking though.
An 87 FZX750 Fazer??
@@uhtred7860 yup
@@joesutherland225 The rear disc used on those is used on many different Yamaha models, all the FZRs used the same disk, as do the 87 on FZs. Yambits in the UK sell pattern ones as do Wemoto, and CMSNL Try finding exhaust valves for an 87/88 FZR1000 took me 3 years to locate enough to recon my FZRs head. 😫
@@uhtred7860 oh oh didn't want to hear that last bit about heads. I'm thinking of a complete reman of the motor as I've done everything else already but cost is a factor for a retired guy thanks on the leads for parts may need more.motors fine for now but...
You should have asked mate. Got a complete exup head and valves spare. I have 2 exups still but one has YZF750 head and cams so have all the bits left after the swap 😊
To me it seemed that they (usually) picked an exciting bike, did their generally reliable version of it that was 15mph slower then got accused of being boring.
Well put😊👍👌
Engineering is good but styling can be dull at times.
They have made some lemons but love the styling of many like the early cb500 four first Africa twin first fireblade and nsr 😊 making so many bikes always means some will be bad😊
The $16,500 price you've seen here in the USA is for the CBR1000RR (SC77) not the RR-R (SC82).
Cheers. And yep so I’ve been told. It just confused me
I don’t know where the boring think comes from fare from it. CB1100R, RC30, CBR BLADES, CBX 1000 and so on. I’m sure Honda has the record of the most motorcycles sold & championships.
The cub & it's derivatives are the most sold vehicle on the planet. 100+ million & counting..
I think the boring bit is a joke and I agree re the bikes you mention and many more. The cub is still the best selling bike ever but I’m not sure on the most bikes sold. Long live the mighty cub 😊
The problem with the X11 was timing and the fact it’s pretty hideous.
I actually liked the look but was more comfortable on the blackbird
@@barebonesmc I think it’s everso touch and go with those big street fighters. Remember the concept B-King was a work of art, then when it came out it was all just a bit off.
@@monkeyzx9very much. Outside of the series 1 tuono there aren’t many I really love
@@barebonesmc and Aprilia didn’t water that engine down at all for that
@@monkeyzx9 I even like the falco tbh. Which was smothered a bit compared to the rsv but still faster than me 😂😂
What led to me and those around me forming a view Hondas were boring were the models they offered during our youth - that being in the early 80's.
There SS50 was slower than the Yamaha FS1E and Suzuki AP50 (no Kawasaki 50 available) and their 250 Superdream was no fun compared to the 2 stroke 250's and even some of the 4 strokes. These views stuck for a while although the high reving Honda 125 twin helped a bit.
The 'Rather my sister in a w*orehouse than my brother on a Honda' T shirts didn't help Honda' case either.
lol, not a tshirt ive seen :-) ive still got an SS50 mudguard in the shed somewhere :-) they have made some of the worst as well as some of the best i guess :-)
@barebonesmc Yes they did make some excellent and innovative bikes, often going their own way (enclosed discs and their anti-dive system spring to mind) But this was hard to see in the choice they offered teenagers in the 80's.
Talking of anacronims, do yo recall their alternative to Yamaha's Yamaha Power Valve System - ypvs? It was called the Honda Exhaust Reactive Power Expansion System or, yes, no kidding, herpes. I believe the name featured briefly on a 125 before they changed it
@@tonygarlick7775 PMSL no i hadnt heard that one either lol. and yes, although the Superdream wasnt exciting, it was probably the best of the 250's for riding 2 up once youd passed your test 🙂 the 400N was a great bike and still underrated in my opinion. no nothing like the later 4 pot 400s for power, but it could still hang with many bigger bikes. The CB250RS still has a loyal fanbase too, not my cup of tea, but each to their own 🙂
@barebonesmc Totally agree...the 400 Superdream was very much underrated, and the 250 RS was cheap and original (plus wheelied easily)
@@tonygarlick7775 I think the 400N found it hard to shake the reputation of the 250 😊
There should be no apostrophe in Hondas
lol. Ok. You got me on this before I think 🤔. I’m not perfect 🤩
Motorcyclists can be a pedantic bunch!
@@jayflash2035😂😂😂😂 I can too so I can’t complain 😂😂😂
When I had a 305 back in the early 1970s I didn't learn a whole lot about repairing or tuning a motorcycle. Mostly I just rode it. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
I love spannering, but riding is always better lol
Hondas allways seem to be a lucky bike, both in reliability and accidents that didn't somehow quite happen.
Due to various wives and a bunch of great kids, my bikes have been old doer uppers, never spending more than £600 on anything, last one a CB1000F. I'm too big for small bikes and really that 1000f was too small.
Getting older has it's own disappointments.😂
The 1000f is a grand bike😊
Not always (CBX, RVF, XR, NS), but mostly true nowadays in the UK. Honda Hawk 11 looks great, but waaaaay too exciting to bring to Europe, as was the US spec CRF 450R. I blame the UK/EU importers - seems they all wear cardigans and beige slacks. 19:16
What's different between the US spec CRF450R and the EU spec'd one?
Horsepower! 40+ for US, 25 for EU. Honda eventually sold power up kits to fix this as nobody was buying them.
@@mrsilbo6499 Ah, you're talking CRF450L, not 450R
Edit: the 450L is just a street-legal 450X (6sp./ comp. rtaio 12:1). The 450R is the MX bike, has a 5sp gearbox and 13.5:1 compression
@@Emily-ou6lq True, wrong model name, my bad, but the BHP difference between the 450L bikes remained.
@@mrsilbo6499 Yeah, that power up kit is just the US spec ecu and throttle body insulator.
I grew up loving Honda motorcycles. I always preferred the finish on them, designs and they were bulletproof. As far as boring😅 What's the word for the bikes the Japanese are manufacturing now? SHITE! Theyre de- evolving in HP output and excitement factor. And 400's 30yrs ago are as fast as the R7 and R9 of today.😢
A good point well put mate 🙂Days when they paid for great engineers rather than relying on computers to put the package together lol. Cheers for the comment. Ride Free 🙂
Yep
Lol
Red wings for life
Flying high😊
Ive rode many older hondas, and yes all seed to be quite boring. . Then i bought a honda dirt bike 1988 CR500
Truly great bikes😊
You forgot the greatest Honda ever!
C 90
Not just the greatest Honda but probably the greatest ever 🛵💨
It is the star in the first bombproof bikes video 😊😊 long live the mighty cub😊👌💪👍
In terms of its impact around the world, possibly the greatest motor vehicle ever. Also for so many of us, the first bike we rode, around the fields at the age of 14:)
@@jonford6119 all hail the mighty cub 😊😊 so many still going strong 😊
Honda has always made bikes that were intelligently designed, very performant & reliable, yet they were often very "smooth", providing less sensations and showing less character than their competitors.
In principle yes. But not always 😊😊 I wouldn’t call the DN01. PC800 or Honda rune intelligent designs 🤣🤣
@@barebonesmc I see what you mean 😆
@@FrenchCrow😂😂 have a great weekend
@@barebonesmc You too buddy
Sadly the oft overlooked 12000rpm VT250 Spada was missed & NRX1800 Valkerie that cost well more than the rc213.. The motorcycle WORLD would be much more boring without Honda.. never to confuse boring with predictable.. Honda make "predictable" machines vs Kawasaki's exciting noodle monsters of the past.. chassis if you could call them that.. of spaghetti.. there are old bikers & there are bold bikers but .. .. there are plenty of old .. Hondas .. a marriage made in biker heaven.. there's an old biker in this town rides his cb500-4 mk1 most week days.. has a few oil leaks.. & so does his bike.. takes me back to great biking times of the 70s & earlier
great bikes, I had to stop somewhere though mate 🙂 Cheers for watching. Ride Free 🙂
Honda has always produced runofthemill bikes, and these tend to be boring yes. They used to, on rare occasions, bring an exciting bike, however this has stopped - of looong late already.
What's left is boring stuff, no thank you.
I would argue even the new Blade's could never be described as boring, or the RC213V :-) but i get your point, they do play it safe a lot these days, but then after some of their failures, maybe thats understandable :-)
I am a yamaha and suzuki fan but honda's are good and excepsonal bikes.
True words 😊👌
I still have my CBR1000F. It's easy to service and has an unburstable engine.
The fabled fridge 😊👌👍
Why was honda so stupid to race with the nc30 if the nc29 was so much faster?
In reality for racing speed is always relative to the track. Most tracks they will choose very specific gearing so top speed achievable is different on each. It could be as simple as the nc30 came standard with shorter gearing
Yes Honda have made some fantastic machines with character however their new machines are soooo good at doing everything well they have lost all personality and soul.....
lol. I like reliable bikes though 😊 just the the electronic controls
i've never heard honda's referred to as boring and over the years they have built SOME great bikes BUT like with everything else in life where the status of something is derived from the resulting success from the cumulation of all it's individual parts so should a manufacturers status be a reflection based on the sum of all it's individual models and honda has built some real dogs, wait let me rephrase, honda is the only motorcycle manufacturer i've ever heard to take one of their existing barely adequate models of bike and re-release after eliminating almost all the redeeming qualities the bike did have, case and point, 1st gen vt750 shadow, 465 lbs curb wt, 70hp, 6 speed o/d, 8500 rpm redline, 131 mph top speed, double disk front brakes, instrumentation- speed, tach, temp, low fuel, fuel econ 61 mpg average. 2nd gen vt750 shadow, 580 lbs c/w, 43 hp, 5 speed U/D, est. 6000 rpm redline, top spd 95mph downhill, single front disk, inst only speedometer, uncorrected fuel econ 50mpg, corrected 40mpg.. 1st gen shadow praised for it's capable highway cruising, 2nd gen shadow more for cruising around town and short lower speed stints on highway's with only mild inclines and no head winds. So 43hp at the crank on a chian driven bike is about what, 36 at the rear wheel?
I can see your point lol, putting the 750 block on was the mistake lol. my old 600 VLX weighed loads less and tuned was pulling over 60hp at the back wheel :-) the VT500 shaft drive was another great (but flawed) bike that just never sold like it should have, and yes, they have built some awful bikes too. but credit where it is due, the RC30 has to be one of the best engineering jobs ever, in any top ten or bottom ten, Honda will be there lol, when i started the Worst bikes video, the first 4 bikes were Honda's and i nearly changed the video to the 10 worst Honda's :-) i didnt realise the first gen VT750 was so different, I have had 3 VT500s a VT600 and a VT700(which was awful), the 750 i tried wasnt great and the 1100 was all the things people criticise cruisers for lol, soft, slow, boring, terrible brakes, awful handling and not even comfortable, so an all round failure :-) cheers for adding your bit mate :-) have a great weekend
What is the definition of boring, hence for Motorcycles? Probably the same as for looks.
Good point 😊. And in reality you can have fun on any bike 😊
@@barebonesmc yes, this is so individual! Even for myself, there are bikes I sometimes would like to ride, but for space, financial or practical reasons not pertinent. So, the perfect bike which does it all to perfection doesn’t exist 😊
@@os6219 😊 indeed
I'm not sure about Honda road bikes, but I do know that Honda dirt bikes are the worst among the top three or four manufacturers.
I think the Dakar riders might disagree with you on that point :-)
Japanese rattling tin 🤯
😊😊
The boring bike statement is only spoken by ignorant people 😮
A good point well put mate 🙂Cheers for the comment. Ride Free 🙂
You can get a zero miles 2 or 3 year old for 16k
That seems the general opinion 😊
@@barebonesmc everyone here who gets a new one hear say they wanted an SC 57 like mine but couldn't find one.
Sometimes they do just get it right lol 🙂Cheers for watching and for the comment mate. Ride Free 🙂
th-cam.com/users/shortsByBgaufrvG0?si=xtCrqip3uOZ5T-GY
In the looks department, yes it is boring. They have overtaken Suzuki..
That’s is down to personal taste 😊😊
The NS 400 looks particularly good in if one leaves the lower fairing off in a Suzuki 250 Gamma style. Hubba, hubba, hubba! 😍
😊👍👌 I always loved the look of bikes done with a top fearing and belly pan with the engine open to see 😊
CB1
Great bikes
@@barebonesmc a looker also in a streetfighter world
@@stewart8127Indeed. They will find their place in time 😊
NSR 500 BORING. ?, NOT..
Sometimes they do just get it right lol 🙂Cheers for watching and for the comment mate. Ride Free 🙂
Honda are generally boring, by virtue of their styling and reliability(yup, that's such a wrong concept)! - BTW their cars are too, but with awful angular styling as per most "modern" Japanese cars...
Yamaha have the balance of styling and image(by virtue of DECADES of affordable and innovative fperformance eg. RD, DT, TY, YZ, R6, R1, EXUP......
Whilst Suzuki has been slowly withering since the GSX/R, RM.... days, as has Kawasaki since GPZ/R, KX, KR1S, ZX10 days.
Meanwhile, the Chinese manifacturers have not been sleeping....... ie. most affordable, reliable and performing 125's have got Chinese derived engines. electronics....... - even Aprillia use them!
The motorcycle industry reflects geopolitical reality, andJapan has been hobbled by the US, to become a subservient "partner", as opposed to a dynamic, imaginative and creative "competitor", since the late 80's/ early 90's - remember NSX cars and NSR bikes....or Supras, or Skylines..... ?!
Sad times....
❤👍
Quite right - I got a 1987 VT500 as a back up for my old or fragile others, thinking it would be reliable, and because it had shaft drive low seat height, and was relatively light weight at '180kg dry, 204kg wet' and low seat height '31"' (but really more like 29"). However, what a surprise!
It is packed with character, handling, suspension/comfort, and go, to suit any mood; very flexible engine with both low end torque and 9000 rpm still readily accessible. Legs are a bit cranked up but I got used to that. Love the effective handlebar fairing, shaded twin clocks and clear turning indicatiors, and reckon it is of higher quality and has more scope and refinement than the current 500.
It was supposed to be boring but instead it fits your characterisation of Honda's cars and bikes of the late 80s/early 90s!
@@gplayer1862 And then came the VTR1000 - The sound and characteristics of those bikes is when Honda last tried to be rebellious!
It's such a shame really, but perhaps things will change for the better in the long term?
Keep safe and well.
PS. Shafts belong on cars! 🤭👍
Oh the Nissan skyline 😊😊😊 now that was a serious piece of kit 😊😊
The last good bike was the RC 51
*RC213V-S
@@Emily-ou6lq hahahah RC213 v is complete junk just look at honda.
You can’t say it’s junk. But it doesn’t seem to have delivered what it could potentially have done