Awesome, my friend Ian Coates went around the World 13 times on a 750 Honda enduro bike, 400,000kms IIRC....then he came home 13 years later and some bastard nicked it, he is still gutted to this day. His stories are mindblowing.
Great choices! Great content as usual too. The Honda XR650L will always be at the top of my list though. It’s been in production for over 30yrs, and they still can’t keep them on the showroom floors here in the states. Definitely my forever bike.
@ thanks mate. I picked it up winter solstice and rode it home at sunset across country nearly 300miles. The bike hadn’t moved in nearly a year and started on the button without even a charge up. All I’ve done is wash it, put some air in the tire’s and removed some old stickers. Hopefully fitting some fazer brakes successfully in the new year and looking for a slip on as these standard cans are huge. First twin I’ve ever had. Great little road bikes. The TRX is playing second fiddle to my fireblade 954 in this winter and I’m loving it. Have a great one. Ride free bro
ran a dr350se all year round for 8 years, great old bus, then moved upto xt600e, hard to break, on both, the motors out live the chassis parts, cannot be beaten for hacks
As a Thundercat owner, you nailed it my friend. People understimate this bike but once you try one you know why every owner love them. Good video man, you have a new subscriber 👌👍
@ thanks - we’ve been following (subscribed to) you since your 2024 Dakar series - really the best and most informative videos out there - rally raid is a passion of ours.
Bought a Thundercat a couple of years ago (‘96 model, yellow/silver) Restored it to new It is still a fantastic sports bike. You’ll keep up with anything on the road. And I simply love the way it looks.
They are a damn good bike 😊 and yep. The fact you can keep up with anything on the road just reinforces the point that most people can’t use 100hp never mind 200 lol
I always thought the thundercat and ace would age like fine wine. It was always slagged off for being too soft in the press. I have a fascination for the 900 diversion as it was (very) well ridden by my first instructor
I love my DR350, i've been all over the place on it, and as you say it asks very litlle to keep tractoring on green lanes. I even rode it up the motorway from Plymouth to Carlisle once. For those considering starting green laning this bike is pretty good on road and very forgiving on dirt. Weighs the same as a CRF300l but much cheaper.
@@dylanpiedot5063 😊I wanted to include the “why Suzuki wouldn’t sponsor us clip but it’s copyright covered and couldn’t get an answer from him to include it but awesome watch 😊
@@barebonesmc I'm in Colombia, around here some 80s and 90s cars and bikes were not available, I've been searching for a 1986 Honda CRX for a while and haven't even been able to find evidence of them having been sold here.
Absolutely spot on with your description of the Thundercat. My first bike after passing my Direct Access. Fast, easy to ride with a really good fairing that actually kept me dry in the rain. Oh and very frugal too. Another massively underrated Yamaha.
Cheers mate. There’s loads of cadwell footage going back years on all sorts 😊 I even rode the vstrom there a few times n took it round 🤣🤣🤣 glad you enjoyed it 😊 loads more to come too😊
You’ve got a great channel, accurate information, stuff I haven’t seen before and your voice is perfect it’s clear and precise unlike the US stuff(I’m assuming your from the UK),you have to be a speed listener. Just one thing..what’s your name? Aussie fan🇦🇺👍
Cheers mate. And my names Ian. But on here it’s about the bikes not me 😊 what’s a speed listener? 😊 sorry if I’m. Ring dumb lol. Welcome aboard anyway 😊 loads more on the channel
I owned a 96 dr350 from 2020-2023. I put a truckload of miles on the bike. I sold it to a friend. When he is done with it, I entirely plan to get that bike back. It is an absolute gem that I think is still not really being satisfied by today's offerings. I had the SE model with electric start, 6-speed, a properly jetted CV carb. That bike is not cold-blooded + and although it did have a decent amount of low down lugability, it really liked being higher in the revs while off-road. It is definitely a dirt focused dual sport + its biggest modern failing comes from ergonomics that are not very adaptable and although they are still repairable, they are at the point where the dr350 is not well supported. My controversial opinion will forever be that as good as the drz400 is, the dr350 is a better bike.
Love the MZ . I am now looking for one . Great stream mate thanks you have given me some food for thought on my next classic bike . Prob the MZ if anyone has one out there give me a shout lol. Thanks again 👍👍👍👍
Good luck mate. All 3 660s were damn good bikes. My personal choice would be a mastiff with a baghira front end 😊😊 but finding nice ones won’t be quick 😊
Ps. If you are looking trail. My old Cagiva W12 might be looking for its next home in spring. The guy offered it back to me but I have to clear space. And it is a great bike
Good stuff, my Aprilia Strada has that Minarelli 660 single engine, it's a hoot. There are some great bikes, including some of those you mentioned, that can be had for a couple of grand...
The TRX was fabulous. I had mine for 5 years before trading it for a BMW 1100 S, because it's pillion accommodation was a bit too Spartan. I had the S for 15 years and rated it equal to the TRX. Only the later 1200 / 1250 RS later outshines it.
I have a baghira,03 grey metallic. Ive owned it since 05. Still under 4k on the clock. Vampire exhaust(still got the original combine harvester style original lol) i should stick it on ebay i guess.
@@barebonesmc - I think it was mostly the ones being flogged on the street. Shame of it was, the fix came on the liquid cooled 400, and we lost that beautiful, lightweight air cooled 350.
I saw that TT600 in the thumbnail and got all excited to tell you how wrong you were. I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer before I find something to disagree with you about.
@@barebonesmc He was buddies with Hirotoshi Honda, was the distributor of Mugen parts, owned FMF for a while before selling it back to it's original owner. He ran Al Baker's Research & Development and founded Al Baker's XR's Only in Hesperia California. Died '92, 3 years after a plane crash from which he never really recovered. RIP Al Edit: *its
Great motorcycle. We have a 7" motorcycle stereo with OEM transmission controller and TPMS support. Looking forward to working with you. How can I contact you?
A highly under valued bike is the Kawasaki KLE500, especially the pre 2005 model when it was lighter with less changed made for emissions, I however do have the heavier 2005 model and enjoy riding this 498cc parallel twin with 6 gears off road and on
I know 😊 I had one until some idiot rear ended me and wrote it off😡😡😡 I featured them somewhere 😊😊 I think the first of the bombproof bikes videos or the reliable bikes of the 90s video 😊😊 they are somewhere 🤣🤣
I had the TRX and it was ace, much over looked bike, never popular and i couldnt understand why, unfortunately some local bored teenagers set fire to some dry garden waste at the bottom of my neighbours garden which spread to my garden, burnt the fence down, caught my bike shed and my bike was completely written off! Such a shame, I was gutted, payouts are never great but i couldnt find another decent one at the time either, too scarce
@@barebonesmc Seriously. I have been thinking about electrifying a GTS 1000. I have however bought a secondhand 13.4 KW Energica Esseesse9 for the same money the electrics alone would cost. Which is off course also streetlegal to start with.
@@barebonesmc It already exists in Photoshop as an amalgamation of the bodywork of my existing electric motorcycle project and the Energica. Let me know if you want to have a sneak peak.
Honda needs to come out with a new SL350 with EFI and an electronic ignition, leave everything else the same as it was. They would sell every one they could make. People are tired of $20K bikes that are too big and heavy to even be fun to ride. Manufacturers have totally lost touch with what a real motorcycle is. They are currently too big, too heavy, too tall, too electronic, too complicated to fix, too expensive and look like spaceships, not motorcycles. They need to buy a Royal Enfield, study it and then remember what a motorcycle is supposed to do and look like.
I would have to disagree but if we all thought the same it would be a boring world. N I am biased. I have 2 exups. But they’ve left plenty of newer faster bikes in the dust over the years
@@barebonesmc it sounds like they may be better at higher speeds. Three of us couldn't get one through a come course while practicing for a license test, while none of us had a problem with it on an sv650.
Awesome, my friend Ian Coates went around the World 13 times on a 750 Honda enduro bike, 400,000kms IIRC....then he came home 13 years later and some bastard nicked it, he is still gutted to this day. His stories are mindblowing.
An old Africa twin? Sod’s Law on the theft. Some things are irreplaceable 😔
@@barebonesmcyes like the head and grubs, that stole your bike Karma is a real thing the wheels turn slowly my friend but they do turn.💯👌
Remember Karma is a thing my friend the wheels turns slowly but they do turn they crossed that line its on them now.👍💯🙂
@@Bok2022st😊
Great choices! Great content as usual too. The Honda XR650L will always be at the top of my list though. It’s been in production for over 30yrs, and they still can’t keep them on the showroom floors here in the states. Definitely my forever bike.
Sadly we haven’t had them for years. Great bikes
I rode my DR350 across the Simpson desert 25 years ago. Now I have a TRX which is just as much fun.
Cheers mate.
🇭🇲
Having 2 bikes on one list is just greedy🤣🤣 glad you enjoyed it mate 😊
I have a xt600e 21 years old still runs great
Damn good bikes. The thumpers video is coming but it will probably be after Dakar now
I went a got a TRX 850 after finding this thanks
Enjoy it mate. Great bikes 😊 I am flattered too
@ thanks mate. I picked it up winter solstice and rode it home at sunset across country nearly 300miles. The bike hadn’t moved in nearly a year and started on the button without even a charge up. All I’ve done is wash it, put some air in the tire’s and removed some old stickers.
Hopefully fitting some fazer brakes successfully in the new year and looking for a slip on as these standard cans are huge.
First twin I’ve ever had. Great little road bikes. The TRX is playing second fiddle to my fireblade 954 in this winter and I’m loving it. Have a great one. Ride free bro
@@meemee8041that’s a good start😊🏍️ 😊 have a good un mate😊
Lovely video
Thanks 🤗 glad you enjoyed it😊. Hope you will join us. There is plenty more on the channel and more to come😊
@barebonesmc sure do
@@franzschreiber1646 😊 enjoy the ride mate
ran a dr350se all year round for 8 years, great old bus, then moved upto xt600e, hard to break, on both, the motors out live the chassis parts, cannot be beaten for hacks
There is something pure about air cooled singles😊
Gee I bought my DR 350 new in 1999 just before the DRZ 400 came out 😮 you just reminded me that I'm getting old and grumpy 😂
😂😂😂 join the club mate 😂😂😂
I always loved the DR350, one of the most enjoyable trail riding machines I ever got the opportunity to ride.
Great bikes 😊 and still underrated
As a Thundercat owner, you nailed it my friend. People understimate this bike but once you try one you know why every owner love them. Good video man, you have a new subscriber 👌👍
Welcome aboard mate. There’s plenty more on the channel and more to come. Just in time for Dakar too 😊😊
Lots of great singles there! I do like singles.
Some things a single is just better for😊
I have a 21year old yamaha xt600e
Another great video. I'm glad I stumbled across your channel.
Glad you enjoyed it mate. Have a great weekend
Really enjoyed this video - had a BMW F650 and now really regret selling the bike - Thanks so much for sharing - really appreciated this.
Glad you enjoyed it mate. There’s plenty more on the channel 😊
@ thanks - we’ve been following (subscribed to) you since your 2024 Dakar series - really the best and most informative videos out there - rally raid is a passion of ours.
Bought a Thundercat a couple of years ago (‘96 model, yellow/silver)
Restored it to new
It is still a fantastic sports bike.
You’ll keep up with anything on the road.
And I simply love the way it looks.
They are a damn good bike 😊 and yep. The fact you can keep up with anything on the road just reinforces the point that most people can’t use 100hp never mind 200 lol
I always thought the thundercat and ace would age like fine wine. It was always slagged off for being too soft in the press. I have a fascination for the 900 diversion as it was (very) well ridden by my first instructor
I feature the big divvy somewhere 🤣 maybe reliable bikes of the 90s video 😊😊
I love my DR350, i've been all over the place on it, and as you say it asks very litlle to keep tractoring on green lanes. I even rode it up the motorway from Plymouth to Carlisle once. For those considering starting green laning this bike is pretty good on road and very forgiving on dirt. Weighs the same as a CRF300l but much cheaper.
Have you watched mondo enduro? 😊
@barebonesmc yeah! I bought it on DVD after I did a mini Mondo trip with Austin. Both were epic
@@dylanpiedot5063 😊I wanted to include the “why Suzuki wouldn’t sponsor us clip but it’s copyright covered and couldn’t get an answer from him to include it but awesome watch 😊
And probably more trustworthy, to the ground tech
Crf weighs about 5kg more than the DR
None of these bikes seem to be available in my local market, what a shame, the Thundercat looks glorious.
Where are you? They are older bikes. Mainly 1990s
@@barebonesmc I'm in Colombia, around here some 80s and 90s cars and bikes were not available, I've been searching for a 1986 Honda CRX for a while and haven't even been able to find evidence of them having been sold here.
@@javierortiz82welcome aboard mate. Now Colombia is a market I know nothing about 😂😂
Absolutely spot on with your description of the Thundercat. My first bike after passing my Direct Access. Fast, easy to ride with a really good fairing that actually kept me dry in the rain. Oh and very frugal too. Another massively underrated Yamaha.
A good solid bike and yes. Very underrated
Oh man, I still wish Yamaha had sold the TRX in the US! I wanted one so badly back in the day.
They were/are damn good bikes
another good video, I always learn some when I watch your videos.
Awesome, thank you 😊 have a great weekend
Love my TRX 850! So much I bought a spare, now I have more TRX's than I do arms.
I know that addiction well lol
I have a Dakar and it's not too bad but not great. Nice Caddy park footage. Keep up with your reviews, they are good.
Cheers mate. There’s loads of cadwell footage going back years on all sorts 😊 I even rode the vstrom there a few times n took it round 🤣🤣🤣 glad you enjoyed it 😊 loads more to come too😊
Excellent, thanks for putting this together. I love a quirky bike.
😊😊 I like odd ones too 😊
I have a giant weak spot for the MuZ Skorpion sport. Especially in yellow.
Being trying to get a spark on my DR for 3 weeks (1991)
Probably got coils that will work if you need any? Bound to have something 😊
@ just ordered some from UK this afternoon 👍🏼 I live in Norway and parts are hard to find
@@ritid69 always worth asking in future mate. Got 2 garages full of mainly 80s and 90s Japanese spares and subscribers get em as cheap as I can do 😊
@ great to hear, I might need a rectifier for a 1999 Gsxr 750 as well when I get around to working on it 🙄
@@ritid69 hmm. Not sure I can help on that one but ask and I will have a dig
You’ve got a great channel, accurate information, stuff I haven’t seen before and your voice is perfect it’s clear and precise unlike the US stuff(I’m assuming your from the UK),you have to be a speed listener. Just one thing..what’s your name? Aussie fan🇦🇺👍
Cheers mate. And my names Ian. But on here it’s about the bikes not me 😊 what’s a speed listener? 😊 sorry if I’m. Ring dumb lol. Welcome aboard anyway 😊 loads more on the channel
Cheers. BMW F650GS. Great cheap all round bikes.
Agreed! 😊 I’ve got the Aprilia version lol. Both great bikes. But I am a certified Rotax nut🤣🤣
There's currently a YZF600 listed for sale in my area cheap. But I don't have any room in the garage for it. Drat...
I was just offered my old cagiva W12 back but I’m in same position 🤣 gotta clear some bikes out 😊
The TRX 850 didn't come in a bad color.
🤣🤣
I owned a 96 dr350 from 2020-2023. I put a truckload of miles on the bike. I sold it to a friend. When he is done with it, I entirely plan to get that bike back. It is an absolute gem that I think is still not really being satisfied by today's offerings. I had the SE model with electric start, 6-speed, a properly jetted CV carb. That bike is not cold-blooded + and although it did have a decent amount of low down lugability, it really liked being higher in the revs while off-road. It is definitely a dirt focused dual sport + its biggest modern failing comes from ergonomics that are not very adaptable and although they are still repairable, they are at the point where the dr350 is not well supported. My controversial opinion will forever be that as good as the drz400 is, the dr350 is a better bike.
I’d actually agree re the drz 😊 I had a dr600 that was a love hate relationship 🤣🤣 kick start only 🤣 and always stalled in the most ridiculous places
Thanks for sharing.
My pleasure mate. Have a great weekend
nice work bud... dr350 was exactly as you described,,, made some of us look better than we were...
TRX was new to me... looks awesome.
lol. It was just an easy bike 😊 the Rex is too. There will be more to follow if this works. I’ll do it as a series 😊
I rode a TRX 850. Good bike.
You’ve had your hands on as many bikes as me I reckon 🤣🤣
I had an MZmastif, blummin thing if it fired up wrong it used to run backwards.
lol. Sounds like something was well wrong there lol. Never heard that one before 😊
Love the MZ . I am now looking for one . Great stream mate thanks you have given me some food for thought on my next classic bike . Prob the MZ if anyone has one out there give me a shout lol. Thanks again 👍👍👍👍
Good luck mate. All 3 660s were damn good bikes. My personal choice would be a mastiff with a baghira front end 😊😊 but finding nice ones won’t be quick 😊
Ps. If you are looking trail. My old Cagiva W12 might be looking for its next home in spring. The guy offered it back to me but I have to clear space. And it is a great bike
@@barebonesmc Please could you remove me comment below once that you see that i have a reply . Many thanks Keep the streams coming .
@@cbrider726 which comment? Sorry it’s early lol you can delete it anyway 😊😊
Had two TRXs.decent fun bikes
I had a tdm for a while n loved that too. The engine was a peach
@barebonesmc definitely a really usable motor in the real world. Managed to really annoy an R1 round Lydden Hill at a track day 🙄
@@chrisstephens6194😂😂😂 I can imagine🤣🤣
Good stuff, my Aprilia Strada has that Minarelli 660 single engine, it's a hoot. There are some great bikes, including some of those you mentioned, that can be had for a couple of grand...
Yep. And 90s engineering was the best in many ways imo
Had a Baghira, it was a wonderful bike. That yammy mill was faultless. Wish i had never sold it
Built as bikes should be 😊💪👌
The TRX was fabulous. I had mine for 5 years before trading it for a BMW 1100 S, because it's pillion accommodation was a bit too Spartan. I had the S for 15 years and rated it equal to the TRX. Only the later 1200 / 1250 RS later outshines it.
Not a great passenger seat but a great bike😊😊
I have a baghira,03 grey metallic. Ive owned it since 05. Still under 4k on the clock. Vampire exhaust(still got the original combine harvester style original lol) i should stick it on ebay i guess.
Probably better next year 😊 market is dead here right now
To be completely clear, the DR350 did have a reputation for worn out gearboxes.
I’m not saying it was faultless but honestly. I only know about the gearbox by hearsay and none of the bikes I knew suffered.
@@barebonesmc - I think it was mostly the ones being flogged on the street. Shame of it was, the fix came on the liquid cooled 400, and we lost that beautiful, lightweight air cooled 350.
I saw that TT600 in the thumbnail and got all excited to tell you how wrong you were.
I guess I'll have to wait a bit longer before I find something to disagree with you about.
Have to say I liked the tt600. But that pic was labelled as Simon pavey on a bmw Dakar?? Have I messed up again🤣🤣
Thundercat? The name indeed always reminded me of that animal hanging around He-man. Did it actually have a catalyser? 😁
🤣🤣🤣
Suzuki asked Al Baker, the father of the XR, to design the DR350.
You learn something every day😊😊
@@barebonesmc He was buddies with Hirotoshi Honda, was the distributor of Mugen parts, owned FMF for a while before selling it back to it's original owner. He ran Al Baker's Research & Development and founded Al Baker's XR's Only in Hesperia California. Died '92, 3 years after a plane crash from which he never really recovered. RIP Al
Edit: *its
@@Emily-ou6lq👌👍😊
Great motorcycle. We have a 7" motorcycle stereo with OEM transmission controller and TPMS support. Looking forward to working with you. How can I contact you?
Best place to contact me is the website www.barebonesmc.com/contact 😊
A highly under valued bike is the Kawasaki KLE500, especially the pre 2005 model when it was lighter with less changed made for emissions, I however do have the heavier 2005 model and enjoy riding this 498cc parallel twin with 6 gears off road and on
I know 😊 I had one until some idiot rear ended me and wrote it off😡😡😡 I featured them somewhere 😊😊 I think the first of the bombproof bikes videos or the reliable bikes of the 90s video 😊😊 they are somewhere 🤣🤣
I had the TRX and it was ace, much over looked bike, never popular and i couldnt understand why, unfortunately some local bored teenagers set fire to some dry garden waste at the bottom of my neighbours garden which spread to my garden, burnt the fence down, caught my bike shed and my bike was completely written off! Such a shame, I was gutted, payouts are never great but i couldnt find another decent one at the time either, too scarce
Sorry mate. But the fact they didn’t sell so well does almost guarantee they’ll go classic. Great bikes
Have a xf 650, aprilia 660, mz 660, and 2 fzr 1000,and a 1976 Harley, and a little tw 125 😂all working will have to trim down run out of room 🙄
🤣🤣🤣 been saying that for years. Many gone but others creep in when I’m not looking 🤣🤣
Hm, what about a TRX with a GTS 1000 front? Now that would be my kind of daft rebuild.
🤣🤣🤣🤣 too heavy 😊 but if anyone can 🤣🤣🤣
@@barebonesmc Seriously. I have been thinking about electrifying a GTS 1000. I have however bought a secondhand 13.4 KW Energica Esseesse9 for the same money the electrics alone would cost. Which is off course also streetlegal to start with.
@@marcbrasse747 good luck mate😊 look forward to seeing what you do to it😊
@@barebonesmc It already exists in Photoshop as an amalgamation of the bodywork of my existing electric motorcycle project and the Energica. Let me know if you want to have a sneak peak.
Honda needs to come out with a new SL350 with EFI and an electronic ignition, leave everything else the same as it was. They would sell every one they could make. People are tired of $20K bikes that are too big and heavy to even be fun to ride.
Manufacturers have totally lost touch with what a real motorcycle is. They are currently too big, too heavy, too tall, too electronic, too complicated to fix, too expensive and look like spaceships, not motorcycles. They need to buy a Royal Enfield, study it and then remember what a motorcycle is supposed to do and look like.
Well put😊 I totally ageee😊
😊
I have the best one. BULTACO
Which one?😊
@ 1977 Bultaco Pursang 250
@@TopRevsnice 😊 have you seen Dave @bullpencycles collection 😊 he loves his bultaco’s
@ Yes! He is a big time Bultaco fan just like me👍😊 The only difference is he’s probably 3 times my age, I’m 21🙂
The fzr is crap. It handles like a sheet of plywood.
That sir is a spectacular description 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
I would have to disagree but if we all thought the same it would be a boring world. N I am biased. I have 2 exups. But they’ve left plenty of newer faster bikes in the dust over the years
@@barebonesmc it sounds like they may be better at higher speeds. Three of us couldn't get one through a come course while practicing for a license test, while none of us had a problem with it on an sv650.