They were the most beautiful bikes ever made. After that they lost their soul to speed. Very fast and efficient. Nothing more. The modern classics recapture the best of them and more efficient in the same time. They are the true evolution of these bikes
Yes, I guess their soul become speed then handling. The old bikes and cars were very raw but the average person could feel what they were doing. When I think back I was probably more attached to them almost as if they were alive if that makes any sense.
Wonderful to see a Suzuki GT750J ( from the first year of release in 1972 ) with original exhaust system including the cone tips! Very rare today, to find unmolested examples.
I graduated from High School in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1973. I always enjoyed the sound of the 2 cycle, 3 cylinder Kawasaki 500 H1 and the 750 H2 with expansion chambers on them.
+SanFranciscoBay For me, you could not beat the unique sound of Suzuki'sGT750 "Water Buffalo" as you American's called it. That lovely cracklesound when idling, which turned into a turbine like roar as the throttle wasopened. It was music to my ears. Those Kawasaki's that you mentionedto me, had a much harsher sound to them, compared to the old Suzuki's,which sounded more refined. I absolutely loved the Kawasaki 900 Z1it was probably my all time favourite Japanese motorcycle, with Suzuki'sGT750 coming a close second.
+Gary Dunn. I recall the Suzuki 750 2 stroke triple. They were not as popular as the Kawasaki 500 and 750 triples, but they do have a nice sound to them when they have expansion chambers.
+SanFranciscoBay I don't understand why people are crazy aboutfitting expansion chamber on their bikes. OK, so it made them sound noisier, and some claim faster, but for me it spoilt the classicgood looks of those old machines. They looked far better in stocktrim, and still do.
+Gary Dun. If you were deaf, expansion chambers would not make much of an audio difference, but because we can hear and see, expansion chambers refine and improve the sound of the two stroke, giving it a clearer, popping/crackling sound, which I think sounds better and looks better than the stock exhaust pipes.
A lovely reminder of how good looking the motorcycles of this era really were, and how truly ugly so many look today!. Bikes l owned (if anyone is interested). 1967Suzuki 50, Suzuki RV125, Suzuki TC185,Yamaha TY250 trials, Yamaha YB 100,' Suzuki GP 125, Suzuki T90 'wolf', Suzuki x4125 twin, Yamaha Ag bike, Tas Taka 100, Kawasaki 500 triple, Kawasaki KR 150,( my most fun bike and the one most missed), then a SYM.50cc scooter after retiring, now sold. Lovely to see these older machines, so many good memories! Rode for some 45 years but thankfully never had a road accident or injury, great video, many thanks.
Ahhh.. right there at 4:30. The blue one. That's my exact (same model & colour, thank you) bike which I bought new in 1974. The Water Buffalo was the best bike I've ever owned (and I've had a few others since then, I'm 62 now...). Would trade my current Beemer for that Blue Kettle pictured in a heartbeat. Those blokes did an excellent job restoring all of those bikes. Thanks for sharing!
Geat Collection .... I have a 1972 Suzuki GT750J fully restored... run it on the street at least once a week and Amsoil Dominator 2 stroke full synthetic racing oil in the injector bottle.... virtually no smoke out the rear pipes.........owned it 11 years now, have not seen another one on the road here in all 11 years........must really be getting to be a rare bike especially at 45 years old...............I'm 62...
ohhh the old Kaw two-stroke triples...rode friends. man, so sweet. I had an rd350, the yammie 2 cylinder two-stroke. a wheelie machine any gear anytime, an it had 6 speeds back then too. and oh yeah kids, they were ALL kick start then, u slip off on the kick and that arm smacks u ouch.
The RD350 was easily the performance king in that class and backed up on the track with the TR & TZ's. I was lucky enough to have riden a MachIII and survived, I had a couple of close calls where I pushed it further than it wanted to go but it was that sound when it hit 6000rpm it just made me keep it wide open!
I was lucky to have had a Yamaha XJ 750 YICS for 12 years in the 1990s. It was a treat to ride in Kolkata , India in those days. I really miss it . A few of those are still running in South Africa & UK as per the search results.
Very nice bikes ,growing up in the 1970s I had a red 1973 350-4 ,a gold 450 Twin, blue GT550 ,a Black GT550 a ,Kawasaki z1 900, CB750-K ,a Suzuki EF1100 a red CBX-6 1000 and a cbx-6 1000 pro-link.
Air cooled, and carburetors, music to my ears! ❤ all those classics! I've owned 2 1977 CB550K's, a 1980 Yamaha DT175, and a 1983 Yamaha Maxim 400. Nice video! 🙂
A friend of mine and I are always discussing the differences between British design and culture and Japanese design and culture. There is no questioning the differences, they are what they are, and we both love Commandos and Bonnies and Manx, etc. But I grew up in the 60' and 70's in Florida, USA. (As an aside, my Mum and older brother were born in NZ). I worked at a Honda/Kawasaki dealer in Miami. I am very familiar with EVERY Japanese bike and I am here to tell you they are just as desirable to me, especially as I get older. The memories alone are so much a part of me. I probably owned about 20 of the bikes here and I wish I had every one of them back. They were just special. Some in one regard or others in many regards. My all time favorites were my Kawasaki A7 Avenger and my first year 250 Elsinore. As they say, "Tanks for the memories!".
Awesome comments, and cool to have part of the family from these parts :). Your happiness makes me happy too. I really think you echo so many here. I think the coolest bikes were the 70's, they were getting over the flex-frame and short stiff suspension and progressed to great riding machines to match the better roads we were getting. Although my favorites were the mirror and peg vibrating 2-strokes, I think it was the noise they made when twisting the throttle until max revs in every gear. I swapped my PE250 for a day for a friends GSX750 and the fella said it didn't have much power, so I said twist the throttle and wait until it stops picking up then change gear. He came back with a smile from ear to ear going WOW!
I owned a K2 750 four in 1972, after ten years of owning lots of English and european bikes the Honda was like sitting on the star ship Enterprise at warp factor 2 when you wound it up. it was the most reliable bike I had ever owned. My girlfriend and me rode trouble free all the way to Ibiza in 1973 and it never missed a beat .we clocked up over 2000 miles , that sort of milage was unheard of in those days on an English bike.. happy days
Some wonderful memories & stunning examples of well cared for motorcycles.. The ones that enjoyed seeing the most were the 350 LC and the 750 Four. Thanks for sharing this excellent video.
Its a wonderful collection,but only one bike you have there,almost brings me to tears is that perfect 1970 Suzuki 750cc two stroke water cooled three cylinder,yours is perfect,I would give anything to own that bike again.of all the bikes I ever own,that's one is the bike I loved.,i am a old vet,that miss that bike.I nthink every bike rider will always have one bike,that he will never forget.
It's great to see those bikes, I have a small collection of classic Japanese bikes myself. The 70's part of my collection is a Yamaha DT3 250 Enduro from 1972,and a 1973 Honda CB360.
Man you talk about having flashbacks! Walked thru many showrooms back in the late 60s/70s lusting after a lot of these bikes brand spanking new. Even bought a few new ones (1970 Suzuki TS90, 1973 Yamaha RD350 and 1977 Yamaha IT175). Appreciate the video.
It shocked me, imagine I thought i would go thinking i might see a Mach3 or RD350 or CB350 and I was gobsmacked to see them all and even a CB450 which I can only ever remember seeing one other in my life, and the z900 was WOW just like Alfie had from new. Slim and Rodger on the Waterbus and the trips to Reefton..... yep i know the rush back to the 70's
I reckon you have owned one the iconic classics, the first 350cc off the showroom floor that could do the ton any day all day until you had to stop for fuel anyway :)
Yeah , l wanted one ,l was 19 at the time walking down the High street in (UK) , walked pass a shop window ,And there she was lights Blazing on her as she turns (turntable) Oh my Heart missed a few Beats , l was always wanting her never got her ,got around on a 250 , Had 5 of them , 2008 came ,walked in to a Bike shop one Lunch time looked at a lot of Bikes , l found the next best thing a GSX 1400 k8 , so l decided to save up 500 dollars every 2 weeks ,then put a down payment of $1000 ,picked her up a week Later Paid full Balance of $ 11,490.rode away ,owning Bike out right , oh yeah still have her ,she is a very good Girl , but l do miss the smell of two stroke ,lol . from Melbourne Australia .
I have a restored 1972 GT750J..here in North Western Arizona... love it, had it 11 years now.....have not seen another one in all the 11 years I have owned it.....run AV fuel in it, and Amsoil 2 stroke Dominator injector oil in the bottle...virtually no smoke out the rear.... it howls.... handles really well with the new Avon tires... but those front dual drums....... have to be real careful when stopping.......I am 62.............
My pleasure, your memories :) I just wish I could have given each bike more justice but to see so many iconic models in one place my eyes were in overdrive and my mouth was probably wide open the entire time LOL!
Yep the reputation of some were deserved. The Mach3 was a fascinating beast and the noise it made just made me want to do it again and again, then a few years later I walked into a showroom in Sydney and test rode an RZ500, I took it back and hopped onto my CB250RS and said no friggin way, I was a bike courier.
I started working in a Honda/BSA shop in '63. The CB-92 Benly, CB-72/77 Hawk/Super Hawk, and the 250 scrambler were in vogue. Saw none of them or the later CB-160s or S-90s in this video which was surprising. Still interesting to view though. Difficult to find a two stroke such as Suzuki or Yamaha of that early vintage in good running condition these days. They don't store well due to condensation on the engine bearings unless they're run with some regularity to keep the oil fresh.
The CB450's seem pretty awesome! Would like one some day. I'm just getting the roadworthy check on my first bike - this afternoon - FINALLY! It's a 1972 (K4) Honda CB350, which I've just completed a basic restoration on, over the past few months. As far as I was told by the previous owner, it hasn't been on the road in the past 30+ years!
i have a 1975 cb 750 ss it sat for a year put some gas in it a good battery i dont think the pistons turned 2 fired right up its a super clean bike had it for over 30 years orange metal flake it looks like a new bike i love it i would put it in your show
Many thanks for taking the time to video this wonderful collection. Those were good days to be biking , despite ( in a few cases ...) some rather underdeveloped frames, if I recall. Interestingly one of my bikes, a TX650 yamaha , had a very poor reputation for handling before PercyTait put the designers on the right path, but it is such a nice bike to ride now, with a mod or two.
Agree with the handling of some but then a few were actually very good, when the RD350 came out it could go like a 650, handle and stop well and weighed nothing. The TX650 was old school with nice styling, they used them as cop bikes here. Bad handling I think of the CB360 or Mach3 although one of these at least went like greased lightning. As a boy I loved the looks of the TX750, a local guy owned one and redlined it everywhere LOL. They made some really nice twins back then.
I find it interesting how the japanese motorcycleindustry conquered the world of motorcyclists. Have had several bikes, still own a VFR750 -92 (and a BMW K1300S -15).
They brought a new sophistication to this size bike although a little under tuned for outright performance against the pocket rocket 2-strokes but by far the smoothest riding in it's class and a big step up on the twins.
@@202ToranaMan Agreed! I did some mods to mine shortly after it was out of warranty, namely a 4 into 1 header, pod filters with bigger jetting, and a solid state ignition later on. Those 3 items and a couple of gearing changes made that little 350 come alive on the street!😉 They would have benefited from a better timing system (like gears instead of a chain), but I guess they were trying to keep the cost and noise down in favor of longevity over high performance...
@@mauriceadamson224 Ouch! There's generally only one reason a 350F will burn a piston, and that's if the carbs are seriously out of sync (or a partially clogged jet). Their carb linkage left a lot to be desired and they generally had to be re-synchronized every 3-5000 miles. I hammered on mine for close to 70,000 miles before it got so loose, it would barely run anymore. I had already got into something with more displacement by then, so I sold it to my younger brother. No idea what he did with it. I ended up finding another one ('72 model) that was wrecked, several years ago, and restored it back to original.😉
Ya just gotta take ya hat off to the backyard mechanics in NZ.. armed with a 10 & 12mm metric ring spanner and a phillips head screw driver kept in the little blue tool box @1.41 (oh, I forgot to mention the crescent wrench) Seriously though, some of the worlds best ever motorcycle riders are from NZ and it don't surprise me. Just look at the passion here.
Agreed, we have the mechanical or had in some circumstances, but NZ produces some top class riders and mechanical know how with the ability to think outside of the 'tool box'! plus the roads to do it
i own hf of these bikes.. most barn fresh runners.. collected for years.. could only wish mine were this nice . never paid more than 400$ cash for any one of them
try to relaunch these classics in india people here are very fond of these vintages we here need a bike with comfortable one sided sitting which lacks in modern stylish bikes vintages are best for india
nice bikes ...wouldnt mind owning some of them.have had yamaha mx100,honda ss50,honda xr75 was my first schoolboy motorcrooser, several suzuki ts125 and a 185 1970's, er to erz's and tsx's , i had a yamaha dt400 what a beast it was. ive owned a hoda xl250 and a couple of xt's.the old man had a suzuki 380 hustler, and a kawasaki z750 which i rode to the beach one time while bunking off school was only 15 at the time.even my little sister was in on the bike thing and her friend,my sister had a motor rini bobcat that went like a scalded cat and her friend had a ct70 honda and it couldnt get anywhere near the bobcat.wish we had kept them all collected together..
Very nice show. Someone commented cbx's were slow. They are still fast. I own two. They reason there are so many restored Honda's. Is because there were so many of them. You can still get parts. Friend of mine had a Lilac , you showed a green one. My friend had to make his own pistons . Not easy to do.
I have a Yamaha XJ700N - a little newer than the bikes in this vid, but not by much. Prefer to ride it over just about anything newer. I'd give my teeth for the CBX in this video, and I'd also love to have that early naked Gold Wing 1000 - great bikes.
@@202ToranaMan I started with GT 250, then GT 550. After this bike I had a Honda 750, and then my first z1000 shaft. This bike I had two times with a difference of 30 years. Between I had a KZ1000R and a Yamaha Xj 900 :-) My last z1000 shaft I sold in 2016, ... the end of biking because unemployment :-( Greetings from germany, Martin ... or is greatings the wright word...
@@martinzehnpfenning5162 Thanks for the Greetings :( The GT550 was one of my favourites as I was a 2-smoke fan and the look of the 550 was superb. You certainly had some nice bikes.
my father in law has that king of bike in 8:26 yamaha L2 GF. miss those two stroke. still i manage to have a yamaha dt125 for as my dirt bike, i love 2 strokes
Me too, I preferred them when I was younger even if I could hardly open my hand from vibration after a long ride or see out of the mirrors, the big Suzuki was much better than the 500 and 250's I rode
Lovely to look at................................more fun to ride. It is a shame the Japanese manufactures don't still make a line of small, medium, large classic bikes. I do think fuel injection and cleaner, more efficient engines are great, but I suspect more folks (men and women) would ride motorcycles if they looked like the classics of the 70s & 80s. Not everyone wants a motorcycle that looks a crotch rocket.
We modified CG 125 and performe racing with this and its unbeatable in 500 meter racing and for long also it depend how you modified it each time for each range and we love it in mauritius island and now after watching this ones i excited more but these models bike dont come to our country dont know why
Man, you must have a great climate out there in New Zealand to have so many wellpreserved old machines like these. Ours here in the UK rusted away very quickly.Most of them are a very rare sight these days, cant recall the last time I saw one.Apart from a Suzuki GT750 that my brother owned back in 1986, which he kindly letme ride around the block on. The guy he sold it to wrecked it in only a matter ofweeks. He thrashed it mercilessly until he wrecked the engine. You Kiwi's must bea more civilised bunch of people.
I had the same coloured CBX and year really wasn't a fan of that bike. It seemed to be under powered and during the summer it was very hot with the huge 6 cylinder but in the cool weather during the spring and fall that was a bonus. Actually this looks like the motorcycle parking area at my highschool in the mid to late 70's.
Never seen a Yamaha xv 1000 virago gold edition 1985 or 1987 here I in trying to get my project bike going and see parts that are missing on mine where they go
I actually have a wall chart of all the Yamaha models from approximately that year. It may even have schematics. I will check if I can remember where I put it
Had 500m four Honda ...were all silly at 17....out of hospital then onto z900 and then gs1000,looking again... 40 years later..still got own hair and seen rolloing stones earlier in the year..some dont change..
Classic to the end I say! You rode some great bikes by the sound of it. I always liked the looks of the 500 and thought they were the best looking of the Honda's but the z900 was like WOW and I still think it's probably the best looking bike ever built from the land of the rising sun.
Very cool. Nice turn out of bikes. Loved my RD350 fantastic bike, not so much my "waterbottle" but it did have a certain charm and a whole lot of stubbornness. I currently ride Moto Guzzi Monza and was intrigued as to what the Green V twin (Guzzi style) was in the photos at the end??
CB 750 Honda was a bad ass bike in the day. 750 and 500 Kawasaki would scare the hell out of you. I remember Two Stroke too. You better master the torque thing or you'll get hurt. Fast!!
My teenage years right there. Loved the bikes and the biking community in the 70s ✌🏻
I bet a few agree, what were your favorites and where did you ride?
Ok boomer
I agree the bikes of the 70’s had so much more character than those of today. You could certainly tell them apart, now they all look the same.
Looking at these then looking at today's bikes give me 70s bikes all day better made and built to last
They were the most beautiful bikes ever made. After that they lost their soul to speed. Very fast and efficient. Nothing more. The modern classics recapture the best of them and more efficient in the same time. They are the true evolution of these bikes
Yes, I guess their soul become speed then handling. The old bikes and cars were very raw but the average person could feel what they were doing. When I think back I was probably more attached to them almost as if they were alive if that makes any sense.
I miss riding these classics from my youth, still riding but new bikes not the same 👌
Yep, everyone should have one, remind them of their roots
Wonderful to see a Suzuki GT750J ( from the first year of release in 1972 ) with original exhaust system including the cone tips! Very rare today, to find unmolested examples.
Yes I bet they would be the pieces that got lost during repairs or rebuilds
Susi GT 380! 1973, Iowa City, Ia. My first bike. Loved it! Wish I still had it. Too old for my Goldwing!
Better looking than the 550 I always thought.
I graduated from High School in the San Francisco Bay Area in 1973. I always enjoyed the sound of the 2 cycle, 3 cylinder Kawasaki 500 H1 and the 750 H2 with expansion chambers on them.
+SanFranciscoBay For me, you could not beat the unique sound of Suzuki'sGT750 "Water Buffalo" as you American's called it. That lovely cracklesound when idling, which turned into a turbine like roar as the throttle wasopened. It was music to my ears. Those Kawasaki's that you mentionedto me, had a much harsher sound to them, compared to the old Suzuki's,which sounded more refined. I absolutely loved the Kawasaki 900 Z1it was probably my all time favourite Japanese motorcycle, with Suzuki'sGT750 coming a close second.
+Gary Dunn. I recall the Suzuki 750 2 stroke triple. They were not as popular as the Kawasaki 500 and 750 triples, but they do have a nice sound to them when they have expansion chambers.
+SanFranciscoBay I don't understand why people are crazy aboutfitting expansion chamber on their bikes. OK, so it made them sound noisier, and some claim faster, but for me it spoilt the classicgood looks of those old machines. They looked far better in stocktrim, and still do.
+Gary Dun. If you were deaf, expansion chambers would not make much of an audio difference, but because we can hear and see, expansion chambers refine and improve the sound of the two stroke, giving it a clearer, popping/crackling sound, which I think sounds better and looks better than the stock exhaust pipes.
Wish I could go back to the 70s and ride them as well as seeing them riding the streets like I used to ✌🏻
Agree... An immaculate Mach 3 @7:21 has just come up 4sale locally .... Damn I wish I could....
You can.I am about to..40 yuears after,comment above.You only get so many chances....now 500 four or gs1000,z900 too much in principle..but...
A lovely reminder of how good looking the motorcycles of this era really were, and how truly ugly so many look today!.
Bikes l owned (if anyone is interested). 1967Suzuki 50, Suzuki RV125, Suzuki TC185,Yamaha TY250 trials, Yamaha YB 100,' Suzuki GP 125, Suzuki T90 'wolf', Suzuki x4125 twin, Yamaha Ag bike,
Tas Taka 100, Kawasaki 500 triple, Kawasaki KR 150,( my most fun bike and the one most missed), then a SYM.50cc scooter after retiring, now sold.
Lovely to see these older machines, so many good memories!
Rode for some 45 years but thankfully never had a road accident or injury, great video, many thanks.
Brilliant assembly of cycles we love ,dream about, fix and ride
Ahhh.. right there at 4:30. The blue one. That's my exact (same model & colour, thank you) bike which I bought new in 1974.
The Water Buffalo was the best bike I've ever owned (and I've had a few others since then, I'm 62 now...). Would trade my current Beemer for that Blue Kettle pictured in a heartbeat.
Those blokes did an excellent job restoring all of those bikes. Thanks for sharing!
You just don’t see the old bikes like this anymore. Beautiful!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Geat Collection .... I have a 1972 Suzuki GT750J fully restored... run it on the street at least once a week and Amsoil Dominator 2 stroke full synthetic racing oil in the injector bottle.... virtually no smoke out the rear pipes.........owned it 11 years now, have not seen another one on the road here in all 11 years........must really be getting to be a rare bike especially at 45 years old...............I'm 62...
ohhh the old Kaw two-stroke triples...rode friends. man, so sweet. I had an rd350, the yammie 2 cylinder two-stroke. a wheelie machine any gear anytime, an it had 6 speeds back then too.
and oh yeah kids, they were ALL kick start then, u slip off on the kick and that arm smacks u ouch.
The RD350 was easily the performance king in that class and backed up on the track with the TR & TZ's. I was lucky enough to have riden a MachIII and survived, I had a couple of close calls where I pushed it further than it wanted to go but it was that sound when it hit 6000rpm it just made me keep it wide open!
Nice to see these classic beauties. Thanks!
I love my 1981 GS750. Always said, when it wears out I'll buy a new one. It still runs like new. On my sixth set of tires.
Awesome :)
Love the 70s/80s for bikes👍🏻some of the best and legendary ever made ✌🏻
Absolutely the truth!
I was lucky to have had a Yamaha XJ 750 YICS for 12 years in the 1990s. It was a treat to ride in Kolkata , India in those days. I really miss it . A few of those are still running in South Africa & UK as per the search results.
Very nice bikes ,growing up in the 1970s I had a red 1973 350-4 ,a gold 450 Twin, blue GT550 ,a Black GT550 a ,Kawasaki z1 900, CB750-K ,a Suzuki EF1100 a red CBX-6 1000 and a cbx-6 1000 pro-link.
Air cooled, and carburetors, music to my ears! ❤ all those classics! I've owned 2 1977 CB550K's, a 1980 Yamaha DT175, and a 1983 Yamaha Maxim 400. Nice video! 🙂
The David Silver Honda motorcycle museum at Leiston , Suffolk , England is also an exceptional place to visit .
A friend of mine and I are always discussing the differences between British design and culture and Japanese design and culture. There is no questioning the differences, they are what they are, and we both love Commandos and Bonnies and Manx, etc. But I grew up in the 60' and 70's in Florida, USA. (As an aside, my Mum and older brother were born in NZ). I worked at a Honda/Kawasaki dealer in Miami. I am very familiar with EVERY Japanese bike and I am here to tell you they are just as desirable to me, especially as I get older. The memories alone are so much a part of me. I probably owned about 20 of the bikes here and I wish I had every one of them back. They were just special. Some in one regard or others in many regards. My all time favorites were my Kawasaki A7 Avenger and my first year 250 Elsinore. As they say, "Tanks for the memories!".
Awesome comments, and cool to have part of the family from these parts :). Your happiness makes me happy too. I really think you echo so many here. I think the coolest bikes were the 70's, they were getting over the flex-frame and short stiff suspension and progressed to great riding machines to match the better roads we were getting. Although my favorites were the mirror and peg vibrating 2-strokes, I think it was the noise they made when twisting the throttle until max revs in every gear. I swapped my PE250 for a day for a friends GSX750 and the fella said it didn't have much power, so I said twist the throttle and wait until it stops picking up then change gear. He came back with a smile from ear to ear going WOW!
Awesome bike show. Thanks for sharing that with us. Brings back a lot of good memories.
I owned a K2 750 four in 1972, after ten years of owning lots of English and european bikes the Honda was like sitting on the star ship Enterprise at warp factor 2 when you wound it up. it was the most reliable bike I had ever owned. My girlfriend and me rode trouble free all the way to Ibiza in 1973 and it never missed a beat .we clocked up over 2000 miles , that sort of milage was unheard of in those days on an English bike.. happy days
Wow. Amazing👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻. I love old motorcycles. ❤❤❤
Beautiful Bikes! I love the Honda 750 Four's. I wish I had one.
Their nice bikes
Very nice. Wonderful assembly of vintage Japanese classics. Exceptional condition for their age.
Some wonderful memories & stunning examples of well cared for motorcycles.. The ones that enjoyed seeing the most were the 350 LC and the 750 Four. Thanks for sharing this excellent video.
Brings back memory's when bikes were bikes well done
I had a GT750 Water Buffalo when i turned 18. Fun bike had it's issues but quick triple.
My 1st street bike I was 15 in 1975, a Honda 350 olive green, I still love that color even today, great bike.
Its a wonderful collection,but only one bike you have there,almost brings me to tears is that perfect 1970 Suzuki 750cc two stroke water cooled three cylinder,yours is perfect,I would give anything to own that bike again.of all the bikes I ever own,that's one is the bike I loved.,i am a old vet,that miss that bike.I nthink every bike rider will always have one bike,that he will never forget.
It's great to see those bikes, I have a small collection of classic Japanese bikes myself. The 70's part of my collection is a Yamaha DT3 250 Enduro from 1972,and a 1973 Honda CB360.
A friend of my Brothers rode a 360, I liked the look of them
It's a toss up between the Honda 350 and 400 fours and the CX650 turbo. Admittedly the 650 turbo was actually faster than my 1986 VFR 750.
Man you talk about having flashbacks! Walked thru many showrooms back in the late 60s/70s lusting after a lot of these bikes brand spanking new. Even bought a few new ones (1970 Suzuki TS90, 1973 Yamaha RD350 and 1977 Yamaha IT175). Appreciate the video.
It shocked me, imagine I thought i would go thinking i might see a Mach3 or RD350 or CB350 and I was gobsmacked to see them all and even a CB450 which I can only ever remember seeing one other in my life, and the z900 was WOW just like Alfie had from new. Slim and Rodger on the Waterbus and the trips to Reefton..... yep i know the rush back to the 70's
The 1973 Yamaha RD350 I bought was identical in color to the one @ 6:26 in the video. Sweet!
I reckon you have owned one the iconic classics, the first 350cc off the showroom floor that could do the ton any day all day until you had to stop for fuel anyway :)
自分が高校生の頃に良く見かけたバイクばかりです。It's just a wonderful bike! From Japan.
My teenage years and so many of the bikes I have either owed or risen
Sounds like you saw some good times.
Ah, the GT750 Kettle. I had one of those.
Nothing stops a GT750...least of all the bloody brakes!
and the frame ,that was made of rubber. otherwise what a nice bike
Yeah , l wanted one ,l was 19 at the time walking down the High street in (UK) , walked pass a shop window ,And there she was lights Blazing on her as she turns (turntable) Oh my Heart missed a few Beats , l was always wanting her never got her ,got around on a 250 , Had 5 of them , 2008 came ,walked in to a Bike shop one Lunch time looked at a lot of Bikes , l found the next best thing a GSX 1400 k8 , so l decided to save up 500 dollars every 2 weeks ,then put a down payment of $1000 ,picked her up a week Later Paid full Balance of $ 11,490.rode away ,owning Bike out right , oh yeah still have her ,she is a very good Girl , but l do miss the smell of two stroke ,lol . from Melbourne Australia .
I have a restored 1972 GT750J..here in North Western Arizona... love it, had it 11 years now.....have not seen another one in all the 11 years I have owned it.....run AV fuel in it, and Amsoil 2 stroke Dominator injector oil in the bottle...virtually no smoke out the rear.... it howls.... handles really well with the new Avon tires... but those front dual drums....... have to be real careful when stopping.......I am 62.............
I'm also 62 and I sold my 'J' Kettle cause the Brakes.
It was my teenage dream bike
My got the purple color. What yours color?
Just beautiful! They look like they were kept in the bedroom
that is true beauty to say the least, i was brought up riding the same bikes, thanks.
if only i kept my 70's bikes..... damn. it's ok though, i compensate with my 95 gsxr750! never letting that one go!!
Absolutely beutiful. Outstanding works of art. Take me back down that road.
Yep, I would have one on my wall if I could work out how to get it off every hour or so to ride it :)
I forgot how stunning these bikes looked bring them back get rid of these plastic beast of today bring them home
I rode some of these bikes brings back some great memories thanks so much😎😎🙂🙂
My pleasure, your memories :) I just wish I could have given each bike more justice but to see so many iconic models in one place my eyes were in overdrive and my mouth was probably wide open the entire time LOL!
What a fantastic collection. So many bikes from my youth that I have ridden, seen, dreamed about, or were scared of :>)
Yep the reputation of some were deserved. The Mach3 was a fascinating beast and the noise it made just made me want to do it again and again, then a few years later I walked into a showroom in Sydney and test rode an RZ500, I took it back and hopped onto my CB250RS and said no friggin way, I was a bike courier.
I Had a red Honda 350-4 back in 1972 and the red CBX 6 back in the early 1980s both great bikes
I started working in a Honda/BSA shop in '63. The CB-92 Benly, CB-72/77 Hawk/Super Hawk, and the 250 scrambler were in vogue. Saw none of them or the later CB-160s or S-90s in this video which was surprising. Still interesting to view though. Difficult to find a two stroke such as Suzuki or Yamaha of that early vintage in good running condition these days. They don't store well due to condensation on the engine bearings unless they're run with some regularity to keep the oil fresh.
A CB450 in that Candy Gold color was the first bike I ever rode. Brings back a lot of fond memories.. thanks for the video !
The CB450's seem pretty awesome! Would like one some day.
I'm just getting the roadworthy check on my first bike - this afternoon - FINALLY!
It's a 1972 (K4) Honda CB350, which I've just completed a basic restoration on, over the past few months. As far as I was told by the previous owner, it hasn't been on the road in the past 30+ years!
I had a gold h 450 also and a red 350-4 honda also
The motorcycles of my youth. Beautiful!
i have a 1975 cb 750 ss it sat for a year put some gas in it a good battery i dont think the pistons turned 2 fired right up its a super clean bike had it for over 30 years orange metal flake it looks like a new bike i love it i would put it in your show
Many thanks for taking the time to video this wonderful collection. Those were good days to be biking , despite ( in a few cases ...) some rather underdeveloped frames, if I recall. Interestingly one of my bikes, a TX650 yamaha , had a very poor reputation for handling before PercyTait put the designers on the right path, but it is such a nice bike to ride now, with a mod or two.
Agree with the handling of some but then a few were actually very good, when the RD350 came out it could go like a 650, handle and stop well and weighed nothing. The TX650 was old school with nice styling, they used them as cop bikes here. Bad handling I think of the CB360 or Mach3 although one of these at least went like greased lightning. As a boy I loved the looks of the TX750, a local guy owned one and redlined it everywhere LOL. They made some really nice twins back then.
Sure brings back memories for me. How I lusted after one of the 750 Water Cooled Suzuki "Water Buffalo" when they were new.
Had to stop video because no one would stuff a sock in that kid's mouth
I'll take all the Honda 750's and the ever rare CBX !!!!
I find it interesting how the japanese motorcycleindustry conquered the world of motorcyclists. Have had several bikes, still own a VFR750 -92 (and a BMW K1300S -15).
great collection.rode a lot of those once
00:48 - My baby!!😍 Bought a CB350F brand new in 1974. The most fun I've ever had on a bike.😁👍
They brought a new sophistication to this size bike although a little under tuned for outright performance against the pocket rocket 2-strokes but by far the smoothest riding in it's class and a big step up on the twins.
@@202ToranaMan Agreed! I did some mods to mine shortly after it was out of warranty, namely a 4 into 1 header, pod filters with bigger jetting, and a solid state ignition later on. Those 3 items and a couple of gearing changes made that little 350 come alive on the street!😉 They would have benefited from a better timing system (like gears instead of a chain), but I guess they were trying to keep the cost and noise down in favor of longevity over high performance...
Had the 350 four blew a hole in one of the pistons,reboard to 400cc,very thin liners so sold it.
@@mauriceadamson224 Ouch! There's generally only one reason a 350F will burn a piston, and that's if the carbs are seriously out of sync (or a partially clogged jet). Their carb linkage left a lot to be desired and they generally had to be re-synchronized every 3-5000 miles. I hammered on mine for close to 70,000 miles before it got so loose, it would barely run anymore. I had already got into something with more displacement by then, so I sold it to my younger brother. No idea what he did with it. I ended up finding another one ('72 model) that was wrecked, several years ago, and restored it back to original.😉
brings back a lot of memories and i was hoping there was a 78 Honda cb250 dream ?
Ooooooh, yeah.....Merry Christmas! Bet you can't have just one!
Nice restoration on that Blue 1974 L model Suzuki GT 750, wonder who did that, always wanted one of those!!
Great selection!
Thanks for sharing!
Ya just gotta take ya hat off to the backyard mechanics in NZ.. armed with a 10 & 12mm metric ring spanner and a phillips head screw driver kept in the little blue tool box @1.41 (oh, I forgot to mention the crescent wrench)
Seriously though, some of the worlds best ever motorcycle riders are from NZ and it don't surprise me. Just look at the passion here.
Agreed, we have the mechanical or had in some circumstances, but NZ produces some top class riders and mechanical know how with the ability to think outside of the 'tool box'! plus the roads to do it
The still pic at 8:16 is a fine example of an early Honda 350 four. That colour red is awesome...
i own hf of these bikes.. most barn fresh runners.. collected for years.. could only wish mine were this nice . never paid more than 400$ cash for any one of them
The CX500 Turbo at 1:18 might very well be my old bike. It did go to ChCh
try to relaunch these classics in india
people here are very fond of these vintages
we here need a bike with comfortable one sided sitting which lacks in modern stylish bikes
vintages are best for india
nice bikes ...wouldnt mind owning some of them.have had yamaha mx100,honda ss50,honda xr75 was my first schoolboy motorcrooser, several suzuki ts125 and a 185 1970's, er to erz's and tsx's , i had a yamaha dt400 what a beast it was. ive owned a hoda xl250 and a couple of xt's.the old man had a suzuki 380 hustler, and a kawasaki z750 which i rode to the beach one time while bunking off school was only 15 at the time.even my little sister was in on the bike thing and her friend,my sister had a motor rini bobcat that went like a scalded cat and her friend had a ct70 honda and it couldnt get anywhere near the bobcat.wish we had kept them all collected together..
Love the 2 strokes!
Gorgeous collection. Well done!
I love japanese retro motorcyles
Maravilloso. Gracias por compartirlo
So many fine machines, Noggin on his GT750 held together with chicken wire disappearing in clouds of two stoke smoke down the road
Not sure what you said except for the disappearing bit.
@@202ToranaMan Noggin was a rough Cornish farmer, he didn't exactly look after his bikes running them into the ground then buying the next one
@@oxfordgreenbus Ah, thanks for that
i had one of those 1970s honda 350s there were pretty fast for a small bike and great for wheelies haha
Very nice show. Someone commented cbx's were slow. They are still fast. I own two. They reason there are so many restored Honda's. Is because there were so many of them. You can still get parts. Friend of mine had a Lilac , you showed a green one. My friend had to make his own pistons . Not easy to do.
Awesome to hear Glen, so your friend did a bit of Burt Munro engineering :) I would love to have those skills :)
Hondas*
I have a Yamaha XJ700N - a little newer than the bikes in this vid, but not by much. Prefer to ride it over just about anything newer. I'd give my teeth for the CBX in this video, and I'd also love to have that early naked Gold Wing 1000 - great bikes.
Fabulous collection love it!😉
Thank you!! 😊
HOKASUYA (HONDA KAWASAKI SUZUKI YAMAHA The Best.. Made In Japan.. 🇮🇩🇯🇵🤗💪🙏
Great! Thanks for uploading. I see my history of biking ;-)
I bet a lot of people could relate to you on this. What were your favorites from your past?
@@202ToranaMan I started with GT 250, then GT 550. After this bike I had a Honda 750, and then my first z1000 shaft. This bike I had two times with a difference of 30 years. Between I had a KZ1000R and a Yamaha Xj 900 :-) My last z1000 shaft I sold in 2016, ... the end of biking because unemployment :-( Greetings from germany, Martin ... or is greatings the wright word...
@@martinzehnpfenning5162 Thanks for the Greetings :( The GT550 was one of my favourites as I was a 2-smoke fan and the look of the 550 was superb. You certainly had some nice bikes.
@@202ToranaMan Thank you !
@@202ToranaMan Some of my bikes you will see on Facebook :-)
my father in law has that king of bike in 8:26 yamaha L2 GF. miss those two stroke. still i manage to have a yamaha dt125 for as my dirt bike, i love 2 strokes
Me too, I preferred them when I was younger even if I could hardly open my hand from vibration after a long ride or see out of the mirrors, the big Suzuki was much better than the 500 and 250's I rode
Very interesting in these brand new.
Omg I am salivating over these magnificent bikes.
Whete was that held?
I would love to see such a wonderful exhibition and love to buy few
Yes I am with you on that! I am a 2-smoke fan but boy I love everything their.
Honda should reintroduce these classic bikes.
Sports look sucks now. It's been over 30 years that they are not changing plastic sports look
I agree, I wonder what happened to all the tooling to make them
cant agree more biking is finished no style to the bikes now those adventure bikes are dreadful looking
Agree!
Triumph did as well as Yamaha..
The hipsters would dig them, i think sails would be good.
They should introduce more retro styled bikes in all displacement ranges.
Lovely to look at................................more fun to ride. It is a shame the Japanese manufactures don't still make a line of small, medium, large classic bikes. I do think fuel injection and cleaner, more efficient engines are great, but I suspect more folks (men and women) would ride motorcycles if they looked like the classics of the 70s & 80s. Not everyone wants a motorcycle that looks a crotch rocket.
The amazing world of bikes japanese
Those bikes were more user friendly to us tall riders. Today's bikes are more for short people
We modified CG 125 and performe racing with this and its unbeatable in 500 meter racing and for long also it depend how you modified it each time for each range and we love it in mauritius island and now after watching this ones i excited more but these models bike dont come to our country dont know why
Ahhh happy days.
The Suzuki water buffalo it was a good running machine
The best !
greetings from argentine!!!!! saludos de argentina!!!!
Man, you must have a great climate out there in New Zealand to have so many wellpreserved old machines like these. Ours here in the UK rusted away very quickly.Most of them are a very rare sight these days, cant recall the last time I saw one.Apart from a Suzuki GT750 that my brother owned back in 1986, which he kindly letme ride around the block on. The guy he sold it to wrecked it in only a matter ofweeks. He thrashed it mercilessly until he wrecked the engine. You Kiwi's must bea more civilised bunch of people.
I had the same coloured CBX and year really wasn't a fan of that bike. It seemed to be under powered and during the summer it was very hot with the huge 6 cylinder but in the cool weather during the spring and fall that was a bonus. Actually this looks like the motorcycle parking area at my highschool in the mid to late 70's.
Damn, I saw several SL350 gas tanks but the camera skipped over em.
th-cam.com/video/ifywzv9GCAM/w-d-xo.html&t you will find the SL350 on this one.
These are real bikes... In my opinion.
Never seen a Yamaha xv 1000 virago gold edition 1985 or 1987 here I in trying to get my project bike going and see parts that are missing on mine where they go
I actually have a wall chart of all the Yamaha models from approximately that year. It may even have schematics. I will check if I can remember where I put it
Had 500m four Honda ...were all silly at 17....out of hospital then onto z900 and then gs1000,looking again...
40 years later..still got own hair and seen rolloing stones earlier in the year..some dont change..
Classic to the end I say! You rode some great bikes by the sound of it. I always liked the looks of the 500 and thought they were the best looking of the Honda's but the z900 was like WOW and I still think it's probably the best looking bike ever built from the land of the rising sun.
Kwaka 900 z1B awesome machine
Those bikes are megacool!
Andyrfa dabhsbc
Very cool. Nice turn out of bikes. Loved my RD350 fantastic bike, not so much my "waterbottle" but it did have a certain charm and a whole lot of stubbornness. I currently ride Moto Guzzi Monza and was intrigued as to what the Green V twin (Guzzi style) was in the photos at the end??
The RD350 was iconic in the day and you were very fortunate to have had one. The green bike is a Lilac 250 from around 1960
Heaven on earth. They shame all of the new bike's.
I agree, I am sure if this was actual heaven a few people would be lining up to get their :)
Been looking at the new bikes 2020,disappointed indeed.
I got to see and touch Burts bike and the Roilli vincent also.
CB 750 Honda was a bad ass bike in the day. 750 and 500 Kawasaki would scare the hell out of you. I remember Two Stroke too. You better master the torque thing or you'll get hurt. Fast!!