My Uncle worked at a Honda dealership when the SL125 came out. He got a great deal on one, in the crate, because it was missing the carb & had a dent in the gas tank. Fixed it & seven boys learned to ride a larger bike with a clutch, after we graduated from a 1969 Mini Trail 50. A great all purpose bike,

@paulsmith2204

Жыл бұрын

Honda.xl 350

I stumbled on these cool videos over the weekend. I started riding when I was 13... I'm 81 now and still riding. I knew many of these bikes when they were new. Thanks for all this!!

@peoplehavetherights

2 жыл бұрын

You sound like my late Danish friend who rode to about your age as you. God bless and enjoy your riding.

@joehorton1268

Жыл бұрын

Jorma, are you the musician from Hot tuna?

@jormakaukonen5517

Жыл бұрын

Indeed. Vroom.

11th Yamaha SX 650 Twin ! It was their first big four cycle engine motorcycle introduced into the states and sold in the states from 1969-1983. The after market possibilities were wonderful as well.

@bloodybonescomic

Жыл бұрын

Yes. And they run forever with good maintenance. The engine was built to last. Ball bearings everywhere.

I've had a bunch of classic bikes in the past few years. The most fun for the buck I think are the 175cc Hondas. CB175, CL175, CD175. Very reliable and very easy to work on. A lot like the CB125 but with more power. 80MPH and still 80MPGs! Small twin pistons so there is next to no vibration. Lastly the sound is something else. Highly recommend these to anyone.

@rooky55

Жыл бұрын

I had a 1968 175 scrambler, tangerine color and it was a lot of fun and could beat most cars off the lights and go on off road trails as well. Great time to be a kid.

I love the Daytona. My only issue is they got rid of the "pea shooter" mufflers for the "megaphone" types. the pea shooters are way cooler. I had a T100C (1970) for many years and love it. I now have an A65 BSA. Beautiful and fun to ride (as long as you don't need to stop quickly haha)

I’ve got a Yamaha SR500, 1978 (first year, at least in the states) and I got it for I think $2300. It’s basically the bike that got Yamaha to start moving away from two strokes and getting into street bikes. It’s a very important model in their history, and it has basically been in production up until a couple years ago. The modified it (I think stroke) to 400cc and at some point added fuel injection, but otherwise fundamentally the same bike. They’re absolutely great, they’re fun to ride, and they’re so simple it’s really rewarding. Slightly heavy, but still fantastic. It’s a big single, so it’s not smooth really, but I feel like that’s part of the charm.

@tzackaria7

2 жыл бұрын

i've had 2 of the old SR's. a 78 and an 81. if ya flooded it trying to get it started best find a big hill, coast down, pop it into 2nd drop the clutch. or you could spend the next half hour and wear out yer leg with the kick starter. yamaha ruined it when they made it into a 400. they also made a SR250. same bike, smaller engine.

@WJV9

Жыл бұрын

@@tzackaria7 - No need for the big hill, just take out the plug, dry it with gas lighter and it will fire right up. Never open the throttle on SR-500 when kick starting, also only choke when cold. Never had much problem getting mine started, I have owned my '81 since 1988. Great handling bike that is used by flat track racers and was designed by Kenny Roberts for his fun trail bike when he was riding for Yamaha.

@pensato348

Жыл бұрын

I'm actually looking into getting an SR500 sometime soon, but I'm wondering if it's fine for taller folks, I'm about 196 cm (6'4''), do you think I might be a bit uncomfortable, or would I probably fit fine?

My early motorcycle days in the late 1960's, I was a fan of Japanese 2 strokes. In particular, my brother & I had a 1971 Yamaha 200 twin. With 2 strokes, you don't need too many speed parts to make them more powerful. We tweaked the ports, installed 2 larger carbs from 125 Suzuki single. Changed transmission gear ratios & a racing clutch (stock clutch slipped). Fabricated expansion chamber exhaust pipes & it was as fast as a stock Yamaha RD 400 (lighter weight too) .

@MichaelandCathy1999

2 жыл бұрын

Pffft, no way that contraption was equivalent to the GOAT , sorry. 👍🇨🇦

@bloodybonescomic

Жыл бұрын

My first motorcycle was a 71 Yamaha 200. Two cycle, purple and white gas tank. It was super reliable. Then I sold it and got a 76 RD 350.

The Yamaha XS2 and really any XS650 from 72-83 are excellent bikes. They are a good sized bike and have a very sweet 360 degree twin 44-53 hp engine. The XS2 likely has 53 hp as it was the most powerful with a nice rowdy cam that the EPA required to be tuned down in 1973. I had an XS2 and it was at least 50 hp and they were exhilarating to ride.

I started out on a tiny honda SS50 but that beast packed a ton of power and made me fell in love with motorcycles

4:38 That’s the exact bike I learned to ride on in 1974. It was an ex GPO (Post Office) bike that was used by the motorcycle training school run by the local bike club, but not registered for the road. So we rode it like crazy all over a disused barracks, including a rough section where we did some trials riding. Beautiful little thing.

My first motorcycle was a Sears/Gilera 124 circa 1967. Sears sold tons of them and they look a lot like the Gilera in this video. They were 4 stroke singles with five speed transmissions and could make 60mph easily.

I really liked your short where you took your daughter for her first ride on the triumph 500. I did the exact same thing with my daughter when I was about your age and she was about your daughter‘s age. Pretty much had the same results as you did! Very cool. Fast forward to today, my daughter is 30 years old and loves motorcycles and she blames it on me lol

One seriously overlooked series of bikes were the Honda 400/450 twins from 1978-1986: Hawk, Hondamatic, Nighthawk 450, Rebel 450, etc. Available in standard and cruiser variants. Standard or automatic. Plenty of power, parts are easy to find, typical Honda reliability...and best of all? Cheap! :)

@robertwedden5761

7 ай бұрын

yep he missed one

When I was young I had an early 70's Honda 550four. It looked a lot like my brothers early 70's 750four. It didn't feel that much smaller. But it was a bit, maybe more then a bit slower then his 750. But I loved that 550four.

I once bought a 175 Bantam when I was 14 with my pocket money plus a little bit made by gardening. It was in scrambles trim as well with knobblies, plastic mudguards and motocross bars. Three speed box if my memory serves me and great fun off road.

I have owned three Sportsters, a '74 a '79 and a '85. These were all very reliable and all were iron heads. If the manetanance was kept up they were just as reliable as my 1969 Bonneville. Good video.

I got my 1970 CB450 for $2k and it’s exactly like you said about the 500: runs easily, fun to ride, and perfectly usable in modern traffic. Amazing for a bike that’s over 50 years old.

@alecnull

2 жыл бұрын

What do you think about the size? I'm on the longer side, and am a little worried I wouldn't fit, or might look ridiculous.

@TinMan82

2 жыл бұрын

@@alecnull it’s not a very big bike. I’m 5’8” and it fits me ok but if I were much taller it probably wouldn’t work well. I also only use it around town for short, low speed trips.

@drakeb6168

9 ай бұрын

@@alecnull you may look towards the 650 or 750 sized bikes. I got a cb650 and its amazing.

My first 'big' bike was a Honds CB500T and I loved it. We loaded it up for camping trips many times. It was comfortable and went well two up and all our gear. I can't remember why I sold it but I bought another quite soon after. I never see them mentioned anywhere these days. Many years ago a friend gave me a Honda CJ250. Great little bike for commuting to work but it finally gave up. I still ride but keep my bikes for a very long time now.

@barryervin8536

2 жыл бұрын

Here in the US we got the CJ360, but it was only sold here in 76 and 77. I put a hotter cam and a glass-pack muffler on mine and it was almost as fast as my friend's RD350. I could usually stay ahead of him leaving a stop sign up to about 45 mph, which really annoyed him LOL!

@norfolkdragons866

Жыл бұрын

CJ250 was a great little bike. Had one in the mid 80's, lot of fun.Not fast but prett chuckable in corners and reliable.

Motorcycles from my youth l do remember these motorcycles make me feel old l wished you had featured more suzukis

@perrycalabrese3475

2 жыл бұрын

I had a GS750. Loved that bike! Some friends had the GT's with Ram Air 😅. Don't see them at all these days. Market is focused on RD's and trilpes. I remember Zukis' known for their enduros and MXer's

@wsbill14224

2 жыл бұрын

I have an original 79 GS1000L. I love it. When new it was briefly the fastest thing on the road. Today it's a well balanced easy to ride bike that runs on regular gas with good power for 2-up riding but nothing spectacular. It only goes 137 and can do 11 sec 1/4 miles.. Amazing how 40 years of development and changing perspective can turn a widow maker into a docile cruiser.

@wsbill14224

2 жыл бұрын

@@perrycalabrese3475 the GS750 was the gem of the GS series. I had a GS500 for a long time and I loved it. I still have my GS1000L and love it. Suzuki gave the most value for the money back in the air cooled days.

@wsbill14224

2 жыл бұрын

I would love to ride a GS450 from the 1970's. Today's equivalent of a Royal Enfield twin but totally reliable. I like riding a 40HP twin cyl or general purpose bike by myself. I never ride in groups. Begging for crashes.

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

All the roller crank fours. Best of their kind. Handling etc. I've looked for a GS400 or 450 for my wife, but no joy. In Canada they had 8 valve heads on 400s.

I had a 69 500 Triumph Trophy in early 1976. Promptly got hit by a pickup shortly afterward! Still riding ! Also had an ironhead sporty a couple years later. You know your bikes, very cool!

Great information.. never too old to ride. I'd just received my drivers permit in the summer of 1971, so my parents bought me a new candy-apple red 1971 Honda 175 SL ($686) ..been riding ever since.

I bought a 175cc Bantam for £10 pocket money when I was a young teenager. It was in Scrambles trim, plastic mudguards, knobbly tires etc. 3 speed transmission on right side, the speedo was out but it perhaps topped out at 45 or 50mph. We road it down a disused railway line.

I had a 1972 Honda CB500 in the late 70’s. Went to Stuges SD from Des Moines Ia in 1979. Also my first motorcycle was a Honda CL 125 that had the high muffler. I think it was called a Scrambler.

Hey man, I rode my Daytona winter and summer through college . Great bike and put many miles on it. Top for me was 110, laid down, because I was a Linebacker/Fullback. Lol Love the Vid for a 74 yr old, brings back memories.

I had 3 CB 500 Four, it's a wonderful motorcycle even when it just awakes in high engine speed ... but you are right, it's nice to just cruise around with it ... Anyway, still have a beautiful Yamaha XT 250 from 1983 which is one of the last motorcycles hold in that beautiful design of the 1970s. :)

In March I saw and fell in love with a 62 triumph tiger cub trials. A friend had restored it and had to get it certified from triumph as it had never been on the Rd, then dvla registered with a cool number plate. I paid £3,500 and she is so cool 😎 Taken it to bike nite on the seafront a few times this summer and gets a lot of attention, a lot of guys reminiscing about owning one in the 60's and looking back with fond memories. She is tiny but so cool 😎👍

Had a 72 SL 350 in the mid 80s . I've had many bikes and it as capable off road as it is on road . It's in the ranks of my slowest bikes , it's also in the ranks for the highest torque. Thing would climb a wall if you could hold onto it.

@barryervin8536

2 жыл бұрын

I loved the SL350s, especially the later ones that were a bit lighter with the double cradle frame , 21" front wheel, slide carbs, and no electric start. I remember going to a motocross race once in the early 70s and two guys from the local Honda dealership showed up on shiny brand new SL350s that appeared to be completely stock. Everybody was laughing at them until one of the guys took the lead and held off all the Huskies and CZs and Maicos for several laps until he fell landing in a muddy patch over a jump. He got back on and managed to regain some of his lost ground by the end of the race. One of the most amazing things I've ever seen.

Best 70's bike I had was the 400/4 that I bought in 1996 and was 19 years old. It was the only Japanese multi I rode that handled.

You showed an XLCH Sportster with a magneto. One of my older brother's friends bought on NEW. One evening when it was over at our house, it was kicked by the 4 or 5 guys who were with my brother. It was still in our driveway the next morning. Not saying it was a bad bike, but it was hard to start that day. In my opinion, Suzuki's GS series, starting with the GS750 of 1976, through the 1978 through 1980 GS1000 (Second 11 second bike in Cycle World, the Dunstall Norton 810 the first). The GS series was make or break for Suzuki. The public and less importantly the EPA were turning against the two strokes. The Wankel was doing for Suzuki what it did for Arctic Cat and NSU. The GS750 turned that around. Best handling, quickest 750 and most bullet proof. It transformed club racing incredibly durable with the two stroke like crank shaft. The GS line absorbs abuse really well. The shaft drives are really cheap. They have little shaft effect. I've had to GS850Gs ridden over to me by the seller to pick up their $600. Cross the country on a $600 bike? GS850 will not provide the drama. After 2 GS850Gs and a GS1100G to my brothers for tours around the PNW We did a 5000+ trip to Maine. Love those bikes. Read a road test from when they were new, and you will not find faint praise. Just better than any other mass produced competition in its market in that period, except some of the electrics. Of course, for me, every bike is a touring bike. We avoid controlled access highways, but good roll on power from 70 or so miles per hour is a must. imgur.com/gallery/PfYHfzw

There's no reason to exclude the Kawasaki, Yamaha, & Suzuki motorcycles from the same time periods. Personally, I think the modern Royal Enfield motorcycles with fuel injection & ABS are quite appealing for their price point. Regardless, I prefer the classic look of older bikes.

@gandalfnamirreh379

2 жыл бұрын

cheers

@blakeepperson3902

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. I like the classic Kawasakis cross the board. 2 strokes have their drawbacks but the suzuki ts400 is an awesome bike to me.

@nickchester3275

2 жыл бұрын

Yes there is. There are only ten places in the top ten!

@mbsnyderc

2 жыл бұрын

I would think a Yamaha XS650 would hit all the marks one would want in a classic bike.and still be fast enough to use on modern roads.

@rossmcginnis6811

2 жыл бұрын

@@mbsnyderc And the specials are just absolutely beautiful.

Wow, thanks for the video. I really enjoyed driving my CB 750 four during the early 70's.

This video is a blessing. I’m a poor dude who’s looking at getting my first bike and I really only like the vintage styles. Ever see the Janus motorcycles? They’re out of this price range but with absolutely gorgeous vintage style

Really really awesome channel. I’m super glad I discovered it. Your content is right up my alley and the way you talk about your topics is very informative and relaxing. You make me want to keep listening and pay attention. I definitely subscribed. Keep up the good work.

Thanks. My first big bike was a 1982 sohc Honda CB 650 Night Hawk . I was running it back in the day next to my Kawasaki KH 250 triple. I had to sell the triple at short notice..My parents wanted it out of the Garage. So it went for £4:00 . Sad because it was worth much more. Today it’s would be worth ALOT. Last week I saw another82 650 Honda and bought it for low money…They are a good buy , Reliable, quick , and good looking. Go for the 82 if you can.

The CB125 was my first bike. Bought it from a colleague, who had also used it to get to work. I agree, a great little motorcycle. And quick.

@norfolkdragons866

Жыл бұрын

First bike I ever rebuilt the engine on, got it as a non-runner for cheap and spent several weekends stripping it down, cleaning it up and rebuilding it with the Haynes manual. Once it was running I never had a problem with it and it was the perfect bike to learn to fix bikes on - so simple.

I think 60's or 70's Honda CBs are great first vintage bikes. When I looking for my first bike a few years ago I really wanted an old Triumph but a motorcycle mechanic told me to start with an old Honda if I wanted vintage... then get the Triumph once I had acquired some mechanical know-how. I found a 1975 CB750 on Ebay that I paid 2 grand for. It doesn't have the stock paint job or stock 4 into 4 pipes, but it's a nice-looking, clean bike that runs great. Last year I finally got my Triumph, a 1964 TR6. I saw it pop up locally on Marketplace for 5 grand so I had to jump on it. (Seems like the good deals are always thousands of miles away… so after shipping costs they’re not as good a deal. It's nice when they're local.)

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

Honda single cams have way easier valve adjustments than the later twin cams with shims from Honda and the other manufacturers

I have a mint 71 Shovelhead that I bought new. Dating myself I know. AMF actually saved Harley-Davidson by upgrading their plants that had not received any Renovations since 1952. Where AMF got a bad rep was they did not Harden the valve seats and guides to compensate for the unleaded fuel that came onto the market. many problems surfaced relating to that. By 1976 all the bugs were worked out. As far as the old Harleys leaking oil , that was usually the chain oiler. If you kept up on your preventative maintenance, one had no problem. My first bike was a BSA 441 Victor. We called them "half a Harley"

I remember going to a motor cycle shop in the mid 1960's where they sold Triumphs & Hondas. All the NEW Triumphs had pans under them to collect the oil that leaked from their engine cases. The floors under the Hondas were spotless (no drip pans needed). Perhaps that was the beginning of the end of the British motorcycle business?

@fawnlliebowitz1772

2 жыл бұрын

Electric start, oil was cheap.

@burkestorti4586

2 жыл бұрын

@@fawnlliebowitz1772 The point is quality. Hondas were better made to prevent oil leaks

@fawnlliebowitz1772

2 жыл бұрын

@@burkestorti4586 Leakin Limeys were a lot more fun to ride. Electric start killed the industry in England.

@philtucker1224

2 жыл бұрын

I worked on a lot of Honda engines in the early 70s for competition use. For me the big difference between the Japanese and U.K. bikes then, was the density of the cast aluminium on the Hondas. (I think they were cast under quite high pressure) so there was absolutely no porosity In the castings. An absolute dream to machine thus much finer tolerances achievable…

I have a CB900 Custom now. It's a really nice bike to have. No complaints. Powerful and reliable and has 10 speed transmission

@georgebarnes8163

Жыл бұрын

milder cams and smaller carbs than the stock CB900

I love my Honda Hawk CB400T. I restored it from the frame up......have a windshield...installed a tiny Tac...and resproketed it so I don't rev so high at 50 or 60 and have been riding it for over 20 years. I get more comments than many people that have newer bikes. I got rid of the old twin pipes with the heavy balance chamber and installed straight Mac pipes.

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

Those are very great bikes. The 3 valve heads made good power. The counterbalancer smoothed out the vibration. The 360 degree crankshaft made a nice sound like a British bike. Totally under rated.

Got my third bke ever for a grand, my 79' CB750K, and lordy what a dream. My uncle and dad thought i wouldn't like it as my being used to more on/off bikes but wow, i adore everything about it. As smooth as my XR is and whatnot, the Cb is truly perfect in my opinion. sure it's rough on the back roads but i love the character and it's the best sounding bike imo

@andrewthag

2 жыл бұрын

Ay similar story, picked up a 81 kz750h for a grand too lol

@theronstrong8765

2 жыл бұрын

@@andrewthag hell yeah

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

Of course I prefer the 'Sport", but that was a breakthrough for Honda. They had been resting on their laurels for nearly a decade.

I remember years ago, going after an older '60's era Sportster, I discovered it had a weak corner on the transmission case. This was on the working side of the bike. After a few years of riding, the corner of the transmission case would fatigue literally fall off. A construction flaw. If you caught early enough, you can get it welded back in. Downside is, like most bikes, it featured used unitized construction. Meaning both engine and transmission were the same case so everything had to be taken apart.

Hard to argue with those picks considering I have owned 3 of the bikes listed: 5:49 Triumph 200 cc Tiger Cub (street version) in blue. 6:48 Triumph 500 cc Daytona, 1973, in red/white (similar to that shown at 8:06 but with a more vibrant red). Best looking and, with Dunstall exhausts, sounding bike ever IMHO. 10:15 Honda SL125 in silver/red (like the one at 10:37 but with the high exhaust like that shown on the green one at 10:31). I started off with a Yamaha 50 cc two-stroke. However, not too surprising that did not make your 10 coolest list. 😉

@curefied

11 ай бұрын

i would love to get one of these one day

I had a Honda 500 4 in 1976.........scrap on wheels..........it was heavy.......it was fitted with a Marshall 4 into 1.......even in the 70's the exhausts were over a grand.........and lasted about three years.....big money when youre an apprentice........the 400 4 was a lot nippier ....My pals rode RD 350....very quick..........another had an H1E.......the nearest thing to a magic carpet you could get.......but 20 m.p.g............another had a KH250........a ghost of the original .S1.......The Z1 was king of the road.......but was left for dead when the GS1000came out........great vids by the way

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

Hated myHonda 550, or whatever it was. Metal flake gold like a bass boat otr a drum set. Heavy slow nd really heavy. Compared to my Commando it was a bad heavy smell. I think it was some kind of trading deal. Don't remember why I had it.

When we were kids dad bought us a brand new xl70 ? It had been stolen and found on a mudflat with the front guard missing. We bought it cleaned it up and put on a cheap plastic front guard. We had more fun on that bike than any other bike we ever owned. Always started even after leaving it fill up with water for 3 months. Took the plug out squired the water out and drained just the water out of the sump if I recall right so long ago. Kicked it a few times and off it went. What a great bike the 125 got to be even better. We learned so much on it and went on to race bikes motocross and rally. 2 stroke 80's every second meeting had to replace the rings then very quickly needed boring lol then very quickly ran out of factory oversizes and had to go pricey wiseco pistons. left me wishing for an xr80 but they just were not quick enough. Would be a nice one to have now. I think they would be rare.

In 1976 I bought a brand new Triumph Bonneville 750 for $1995. Loved it and rode it all through college.

born in 62 a late starter into that hobby but I love it. Among two modern bikes and a vespa I bought a cb125k5 and a xs400special I modified to a scrambler.

I restore vintage motorcycles mostly Japanese and British, and the easiest ones to find parts for by far are the British. Lots of suppliers and specialty shops and you can get readily available and reasonably priced parts. If you want to get into a vintage bike consider doing a fix up on an older model. You will save on the initial cost and probably the over all cost plus you get to know your machine and other people who are into the vintage scene. These older bikes were built with the intent that the owner would be doing the service work on them and so are pretty simple to work on with basic tools and a manual. The undeserved bad reputation that they had as far as reliability goes came from the absence of maintenance on the part of their owners. This is the big reason that the Japanese bikes were such a hit; no tools required. It isn't YOUR bike 'till you work on it! Tim.

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

Yes. Considering that classic original Commandos are still in production at Norvil, and new heads are available from Austrailia too, and tanks and side covers pre painted from India, Yes. Main stream brit bikes are easy to own relatively.

My first bike I owned was an SL 125. Same silver. Loved that bike.

The reason the early Honda's (and all the other makes) ran so smoothly is because they were correctly jetted/fueled. Thats not to say fuel injection couldn't be every bit as good (maybe better?), the problem with most modern bikes is they are fuelled so lean they often run badly.

The CB 500 does truly intrest me. The CB 750 was a wonderful machine but always too heavy and with a high seat was always a handful at slow speeds for a short rider.

@georgebarnes8163

Жыл бұрын

Go for the CB550, they are so much better than the 500 which was a bit of a slug.

My first bike was a 71 Honda 100 on off. I had lots of fun with it.

Honda CB125 was my first bike. I loved it so much. My dad used and and it got me through college.

For the vintage CB Hondas, do you have to add an additive to the gas (like a reservoir under the side cover)?

My first bike was a CB125S.Like a lot of my bikes I wish I still had it 😀

I once owned a Triumph Daytona 500! Not considering the incessant oil leaks, it was a great bike. I miss it.

Got a 72 honda cl350 and a 76 honda cb750!!! Both are awesome bikes. I also got a 71 yamaha A1 175cc which is a fun little dirt bike. It's nice to be able to work on them compared to motorcycles today

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

I would probably rather have an AT-1 or DT60 than ANY Mini Trail

That Triumph T100 is a work of art.

Enjoying your videos! Which one of these do you think have the most readily available parts? I would guess the CB500s?

I recommend the yamaha sr500. This one lunger in its day was quick, modern engine parts like cam,piston and some headwork can make twin cylinder power out of it. All with the simplicity of one carburetor, one intake valve, one exhaust valve. One piston-etc etc.

I love you picked the handsome Gilera. Beautiful Italian bike.

I had a ‘71 Triumph 650 Tiger T110. My favorite bike.

They really were making bikes "that people wanted to buy". Im 32 and im constantly eyeballing the 60s and 70s bikes because there is no available modern equivalent that appeals to me. Maintenance is part and parcel of the motorcycling experience to me.

Not really sure if it counts. But my dream old-bike is a honda magna from the 80's. That V4 is amazing, definitely looking for the 700 or 750 model. I don't like the revived version they did in the mid 90's. 80's ones seem to be between $2000-$3000

@markdavis9148

2 жыл бұрын

I have an 82, it's always run perfectly

@leandroflaherty

2 жыл бұрын

Had a vf700f, close cousin, same beautiful motor. Get one!

@MnktoDave

2 жыл бұрын

I found a nice '84 Magna 700 last summer, and have been riding it ever since. It's a beautiful bike, reliable, and very fun to ride! Get one if you can, you won't be sorry.

@goodgoat3096

Жыл бұрын

I liked the Sabre version, same motor, same speed, and same acceleration with a great exhaust note.

I still own my first bike that I bought in 1976 - a 1974 CB750 I've restored it back to stock front end, and stock seat. Still trying to locate original orange metalflake side covers ( never customize paint )! Also have a 1976 CB750. Need to change out the extended front end, and king\queen seat. The rest is original. About 10 years ago I lucked out and bought a complete 750 engine in perfect shape for a couple hundred bucks. If I ever ( and I doubt it ) have a problem I've got any parts I might need, or just swap out the engine! And last but not least - a 1982 Honda Passport 70cc step thru.

I had a CB 550F. Great bike, loved it, it wasn't the best at anything, but was excellent at everything, and it was reliable.

@plgplgplg

Жыл бұрын

Had a 77 for 10 years, loved it. Bought from a buddy for $600 with rusty pipes, put a header on it, lasted 10 years.

Thats all I ride. I have a 69, & a 74 Honda, a 79 Triumph, and a 70 BSA. Keep them rolling! 😃

All cool bikes. Some mid 70’s BMWs can be had for a similar amount and really can go long distances

I think a couple bikes you missed are the bridgestones from 68-71 the 175,200, and 350 twin are all fantastic little 2 strokes and the 100 is awesome because for Enduro it has a factory quick change sprocket

The definitions of vintage, classic and retro are really variable, it seems. When it comes to bikes, I think pre-WW1 is veteran, WW1 to WW2 is vintage, post-war is Classic, 70s and 80s are retro and anything after that, but not new, is just 'old' hehe. I don't know, but once bikes got to a certain point of performance and quality, they seem to not really be different enough to classify. Maybe I'm just showing my age, but pretty much all late 80s and later bikes seem 'modern' to me. They all out-perform the roads they ride on by a large margin. Unless you race them on a track, the differences for decades are pretty much immaterial apart from them becoming safer and more reliable?

Recycling retro is the new cool 😎

There probably aren't many left, but an old Suzuki GT 550 made a fun bike ride back in the 70s also.

Had a 1972 Yamaha 250 DS7 2 stroke twin, that was a quick little bike. In 1973 the RDs came out and they were even better.

If you are looking for a 70s Honda 4 cylinder, try to find a CB550. In addition to the 50cc displacement increase over the CB500, they also had a number of mechanical improvements in the carbs, transmission and clutch, etc. My favorite 70s Honda of the many old bikes I had was my 76 CJ360T. The same basic bike as the CB360 but with different seat, tank, fenders and exhaust for a more "cafe racer" look. I wish I still had it today but they only sold them in 76 and 77 and I never see them anymore. Mine was a 76 leftover bought new in 77 for $639.

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

The 360 had another gear too, didn't it? Six speed? I bought a leftover 1976 RD400 in 1977. Loved it and still have one.

@barryervin8536

2 жыл бұрын

@@paulblouin6955 The 360 twin had 6 speeds , except for the CJ model which had the older 5 speed trans, also the old front drum brake and no electric start. It was a strange combination of bargain basement economy version but also a sportier and lighter version with almost "cafe" type styling. I think it was intended to appeal to young kids who wanted a cooler look but who had no money. I know it wasn't a big seller and only lasted 2 years in the US. I was really happy with mine especially since I got it for $639 brand new, and wish I still had it. I later had a 76 RD400 that I bought from a friend who had done all the little mods and updates on it. It ran good but for some reason I never got attached to it. I don't know why, because I was really into 2-strokes back then. Had Suzuki T-500s and Kawi 500 triples too.

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

I wasn't a fan of the 350 360 Honda. I did like the later 400 though. 360 degree crank and counterbalanced. Better sound more modern better handing. Not so iconic though. There was bargain 400 too with small tank and drum on the front as well as I recall. I had a CB550. For me it felt heavy, especially top heavy. Most people love it.

Good one Bart !. Also Yamaha RD 250, or RD 350, or RD 400. Also Kawasaki H1 500, or H2 750. Grab any one of these and keep it original (no cafe racers. No hack jobs) they ALL appreciate !!!

The BSA Bantam is actually a copy of the pre war german DKW RT98. HD and Yamaha made copies too.

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

Not really a copy. It is the real thing in a different factory, like the first Yamaha. According to what I have read, Royal Enfield, real not India, started copying the DKW before the end of WWII. Had to do with the Nazis and the religion of a distributor somewhere in Northern Europe.

Would like to find a 550F, the big brother to the 400F. Has the similar 4 into 1 exhaust.

Great video. 👍😎👍My buddy has a Mid 70’s Honda since well Mid 70’s lol Still a Super Cool bike today…for sure!

i had two. classic. hondas that i enjoyed riding for very different reasons.... my. first bike i ever owned was a 1982 honda cm200t twinstar. this was really the perfect bike to. has as my very first motorcycle.... the second bike i had was a 1985 Honda cb700sc nighthawk, black and blue coloring... i loved. the parallel 4, shaft drive on this bike. man when this thing hit thr power band it took off like beimg shot oout of a slingshot all of a. sudden..... i dint like any other years of the nighthawk other than the 3 years they did something different from 1984-1986, the 80s max headroom styling i like to call it.... anyway, i enjoyed both of these bikes back when i got them, tho now only dual or adventure sport bikes are sufficient for me as i ride off road about half the time..... man i really wish fantic would bring the caballero rally here to the states, i want that bike so badly...

I love the Honda CB125 and CB 250. What site or place is good to go and buy one of those? I live in Houston, TX. Any recommendation will be very helpful. Thanks!

I bought a BSA Bantam 125cc from 1952 (2 years older than me) together with a friend for 12 SA Rand from one of our teachers an the beginning of our last year in high school back in 1972. Apparently the magneto was faulty. We pushed it home 6 km (3.7 miles), what a bitch the hill on the West Street was! But we were young and full of gung-ho! I had previously bought a Puch 50cc moped 2 gear a few years previously for 6 SAR so we were not completely inexperienced. When we finally arrived home, we cleaned the carburetor and set the points, put some 2 stroke mix in the tank and pushed it around the garden - - BANG BAANG BAAANG!! What a JOY! We drove it on the back roads and fields (illegally of course) then spent our time stripping it down and chroming (thanks to Mom for paying for that) and spraying the bike iridescent green (thanks to a friend of my father). Just before the end of our last year I passed my motorcycle license test and drove it to school. Our teacher was blown away! ! drove the bike daily to university for 4 years. One of the events that I remember was a trip with friends, we changed bikes and a friend was on the Bantam when the silencer fell off - he took off like a shot! It had so much more lower end power! After that I made a small modified silencer which I took off whenever I was on the motorway. After university I went up to Johannesburg, over 500 km away, where I worked for 2 years before buying a car to follow my second great passion: hang gliding - which I have been doing for 47 years now. With the minimum of tools I could strip the Bantam down at the side of the road and repair it, it was so trustworthy and simple - KISS - keep it simple and stupid!

Although built in England the BSA Bantam was actually a German design - the DKW RT125. Blueprints of the design were taken up by BSA as part of the reparations following World War 2. There were also Russian and American versions of the design but the Bnatam was the most successful variant.

@paulhoward6165

Жыл бұрын

Yes Harley Hummer has that same motor but you won't find one under 5k

One of the best motorcycles ever built and very affordable is a Rickman 125 Zundapp. Great still off road and many can be street legal. A model of the bike in the seventies was used as a police interceptor. None better.for price and reliability and parts are still produced, even body panels. 😎

These videos are my favourite on the channel

I liked the CB 125, but I LOVED my 185 Twinstar.

One of my biggest regrets was selling a 74 or 75 Honda street 90, it had 74 miles from new and sat in my neighbors garage under cover for 20 years. He asked me if I wanted it for $100. Yes I bought it and had it for two years and put 5 more miles on it. I didn’t have a good place to store it so sold it fit $700. Now it’s $5-7000. I’m crying!

@joehorton1268

Жыл бұрын

Ride em don't hide em!

How about the 70’s 650 Yamaha great runners!

Recommend? Any early Yamaha XS or Kawasaki KZ. CB450's are also a good find. The DS7 is still reasonably priced (predecessor to the RD series) vs. RD's and Triples. Most of the bikes you show are collectors, nothing you would want to get out and ride.

@mmuller199

2 жыл бұрын

I got an 82 Kz550 last summer in great condition for $2500. It's an absolute blast to ride, and even tho it's an 80s bike, it's still got that classic 70s style.

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

Or mini bikes. Not happenning for me.

I rode a 70’s era Suzuki 380 with a 6 speed transmission when I started riding. I now ride. ‘’98 Honda Valkyrie I bought in Michigan where I live for $5500. It had only 26,000 original miles. I’m completely sold on Honda’s box six engine. This bike is a rocket ship! Kinda heavy for some probably but completely reliable.

Lovely old bikes. My dad had a 1959 Triumph Tiger Cub, he bought it in the 60's for £8. I wish I had it.

The bike you were thinking of but couldn't remember - tha tlooke dlike the Honda SL125 may have been the Honda 250 Elsinore (SL250??). First time I saw one, all us kids sharing one 100cc kawasaki got showered by an Elsinore with the first ever rooster tail of mud that we had ever seen. Unforgettable.

Had a really quick little red CB125 as a stand-in between bigger bikes. Stored it beside my old shed, and someone stole it!

Hi! What year of the Honda CB500? Thanks

Nice choices. I have owned a number of these over the years and they've slipped through my hands.

Fun and informative video. Hondas are great, but I just love the old Triumphs. btw, Gilera is pronounced “jee-lera.” (My uncle in Italy had one)

If you like the classic looks w/o the headaches of being old, the baby bonney tu250x is a consideration.

I really like the old Kawasaki 440ltd. There belt drive is indestructible and the 6spd makes them highway capable.

Back in 1994, I got a 75 Honda CB 750 four, for 750 bucks. Needed cleaning, had a little rust but cleaned up to look almost mint. It had 1 ding in the tank side from falling over in a garage. Only dent on it. I had to get side cover badge's but that was about it. The oldest bike I had was a 72 Suzuki GT 500 two stroke. I rode it from 1978 to 1989. That's when I got the Honda. I paid 250 for the Suzuki. I sold it for 1000 . I've never had a new bike I sold the Honda in 2007 for again 1000. It sat in a shed for several years while I rode the 94 VMAX. So the Honda got a little funky thats why i sold it cheap. I just bought a 2005 triumph Bonneville T 100 for 3000. It only had 18000 miles on it and is in mint condition too. It's not as quick as the 750 was, but it's fine. You can find older bikes for around 5 thou. Condition all different. Depending on how maintained they were. Keep lookin. Maybe you'll find something old, clean and well taken care of.

I live in the BSA Bantam Capital of the World. Currently this month, there is a deceased estate auction of around 20+ Bantams for sale coming up soon. There is also a personal collection of 15 or so restored Bantams being sold by an 80+ year old restorer. So, One city...that currently has 35+ vintage BSA Bantams for sale. Im sure that no where else in the World would have this many for sale at once.😄

Beautiful bike!...78 kz1000A, 86 1100 gixxer or gs1150 are the only old bikes on my want list. Owned the kz and gixxer so it'd be nice to revisit those.

@paulblouin6955

2 жыл бұрын

1983 GS1100 is a better bike, and has the welded crank. 16" front wheel and scabbed on single shock fouled the 1150 as a motorcycle. Best motor though. I had an '831100E. My brother is getting one when he pays off his house. Just our opinions