Motorcycles

Back in the day in 1978, Honda first manufactured a motorcycle, which I thought was the most beautiful motorcycle I had ever laid my eyes on, the six cylinder Honda CBX 1000, I remember drooling over a silver one in the showroom at Millers Motorcycles in Newtown.

I had a CBX, identical to the photo, in the eighties. 1979 registered, I gave £1500 for it. Sold it some years later for £1550, thought I'd done alright out of it. It would nowadays bring £10,000 to £15,000 .
A month after selling the CBX, I bought a Honda GL1000 Goldwing (naked) for £1500 and only sold it two years ago, at auction, only got £1780 for it.

I'm still in the market for an RD350 if anybody knows a whereabouts going at the right price!

Tonker

You lucky person having one of those, I think you have mentioned that before, as regards the Yam RD350 I once had a go on one, and it were good

Coincidence TTS...saw one today in Hindley...a Luvly looking beast.

TTS, I have a photo of my CBX1000 somewhere, taken at Aintree. I'll look it up later!

If you thought an RD350 were "good", at 39 bhp, you'd've liked a go on the TZ350H at 78 bhp.

I still have my Kawasaki 1200 which is supposed to give 163 bhp.
I thought we were all going for a ride out somewhere one day? Ballinge Baaaaiker?

Rrrrrinnnggg Dinnnnnggg Stink bombs.

An undertaker's best friend ?
g.b.

Tonker

A Kwack 1200

I once had a go on a Kwack KH250

1970's was the years the Japs invaded Britain, I was a triumph die hard but we lost the fight when Merridan's promise to save the British bike failed as the new Bonneville was no better than the old one and in fact it was worse and the Honda's ,Yams, sussies and itchiefannys were far superior in looks, reliability , ridability,speed. comfort and oil tightness, The war was over and the British bikes became collectors toys and museum exabits Since then We make nothing,

Right turn clyde

GB over the last few years fatalities on m/bikes has been around the 300ish mark compered to over 1700 car fatalities. Yes there are a lot more cars so not really a comparison. My son is after getting a motor bike later this year

PeterP

Irrespective of the numbers, the fact remains that most of fatelities on the roads have been caused by riders and drivers exceeding and ignoring the speed limits, together with other acts of stupidity which in many cases have also injured or killed other drivers and pedestrions.

Motor bike riders are much more aware of traffic around them compared to drivers, They HAVE to be . You'll never see a bike rider on the phone for instance

Tom seen one or two with a fag in their mouth but that was the pillion rider

PeterP..is your son already a full licence holder for a bike ?....The CBT are a good start for newbies but experience is only gained by regular use. The No1 Golden rule for cars/bike..Only travel at a speed that you can safely stop in the distance you can see to be clear....And as Clint says...A man's gotta know his limitations.

How many of us tried to flatten out a bike when we were young?

There are old bikers and bold bikers, but very few old and bold ones left.

Billinge Biker yes he has a full motorbike licence and is buying a Honda CB500FA-J

double post

Ah good PeterP...He knows the score then...I see a lot of born again bikers who are taking their bike test at 40+..

Tom

Is this anything like that Triumph Bonneville which you had LINK

Tommy Tee, That one is the T120R, The R stands for the remake, It was the Merrdan factory's attempt at remaking the bonny to challenge the japs, It had 12 volt system and later they added blinkers, the giveaway to me is the balance pipe across the twin exhaust pipe, mine was the long standing T120 and i can't find my exact model but, here is a 1959 model and mine was like this but in the colours like in your link,
my bonny but older

The Meriden factory was a workers of Triumph movement, when Triumph was faced with closure because of lack of sales, the loyal workers made a ' stand' against the Jap bikes invasion and bought the factory, retooled it and began the fight to keep Triumph alive, It failed but I feel proud of those workers for trying to keep British bikes alive,

well done one and All Winston churchill of the bike builders,

Tom

Thank you for that information, I vaguely remember Meriden factory saga, but I do like that bike, even if it is a remake model

When I bought that bike from Millers in 1972. It was 2 years old and done little milage and previously owned by a guy who was a ' captain slow' of the area, It cost in Total £360 and I was made up with it, It was everything I needed, super reliable, good acceleration and easy to 'throw about' on the corners, It was my work horse and show boat and I had it for 5 years, In that time I maintained it and rode it every day, It did the mad Sunday in the isle of man, I toured Europe on it and in 1977 I subcommed to the modern ways and got a Honda CB750 4, Which was reliable, 12 volt electrics, blinkers and a starter motor, It was slower on Acceleration and clumsy to ride and, I never loved it but, It was all I had for going to work on and playing with so I kept it until 1981 when, my then girl friend and I had made a baby, the honda went and 4 wheels came in and, That ended my motor bike days, I never got that reborn biker calling because, from there on to this day, the cost of living was eating up my earnings, I did however still loved 2 wheels but my new 2 wheels are free to run and they keep me active and happy,

Tommy Tee. I have finally got a clip of the model I had, Its a brill clip and shows the agility, speed and sound of this machine, The guy riding it has took a lot of time and trouble to make this video and its worth every minute,

Triumph Bonnevile T120

also note his style of riding, Old hat keeping his bum square on the seat, Not sliding around the bike and ' getting the knee down' like todays riders,

" keeping his bum square on the seat, Not sliding around the bike and ' getting the knee down' like todays riders"

Like Mike Hailwood !

My old mate Tommy (RIP) had a 1961 Bonnie. He bought it as a 'box of bits' for £250.
He also had Ste Jones's BSA Road Rocket which Ste left him when he died.
I wonder what happened to them two bikes????
Tommy reckoned that BSA was haunted! A few on here might remember Ste, from Wentworth Road?

Tom

That is a crackin video, and it looks like the Triumph Bonneville handled really well ,and I have never seen a British bike close up, but what is now obvious to me is that the Japanese copied the British bikes, because there are large amounts of those Bonneville's which are identical the Honda's I had and still have from the 1970s

Tonker, though I understand why the modern riding style allows faster cornering, Whats that thing the superbike riders do with their leg just before a corner, they stick the whole leg out like they've got cramp in it, I don't understand that,,

Tomplum asks
"Whats that thing the superbike riders do with their leg just before a corner, they stick the whole leg out like they've got cramp in it, I don't understand that"

Mr Google says

They don't stick their leg "out" as such, they stick it forward to put more weight on the front wheel under heavy braking. Their riding style is such as they rely on braking very late and deep into a corner, whilst still remaining in a more upright position longer.
Hailwood, on the other hand, used to win, but took corners starting from much further back, then a fast sweeping bend, keeping it leaned over far past the corner. I doubt he'd beat the modern-day racers with that style though, although everything has changed, not only riding styles. Laaaaike!

Raaaaaight, I see the reasoning there but, Its against all the rules of
' keeping the momentum' up , fast acceleration and harsh braking has been as good as a smooth control and keeping the energy going , the laws of physics has been changed by monster power and disc brake technology and it seems, the weight of a bikers foot can win or lose races , I know now why Ian Hutchy don't win races anymore,

He had a stroke last year and had to have brain surgery, so he's not doing too bad. Apart from that, he only rides well on closed roads, not race .tracks'.

Yea he's had a bad run since that record breaking week at the TT's, He recovered well then it was problem after problem Many would have , called it a day so, Like you say, He's not doing too bad,

Another famous bonneville was rode by steve McQueen,

a british bike stolen from a German soldier