Greatest Motorbike Designs

[S Barker]

One of the sunday magazines had a 2 page spread listing one persons Greatest  Ever Car Designs.

The list (first to last) was -

• 1908 : Ford Model T
• 1959 : Mini
• 1941 : Jeep
• 1938 : VW Beetle
• 1949 : Ford '49'
• 1961 : Mercedes 300SL (gull wing)
• 1961 : Jaguar E Type
• 1957 : Fiat 500
• 1955 : Citroen DS
• 1998 : Smart

Suggestions for a similar list for bikes please !

Not your Favourite bikes (although it will be difficult to avoid in some cases) but bikes which stand out above all others for their design.

[S Barker]

Fist stab at my list (not in any order yet)

Honda C50 - 1958 (65 million and still selling well)
BMUU R60 - 1960 (first of the production boxers)
Ariel Square 4 - 1958 (2 cylinders more than everyone else at the time)
Honda 750 4 -1968 (first of the big in-line 4's )
Honda Fireblade - 1992 (Huge leap forward in sports bike design)
Ducati 916 -1994 (design masterpiece)
Honda Gold Wing - 1975 (Engine and comfort levels above everything else)
Honda VFR
Honda CB72 - 1961 (first real Japanese performance twin)
Yamaha RD250 - 1973 (First of the bonkers strokers)

I'm tempted to put down the Brough Superior. It was obviously faster than most bikes of the the same period but other than that was it much different.


I'm also having trouble picking out an obvious choice from the 1960 British parallel twins , BSA, Triumph, Norton etc.

[Mark H]

For consideration in the list must be...

Vincent Black Shadow
Kawasaki 750 Turbo
CBX1000
Z1300
NR750
MTT Y2K
BSA Goldstar!
Britten V-twin
Quasar...(!)
Bimota Tesi

[Redeye]

2 that need to be included in the "modern" section are the Kawasaki Z900 as the first of the big bikes and another Kawasaki, the GPz900 which is the grandaddy of all modern sports bikes which followed.

[S Barker]

Other than an extra 150cc and 8 years of engine and brakes improvement what makes the z900 different from the CB750 ?

[gingerchin]

too young to know what yer on about !   

[S Barker]

too young to know what yer on about !   

I'm sure John will explain it to you.

[Harv]

Turners Triumph twin engine
Honda 250 'Dream' 250 circa 68
The Yamaha RD range of 2 strokes circa 73/74
Hailwoods 6 cylinder 250cc IoM bike
Norton Rotary...both the Hislop IoM and the Spray/Nation JPS bikes
Panther Sloper...first 'long way down' through Africa

Just a few more to consider...
ooops yes...the Yamaha Fizzy...first moped to look like a real bike!

[LazyRider]

Rose tinted glasses or urban myth ? :coolsmiley:

From personal experience I can assure you that any journey on a 600cc Panther slopper felt like a trip to South Africa !   The Nortons of the period were much better bikes of a similar type ? 16H & ES2.

The later Ariel Square 4's were certainly a considerable improvement on the earlier ones, this was mostly due to an improvement in materials and aluminium casting techniques and oils.   The early iron barrel ones all seemed to have some sort of lubrication problems.  The oil return valve would stick and rather than the oil being returned to the oil tank it would build up in then crank case.  Having topped up the oil tank the return valve would suddenly open dentching the rear of the bike in hot oil!

The Vincent Black Shadow was fast (for the time) in a straight line, but an evil handling bike.   On a bumpy road it felt like the frame was broken, on corner, you were convinced it was broken .  Rode one from Sidcup to Brighton in 1952.   Was glad to get back to my Velocette.

The BSA was always the choice of the Clubman who couldn't  go to a Norton International ( 350 &500cc) as a road bike or a 350cc KTT Velocette or a 500cc Manx Norton for the track.   the Gold Star did however make a useful scrambler or trials bike.

[Redeye]

Other than an extra 150cc and 8 years of engine and brakes improvement what makes the z900 different from the CB750 ?

1969 and 68bhp for the Honda
1972 and 82bhp for the Kwak

20% power increase was the difference.

That's why TPD keeps leaving you sucking his dust ....... 20% power increase over the Vara :#1:

[Harv]

Lazy Rider (et al)....have you ever read up on Theresa Wallach and Florence Blenkiron in 'Rugged Roads'
Its a sharp look at reality for Ewan and 'whassisname'

Most of you will enjoy....for LR it will probably remind him of a past girlfriend....

[bristolsaint]

Z900
VFR 750
GPZ900
GSX-R 750 and 1000
BMUU boxers
Yamaha LCs
C50, C90
Ducati 916
MV 750 F4
Honda Varadero, 2008 in orange and black, still dirty from my recent trip and to be cleaned tomorrow

[jp]

judging only the bikes I've owned and therefore lived with, which isn't many, I'd have to say the Velocette Venom. If I could get a newish one now at a reasonable price I would.  I wonder what it's design plus some modern materials (oils, rubber, friction material) would be like, it was outdated when sold new! Probably the best looking bike ever, light, quick(for the time), faultless handling. What more could you want?

ps I've left out a list of problems, but there was nothing major.

[LazyRider]

On my Velocette, the Miller lighting and clutch adjustment were not a problem, they just added 'character' to the bike

[jp]

On my Velocette, the Miller lighting and clutch adjustment were not a problem, they just added 'character' to the bike

Its true, Miller electrics were, well, crap. But a lot of this could be down to the 6 Volt system, I don't think any such gave a good account of itself.
If one wanted to retain the dynamo, because replacing it with and alternator would be an aesthetic no-no, some electronic jiggery-pokery could persuade it to provide more power, and at 12V, allied with modern bulbs, (HIDs? & LEDs) that would sort the lights. The mag was fine.

The clutch was lovely, it was so light -- because cleverly designed -- when it was working. But when I got hold of mine it had been through several hands and was not always at its best, all those little springs were a bit tired. The only clutch I know that could slip and drag at the same time.