I like modern retro motorcycles and have a couple myself. I would call the 2008 air-cooled Sportster one. The other is a 2014 CB1100. In 2010 Honda brought it out as tribute to all the air cooled, 4-cyl, in-line motorcycles that Honda was famous for in the 1970's and 80's. It was testament to their engineering and materials they were able to even do it and still meet the emission requirements at that time. Even it can no longer be made thanks to ever tougher emissions.

^^^^^
ridewv is to motorcycles as bac1023 is to pistols.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
^^^^^
ridewv is to motorcycles as bac1023 is to pistols.

LOL not even close! I have accumulated a few and do enjoy them.

Good on you for rekindling interest in vintage bikes. I've been perusing Bring a Trailer for awhile now looking to grab a couple of bikes from my youth.

Kaw 100 Trail Boss
Yam 250 Enduro
Kaw 500 H1 Mach 3

A lot a great memories of stupid shit I did on each.

quote:

Originally posted by bald1:
All this Norton talk had me reminiscing. Owned 750 and 850 Commandos. One I outfitted with a sidecar. Kids loved it. Another was a Paul Dunstall export model cafe racer I imported. Many many fond memories.

I lusted for a Dunstall Norton around 1972-73, the motorcycle magazine ads at the time listed them at $2000 when a regular Norton model sold for about $1400.

Sure loved the Norton Commando in the early 70s. Had to settle for a Bridgestone 175 on a high school budget!

Kawasaki in the late 60’s had a vertical twin 625cc that the engine was a sort of visual copy of a BSA A7/A10 engine without the oil leaks and vibration inherent in the British bikes back then.

Some pics from a VERY fun ride today.

This bike is so cool. Coming from a mostly sportbike oriented world this is a bike with so much more personality that is just as fun going slow as a sport bike is going fast. (Sport bikes are not fun to ride slow)

In some ways it is hard to describe how much I like this bike. It has a hell of a lot more personality than my R9T. That bike is cool but the honeymoon phase wore off quick. It’s a bike that is more fun to look at than it is to ride. It should have more torque than it has for as big of an engine as the BMW possesses.

After riding my Buell X1 for a bit the BMW feels closer to my Z125 Pro than a 1170cc twin in the low revs. It’s just weird how gutless it is until you wind up the motor. Now it does come alive like an inline four as the revs climb but for a big twin it lacks low end grunt in an eyebrow raising way. I probably just need a better exhaust and a tune and it’ll be fine.

I like my Kawasaki W650 more than the GSX1100 I also just got.

Slow car fast vs fast car slow. Or bike in this case.

I had a blast when I had the Vulcan S. Cruiser comfort with a 10k RPM Ninja P-Twin.
Could ride it pretty hard without getting into trouble.

That and the banshee wail of nearly 20k RPM, are what have me still pining for the MC22, but they aren't getting any cheaper.

quote:

Originally posted by P250UA5:
Slow car fast vs fast car slow. Or bike in this case.

I had a blast when I had the Vulcan S. Cruiser comfort with a 10k RPM Ninja P-Twin.
Could ride it pretty hard without getting into trouble.

That and the banshee wail of nearly 20k RPM, are what have me still pining for the MC22, but they aren't getting any cheaper.

P250UA5, you would LOVE my JDM CB400 Super Four version-S. It has its factory Honda exhaust but still sounds like a formula 1 car at redline and it LOVES to be revved. It’s slow enough that you can let the 399cc inline four sing its siren song while still being close to the speed limit.


The speedo being in KPH is annoying but you get used to it pretty quickly.