And the Triumph name has now re-emerged. I have no experience of them but I guess they are 100% better than their predecessors?

 

Slightly OT 

 

 

This tread could use a keg of beer.

 

 

And the Triumph name has now re-emerged. I have no experience of them but I guess they are 100% better than their predecessors?
 
Slightly OT 

It ‘re-emerged’ in 1983 so hardly anything new!


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8 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

And the Triumph name has now re-emerged. I have no experience of them but I guess they are 100% better than their predecessors?

 

Slightly OT 

Gotta good rep' now mate and quite a good range too .. And Norton have been resurrected and good things are said about their new bikes also now .. 

8 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

And the Triumph name has now re-emerged. I have no experience of them but I guess they are 100% better than their predecessors?

 

Slightly OT 

Well I had a go on one, not my kind of thing and neither is bike I have now but still exciting. 

10 minutes ago, watcharacters said:

This tread could use a keg of beer.

Yep and  talk motorbikes along with it.

Here are the 10 best exciting motorcycles of 2017.

• Best adventure bike: Honda Africa Twin. ...
• Best Motocrosser: Kawasaki KX450F. ...
• Best dual-sport/enduro bike: Yamaha YZ450FX. ...
• Best lightweight streetbike: KTM 390 Duke. ...
• Best touring bike: KTM 1290 Super Duke GT. ...
• Best standard bike: Triumph Bonneville Street Twin.

3 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Here are the 10 best exciting motorcycles of 2017.

• Best adventure bike: Honda Africa Twin. ...
• Best Motocrosser: Kawasaki KX450F. ...
• Best dual-sport/enduro bike: Yamaha YZ450FX. ...
• Best lightweight streetbike: KTM 390 Duke. ...
• Best touring bike: KTM 1290 Super Duke GT. ...
• Best standard bike: Triumph Bonneville Street Twin.

Only counting 6 geez' .. The other 4 .?

My Suzuki gsx1100 Katana Final Edition circa 2000.......but in all honesty my first bike which I stripped and restored in 1990 (bought new in 1981) a  Suxuki gsx 250ex as it was a taste of freedom at 18 yrs  old

 

7 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

Only counting 6 geez' .. The other 4 .?

You wouldn't agree.?

There's loads of reports out there for a affordable exciting road bike I'd go GXR1000.

2 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

You wouldn't agree.?

No 2 stroke's huh .. ?

On 7/15/2018 at 12:17 PM, Justgrazing said:

Ahh yes the NR750 .. There was one of these hanging around in Pattaya 'bout 10 yrs ago , the only other one I've seen in the flesh was in a dealership showroom .. Thanks man .. 

you can find them for sale in the Uk about 70-80 odd grand if i remember right

https://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-motorcycles/honda/nr750/241125

3 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

No 2 stroke's huh .. ?

never  liked em ...........all or  nothing powerbands

4 minutes ago, Justgrazing said:

No 2 stroke's huh .. ?

Nah old-fashioned simple nasty smelly things. ?

On 4/12/2018 at 12:11 PM, maxcorrigan said:

I did better that, i bought a Gold Star 500 clubmans on the knock (over 24 months) three weeks later it was written off, not my doing i might add, i foolishly loaned it to a friend, to do an errand, you can see the results!

 Does'nt look as if i can get the link to work sorry about maybe someone else can, hopefully!

Gold Star 500 Clubmans.lnk

Gold Star2.lnk

Pah can beat  all that, bought a brand new Astra GSI 16v 1990 drove out the showroom August 1st new reg date and 5  miles  later some tart drove into the back of it and wrote it  off

A Yamaha RD350 road racing bike (2-stroke!) was one of the most exciting bikes I've ever tried, but my favourite was my all black Suzuki GSX-R 1100 from the early nineties. It had impressive power.

11 minutes ago, kannot said:

you can find them for sale in the Uk about 70-80 odd grand if i remember right

https://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/classic-motorcycles/honda/nr750/241125

They were £38,000 at the time, they wouldn't let me road test one.

£100.000 priced at now 70 - 80 grand good for some very few.

7 minutes ago, androokery said:

A Yamaha RD350 road racing bike (2-stroke!) was one of the most exciting bikes I've ever tried, but my favourite was my all black Suzuki GSX-R 1100 from the early nineties. It had impressive power.

I had an Gsxr1100N last of the oil  cooleds before they went to the WN water  cooled looked  like this used to lift the front wheel real easy 

Another bike I liked was the step up from my gsx250ex  to gsx750 esd 1984, this is me  with my cousin on the back..................she  liked a  good  ride guffffffffffaw

Back to "now" though and I have the cbr650 honda although I accidentally wandered into the Ducati showroom at Hua  Hin yesterday and informed the Wife Id  be  getting the new V4 soon, she shrugged and said "whatever"

What the hell theyre  all exciting....except the Honda H100  owned once briefly......was a  pile of  cack

5 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Yes for sure Honda were already signalling their intent during the 60's with the CB pressed frame bikes and of course the ubiquitous Cub but the Brit' bike industry continued to believe the notion that Japan only made small bikes and couldn't do the bigger stuff which is why the debut of the CB750 in the late 60'd not only stunned but flat footed them also and from that moment on they were playing catch trying invigorate old designs like the Commando , Bonneville and Trident .. As I'm sure you know anyway Kawasaki were ready to debut a 750cc 4 cyl bike in the very late 60's but Honda holeshotted them with the CB 750 so Kawasaki went away and redesigned their bike into the apocalyptical Z1 which was then in production by '72 , 3 yrs after the Honda debuted .. The Brit' bike industries response was to put electric starters on engine's that weren't designed for them and already dodgy electrical systems that couldn't handle them .. It took 'till nearly the mid 70's for the Commando with its pre war design engine to get an electric starter ( which never worked that well ) .. And by the time they had managed to rehash the Trident into the half decent T160v the damage was already done and a terminal tail spin into bankruptcy and oblivion was almost inevitable .. 

Very good. You've been reading up on your history. Go to the front of the class.

NB, the only pre war parallel twin design was the Triumph. The Norton and BSA and all the rest had to play catch up due to a small matter called WW II, hence none of their designs came into production until 46-47.

2 hours ago, Justgrazing said:

Indeed they did but that in itself was a bit of a pig in a poke that suffered reliability issue's that they never learned from when it came to the 750's and later 850 electric start during the 70's .. just at the time they needed it with Japan storming ashore with good reliable cheap big ( ger ) bikes .. 

Absolutely hideous. Crap as a word does not do the little Norton unit twins justice. In summary all the small Brit bikes under 500cc were pretty terrible in the late 60's (bar the little 350cc Triumph 3TA / T90 twins)...

1 hour ago, kannot said:

never  liked em ...........all or  nothing powerbands

Sorry, the above is an incorrect statement. Some yes, but not all.

Several road going 2 strokes (Suzuki GT 380 & GT550 & GT750 and the Yamaha RD 350-400 to name but a few) had a broad torque band with power pretty much everywhere. As for competition models, it depends what they are tuned for in what category of sport. Trials bikes recquire perfect throttle response and  strong bottom end power - pull from nothing. The 2 stroke took over trials from the 4 bangers in the mid 60's to the present day. Still nothing better.

5 hours ago, androokery said:

A Yamaha RD350 road racing bike (2-stroke!) was one of the most exciting bikes I've ever tried, but my favourite was my all black Suzuki GSX-R 1100 from the early nineties. It had impressive power.

A guy I worked with at a m'cycle shop bought a used Yamaha 250 road racer when his buddy upgraded to a 350.  He was used to big 4-strokes.  Norton Commando 850, no problem.  He said that 250 scared him. Circa 1975/76.

 

ThaiGuzzi, I road  a few Suzuki GT 185, GT380, GT550 & GT750 bikes back when I worked as a mechanic at a Suzi dealership.  Didn't ride hard, just road test.  One poor newbie bought a new GT185 twin and grabbed a handful of throttle trying to cross the busy road by the shop.  Crashed it on the other side of the road.  Our shop foreman said on the phone "We don't pick up motorcycles for repair.  ... Oh? ...OK" ... a few minutes later I was told to go to the gas station across the street and bring it back. 555. 

5 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Very good. You've been reading up on your history. Go to the front of the class.

NB, the only pre war parallel twin design was the Triumph. The Norton and BSA and all the rest had to play catch up due to a small matter called WW II, hence none of their designs came into production until 46-47.

Thanks man .. It wasn't meant to come across as history lesson on the rise of Japanese bike industry more a case of my take on how it unfolded in the 70's .. I stand corrected on the Norton twins vintage though the same kinda problems existed in trying to graft a big electric starter on to late 40's engine's that were never designed to accept them .. That said a nice T160v Trident I would consider now I got the time and dough to indulge one .. 

Post #233 .. You are spot on about the Suzy triples they were lovely bikes to ride and pulled well from low rev's with a good spread of power especially the 750 where as the Kawasaki triples were always a bit more peaky , edgy and demanding to ride .. 

Had one customer with a fairly new GT380 or 550.  Old gent, just putted around.  It got to running bad.  I had to clean out the exhaust pipes, as they were clogged with what appeared to be an oil/water emulsion.  Like mayonnaise. Must have been at least a pint in each one!  Weird.  Despite misgivings, I turned down the oil injection rate just a tad. And told him to do an "Italian tuneup" once in awhile.

 

I did like the Suzukis of that era.  Nice clutch action, unlike the few Yamahas I encountered.

14 hours ago, DILLIGAD said:

It ‘re-emerged’ in 1983 so hardly anything new!


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Was that Bloor's version? Is he still the Triumph name owner?

 

I just had a feeling someone else had become involved in the resurrection of the brand - but I stand to be corrected. 

Was that Bloor's version? Is he still the Triumph name owner?
 
I just had a feeling someone else had become involved in the resurrection of the brand - but I stand to be corrected. 

He is still the owner & son is CEO.


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12 hours ago, thaiguzzi said:

Brit bikes under 500cc were pretty terrible in the late 60's (bar the little 350cc Triumph 3TA / T90 twins).

Hmmm...…...I had a 350cc Triumph twin for a while and it was no different to the others of it's ilk; leaked oil, clunky tickover and timing chain rattle.

 

Probably why I like the 2 strokes...…..quieter and smooth and enough power on the backroads of Sussex to get me to work without multi mechanical problems. Indeed, could change the piston rings in no time at all, if needed (did seize it up once coasting downhill with the throttle shut...…..learned a lesson there!!).

27 minutes ago, DILLIGAD said:

He is still the owner & son is CEO.


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