Old bike tales....

[thegubner]

I know about iconic bikes and all that but I am after experiences of what made iconic bikes exactly that, not just specs and looks but experience of the bikes and what made them stand out, lunatic machines and just well you know what I mean, iconic bikes.

Maybe pointless but thought it may generate some interest.

Cheers,

Andy.

[plugger147]

Not really what your after but if you want a decent story see what you can find about Ernst Degner's defection from walter kaadens mz team to Suzuki in 1961, it'd make a brilliant film.
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Tristan the wrote: just whipped off my trousers to find a big bruise on my arse, caused by matt rear ending me...

[MarJay]

[Skudd]

Some of the early Dakar bikes, BMW, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki. extreme bikes for extreme racing with some of the most radical riders ever. There are so many bikes in the class that lead the way for different but the same reasons.
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Famous last words of Humpty Dumpty. " Stop pushing me "
Petty Anarchists look at "1984".............. The Visionary looks at "Animal Farm".

[Fagin]

Big bad Kawasaki 750 triple - scarey but iconic.

Yamaha RD250 - every 17 year olds dream? Well almost unless you were a Kawasaki boy then the KH250 or Suzuki GT250 - all were great - except the pushing them home when they seized!

[killa]

I know what you're saying Guv, not sure about the stories behind them but from personal experiences after about 9 years riding the ZX9R has always blown me away. And usually ridden by hooligans.
When ever i see one i just grin because i know who ever's riding that bike is out for a good time.

The VFR400R is slated now, for many different reasons, most mechanics mention 'chocolate engines' but in my experience unless it's been abused and il-maintained they are awesome machines.
It looks wicked, sounds good and the ride is addictive.
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Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[veeeffarr]

The beginning of Haynes manuals is usually a good read

[thegubner]

[killa]

You can read about my biking history from start to present here...

https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=1050377#1050377


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Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult.
Bike:- Yamaha TRX850 | Killas Biking History | Killas Gaming History | Killas autmotive history

[map]

If you're after a few stories then the old Used Motorbike Guide had a few. Found some of them online here.

Full site is here with a few free e-books available.

HTH
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...and the whirlwind is in the thorn trees, it's hard for thee to kick against the pricks...
Gibbs, what did Duckie look like when he was younger?

[thegubner]

[skinny]

I had a ts250 scramble bike I was 14 at the time it was like a rocket compared to my mt 50 I had before hand.
what made this bike iconic in my eyes was the absolute mad power delivery 4000rpm it goes mad 8500rpm it goes insane again. Coupled up with the fact that it only started when it felt it was in the mood. I have had probably twenty bikes since that it and not one has bought such a smile to my face. in comparison with modern bikes it was probably slow but it totally blew my mind.
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oops I did it again....

[thegubner]

Nice one, thats what I was looking for.

[Blau Zedong]

My first X5. So exciting to have a separate starter motor (which Yamaha said couldn't be done on a 2T), CDI ignition and a rev counter. It was like a proper big bike next to my mate's RXS100's etc. Also had proper 12V electrics and a tailpiece.

Then it would be my current YR5 350. the most fun you can have without wanking in someone's hair. Noisy, antisocial and pulls stonking wheelies. I did about 200 miles on it on saturday on a variety of roads, ranging from farm track to fast A road and laughed my cock off from beginning to end.
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18:54:48 Rob Fzs: jews don't give away stuff for free

18:54:59 Rob Fzs: unless its their clothes/ hair/ golden teeth

[plugger147]

Been trying to find some stuff on ernest Degner but there's not that much I've come across, I'll tell you what I remember reading.

He was given a job on the mz racing team in the 50's and worked very closely with designer walter kaaden ( the 2 stroke genius who many people believe saved the idea of a 2 stoke engine. )

[Tarmacsurfer]

My GPz750 turbo.

Skinny tyres, brakes that required written confirmation and two days notice to haul you to a stop combined with a frame that had the ability to turn into spaghetti under power all made for a near unforgettable ride.

You may read that and think it sounds like a death trap and that it's not something anyone could want to ride, but you'd be wrong. The whining sound of the little Hitachi turbo spooling up and watching the LED boost gauge filling, then hitting 5000rpm and the engine transforming. The pegs scraping as the bike swung around corners far too quickly because you didn't want to back off the throttle and come off the turbo. The insane pogoing of the forks when you braked hard (gods bless Kwak anti dive systems, they always made a bike interesting for one reason or another).

I'm sitting here grinning at the memories. Good thread 'guv
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I'm immortal. Well, so far.

[virus]

Tarmac, Thats another bike I want added to the list then.

Gotta love bikes that need effort to ride, gives you such a smile on your face when you get home in one piece.


Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[Grav]

Dear Mr Tarmacsurfer, if you think that the GPZ 750 Turbo handles like a bouncy castle on acid, try my old Zed....

Now there's a bike that will make your hair curl.

Take one hinge and put it in the middle of the bike.(swingarm for those that are unsure) Now. couple that to a pair of slightly understrength shock absorbers and you have a back end that not only does the up and down movement, but also twists and flexes in time to the frame as it corners in three different space time dimensions. The damn thing oscillates and makes you think you are doing the twist.

Then there's the front end that came straight from the Z650 with no modifications, not even a stronger set of springs. Hit the brake too hard and you almost fly over the bars, it's ace.
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Dark Lord Of Custard

snigger.....

[virus]

sounds like my CG.

aparently this thing weaves in a rather dodgy manner at 20mph, but also has a really nackered gearbox, and the brakes are aweful.

Cheers
John
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own: 81 xs1100g...
owned: 85 rat CG (sold), 91 GS500e (stolen), 84 gsx400f (scrapped), 81 z250 (siezed, siezed, scrapped), 83 cb250rs (sold), 84 gpz750r ratfighter (killed) 84gpz400 (sold), '80 cb650 ratfighter (wrote off) 95gsx6/12f ratfighter (killed) 91 xj900 (sold)
stinkwheel Well I just had my hands up a pigs fanny. Which makes your concerns pale into insignificance.

[hmmmnz]

for me the most legendary bike ive owned was and is the mighty ag175
https://www.centralmotors.co.nz/infusions/product_catalogue/images/prods/t2_img_0348.jpg
i got 1 when i was 8 for $400 nz it was so heavy that if i fell off i had to get my little bro to help me get it back on its wheels again,
i did so many missions into the nz bush, many being 6 or 7 days of riding, crashed it more times than ive had hot breakfasts,
it had 1 rebore in its 25 years if life and at one stage i temperaroly used the engine to power an air compressor,
i towed my mates mini 5 kms with it when it broke down.

at the moment its sitting under a tarp at the back of my olds house in nz, and i bet when im home, ill give it 2 kicks and it'll start.


its slow, heavy, ugly, but infintitly practical and is one of the truely bullet proof bikes out there
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the humans are dead
I kick arse for the lord
Wiring Diagrams BIDNIP it bitches

[J.K.R]

https://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/JakeSP/DSC00103.jpg

https://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/JakeSP/DSC00104.jpg

https://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/JakeSP/DSC00100.jpg

https://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/JakeSP/DSC00101.jpg

https://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b353/JakeSP/DSC00105.jpg

The boss' TZ750. Those are old pics of when it used to sit around when i worked there. Now i'm back working there and it's just had a full engine rebuild and a few other things (such as a front mudguard). Took it up to knockhill tonight for a practice session, Had a few problems and now its back at the workshop and the engines totally split (in the space of ~2 hours)

Bastard of a bike to keep running, But when it does? Oh...my...
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www.oldskoolsuzuki.info

[Tarmacsurfer]