top 3 bikes of the period '80-'85

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Just a quick fire round, going back to the first half of the '80s decade. Gimme your favourite bikes of that time, and if you've got a sec, say why.
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"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[Hawkeye1250FA]

[RhynoCZ]

KZ/Z 1000 ''R'' (Lawson replica)
GPz 4 cylinders
GSX 1100 S Katana

I just checked my ''buy before you die'' list and most of the early 80's motorcycles on the list are from Kawasaki. After the GPz550 I just fell in love with the 8 valve, air cooled engines. When I'm going to get back to proper motorcycling, it'll be on a Kawasaki with such engine.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[chickenstrip]

Can only go by what I rode myself.

1. Kawasaki GPz750 Turbo - I loved that bike!
2. Kawasaki Z650F2 - with certain modifications, a great little bike with good handling for its day, and the most classic of classic Jap looks.

Don't have a no.3, but I suspect it would be between the Laverda Montjuic, Honda VF500 (just a soft spot for the look really), Ducati 900SS, Laverda Jota.

Oh wait...

3. Stephens stage 3-tuned YPVS350, with Stephens/Lomas spannies

I guess the RD350LC would have to be pretty high on the list too, but I only rode one once, briefly, which was also non-standard (bored out).
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[RhynoCZ]

I too would like to own a Laverda and all sorts of exotic motorcycles, but I was very reasonable when I put my ''buy before you die'' list together.
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'87 Honda XBR 500, '96 Kawasaki ZX7R P1, '90 Honda CB-1, '88 Kawasaki GPz550, MZ 150 ETZ
'95 Mercedes-Benz w202 C200 CGI, '98 Mercedes-Benz w210 E200 Kompressor

[chickenstrip]

[redeem ouzzer]

LC, 1100 Katana, Z1000 / 1100R
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Be a REAL MAN!

[choogh]

Same for me ..👍👍. Joanne Pearson Was GOOD 💋😱
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Current Squadron:
R1200rt. Virago 535
Loro Sono tra noi.

[RhynoCZ]

[Hawkeye1250FA]

[Kentol750]

Suzuki gs125...had one(83 y plate). Gear indicator on dash back then!
Rd 350 lc....so cool,so fast, so two stroke.
Honda xl600....blueprint for a great adventure bike.
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Some bikes.

[Shaft]

Honda CB1100R - not just a bored out 900F, a genuine race bike with a number plate. To this day the only full on sports bike I have ever wanted to own, will be forever out of reach, unless I win the lottery.

Yamaha RD350LC - I may (or may not, officer) have first ridden one when I was still 16 and used to a TS50ER. I still remember how intimidated i was by it's reputation and I was right to be - crack open the throttle, hit the power band and everything went light, while the scenery suddenly started to go by very quickly indeed.

Suzuki GSX1100ET - nothing particularly special about them, but great engine, beefy looks, acceptable handling and brakes and I loved mine. Slightly ropey ones still just about affordable, won't be long before they're all gone though.

Honourable mention for the Z1300, which is a 70s bike, but still available well into the 80s - silly bike really, too heavy, too wide, too expensive to run, but had some serious presence and a fun thing to own.
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Things get better with age; I'm close to being magnificent........
20 RE Interceptor, 83 Z1100A3, 83 GS650 Katana
WooHoo, I'm a Man Point Millionaire! https://www.bikechatforums.com/viewtopic.php?t=234035

[ThatDippyTwat]

CBX1000 - Six cylinders, I wa a kid, it made an impression.
Z1100R - Eddie Lawson rep, I don't need to say any more.
RG500 - Neighbour bought one, beat the everloving shit out of my dad's jag, instant drooling ensued.
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'98 VFR800 (touring) - '12 VFR800 Crosrunner (Commuting) - '01 KDX220 (Big Green Antisocial Machine)

[Mrjoolz]

Mine would be

Yamaha OWO1
RD500
RC30
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Previous Bikes: TZR125, KMX125, RGV250, RD350YPVS, GXSR750H, GSXR600SRAD, R1 (2000), GSXR1000 (K1), ZZR600, CBR1100XX Super Blackbird

Current Bike: Suzuki GSX1300R Hyabusa.....

[colink98]

[The Shaggy D.A.]

CB250RS. They should still make them now, dammit.
RD350LC. Coz hooligan.
GPZ900R. Coz awesome.

[edit] And an honorable mention to the Honda GL500 Silver Wing, coz pretty.
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Chances are quite high you are not in my Monkeysphere, and I don't care about you. Don't take it personally.
Currently : Royal Enfield 350 Meteor
Previously : CB100N > CB250RS > XJ900F > GT550 > GPZ750R/1000RX > AJS M16 > R100RT > Bullet 500 > CB500 > LS650P > Bullet Electra X & YBR125 > Bullet 350 "Superstar" & YBR125 Custom > Royal Enfield Classic 500 Despatch Limited Edition (28 of 200) & CB Two-Fifty Nighthawk > ER5

[redeem ouzzer]

[RhynoCZ]

[stinkwheel]

Shame because 1986 is when shit went down in terms of model releases (GSXR1100 oil boilers, VFR750, CBR6 etc.).

GPZ900R has to be up there. First bike to crack 150mph out of the box and an unseen degree of sophistication.

Honourable mention for the V-max for sheer stupidity and balls.
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“Rule one: Always stick around for one more drink. That's when things happen. That's when you find out everything you want to know.”
I did the 2010 Round Britain Rally on my 350 Bullet. 89 landmarks, 3 months, 9,500 miles.

[doggone]

https://archive.classic-motorbikes.net/wp/kawasaki-gpz600r-the-forgotten-superbike/

GPZ600R - my first serious fast bike.

https://archive.classic-motorbikes.net/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Kawasaki-GPz600R-1-300x178.jpg

[colink98]

[RhynoCZ]

[MarJay]

RD350LC has to top it. I had one, and it was immense fun. Probably RD400 and GPZ900R next.

It's not really my era though, early '90s is much more my thing.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[stevo as b4]

Most of the things I'd pick have rightly been mentioned.
The Kawasaki issue for me is GPZ1100 unitrack or GPZ900R?

The 1100 was in my first book about superbikes, and I think the looks kick the arse of the silver Suzuki Katana I used to walk past to school. The 900R is full of awesome though!

Im pretty sure the NS400R had just been released in 85, so I want that one!


Oh and Stinkwheel, 1986 was a crap year for new bike
releases? In 86 my KMX was new and top of the pile, having a rear disc brake and working power valve as std in UK spec. The MTX and DT125LC mk2 were still good though, but the TS125X was old hat in comparison.

[stinkwheel]