Best late '80s bike?

[Easy-X]

Following on from another thread assuming 2030 means no more petrol bikes sold we also have to consider all the bikes from 2020 through to 2030 are shite i.e. Euro 5 and effectively unmoddable "No worries, I'll stick with Euro 4!" Yes, I've suddenly got a greater appreciation for my 2016 bike - at least it's mine and I can remap it and fuck with it (as long as it's roadworthy ofc.) But I suspect Euro 3/4 will go in the bin as "the bad man" later down the line the same as "eco-diesels" in that you'll pay emissions changes in city centres. Fuck it, let's go vintage!

Another assumption: they keep the 40yo = vintage rolling on until 2030 and freeze it there. On our side: the vintage car people are a surprisingly powerful lobby group and let's be honest us bikers have been riding on their coat tails. So we're looking at 1990 or older...

So I'd like to hear some nominations for best bike. It doesn't necessarily have to be late '80s if you can make a case for something solid and reliable, easy maintenance, good daily etc. Consider something you'd have some faith if you bought it now and kept going till 2030 and beyond.
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Husqvarna Vitpilen 401, Yamaha XSR700, Honda Rebel, Yamaha DT175, Suzuki SV650 (loan) Fazer 600, Keeway Superlight 125, 50cc turd scooter

[chickenstrip]

I owned 4 late 80s bikes, in the late 80s, so I'll just comment on those as I found them at the time.

1. Suzuki GSXR750 (slab-side).
2. Suzuki GSXR1100G (slab-side)
3. Yamaha FZ750
4. Suzuki RG500

Most fun, RG500, no question. But not a good everyday bike, too looney, too thirsty and just liked to be thrashed everywhere.
Best long distance bike, GSXR1100 - roomy, comfortable, fast, good wind protection.
GSXR750 was fun, but the RG500 beats it in that category. GSXR the better everyday bike, a bit more practical, but in the day, you didn't buy them for that.
The FZ750 was probably the best all-rounder. Fast, handled well, reasonable comfort level, better quality of finish than the Suzukis.

So from the ones I owned, the FZ750 wins overall. Although strangely enough, it's not the one I'd most like to own again - that'd be the RG, and practicality be damned!
And funnily enough, my current bike is a descendant of the FZ and I'd just stick with it - it has never let me down, requiring minimal maintenance. I've had 5 of them in a row, and none have gone because of reliability issues - one stolen, one crashed, two just sold when skint.

Edit: There was one other that I tried, had a go on a mate's, we swapped for a ride when I had the FZ: GPZ600R. It was fairly quick, light. But I don't know if it was the way he had it set up, tyres or what, but I just couldn't get the damned thing to turn in on the corners, it just seemed to want to go wide everywhere. Physically a little on the small side for me too.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[blurredman]

I don't even know what Euro 1 is...
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CBT: 12/06/10, Theory: 22/09/10, Module 1: 09/11/10, Module 2: 19/01/11
Past: 1991 Honda CG125BR-J, 1992 (1980) Honda XL125S, 1996 Kawasaki GPZ500S.
Current: 1981 Honda CX500B - 91k, 1987 MZ ETZ250 (bored to 295cc) - 38k, 1989 MZ ETZ251 - 49k, 1979 Suzuki TS185ER - 9k, 1973 MZ ES250/2 - 17k.

[MarJay]

The thing is... the 80s was still just about the dark ages when it came to bike dynamics. Really it's the early 1990s when we started to see bikes that handled the way we wanted them to handle. I reckon a later ZXR750 or ZX7R is a good bet, obviously any FireBlade (the 1992/1993 ones are too pricey though) and the SRAD GSXR750 are the first bikes to really feel modern and be usable enough to have fun on. None of them are particularly comfortable but the SRAD and Kawasakis are known to be awful.

That's why a 1994 or 1995 Blade would be such a decent buy I reckon.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[doggone]

GPZ900R wold be a contender, in fact all the kawa GPZs were good at that time.

[xX-Alex-Xx]

Hurricane? Started in 1987.

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/0d/HondaCBR1000F.jpg/300px-HondaCBR1000F.jpg

Otherwise I'd go for the big GSXR.

Edit: Can't spell GSXR
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DILLIGAF

[grr666]

[arry]

Not sure I'd want an earlier one than the ~97 ish plate mine was, but I'd love to have my CBR600F back.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/50077818993_cbcdb99ddd_c.jpg

Sounded ace, loved the 10k+ rpm induction noise, handled well, reliable, nimble, practical, comfortable, cheap. It was great.

It just lacked a bit of character which is what I tend to go for in my bikes.

[stinkwheel]

Sounds like a job for a VFR750. Can go as early as 1986 so MOT exempt in 4 years.

Push it out to 1990 and you get an RC36 instead of an RC24.
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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.

[Easy-X]

[yen_powell]

[grr666]

I guess I was there in about 89 or thereabouts, when I got my first 50cc. I often wonder what happened to Big (6'11 24st)
Chris the mechanic there at the time. We had a laugh back in the day.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[MarJay]

Yeah GPZ900R is probably a decent call, but as I understand it the later 90s ones are better...
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[chickenstrip]

For the criteria the OP sets, my shortlist so far would be:

Yamaha FZ750
Kawasaki GPZ900R
Honda VFR750

All bikes along similar lines, semi-sporty in their day, but make good all-rounders. And mine, Fazer FZS1000, a slightly more modern equivalent of the same (2001-2005, so needs a few more years yet)

If we're not too fussy about year but want to go back a bit, I'd throw a ZX9R on the list too. Don't know when they first hit the streets, sometime in the 90s. Just going on what owners have said about them, consistently good reviews, haven't owned one myself.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

[redeem ouzzer]

GSXR1100L. Practical enough to do everything, 120 RWBHP, 5 speed box but enough torque to get away with 3. Cheap to maintain (screw and locknut valve adjustment, no water jacket).
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Be a REAL MAN!

[Polarbear]

FJ12003CV

I had have had 3 over the years. 2 white and silver and 1 midnight blue. I love all of them but the midnight blue was my favorite just for the colour scheme. Probably the nearest bike to an absolutly phenominal sports tourer I have ever owned.

I have no pictures of any of mine except this one of youngest daughter (who is now 30 years old) posing on on one of the the white and silver ones which must make the photo late 90's so the last one I owned. Library midnight blue one after for pure although the original exhaust was black chrome twin pipe which looked super.

https://i.postimg.cc/BvCwbkXB/CJ-FJ.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/u9QCchj7_yU/hqdefault.jpg
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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[TheGazWaz]

My first 125 was an RD125LC. For the first month of riding I didn't even know about the powerband or even what a powerband was until I took it over 4k revs.

Huge amounts of "Fekme" followed by a slightly damp infused fart.

These bikes were amazing and I will have another one day.

Once I got used to the power band I was zipping all over the place.
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Went like this.. 43 years old(2013) decided to do CBT to get a 125 for new job. Bought 2011 YBR, loved it for three months then hated it because it was too god damn slow. Did DAS 4 months later then bought RF600 Loved it, sold it bought Bandit 1200(K3). EFFIN lOVED IT. Wanted something a bit more sporty so got Triumph Sprint ST 955i (53). Not sporty enough so now on my GSXR 1000 K3 and absolutely love it. 1 year down the line, nearly died way too many times on this bike. Sold it. Had a 6 month break. Missed biking so now, Aug 2019 have a 1999 ZX9r. What a beauty she is too.

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

tdr250
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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

[Bhud]

I think if you're used to anything modern, you would be disappointed to go back to an 80s bike. Especially a late-80s 4-cylinder. While I understand the logic, it might be a bit pessimistic to think that in the future you would have to placate yourself with something which looked and sounded and rode much better in your imagination, or even in your memory, than in reality. Things look rosier when you're wearing your rose-tinted spectacles, and when it's right there in front of you you might realise it was all a lot of fuss about nothing. Not for nothing have engineering advances been made - not just in engines but in chassis, suspension, brakes, aerodynamics; just everything. There's absolutely no chance I would buy a 1980s bike. Let's face it, by 2030 electric bikes will probably be much cheaper and will have much greater range, and there will be a choice of enduros, sports bikes, tourers to suit everyone. You will feel like an oaf riding a 1980s bike. Eccentrics of tomorrow who are really into sports combustion engines will be more likely be riding today's R1 or H2. Primitive flat-4 or twin from the 80s? Don't think so. I think it might be better to just stick with a modern bike, pay your ULEZ or take the exemption test, pay the tax and ride it out. Everyone who pumps up 80s bikes seems to have a collection they will want to offload one day, or is running a business exploiting people who missed the boat.

[grr666]

[Easy-X]

[chickenstrip]

[Pete.]

Nobody rates the EXUP? Just about qualifies as late '80s.
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a.k.a 'Geri'

132.9mph off and walked away. Gear is good, gear is good, gear is very very good

[Easy-X]

[stinkwheel]