Author Topic: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles  (Read 899 times)

Offline Greybeard

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I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« on: 22.02. 2018 19:47 »
https://www.motorcyclenews.com/sixty-for-sixty/2015/march/60-greatest-bikes-honda-super-cub-100

'Perhaps the most startling statistic about the Honda C100 is not that it's the biggest-selling motorcycle of all time, but that it's the biggest selling motor vehicle of any kind. There have been enough sold to provide every single person in Britain with a set of wheels!'
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Online scotty

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #1 on: 22.02. 2018 20:29 »
I like japanese motorbikes from the 60's and 70's

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Online morris

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #2 on: 22.02. 2018 21:03 »
Remember them to. There was a time you saw them everywhere you went but couldn’t bother me less at that age. To me it was something of old people transport  *smile* Still is actually  ;)
The thing that really got me in was my older nephew’s Kawa H3. Took me out for a pillion ride regularly. Bloody missile that was!
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Offline RogerSB

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #3 on: 22.02. 2018 22:10 »
My two bikes in the 80s. Honda CX500 (shaft driven V twin) a great touring bike & wife on my Matchless G3.

1960 Golden Flash

Offline RoyC

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #4 on: 23.02. 2018 07:18 »
The only japanese bike that has ever mildly interested me was the Yamaha virago. Just the style of it. I don't like the look of modern bikes at all.



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Offline muskrat

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #5 on: 23.02. 2018 07:59 »
G'day all.
Never had a "postie"(C100) but I recon hundreds of thousands learnt to ride on one.
All my bikes from 69 to 82 were Japanese except one Montessa MXGP360. At the mo the Brits are outnumbered 3/2. Anyone remember the Tas Tora https://tinyurl.com/yaowzm67 My 1st New bike. 71 Lightening was 1st Brit in 81. Was doing big K's (250,000) on Honda CB750FZ at the time, then the 51 A7 arrived.
Cheers
'51 A7 plunger, '57 A7SS racer now a A10CR, '78 XT500, '83 CB1100F, 88 HD FXST, 2000 CBR929RR ex Honda Australia Superbike .
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Offline Greybeard

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #6 on: 23.02. 2018 08:50 »
I was working at a Honda shop in the early 70's. I discovered how good Honda machines were. The step-through's look rather unexciting but they were just great commuter bikes; more stable than a small wheel scooter. The 90cc is actually quite perky; we used to pull wheelies on them.


I had heard that these were the best selling motorcycle ever but that article says they were the best selling motor vehicle of all time!
Greybeard (Neil)
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Offline Butch (cb)

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #7 on: 23.02. 2018 08:52 »
As an engineering apprentice in the early seventies I thought japanese bikes were carp (sic). We all did, and we mostly still rode British. How wrong we were. 
Warning - observations made by this member have a 93% unreliability rating.

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #8 on: 23.02. 2018 09:01 »
A pal gave me his c100 in the 90s, he traded a Bsa Dandy for it in '62. He used it for a year or two for uni, then stuck it in his shed and went over to four wheelers. It was a push rod engine , cleaned points, changed oil (three times before it came out looking like oil !) , petrol in and it started in no time, brilliant. Even the chrome was good, original toolroll with a small Honda tiin of touch up paint. A real gem.
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Offline duTch

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #9 on: 23.02. 2018 09:20 »
 The first bike I rode was something like a CL90, fairly much like this;

http://www.cyclechaos.com/wiki/Honda_CL90

 A girl buddy of the house I lived in had it and left it for all to use- 'waht else could I do ? ' no rego, but gave me plenty fun, ran out of fuel most time I rode it, but mostly went uphill, so back  to camp was down, easy push...that was just before I was offered my '58 basket-case Road Rocket....
    I found another one in a local wrecker in mid-nineties with a view to using the 'power'-plant in a billycart for my youngsta, but never happened, he just rode it; but still have the unit (less a few bits), parked up the bush- may have to dig it out..fairly sure there's pics floating around somewhere
  Prior to that I talked the boys Ma into buying a CT125 https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNjAw/z/rX8AAOSw-RhaiQjo/$_20.JPG

 She never used it but I couldn't kill it- finally gave it to a mate who also had one
Started building in about 1977/8 a on average '52 A10 -built from bits 'n pieces never resto intended -maybe 'personalised'
Have a '74 850T Moto Guzzi since '92-best thing I ever bought doesn't need a kickstart 'cos it bump starts sooooooooo(mostly) easy
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Offline RogerSB

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #10 on: 23.02. 2018 12:48 »
My first m/c was a brand new Yamaha 250 cc (either a YD2 or YD3 - can't remember exactly) in 1963 and was the same as picture attached. I bought it (well nearly) in Singapore. Crashed it many, many times. Had to leave it in our camp in Malaya when my unit was sent on ops to Borneo, when I got back after 3 months it was gone *sad2* . I believe it was repossesed by the finance company - but in those days I didn't really care much.  When I returned to the UK I bought a Matchless 250cc and passed my test on it sometime in 1964 and straight away bought my first Golden Flash *smile* . The one in my profile picture (with my wife astride it in 1966) was my second Golden Flash, now on my third.

1960 Golden Flash

Offline jachenbach

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #11 on: 23.02. 2018 13:03 »
My first bike at age 15 was a Honda Cub. Turned 16 (legal to drive) and got a Zundapp Super Sabre, quickly followed by a 305 Super Hawk. Lusted after, but couldn't afford the big Brits 'til after college.
Japanese build some great bikes, i just don't like four cylinders.

Online Rex

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #12 on: 23.02. 2018 16:06 »
Three years or so ago I did a running resto on that japanese wonderbike the Black Bomber. Beautifully engineered engine with castings (mainly the cyl head) that were a piece of art, but the frame had more spatter then the apprentice welders' test piece and the electrics were marginal. Riding it was so boring it would send you to sleep.
Dull, gray and boring!
At least a British parallel twin makes you feel alive with it's character.

Offline Greybeard

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #13 on: 23.02. 2018 16:11 »
Three years or so ago I did a running resto on that japanese wonderbike the Black Bomber. Beautifully engineered engine with castings (mainly the cyl head) that were a piece of art, but the frame had more spatter then the apprentice welders' test piece and the electrics were marginal. Riding it was so boring it would send you to sleep.
Dull, gray and boring!
At least a British parallel twin makes you feel alive with it's character.
This?
http://www.bikesrestored.com/3940/honda-cb450-black-bomber-1967/hiondacb450-1967-4/

Boring and reliable I bet.
Greybeard (Neil)
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A Distinguished Gentleman Riding his 1955 Plunger Golden Flash

Offline Butch (cb)

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Re: I don't knock Japanese motorcycles
« Reply #14 on: 23.02. 2018 17:03 »
Three years or so ago I did a running resto on that japanese wonderbike the Black Bomber. Beautifully engineered engine with castings (mainly the cyl head) that were a piece of art, but the frame had more spatter then the apprentice welders' test piece and the electrics were marginal. Riding it was so boring it would send you to sleep.
Dull, gray and boring!
At least a British parallel twin makes you feel alive with it's character.
This?
http://www.bikesrestored.com/3940/honda-cb450-black-bomber-1967/hiondacb450-1967-4/

Boring and reliable I bet.

Yeah - nice looking bikes all round. But they just don't sound ... right.
Warning - observations made by this member have a 93% unreliability rating.

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'58 S/Arm Iron Head Flash Bitza