Here's my list Phil 1. 1953 BSA A7 Plunger {bought for £15 to learn to ride offroad when I was 16, because I didn't want a moped} 2. Suzuki GT380 {bought from a workmate before I'd even passed my test} 3. Ex-police BSA Fleetstar 250 {which grenaded itself, forcing me into sale of number 2 bike} 4. Suzuki GT 250 {new, to pass my test, which I did at the first attempt} 5. Triumph Trident T150V {used but immaculate, as the guy got a new one year on year in Swansea} 6. Suzuki T500 7. Kawasaki 500 triple 8. Suzuki GT750 watercooled 9. Honda CB750 F2, SOHC 10. Kawasaki Z900 A4 {a car wrote it off and mangled my right knee} 11.Rickman Z900 {bought back the write off from the insurers for £350} 12. Suzuki GT500 13. Yamaha XJ900F 14. Suzuki SV1000N {my current bike since 2005, bought with 510 miles only on the clock and immaculate, from a lovely young chap in Burnley. On just over 31,000 miles now.
@@3Phils My only regret was not buying a Kawasaki H2C 750, which a chap put me off buying, as he'd said the handling was terrible and that his mate had a bad accident with one. I bought a KH500 instead, which was detuned a lot, so I had it ported to regain the lost performance of the earlier models. The minus side was that the tuner opened the ports so much that it ate clutches and was terrible at low RPM. I'd say I had more fun with the Trident than anything else, the fabulous engine note but also maybe because I was only 17 and coming straight off a 250, it seemed very rapid. I'd not cough up the silly money people are asking for them today though.
Blimey! You were on a Trident at 17? Fair play to you, sir! To be honest, Trident prices have dropped dramatically since I bought mine five years ago. I have a bad habit of buying expensive and selling cheap. I don’t regret it though, or all the money I’ve spent on it since. Just a shame not be enjoying it ‘back in the day’ as you did. Pity about the Kawasaki, I heard similar tales of them being ‘widow-makers’, but would still have loved one.
@@DukeDyson Yes, they're great all rounders which don't cost a fortune to insure. I paid only just over £61 last year, not at all bad for a bike that'll top 150 MPH.
Excellent! I personally believe getting out and about on motorcycles is the best possible mental and physical regime you can get as a more mature gentleman! It certainly helps keeps me fit, and does wonders for my powers of alertness. Nice to see quite a few Hondas and Kwaks on your list, my faves. I wonder why I’ve never owned a Suzuki or Yamaha? Just a quirk of fate, probably. 👍🏍️
Hmmm... Let me see... My first bike in 1979 bike was a CT-2 175 Yamaha trail bike (the first thing I bought worth more than a packet of cigarettes after starting an apprenticeship), then a CB 360 which ended up being passed around to 3 or 4 mates. Then I entered my Honda 4 era. I had about half a dozen (maybe more. My memory is spongy) of them in a row, some "chopped", some cafe racers & some stock as a rock. After joining the navy, I finally got what I always wanted, a Norton Commando, which was simultaneously the best & worst bike I have ever owned. It was light, flickable & had plenty of power. When it was running right it was everything a man could want from a motorcycle but it also had an unnerving habit of shaking little bits of itself free. Things like indicators, exhaust pipes, float bowls & the like. By the time I sold it, it was more Lok-Tite than motorcycle. Then I bought the fully faired 900 Bol D'Or... It stretched chains for around 8 months until the bottom end let go on a trip home from Sydney to Adelaide, leaving me stranded about 35km from the nearest town as the Sun set slowly in the west. A lone crow in the distance called out to the world exactly what I was thinking - FAAAARK... Then I bought another 900 Honda, the unfaired version for the 90km round trip to work. It stretched chains for around 8 months before the bottom end let go as I pulled into my driveway one night. There were no crows nearby but the sentiment was familiar & a lesson was learned. Then came an XS750 Yamaha. The less said the better. Then I bought a neighbour's 1976 R100 BMW which happened to be fitted with a bikini fairing. It was a revelation! I rode it all over the place for years until a sloppy gear change bent a selector fork. Bye-bye 5th gear... That takes us up to the beginning of the century. I'll leave it there because A) This is a 2 part video, B) Things get much more interesting from this point on & C) One should always leave the audience wanting more. Ride fast & take risks everybody!
I enjoyed reading that, thank you! 😊 I especially empathised with ‘more Lok-Tite than motorcycle’, which brought back memories of my own Commando. Funnily enough, though, I didn’t have the experience of things dropping off like you did. You sure your Isolastics weren’t shot? 🤣 I look forward to hearing part two after next week’s part two! 😊🏍️👍
1976 Fizzy DX, 1978 Suzuki GT185, 1980 400/4 - one of the best. Mine got the full treatment - yoshi pipe, gas flowed head, 460 big bore, custom paint, seat, clocks, bars etc. etc. cost me fortunes & probably put about another 2 mph on the top end, but sounded awesome. Modern customised before it became a thing. Did a DVLA check on her a little while back & she's still out there.. somewhere. Then onto Honda CB900F2 turned into a CB100R replica by those excellent chaps at Harris Performance. Suzuki TS250. Suzuki 600 Bandit. Triumph Speed Four - brilliant! Triumph 1200 Trophy - not brilliant. Current stable 2011 Triumph Tiger 800, 2018 Triumph Street Twin, heavily modified 1982 Yamaha XJ600S Diversion & a Lexmoto Valiant. Not a huge amount of bikes but have enjoyed them all (apart from the Trophy) & have never been without 2 wheels.
As you asked Phil My first bike I bought from my dad in 1977 a 1976 MZ TS250 wheelied and crashed quite often learnt a lot of what not to do. 1980 I think (V reg) Honda Goldwing GL1100 the DX with a fairing which it didn`t have for long when I jumped a hump back bridge that had a sharp left turn straight after, I went through a fence dismantling the fairing, made a great naked bike after though. Suzuki TS250 Honda C70 (always yearned for the big single C90 Suzuki GS550 Another Suzuki GS 550 Honda CB250 K4 2002 Suzuki GSXR600 (my only ever new bike purchase) 2006 Buell Ulysses XB12X (Still have it) 1998 Yamaha Diversion XJ600 (Still have it)
A nice collection of bikes there. I can’t help feeling everyone else has been much more adventurous than I have over the years! For example, I’ve always had a yearning for a Buell but never followed through. 👍🏍️
@@3Phils younger me would have laughed out load at the mention of a Bullet and probably have snorted my beer down my nose were I drinking at the time but older more considered (boring old man) me quite likes the idea of a Bullet or Interceptor now. Despite living in Germany where speed can be unlimited (on the autobahn in the right conditions) I don`t feel I have to ride like my **se (tail) is on fire all the time these days.
Same here. I do like to open up on the country roads and will occasionally, ahem, get up to the speed limit on the UK motorways, but most of the time I’m like Driving Miss Daisy!
@@3Phils when I sold the GSXR600 it was because the riding position meant I didn't use it day to day so I looked for something with similar handling but more upright and most important, could wheelie like a good un and the Buell fitted the bill. It is a bit of a marmite bike but I've found that 100 bhp is about right as I rearly have it pinned for more than a few seconds and the handling exceeds my ability. Strangely I'm finding riding the XJ600 seems to gain in appeal over time. Maybe I'll look out for one of those Arial 3 wheelers in the future.
Also owned a 400/Four which I used to despatch ride on and she bought me luck cos, one day in Greek Street- Soho as I just dropped off, a 3‘r bmw with 4 people inside wearing masks roared by. This was accompanied by the sound of police sirens in the background when a window opened and loads of 10 & 20 £ notes were chucked out. Being a responsible citizen I collected quite a bit not wanting the streets to be littered, along with about at least 50 other people with the same idea. Greek Street was blocked, the 3‘r bmw was gone and the rozzers were stuck.
Mobylette 50cc from 61. Kreidler Florett 50cc from the 80‘s Honda CB 400 Four from 78 in yellow. Great bike! Yamaha XT 500, on which I broke my leg and had a 15 yr pause then. Anyway, also very handsome bike. Yamaha SRX 600, still in my shed, but not running these days. I love the style. BMW K100 RS, 4 valve version with ABS, sold after only 1,5 yrs. Was just too smooth for me. Honda CB 750 Four, still owned and in use. With Mikuni carbs. Sound is just phenomenal. And finally a Yamaha TY 125 in a trial setup, just for the fun of it.
@@3Phils As I now owned both the 400 and the 750 I must say, they are both great in her own way. The 750 is of course more impressive, but the 400 always reminded me of a sewing machine. Just slap your foot slightly on the kickstart and off she goes. Despite the fact she only has 400 cc you need to respect her, especially when reaching 6000 revs and more. I nicknamed her the wasp, as she could sound angry and due to her yellow color.
@dnswhh7382 Yes, it was ‘the sewing machine’ to me too! I had a blue and a yellow. Always preferred the blue for some reason. Not really to do with the colour, it was just a much ‘sweeter’ bike.
My first big bike after passing my test was a Honda CB500/4, it developed tappet problems that were too expensive for me to repair at the time and i had to sell at a big loss, this put me off Hondas for life. I absolutely loved my Mk3 850 Commando though the best British bike i ever rode. Great video Phil, look forward to your next instalment.
Thank you! 😊 I so wish I still had my Commando. Selling it is my biggest regret, motorcycle-wise that is. I guess my 550/4 could have put me off Hondas for life too, but, as I’ve said elsewhere in the comments, it could have been a one-off. Obviously it didn’t put me off!
Mine was a 750 roadster, and once I got it properly sorted it was terrific! Prices have really dropped over the last couple of years, so you should be able to find a decent example for reasonable dosh.🤞You’ve got me thinking now!
My first bike was a 60cc Yamaha. This enjoyed a bad end when a friend ran it out of gas and filled the tank with Varsol. Years later I bought a '74 Triumph Trident. I rode this for many years with one rebuild. It finally put the left rod through the case. I now own a '72 Triumph Trident and a '72 Triumph Bonneville. I just don't wish to even think of shifting on the left.
In succession; As a kid, A Ruttman 5hp minibike, Then '65 Honda 305 Super Hawk, '66 Honda 305 Dream, '74 Kaw F7 175, '74 Kaw H2 750, '75 Suz GT750 then built into a tourer with Vetter fairing, Bates hard bags & trunk( I can still smell the aroma of that fiberglass), etc, '79 Vespa PE200, 1981 Honda 1100 Gold Wing, 1983 1100 Honda Aspencade, '83 Harley 883 Sportster, '85 Suz 1200 Madura, '90 Yam TW200 Trail Way, '91 Honda 750 Nighthawk. All are gone now, and I quit riding in 2006, but I did pick up a '72 Kaw F9 350 Bighorn basket case a few years ago as an eventual resurrection or restoration project. I would say the Trailway and the Nighthawk were the best overall bikes I had for my trail riding and street use respectively, the Aspencade by far the best long distance highway bike.
The Aspencade would have been too big for me, being used to puny European bikes! But I’ve definitely been tempted by the GT750 and the Vespa! Nice selection of machines there, thanks for sharing. 👍🏍️
@@3Phils Yes, it was a great machine for American highways, but I have to say, too heavy and ponderous for any other kind of riding. I didn't have it for very long.
Started riding in 1970-in Canada-bikes-1966 Suzuki 80 Enduro-1975 Honda 400F-1975 Suzuki 550 Triple 2 stroke-1978 Honda 750F-1981 Kawasaki KZ1100 shaft-1982 Honda Gold-wing Interstate--2007 Harley Electra Glide Ultra-2009 Harley Ultra-Current-Mint low mile ton of fun 2003 Harley Sportster 883 100th Anniversary (stock)-you can ride it hard without going to jail and is super reliable/fun
Great 1970s bikes there! Interesting what you say about the Harleys, they’ve never been on my shopping list but I get what you say about being great fun without going to jail! 👍🏍️
Starting 1978, RD200DX RD250E, XS750D, GS750E, Z1000A1, XS750D, CB900FZ, CBX1000, CB900FZ, XJ650, Jota 1000, XTZ750, Daytona 1200, XS1100E. Great memories for them all except the last one (XS1100) the bike I always wanted from the poster on my wall way back in 77,
Wow - you had a Jota! As well as a shed load of other fine machines. Good to see Honda and Kawasaki represented too. Weirdly I’ve never owned a Suzuki or Yamaha, I feel my CV isn’t complete!
Took my push bike and fitted it with a "power Pak" engine that drove onto the tyre into school when I was 12, walked home with it with my teacher after a slap, Started legaly in 1961 with a Francis Barnet scrambler fitted with lights, from what I can remember!!!! I have had 37 motorcycles and now ride a VFR750 at the age of 79
Owned 26 machines,man and boy,not a few of 'em grotty old knackers with a scrap of T&T, sourced from the small ads of the excellent UMG mag. Great vid, keep 'em coming! 😊
Silly Phil here , started on an RD200 dx followed by a Superdream , cb550f2, RD400(stolen) GT380(blew up) another Superdream (for work)big gap (kids ) then Zx7r, vn800(yuk) 1200 Bandit , Blackbird , street triple 675 , tiger 1050, ktm1290r , Ducati Panagale 959, Yamaha MT10, now calmed down and settled with a 25year old vfr 800fi , great bike and a Daytona 955i Centennial , 23 years old , love analogue , great channel btw wobbley Phil
Since age 16, I have owned around 40 different motorcycles, a few were the same make and model. I have owned 3 Yamaha XS650s, and 3 Kawasaki VN750s, and 2 Honda Goldwings. That doesn't count the mid '60s Bultaco Lobito 100 dirt bike I spent all summer working on a farm to get, at age 10, or the eleven 49cc pedal mopeds I have owned. I got my first one of those at age 16, and have had one or two on and off ever since. Two of those were Motobecane Moby 50Vs. I currently own 2, A Puch Newport and a Tomos Sprint that I bought used and restored. There is something addicting about small bikes, at least for me. The only one I didn't like, and didn't keep very long was an early '80s Honda Passport C70, which is just a Super Cub with a different name. I never got used to the clunky clutchless shifter, and gave up on it. I have never owned any kind of sportbike. I did try to ride one once, but with its super low bars and high, rearset pegs, it was unbearably painful. Pretty much all my bikes besides the mopeds and a couple of scooters were cruisers, touring bikes, and dual sports. After that first pure dirt bike I got at age 10, I never bought another one. I never had a way to haul one to a place where I could ride it off road. Dual sports served the same purpose, and were street legal. I have never owned any bike with EFI or ABS. I am a purist when it comes to motorcycles, all my bikes are/have been carbureted with no computers. I was never a Dr. Who fan, with the exception of the Tom Baker episodes. I have all of those on DVD.
On that last point about Dr Who, I concur 100%! Although apart from Tom Baker, I do have a small place put aside for Patrick Troughton! Thanks for the motorcycle history. It’s funny, I’ve recently found myself drawn to smaller bikes and I was considering a Honda Cub. Maybe I’ll rethink that.
My first bike was a RAP moped (from Switzerland I think) and possibly the sole one in South Africa back in the '60's. Then I hot a little Honda SS50V, and another little Honda same model, then a Yamaha 125 with electric starter followed by a Suzuki T200 that hauled ass. Then I got my first zHarley, a '62 DuoGlide ex-City of Cape Town police Panhead that I started chopping, and had a Honda 125 as back-up. Thereafter another ex-police Panhead. Then a string of Harley Big Twin Flatheads, chopped fully or hot-rodded by severe head-work and/or stroking. In '25 I built my 5 1/16" stroker '37 Knucklehead with late-model Pan cases and seriously chopped frame that I rode for years. Then I got another Pan, that went through several incarnations, followed by my '80 WideGlide that Ichopped and rode over 300,000 miles and had a Yamaha TT500 as my offloaded. After that I picked up an early ElectraGlide with cone Shovel, followed by the official Buell S1 racer of the main Harley dealer, and rode this for a couple of years. Then I got a Buell X1, one of the best bikes I ever owned. After that I got another Shovel being a rare metallic brown SuperGlide that was stolen. After that beauty, I got a Yamaha Tenere 600 that my son and I chopped. Then I got my current daily bike, a '08 Heritage that I still ride daily. 24 Harleys later! In between somewhere of all these I also hade a Harley XA from the war, a Honda CB350 with two-tone green and white tank, a CB750 K0, a DOHC Honda CB750 very customized, an ancient Vespa, an zinnias Four that never ran, a MotoMia scooter BMW 250 Single, a BSA 500 that I sold to buy a fridge...and more that will come to mind one day...
Cripes! A lot of Harleys there! I’m not qualified to comment on those, but there was a kid at our school with an SS50 which, being a 4-stroke, made a much quieter sound than all our 2-strokes, which I’m afraid we mocked him for, not knowing better. 🤣 And I toyed with the idea of owning a Buell, they seem like fantastic bikes, but was put off in the end by the constant ‘will they, won’t they go under’ rumours. My Indian FTR isn’t a bad substitute though. 👍
Nice one Phil. Similar start as I mentioned before, and a with a “happy ending” 😳. ‘62 Mobylette, 77 AP50, ‘78 250 Superdream……… and then a blummin woman and a MKII Escort…… Corrected 39 years later with a first year 400 Four, 900F, first year GL1000, three very early CB750’s (,69 and ‘70), a late 750F (‘77), Phil Read replica and a spattering of others, and believe it or not - but on my life - also a total of 20, since 1972. Never even thought to count ‘em till this vid 🤓
Honda XL125, Suzuki GT550, Yamaha RD400, BSA A65L, 850 Commando, Triumph 900, Ducati GT1000, BMW R90S. Up and down the scales. Tons more that were really only garage candy when making fat stacks, only to be sold off during leaner times. But that’s a different list.
My first bike was a Suzuki GSX250 and it was great. Second was a Ducati Sport 500. Heavy but not as bad as some people say. Third was a BMW R90S and no one wanted them. It was a truly lovely machine. Then a Laverda Jota 1000 1981. Probably my favourite bike. More than 30 bikes in all and several scooters as well including a Heinkel Tourist that was stupid fun. Could have ridden it anywhere. Own five at the moment and a Vespa PX200 for running around.
Two iconic bikes there, the R90 and the Jota! I’d never heard of the Heinkel Tourist so I looked it up - interesting design. I’m also thinking of getting a runaround, maybe a Honda Cub or something, although I could be tempted by a Vespa! 👍🏍️
Hi Phil great video , when we were kids , my dad had an old philips mobiccan that had such a blocked carburettor it actually went faster with no throttle. Then we got an old frame from what I think now was a old bsa bantam plunger or similar it had one side of the Handlebars broken off , repaired with some ½ water pipe welded on , we had a chrome zundap teardrop fuel tank , and a briggs and Stratton mounted on a plate about as good as a 10 year old could do , it used to pop pop around the yard, it looked pretty cool , my first real bike was a Suzuki TC100 only for off road , OH the cool up swept muffler with the chrome sheild ! 🤣🤣
Ah, happy days! Me and my mates used to fettle old lawnmowers until we graduated to two-wheelers and I’m surprised we never got around to lashing up something with a mower engine in it! Thanks for the kind words about the video. 😊👍🏍️
My first three 'big bikes' after passing my test in 1976 were: 1970 Ex Police Triumph T500P. It was fast and could keep up with my mate John's Suzuki GT380 triple, but got lighter every ride from all the parts that vibrated loose and ejected themselves. Next was a 1968 Bonnie, then I started working full time and aged 19 I bought a two year old Commando 850 mk3, which I had only a handful of years until I got married, but I retain fond memories of long rides and chromed disc brakes which nearly caused me to soil myself whenever they were applied in the wet.... that half a second delay was always a hoot 'n' a holler!
Ah, the old chromed disc brakes! The factory apparently did that to make the bikes look sexier, but what a bloomin’ elf and safety hazard. Most folk I knew got the chrome removed asap. I’ve got an interesting article in my mouldy old collection of Bike magazines about British boffins experimenting with sintered brake pads to help with the monumentally dreadful state of disc brakes in the 1970s, especially in the wet. If only they’d just told the likes of Norton and Triumph to stop chroming the ruddy discs!
@@3Phils You are absolutely correct about the reason for the chromed disks. That said, the chrome removed itself with use and you ended up with a sort of ABS effect as the thinner plating wore off first. That was pretty interesting too, but at least something happened the moment you pulled the brake lever.
🤣 Of course, I’ve only owned my British bikes decades after they were built, by which time the chrome was well and truly history. A shame I missed the ‘interesting’ ‘ABS phase’, although my CB1300 is fitted with ABS which has actually never kicked in. I think us, er, ‘long term bikers’ gained some useful braking skills back in the day. Who needs ABS?!
@neilmackinnon3371 Absolutely! Oh how we laughed when motorcycles first started getting ABS. ‘What do you need that on a bike for?’ was the question. I have to say, though, that traction control has saved my bacon a few times, when I’ve hit a patch of gravel on a country road. Typically on the apex of a bend! 😳
Great video Phil! Sorry about your feelings for the CB550 ... my first 'proper' bike and I loved it. I just recently acquired a 400/4 on the grounds of pure nostalgia, but in an ironic twist, haven't had time to get that working because I've spent too much time trying to coax a CBR600F to engage all cylinders when running.... looking forward to part 2 and how - from promising beginnings - you ended up with a Trident ;-)
Thank you! 😊 I’ve always wondered if my bad experience with the CB550 might have been down to that particular bike. After all, it was four years old when I got it and who knows what horrors it had seen! The rust and stuff was potentially down to previous owners, but that doesn’t explain why it felt like such a slow, old, bloated lump! Perhaps I’d been spoilt by the 400/4s! I hope you get the CBR600F going, I remember it as a great bike which was very capable in all departments! The black ones were the best! 😉🏍️👍
My motorbike history is Puch 3 gear Yamaha FS1E EXCELSIOR 100 EXCELSIOR TALISMAN 250 Suzuki TS 100 Suzuki GT 250 x7 Suzuki GT 380 Suzuki GS 425 Honda 550 4 Yamaha XS 250 Kawasaki Z 250 Jupiter 350 Suzuki 250 gsx Suzuki GS 450 e There was a few others but can't remember what they were.
Yes, I had to dig deep to remember all mine. Good list there and I see you owned a 550/4 too. Hopefully your experience with it was better than mine! 👍🏍️
Fab list 🙂 and certainly more interesting than mine. I'm sure if I put pen to paper I'd forget several of them but the memorable ones after the Norman B2S include a Yamaha XS750, Japan's answer to the Trident perhaps? Cams made of chocolate and a physics defying centre of gravity just above your head! a Sachs Roadster 650, possibly the nicest machine I've ever owned and a Honda VT500 that I think I may have ridden to the moon and back without any issue at all. My SV1000N has remained in my ownership for nearly 15 years so it must be mostly alright 🙂
I wasn’t aware of the Sachs 650 but I’ve looked it up, what a sweet bike! As is the SV1000. I heard the XS750s were a bit ropey. A ‘Japanese Trident’ indeed! Pah! 🤣👍
At one stage I had a 750 Interstate Commando, an H1F kwaka and an S2 350 kwaka with chambers and clip ons. In a fit of madness I sold all three and bought a brand new 750 Ducati. I still regret that to this day, although the duke was a nice enough bike.
@@3Phils: They are technology I can understand, maintain and repair. Many were given to me by owners who had bought them as cheaper alternatives to the current Yamahonduki, could not maintain them and consigned them to the shed
It’s funny, but until you mentioned it there I hadn’t really thought too much about how simple 2-strokes are to work on. I recall being able to work on any of my 2-strokes, but once I went 4-stroke the mechanical mist descended, I had to pay people to do the work, and cash started flowing out of my account like no tomorrow!
In 1978, I sold a 1969 Lambretta LI 150 for £7.00, the buyer knocked me down from my asking price of a tenner. In 1984, I sold a 1959 BSA C15 Star for £60.00. Here is my list, 1975 Honda ST70. 1978 Honda TL125S. 1969 Lambretta LI 150. 1976 Honda CJ250T. 1978 Honda CB250N. 1977 Triumph TR7RV. 1982 Triumph T140E. 1975 Triumph T160V. 1959 BSA C15 Star. 1983 Triumph TSX-4. 1980 Laverda 1200T. 1980 Moto Guzzi V50 II. 1980 Benelli 900 Sei. 1984 Suzuki TS185ER. 1992 Voskhod Tula 200. 1980 Moto Guzzi SP1000. 2011 Harley-Davidson XL883N. 2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200. 2022 BSA Gold Star 650. I still own the last three.
I’m just getting started at 42 years old, but so far: 1990 Honda XL250 1985 Honda VT500C 1980 Kawasaki K1000 1982 Suzuki GN400 1991 KLR250 1980 Honda CB900 Custom (80’s bikes were very cheap in the early 200’s) 2009 Suzuki DR650 (first new bike ever) 2007 Star/Yamaha Stratoliner1900 2012 Kawasaki KLR 650 2023 Honda XR650L (2nd bike I’ve bought new) 2004 BMW R1150RS (just bought it last week)
Uhm, had quite a few, but not counting the Fizzy, my first bike in ‘80 was a ‘72 Honda CB 750 bored to 928 cc. Vent pretty well but couldn’t last, so traded it for a slightly newer CB 750 F1. Had that for a couple of years and then traded it for a brand spanking new RD 350 YPVS, which vent extremely well so after six months of ownership I was suddently without a drivers licence. 🤦♂️ When I got the licence bak I settled for something calmer. Another Honda CB 750, only this this time a K7. After a couple of years with it - I was really pleased with that - I traded it up for an Yamaha XJ 900 with a huge Pichler barn door fairing. It took me everywhere, North Cape and back in a bit over a week. Probably not one of my wisest decisions, but I traded the XJ 900 for another new RD 350 F 🤷🏼♂️ Don’t know what happened, but I had a lot of fun on that. Wasn’t very sane and responsible motorcycling, but fun. After a couple of years with the drivers licence in constant jeopardy, I traded the RD for an old Ducati 860 GT. Which was useless. After a fresh trip on a borrowed Honda VF 750 I was suddently stuck with too many penalty points on my drivers licence snd was sking as well, so I decided to give motorcycles a break for a while. It actually took seven years before I was back on a bike again. This time on a Yamaha SZR 660. A fine little gem. Not very fast, but it handled like on rails. Out on the backroads it was in heaven. Obviously this couldn’t last either, so I traded the Yamaha for a Triumph T160 Trident. One of the prettiest bikes made in the 70’s, but a load of crap. When it vent, it vent well, but I didn’t really trust it so I swapped it for a Honda VF 1000 F. It was a barge, but the engine was sweet - untill it started eating it self. Then it was time for an old Kawasaki GPz 1100 UT. It was really great. Didn’t really handle that well, but i loved the bike. Only the missus didn’t really like sitting on it, so it was decided to look for something a bit more comfy. It was decided that a Suzuki DL 1000 V-Strom should fit the bill - and it did. Now 16 years later I’m still riding the same bike, now with a bit over 100.000 mile on the clock, but still a great pleasure.
What an amazing selection of bikes! I know exactly what you mean about licence jeopardy, when I had my ZZR1300 (more of that in part two) it was only a matter of luck that I didn’t get banned. It was so easy to go extremely fast that I made the decision to trade it in! Re the T160, I agree it’s one of the prettiest bikes of the 1970s, but I’ll have to disagree with the ‘load of crap’ bit. You may not have noticed that I own one! 🤣 Happy riding! 🏍️👍
My brother's 850 Commando kicked back, burst into flames, threatened to roast his nuts, he jumped off, the bike fell over & the full interstate petrol tank did the rest The fire brigade turned up & wet down the smouldering wreck.
Oh dear! 🔥Yes, mine burst into flames after some idiots who will remain nameless (Victory Motorcycles of Camden) reverse wired it after doing a bit of work. In the two miles between collecting it and riding it back to the office it was very much on fire! I don’t think my employers were too happy with me using up all the fire extinguishers on their premises to put it out.
Here's my list: 1. 1975 Yamaha AG175 2. 1980 Suzuki DR400 (bottom end grenaded) 3. 1978 Honda 550 Four - unlike you I enjoyed mine Then there was a hiatus in which I got married and had a kid and after divorce: 4. 1970 Triumph Bonneville 5. 1929 Triumph CSD - a 550cc side-valve single 6. 1984 Suzuki Katana 650 I still have the last 3 & do most of my riding with the Vintage Car Club (they have a motorcycle section) here in New Zealand
So many folk have said they liked their 550/4s now, I’m beginning to wonder if mine was a lemon!! It wouldn’t be surprising, I have a track record of picking lemons! 🍋🍋🍋 With those last three in your shed you’ve got all the bases nicely covered, I think. All the best from 🇬🇧 to 🇳🇿😊
Did I heck! Her Majesty’s Rozzers couldn’t give a monkey’s. In fact, so lacklustre were the local plods that when, two years later, I was knocked off my bike by a hit and run driver they didn’t even bother to attend the scene. Just told me on the phone to inform my insurance company. Grrr!
I busted my motorcycle Cherry in 1978 on the back of a 1972 Honda cb350. Being in the United States I had no CC restriction. I feel sorry for you people on the other side of the pond for that. in order to get my motorcycle drivers license all I had to prove is that I could handle it.
Indeed, it was a right pain being restricted to 50cc machines, and then 250cc from the age of 17 until you passed your test. There was mass media panic over here in the 1960s and 1970s to do something about the number of motorcyclists ‘being slaughtered’ on our roads. Of course it was all the fault of the motorcyclists, not the reckless, drunken idiots driving around in their lethal tin cans! So all the legislation was heaped on us - compulsory helmets, restricted bikes, two-stage testing, etc, etc. I might do a video about it some day!
😂😂😂 Not unless the thief shipped to Australia to sell after he nicked it from you. BTW forgot to mention a Ducati Darmah and Ducati 750SS in there between the Suzuki and the Guzzi.
Ha! I remember it to this day. Down a very steep hill in Kent, and definitely with the wind behind me. Of course, as I say in the video, Veglia speedos were notoriously inaccurate, and I recall the needle jiggling around between just under 90 and just over. I reckon it was probably more like 70, but still a bit of a feat on a Lambretta. That GP200 used to see off 185 Suzukis. Obviously I now think I must have been mad to go that fast on a Lambretta!
haha, glad I skipped the scooter phase. 🛵 Always wanted a Commando....but by the time I went looking, there was none to be found. It's how I ended up with my '72 T100R Daytona. It needed saving from the Kawi dealer. Ty 1/3rd Phil
Yes, I did wonder whether I should fess up to the scooter phase. 🤔 Um, there’s another confession coming up in Part 2! Hope all’s well over there! 👍🇺🇸🇬🇧
Here's my list Phil
1. 1953 BSA A7 Plunger {bought for £15 to learn to ride offroad when I was 16, because I didn't want a moped}
2. Suzuki GT380 {bought from a workmate before I'd even passed my test}
3. Ex-police BSA Fleetstar 250 {which grenaded itself, forcing me into sale of number 2 bike}
4. Suzuki GT 250 {new, to pass my test, which I did at the first attempt}
5. Triumph Trident T150V {used but immaculate, as the guy got a new one year on year in Swansea}
6. Suzuki T500
7. Kawasaki 500 triple
8. Suzuki GT750 watercooled
9. Honda CB750 F2, SOHC
10. Kawasaki Z900 A4 {a car wrote it off and mangled my right knee}
11.Rickman Z900 {bought back the write off from the insurers for £350}
12. Suzuki GT500
13. Yamaha XJ900F
14. Suzuki SV1000N {my current bike since 2005, bought with 510 miles only on the clock and immaculate, from a lovely young chap in Burnley. On just over 31,000 miles now.
Great list and quite a diverse selection! I see there’s a Trident in there, and another few bikes I’ve coveted in my time like the Suzuki kettle. 👍🏍️
@@3Phils My only regret was not buying a Kawasaki H2C 750, which a chap put me off buying, as he'd said the handling was terrible and that his mate had a bad accident with one. I bought a KH500 instead, which was detuned a lot, so I had it ported to regain the lost performance of the earlier models. The minus side was that the tuner opened the ports so much that it ate clutches and was terrible at low RPM. I'd say I had more fun with the Trident than anything else, the fabulous engine note but also maybe because I was only 17 and coming straight off a 250, it seemed very rapid. I'd not cough up the silly money people are asking for them today though.
Blimey! You were on a Trident at 17? Fair play to you, sir! To be honest, Trident prices have dropped dramatically since I bought mine five years ago. I have a bad habit of buying expensive and selling cheap. I don’t regret it though, or all the money I’ve spent on it since. Just a shame not be enjoying it ‘back in the day’ as you did. Pity about the Kawasaki, I heard similar tales of them being ‘widow-makers’, but would still have loved one.
I have your item 14 too; a 2008 SV1000N that I bought in 2010 with 3000 miles on it. Almost 15 years later I still own it, fantastic machine 🙂
@@DukeDyson Yes, they're great all rounders which don't cost a fortune to insure. I paid only just over £61 last year, not at all bad for a bike that'll top 150 MPH.
Over the years: 8 Hondas, 5 Kawasakis, 2 Suzukis, 2 Yamahas, 1 Hodaka, and one Bultaco. At 77yo, I still have five bikes.
Excellent! I personally believe getting out and about on motorcycles is the best possible mental and physical regime you can get as a more mature gentleman! It certainly helps keeps me fit, and does wonders for my powers of alertness. Nice to see quite a few Hondas and Kwaks on your list, my faves. I wonder why I’ve never owned a Suzuki or Yamaha? Just a quirk of fate, probably. 👍🏍️
Hmmm... Let me see... My first bike in 1979 bike was a CT-2 175 Yamaha trail bike (the first thing I bought worth more than a packet of cigarettes after starting an apprenticeship), then a CB 360 which ended up being passed around to 3 or 4 mates.
Then I entered my Honda 4 era. I had about half a dozen (maybe more. My memory is spongy) of them in a row, some "chopped", some cafe racers & some stock as a rock.
After joining the navy, I finally got what I always wanted, a Norton Commando, which was simultaneously the best & worst bike I have ever owned. It was light, flickable & had plenty of power. When it was running right it was everything a man could want from a motorcycle but it also had an unnerving habit of shaking little bits of itself free. Things like indicators, exhaust pipes, float bowls & the like. By the time I sold it, it was more Lok-Tite than motorcycle.
Then I bought the fully faired 900 Bol D'Or... It stretched chains for around 8 months until the bottom end let go on a trip home from Sydney to Adelaide, leaving me stranded about 35km from the nearest town as the Sun set slowly in the west. A lone crow in the distance called out to the world exactly what I was thinking - FAAAARK...
Then I bought another 900 Honda, the unfaired version for the 90km round trip to work. It stretched chains for around 8 months before the bottom end let go as I pulled into my driveway one night. There were no crows nearby but the sentiment was familiar & a lesson was learned.
Then came an XS750 Yamaha. The less said the better.
Then I bought a neighbour's 1976 R100 BMW which happened to be fitted with a bikini fairing. It was a revelation! I rode it all over the place for years until a sloppy gear change bent a selector fork. Bye-bye 5th gear...
That takes us up to the beginning of the century. I'll leave it there because A) This is a 2 part video, B) Things get much more interesting from this point on & C) One should always leave the audience wanting more.
Ride fast & take risks everybody!
I enjoyed reading that, thank you! 😊 I especially empathised with ‘more Lok-Tite than motorcycle’, which brought back memories of my own Commando. Funnily enough, though, I didn’t have the experience of things dropping off like you did. You sure your Isolastics weren’t shot? 🤣 I look forward to hearing part two after next week’s part two! 😊🏍️👍
1976 Fizzy DX, 1978 Suzuki GT185, 1980 400/4 - one of the best. Mine got the full treatment - yoshi pipe, gas flowed head, 460 big bore, custom paint, seat, clocks, bars etc. etc. cost me fortunes & probably put about another 2 mph on the top end, but sounded awesome. Modern customised before it became a thing. Did a DVLA check on her a little while back & she's still out there.. somewhere. Then onto Honda CB900F2 turned into a CB100R replica by those excellent chaps at Harris Performance. Suzuki TS250. Suzuki 600 Bandit. Triumph Speed Four - brilliant! Triumph 1200 Trophy - not brilliant. Current stable 2011 Triumph Tiger 800, 2018 Triumph Street Twin, heavily modified 1982 Yamaha XJ600S Diversion & a Lexmoto Valiant. Not a huge amount of bikes but have enjoyed them all (apart from the Trophy) & have never been without 2 wheels.
As you asked Phil
My first bike I bought from my dad in 1977 a 1976 MZ TS250 wheelied and crashed quite often learnt a lot of what not to do.
1980 I think (V reg) Honda Goldwing GL1100 the DX with a fairing which it didn`t have for long when I jumped a hump back bridge that had a sharp left turn straight after, I went through a fence dismantling the fairing, made a great naked bike after though.
Suzuki TS250
Honda C70 (always yearned for the big single C90
Suzuki GS550
Another Suzuki GS 550
Honda CB250 K4
2002 Suzuki GSXR600 (my only ever new bike purchase)
2006 Buell Ulysses XB12X (Still have it)
1998 Yamaha Diversion XJ600 (Still have it)
A nice collection of bikes there. I can’t help feeling everyone else has been much more adventurous than I have over the years! For example, I’ve always had a yearning for a Buell but never followed through. 👍🏍️
@@3Phils younger me would have laughed out load at the mention of a Bullet and probably have snorted my beer down my nose were I drinking at the time but older more considered (boring old man) me quite likes the idea of a Bullet or Interceptor now. Despite living in Germany where speed can be unlimited (on the autobahn in the right conditions) I don`t feel I have to ride like my **se (tail) is on fire all the time these days.
Same here. I do like to open up on the country roads and will occasionally, ahem, get up to the speed limit on the UK motorways, but most of the time I’m like Driving Miss Daisy!
@@3Phils when I sold the GSXR600 it was because the riding position meant I didn't use it day to day so I looked for something with similar handling but more upright and most important, could wheelie like a good un and the Buell fitted the bill. It is a bit of a marmite bike but I've found that 100 bhp is about right as I rearly have it pinned for more than a few seconds and the handling exceeds my ability. Strangely I'm finding riding the XJ600 seems to gain in appeal over time. Maybe I'll look out for one of those Arial 3 wheelers in the future.
Same here!
Also owned a 400/Four which I used to despatch ride on and she bought me luck cos, one day in Greek Street- Soho as I just dropped off, a 3‘r bmw with 4 people inside wearing masks roared by. This was accompanied by the sound of police sirens in the background when a window opened and loads of 10 & 20 £ notes were chucked out.
Being a responsible citizen I collected quite a bit not wanting the streets to be littered, along with about at least 50 other people with the same idea. Greek Street was blocked, the 3‘r bmw was gone and the rozzers were stuck.
Brilliant! 🏍️💷💷💷💷💷
Mobylette 50cc from 61.
Kreidler Florett 50cc from the 80‘s
Honda CB 400 Four from 78 in yellow. Great bike!
Yamaha XT 500, on which I broke my leg and had a 15 yr pause then. Anyway, also very handsome bike.
Yamaha SRX 600, still in my shed, but not running these days. I love the style.
BMW K100 RS, 4 valve version with ABS, sold after only 1,5 yrs. Was just too smooth for me.
Honda CB 750 Four, still owned and in use. With Mikuni carbs. Sound is just phenomenal.
And finally a Yamaha TY 125 in a trial setup, just for the fun of it.
@dnswhh7382 Wow! Nice selection of bikes there. Obviously I’m attracted to the CB750, always wanted one of those! 🏍️😊
@@3Phils As I now owned both the 400 and the 750 I must say, they are both great in her own way. The 750 is of course more impressive, but the 400 always reminded me of a sewing machine. Just slap your foot slightly on the kickstart and off she goes. Despite the fact she only has 400 cc you need to respect her, especially when reaching 6000 revs and more. I nicknamed her the wasp, as she could sound angry and due to her yellow color.
@dnswhh7382 Yes, it was ‘the sewing machine’ to me too! I had a blue and a yellow. Always preferred the blue for some reason. Not really to do with the colour, it was just a much ‘sweeter’ bike.
My first big bike after passing my test was a Honda CB500/4, it developed tappet problems that were too expensive for me to repair at the time and i had to sell at a big loss, this put me off Hondas for life. I absolutely loved my Mk3 850 Commando though the best British bike i ever rode. Great video Phil, look forward to your next instalment.
Thank you! 😊 I so wish I still had my Commando. Selling it is my biggest regret, motorcycle-wise that is. I guess my 550/4 could have put me off Hondas for life too, but, as I’ve said elsewhere in the comments, it could have been a one-off. Obviously it didn’t put me off!
@@3Phils I am looking for a suitable Commando but this time a 750 Roadster.
Mine was a 750 roadster, and once I got it properly sorted it was terrific! Prices have really dropped over the last couple of years, so you should be able to find a decent example for reasonable dosh.🤞You’ve got me thinking now!
My first bike was a 60cc Yamaha. This enjoyed a bad end when a friend ran it out of gas and filled the tank with Varsol.
Years later I bought a '74 Triumph Trident. I rode this for many years with one rebuild. It finally put the left rod through the case.
I now own a '72 Triumph Trident and a '72 Triumph Bonneville. I just don't wish to even think of shifting on the left.
In succession; As a kid, A Ruttman 5hp minibike, Then '65 Honda 305 Super Hawk, '66 Honda 305 Dream, '74 Kaw F7 175, '74 Kaw H2 750, '75 Suz GT750 then built into a tourer with Vetter fairing, Bates hard bags & trunk( I can still smell the aroma of that fiberglass), etc, '79 Vespa PE200, 1981 Honda 1100 Gold Wing, 1983 1100 Honda Aspencade, '83 Harley 883 Sportster, '85 Suz 1200 Madura, '90 Yam TW200 Trail Way, '91 Honda 750 Nighthawk. All are gone now, and I quit riding in 2006, but I did pick up a '72 Kaw F9 350 Bighorn basket case a few years ago as an eventual resurrection or restoration project. I would say the Trailway and the Nighthawk were the best overall bikes I had for my trail riding and street use respectively, the Aspencade by far the best long distance highway bike.
The Aspencade would have been too big for me, being used to puny European bikes! But I’ve definitely been tempted by the GT750 and the Vespa! Nice selection of machines there, thanks for sharing. 👍🏍️
@@3Phils Yes, it was a great machine for American highways, but I have to say, too heavy and ponderous for any other kind of riding. I didn't have it for very long.
Started riding in 1970-in Canada-bikes-1966 Suzuki 80 Enduro-1975 Honda 400F-1975 Suzuki 550 Triple 2 stroke-1978 Honda 750F-1981 Kawasaki KZ1100 shaft-1982 Honda Gold-wing Interstate--2007 Harley Electra Glide Ultra-2009 Harley Ultra-Current-Mint low mile ton of fun 2003 Harley Sportster 883 100th Anniversary (stock)-you can ride it hard without going to jail and is super reliable/fun
Great 1970s bikes there! Interesting what you say about the Harleys, they’ve never been on my shopping list but I get what you say about being great fun without going to jail! 👍🏍️
Starting 1978, RD200DX RD250E, XS750D, GS750E, Z1000A1, XS750D, CB900FZ, CBX1000, CB900FZ, XJ650, Jota 1000, XTZ750, Daytona 1200, XS1100E.
Great memories for them all except the last one (XS1100) the bike I always wanted from the poster on my wall way back in 77,
Wow - you had a Jota! As well as a shed load of other fine machines. Good to see Honda and Kawasaki represented too. Weirdly I’ve never owned a Suzuki or Yamaha, I feel my CV isn’t complete!
Looking back pound for pound I think the CB900s were the best of the bunch 😎👍🏴
Would’ve loved one but they somehow passed me by!
An enjoyable watch and again well put together! 🤗
Thank you! 😊
Took my push bike and fitted it with a "power Pak" engine that drove onto the tyre into school when I was 12, walked home with it with my teacher after a slap, Started legaly in 1961 with a Francis Barnet scrambler fitted with lights, from what I can remember!!!! I have had 37 motorcycles and now ride a VFR750 at the age of 79
Proof, if proof were needed, that, once you’re bitten by the bike bug, you’ve got it for life! 🏍️👍
Owned 26 machines,man and boy,not a few of 'em grotty old knackers with a scrap of T&T, sourced from the small ads of the excellent UMG mag. Great vid, keep 'em coming! 😊
Thank you! 😊 👍🏍️
Silly Phil here , started on an RD200 dx followed by a Superdream , cb550f2, RD400(stolen) GT380(blew up) another Superdream (for work)big gap (kids ) then Zx7r, vn800(yuk) 1200 Bandit , Blackbird , street triple 675 , tiger 1050, ktm1290r , Ducati Panagale 959, Yamaha MT10, now calmed down and settled with a 25year old vfr 800fi , great bike and a Daytona 955i Centennial , 23 years old , love analogue , great channel btw wobbley Phil
Aw, you’re too kind. 😊 And you’ve been far more profligate than boring, old, Honda-obsessed me with your choices! 👍🏍️
Couple of Turkeys in there but overall would love all of them apart from the vn800 , what was I thinking 🤡
@philipheron3429 Don’t worry, my friend, we’ve all done it. I owned a Royal Enfield Continental 525 for a few minutes back in 2015! 🤣🤣🤣
Since age 16, I have owned around 40 different motorcycles, a few were the same make and model. I have owned 3 Yamaha XS650s, and 3 Kawasaki VN750s, and 2 Honda Goldwings. That doesn't count the mid '60s Bultaco Lobito 100 dirt bike I spent all summer working on a farm to get, at age 10, or the eleven 49cc pedal mopeds I have owned. I got my first one of those at age 16, and have had one or two on and off ever since. Two of those were Motobecane Moby 50Vs. I currently own 2, A Puch Newport and a Tomos Sprint that I bought used and restored. There is something addicting about small bikes, at least for me. The only one I didn't like, and didn't keep very long was an early '80s Honda Passport C70, which is just a Super Cub with a different name. I never got used to the clunky clutchless shifter, and gave up on it. I have never owned any kind of sportbike. I did try to ride one once, but with its super low bars and high, rearset pegs, it was unbearably painful. Pretty much all my bikes besides the mopeds and a couple of scooters were cruisers, touring bikes, and dual sports. After that first pure dirt bike I got at age 10, I never bought another one. I never had a way to haul one to a place where I could ride it off road. Dual sports served the same purpose, and were street legal. I have never owned any bike with EFI or ABS. I am a purist when it comes to motorcycles, all my bikes are/have been carbureted with no computers.
I was never a Dr. Who fan, with the exception of the Tom Baker episodes. I have all of those on DVD.
On that last point about Dr Who, I concur 100%! Although apart from Tom Baker, I do have a small place put aside for Patrick Troughton! Thanks for the motorcycle history. It’s funny, I’ve recently found myself drawn to smaller bikes and I was considering a Honda Cub. Maybe I’ll rethink that.
My first bike was a RAP moped (from Switzerland I think) and possibly the sole one in South Africa back in the '60's.
Then I hot a little Honda SS50V, and another little Honda same model, then a Yamaha 125 with electric starter followed by a Suzuki T200 that hauled ass.
Then I got my first zHarley, a '62 DuoGlide ex-City of Cape Town police Panhead that I started chopping, and had a Honda 125 as back-up.
Thereafter another ex-police Panhead.
Then a string of Harley Big Twin Flatheads, chopped fully or hot-rodded by severe head-work and/or stroking.
In '25 I built my 5 1/16" stroker '37 Knucklehead with late-model Pan cases and seriously chopped frame that I rode for years.
Then I got another Pan, that went through several incarnations, followed by my '80 WideGlide that Ichopped and rode over 300,000 miles and had a Yamaha TT500 as my offloaded.
After that I picked up an early ElectraGlide with cone Shovel, followed by the
official Buell S1 racer of the main Harley dealer, and rode this for a couple of years.
Then I got a Buell X1, one of the best bikes I ever owned.
After that I got another Shovel being a rare metallic brown SuperGlide that was stolen.
After that beauty, I got a Yamaha Tenere 600 that my son and I chopped.
Then I got my current daily bike, a '08 Heritage that I still ride daily.
24 Harleys later!
In between somewhere of all these I also hade a Harley XA from the war, a Honda CB350 with two-tone green and white tank, a CB750 K0, a DOHC Honda CB750 very customized, an ancient Vespa, an zinnias Four that never ran, a MotoMia scooter BMW 250 Single, a BSA 500 that I sold to buy a fridge...and more that will come to mind one day...
Cripes! A lot of Harleys there! I’m not qualified to comment on those, but there was a kid at our school with an SS50 which, being a 4-stroke, made a much quieter sound than all our 2-strokes, which I’m afraid we mocked him for, not knowing better. 🤣 And I toyed with the idea of owning a Buell, they seem like fantastic bikes, but was put off in the end by the constant ‘will they, won’t they go under’ rumours. My Indian FTR isn’t a bad substitute though. 👍
Nice one Phil. Similar start as I mentioned before, and a with a “happy ending” 😳. ‘62 Mobylette, 77 AP50, ‘78 250 Superdream……… and then a blummin woman and a MKII Escort…… Corrected 39 years later with a first year 400 Four, 900F, first year GL1000, three very early CB750’s (,69 and ‘70), a late 750F (‘77), Phil Read replica and a spattering of others, and believe it or not - but on my life - also a total of 20, since 1972. Never even thought to count ‘em till this vid 🤓
Ha! I knew folk would start counting ‘em up when they watched this. I had a car for a bit too. ☹️ Great post-blummin’-woman collection there!
Honda XL125, Suzuki GT550, Yamaha RD400, BSA A65L, 850 Commando, Triumph 900, Ducati GT1000, BMW R90S. Up and down the scales. Tons more that were really only garage candy when making fat stacks, only to be sold off during leaner times. But that’s a different list.
I think you covered most of the best bases there! And I had to sell my Commando during ‘leaner times’. ☹️
My first bike was a Suzuki GSX250 and it was great. Second was a Ducati Sport 500. Heavy but not as bad as some people say. Third was a BMW R90S and no one wanted them. It was a truly lovely machine. Then a Laverda Jota 1000 1981. Probably my favourite bike. More than 30 bikes in all and several scooters as well including a Heinkel Tourist that was stupid fun. Could have ridden it anywhere. Own five at the moment and a Vespa PX200 for running around.
Two iconic bikes there, the R90 and the Jota! I’d never heard of the Heinkel Tourist so I looked it up - interesting design. I’m also thinking of getting a runaround, maybe a Honda Cub or something, although I could be tempted by a Vespa! 👍🏍️
Hi Phil great video , when we were kids , my dad had an old philips mobiccan that had such a blocked carburettor it actually went faster with no throttle. Then we got an old frame from what I think now was a old bsa bantam plunger or similar it had one side of the Handlebars broken off , repaired with some ½ water pipe welded on , we had a chrome zundap teardrop fuel tank , and a briggs and Stratton mounted on a plate about as good as a 10 year old could do , it used to pop pop around the yard, it looked pretty cool , my first real bike was a Suzuki TC100 only for off road , OH the cool up swept muffler with the chrome sheild ! 🤣🤣
Ah, happy days! Me and my mates used to fettle old lawnmowers until we graduated to two-wheelers and I’m surprised we never got around to lashing up something with a mower engine in it! Thanks for the kind words about the video. 😊👍🏍️
My first three 'big bikes' after passing my test in 1976 were: 1970 Ex Police Triumph T500P. It was fast and could keep up with my mate John's Suzuki GT380 triple, but got lighter every ride from all the parts that vibrated loose and ejected themselves. Next was a 1968 Bonnie, then I started working full time and aged 19 I bought a two year old Commando 850 mk3, which I had only a handful of years until I got married, but I retain fond memories of long rides and chromed disc brakes which nearly caused me to soil myself whenever they were applied in the wet.... that half a second delay was always a hoot 'n' a holler!
Ah, the old chromed disc brakes! The factory apparently did that to make the bikes look sexier, but what a bloomin’ elf and safety hazard. Most folk I knew got the chrome removed asap. I’ve got an interesting article in my mouldy old collection of Bike magazines about British boffins experimenting with sintered brake pads to help with the monumentally dreadful state of disc brakes in the 1970s, especially in the wet. If only they’d just told the likes of Norton and Triumph to stop chroming the ruddy discs!
@@3Phils You are absolutely correct about the reason for the chromed disks. That said, the chrome removed itself with use and you ended up with a sort of ABS effect as the thinner plating wore off first. That was pretty interesting too, but at least something happened the moment you pulled the brake lever.
🤣 Of course, I’ve only owned my British bikes decades after they were built, by which time the chrome was well and truly history. A shame I missed the ‘interesting’ ‘ABS phase’, although my CB1300 is fitted with ABS which has actually never kicked in. I think us, er, ‘long term bikers’ gained some useful braking skills back in the day. Who needs ABS?!
@@3Phils I still wear out rear pads at twice the rate I do front ones. Old skool trail braking...
@neilmackinnon3371 Absolutely! Oh how we laughed when motorcycles first started getting ABS. ‘What do you need that on a bike for?’ was the question. I have to say, though, that traction control has saved my bacon a few times, when I’ve hit a patch of gravel on a country road. Typically on the apex of a bend! 😳
Great video Phil! Sorry about your feelings for the CB550 ... my first 'proper' bike and I loved it. I just recently acquired a 400/4 on the grounds of pure nostalgia, but in an ironic twist, haven't had time to get that working because I've spent too much time trying to coax a CBR600F to engage all cylinders when running.... looking forward to part 2 and how - from promising beginnings - you ended up with a Trident ;-)
Thank you! 😊 I’ve always wondered if my bad experience with the CB550 might have been down to that particular bike. After all, it was four years old when I got it and who knows what horrors it had seen! The rust and stuff was potentially down to previous owners, but that doesn’t explain why it felt like such a slow, old, bloated lump! Perhaps I’d been spoilt by the 400/4s! I hope you get the CBR600F going, I remember it as a great bike which was very capable in all departments! The black ones were the best! 😉🏍️👍
Love it haf loads....Cannot remember all 😮
It took me quite a while to remember my 20. But some of you report having had 40 or more!
My motorbike history is
Puch 3 gear
Yamaha FS1E
EXCELSIOR 100
EXCELSIOR TALISMAN 250
Suzuki TS 100
Suzuki GT 250 x7
Suzuki GT 380
Suzuki GS 425
Honda 550 4
Yamaha XS 250
Kawasaki Z 250
Jupiter 350
Suzuki 250 gsx
Suzuki GS 450 e
There was a few others but can't remember what they were.
Yes, I had to dig deep to remember all mine. Good list there and I see you owned a 550/4 too. Hopefully your experience with it was better than mine! 👍🏍️
Fab list 🙂 and certainly more interesting than mine. I'm sure if I put pen to paper I'd forget several of them but the memorable ones after the Norman B2S include a Yamaha XS750, Japan's answer to the Trident perhaps? Cams made of chocolate and a physics defying centre of gravity just above your head! a Sachs Roadster 650, possibly the nicest machine I've ever owned and a Honda VT500 that I think I may have ridden to the moon and back without any issue at all. My SV1000N has remained in my ownership for nearly 15 years so it must be mostly alright 🙂
I wasn’t aware of the Sachs 650 but I’ve looked it up, what a sweet bike! As is the SV1000. I heard the XS750s were a bit ropey. A ‘Japanese Trident’ indeed! Pah! 🤣👍
At one stage I had a 750 Interstate Commando, an H1F kwaka and an S2 350 kwaka with chambers and clip ons. In a fit of madness I sold all three and bought a brand new 750 Ducati. I still regret that to this day, although the duke was a nice enough bike.
A brand new Ducati, though. Not too shabby, I’d say!
D3 Bantam, B40, M21, A65 (long gap) CZ 250, CZ 350, Jawa 350, MZ 301
Nice! I see you’re a bit of a fan of the eastern European 2-stroke! 😊👍
@@3Phils: They are technology I can understand, maintain and repair. Many were given to me by owners who had bought them as cheaper alternatives to the current Yamahonduki, could not maintain them and consigned them to the shed
It’s funny, but until you mentioned it there I hadn’t really thought too much about how simple 2-strokes are to work on. I recall being able to work on any of my 2-strokes, but once I went 4-stroke the mechanical mist descended, I had to pay people to do the work, and cash started flowing out of my account like no tomorrow!
Getting Used Motorcycle Guide vibes here
Not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing? Please explain! 😊
@3Phils oh, it's a good thing. I loved UMG
@chrisfryer3118 Phew! I thought for a moment there you were saying I was being even duller than usual!
Used Motorcycle Guide was a favourite read of mine, still have a pile of them too.
In 1978, I sold a 1969 Lambretta LI 150 for £7.00, the buyer knocked me down from my asking price of a tenner. In 1984, I sold a 1959 BSA C15 Star for £60.00.
Here is my list,
1975 Honda ST70.
1978 Honda TL125S.
1969 Lambretta LI 150.
1976 Honda CJ250T.
1978 Honda CB250N.
1977 Triumph TR7RV.
1982 Triumph T140E.
1975 Triumph T160V.
1959 BSA C15 Star.
1983 Triumph TSX-4.
1980 Laverda 1200T.
1980 Moto Guzzi V50 II.
1980 Benelli 900 Sei.
1984 Suzuki TS185ER.
1992 Voskhod Tula 200.
1980 Moto Guzzi SP1000.
2011 Harley-Davidson XL883N.
2009 Harley-Davidson XR1200.
2022 BSA Gold Star 650.
I still own the last three.
Wow! A very impressive list there! 🏍️🏍️🏍️🏍️🏍️🏍️🏍️
I’m just getting started at 42 years old, but so far:
1990 Honda XL250
1985 Honda VT500C
1980 Kawasaki K1000
1982 Suzuki GN400
1991 KLR250
1980 Honda CB900 Custom
(80’s bikes were very cheap in the early 200’s)
2009 Suzuki DR650 (first new bike ever)
2007 Star/Yamaha Stratoliner1900
2012 Kawasaki KLR 650
2023 Honda XR650L (2nd bike I’ve bought new)
2004 BMW R1150RS (just bought it last week)
I’d say you’re doing pretty well for someone who is just getting started! Happy riding! 🏍️👍
Uhm, had quite a few, but not counting the Fizzy, my first bike in ‘80 was a ‘72 Honda CB 750 bored to 928 cc. Vent pretty well but couldn’t last, so traded it for a slightly newer CB 750 F1. Had that for a couple of years and then traded it for a brand spanking new RD 350 YPVS, which vent extremely well so after six months of ownership I was suddently without a drivers licence. 🤦♂️ When I got the licence bak I settled for something calmer. Another Honda CB 750, only this this time a K7.
After a couple of years with it - I was really pleased with that - I traded it up for an Yamaha XJ 900 with a huge Pichler barn door fairing. It took me everywhere, North Cape and back in a bit over a week.
Probably not one of my wisest decisions, but I traded the XJ 900 for another new RD 350 F 🤷🏼♂️ Don’t know what happened, but I had a lot of fun on that. Wasn’t very sane and responsible motorcycling, but fun. After a couple of years with the drivers licence in constant jeopardy, I traded the RD for an old Ducati 860 GT. Which was useless.
After a fresh trip on a borrowed Honda VF 750 I was suddently stuck with too many penalty points on my drivers licence snd was sking as well, so I decided to give motorcycles a break for a while. It actually took seven years before I was back on a bike again. This time on a Yamaha SZR 660.
A fine little gem. Not very fast, but it handled like on rails. Out on the backroads it was in heaven. Obviously this couldn’t last either, so I traded the Yamaha for a Triumph T160 Trident. One of the prettiest bikes made in the 70’s, but a load of crap.
When it vent, it vent well, but I didn’t really trust it so I swapped it for a Honda VF 1000 F. It was a barge, but the engine was sweet - untill it started eating it self. Then it was time for an old Kawasaki GPz 1100 UT. It was really great. Didn’t really handle that well, but i loved the bike. Only the missus didn’t really like sitting on it, so it was decided to look for something a bit more comfy. It was decided that a Suzuki DL 1000 V-Strom should fit the bill - and it did.
Now 16 years later I’m still riding the same bike, now with a bit over 100.000 mile on the clock, but still a great pleasure.
What an amazing selection of bikes! I know exactly what you mean about licence jeopardy, when I had my ZZR1300 (more of that in part two) it was only a matter of luck that I didn’t get banned. It was so easy to go extremely fast that I made the decision to trade it in! Re the T160, I agree it’s one of the prettiest bikes of the 1970s, but I’ll have to disagree with the ‘load of crap’ bit. You may not have noticed that I own one! 🤣 Happy riding! 🏍️👍
My brother's 850 Commando kicked back, burst into flames, threatened to roast his nuts, he jumped off, the bike fell over & the full interstate petrol tank did the rest The fire brigade turned up & wet down the smouldering wreck.
Oh dear! 🔥Yes, mine burst into flames after some idiots who will remain nameless (Victory Motorcycles of Camden) reverse wired it after doing a bit of work. In the two miles between collecting it and riding it back to the office it was very much on fire! I don’t think my employers were too happy with me using up all the fire extinguishers on their premises to put it out.
Here's my list:
1. 1975 Yamaha AG175
2. 1980 Suzuki DR400 (bottom end grenaded)
3. 1978 Honda 550 Four - unlike you I enjoyed mine
Then there was a hiatus in which I got married and had a kid
and after divorce:
4. 1970 Triumph Bonneville
5. 1929 Triumph CSD - a 550cc side-valve single
6. 1984 Suzuki Katana 650
I still have the last 3 & do most of my riding with the Vintage Car Club (they have a motorcycle section) here in New Zealand
So many folk have said they liked their 550/4s now, I’m beginning to wonder if mine was a lemon!! It wouldn’t be surprising, I have a track record of picking lemons! 🍋🍋🍋 With those last three in your shed you’ve got all the bases nicely covered, I think. All the best from 🇬🇧 to 🇳🇿😊
Did you get back the bike
Did I heck! Her Majesty’s Rozzers couldn’t give a monkey’s. In fact, so lacklustre were the local plods that when, two years later, I was knocked off my bike by a hit and run driver they didn’t even bother to attend the scene. Just told me on the phone to inform my insurance company. Grrr!
I busted my motorcycle Cherry in 1978 on the back of a 1972 Honda cb350. Being in the United States I had no CC restriction. I feel sorry for you people on the other side of the pond for that. in order to get my motorcycle drivers license all I had to prove is that I could handle it.
Indeed, it was a right pain being restricted to 50cc machines, and then 250cc from the age of 17 until you passed your test. There was mass media panic over here in the 1960s and 1970s to do something about the number of motorcyclists ‘being slaughtered’ on our roads. Of course it was all the fault of the motorcyclists, not the reckless, drunken idiots driving around in their lethal tin cans! So all the legislation was heaped on us - compulsory helmets, restricted bikes, two-stage testing, etc, etc. I might do a video about it some day!
👍
Norton Atlas
1 1974 Yamaha RD350
2 1974 Norton 850 Commando
3 1978 Suzuki GS1000
4 2001 Moto Guzzi V11 Sport
5 2004 Yamaha R6
6 2007 Honda CBR600RR
7 2010 KTM 690 Duke
8 2019 BMW R1250R
9 2023 Triumph Speed Twin 1200
Nice selection. I see you had the 600RR! It wasn’t my 600RR that got nicked, was it? 🤣🤣🤣🤣
😂😂😂 Not unless the thief shipped to Australia to sell after he nicked it from you. BTW forgot to mention a Ducati Darmah and Ducati 750SS in there between the Suzuki and the Guzzi.
@bruceleong9534 Well, you never know! 🤣🤣 🇬🇧👍🇦🇺
1 Suzuki
Mmmm 90 mph on the scooter? I’ll take that with a pinch of salt if you don’t mind!……
Ha! I remember it to this day. Down a very steep hill in Kent, and definitely with the wind behind me. Of course, as I say in the video, Veglia speedos were notoriously inaccurate, and I recall the needle jiggling around between just under 90 and just over. I reckon it was probably more like 70, but still a bit of a feat on a Lambretta. That GP200 used to see off 185 Suzukis. Obviously I now think I must have been mad to go that fast on a Lambretta!
haha, glad I skipped the scooter phase. 🛵
Always wanted a Commando....but by the time I went looking, there was none to be found.
It's how I ended up with my '72 T100R Daytona.
It needed saving from the Kawi dealer.
Ty 1/3rd Phil
Yes, I did wonder whether I should fess up to the scooter phase. 🤔 Um, there’s another confession coming up in Part 2! Hope all’s well over there! 👍🇺🇸🇬🇧