Topic: 1970's alternative iconic bikes ??

[Retro Rocket]

Suzuki GS...? naaaaa... never made the cut! It certainly sold a bit, but it was not as iconic as the K.

Maybe not as iconic as a K, but it did set a high standard in performance.  After 40 years of owning nothing but Hondas, I'm really impressed with, and love riding this GS1000S.  Easy to work on, and just a bullet-proof engine that really hauls ass.

Lets be clear, nothing Japanese is as iconic as the 750/4, being the first of the modern mass produced four cylinder road bikes, it has its place in history, but o do many other bikes of the 1970's. Alternatively, as the thread title suggests, The GS was a far better bike in the fact that it was probably the best handling big four of the 1970's and killed everything on the track in its class, the GS series bikes led to the iconic XR69 race bikes which was the forerunner to the GSXR's 0f the early 1980's another iconic series of bikes. I would say it fits this category perfectly....

[ascanio1]

@ Steve-o
I have another <huge> project which is taking up lots of finances... so I can't make this list longer than 4 or maximum 5 bikes.

I have the CB750K... now I want 3 or 4 contemporary "top dog" fast and iconic competitors. Not only fast or iconic, otherwise my list goes into the dozen. In the '00s would be: Ducati 998R or Panigale, MV F4, Tornado Tre 900... but not S1000RR, CBR1000RR, ZX10R... etc. In the 80's would be GSX750R, 851... that kind of stuff...

@750, calj737 & 754
I love Guzzi & BMW: But were they a match on the streets? Not in competitions.
BMW R90:
I really love this bike and I almost got an orange one instead of my K3! It has tons of character and it certainly stands as an iconic model but in the '70's you would have looked at an R90 (from a K3 point of view) as today you would look at an R1200RS and not an S1000RR (from a CBR1000RRpoint of view).
Guzzi V7 and Le Mans:
As for R90...  super iconic but not really a match in those days. Sadly so because I love them & I'm Italian!

@ Retro Rocket & nvr2old,
You have a very good point about the Suzuki GS:
It was certainly a match on the streets, and what a match! But... this bike is the opposite of the R90, V7 and Le Mans: top dog performance but not top image: was it really iconic? Or just the top bike on the street for a given period? What makes a bike into an icon?

Today's BMWS1000RR, Kawa ZX10 or even the very GSXR1000 certainly hold top dog status on the streets... but which would you own, or which one would turn more heads outside a cafe? One of those or a Panigale? You have a very good point performance wise, but image wise? I don't know. The CB K turned heads when it arrived. So did the Benelli 6 and Laverda 1000... A bit less the Z1... but the GS?

@bill440cars,
I'm researching. I'll tell you once I learn about them as I have no idea of these bikes... But RD350/400 ...I think yes. Should they fill the last spot?

@ Retro Rocket,
What were the years of production of that model in your pic?
I tried to google the differences and looks-wise I prefer the earlier shape but I'm not sure that I am looking at Z1 or Z1000.

Kawasaki:
Yes! These make the list! But I feel the need to read & learn more before I choose which model I want. Can anyone link me to relevant articles about Z1, H1, H2, Z1000, all the various versions please?

Laverda:
750SF/SFC was certainly iconic! But was it a match?
On the other hand the 1000, now, that's going to make the list! Don't you agree: a match for the K3 in those days?

Benelli:
750 Tornado (2 cyl)... naaaa.... just an Italian version of BSA, Triumph, Norton...
750 sei (6 cyl): Wow! But can I actually find one? Did they really exist? That was fast and iconic!


So far:
1) Honda CB750 K
2) Kawasaki, but which year/model?
3) Laverda 1000
4) Benelli 6
5) ??

Maybe RD350/400? or GS?
Any other suggestion for the top dogs of the time?

[Retro Rocket]

The Z1000MKII in that picture was a 1979/1980 model

[ascanio1]

The Z1000MKII in that picture was a 1979/1980 model

I prefer the smaller tail and less square looks better. Is that the model before or after the one in your pic?
Can you recommend where to read about these Kawasaki models?

[Steve_K]

Did all of you forget the British triples?  A great sound, good handling and but some quality problems.  I like the British twins, too. (but not enough to own one now)
The R90S was a bike with great suspension for the 70's.  Not hard to tune up and a very good ride.
Steve

[754]

I thought about the British Triples....
 But I had coffee with a guy two months back that has a bunch of Triumphs, and other bikes..many iconic types.
He ran me thru the process of fixing a triple, and making it into a good performance bike. The pita factor and costs..to me just made it not worth having.
 He did say the odd stock one might be OK in stock trim, but most of them..a money and work pit..
 And he looks best Triumphs..

[Stev-o]

Although I like my RD350, I would take it off your list.  It's a medium sized bike with very good performance for its displacement, but not up there with the CB, Z1, GS....

[Retro Rocket]

The Z1000MKII in that picture was a 1979/1980 model

I prefer the smaller tail and less square looks better. Is that the model before or after the one in your pic?
Can you recommend where to read about these Kawasaki models?

A brief history of 1970's models...

https://www.z-power.co.uk/merchantmanager/view_information.php?pId=21

[ascanio1]

@ Retrorocket
Thanks for the link, it looks like a good start.

@ Steve-O
I was going over a brief story of the Yamaha TZ/RD and I came to your same conclusion: GS fits the bill better than the RD350/400...

@ Steve-K and 754,
I did think of the British bikes (and Italian)! Ooze of image and character but, in all honesty, were they really in the same league as the Japanese, after 1969? Unfortunately also the V7 and LM Sport Guzzi and the R90 were overtaken (litteraly) overnight. Even the Benelli Sei might be an usurper in that list: one of my father's friends, whom I called hoping to find him still in possession of his Sei, recalled that it was a really cumbersome bike and no real match for the Japanese: even when perfectly tuned (rarely, as 6 carbs were a nightmare to sync) he still could not keep up with his friends on the Japanese bikes.

I was not old enough to ride those bikes so I can't be sure but, I think that these 3 bikes were the ones which really ushered the new era in motorcycling performance:
- Honda CB750 K
- Kawasaki Z1 (or ?)
- Laverda 1000

And even the Laverda 1000 3 cyl and Kawa Z1, which were as fast and desirable, didn't really usher the new era as much as ride the new wave.

What else could beat those 3 bikes on an open road before 1980 apart, maybe, for the GS (which arrived later,anyway)? Nothing else comes to my mind.

[flatlander]

i'm a sucker for those guzzis... maybe not on par with the japanese in terms of performance but the early le mans with that bikini fairing certainly can turn some heads. mine at least. do me a favour and add it to your list, just for the looks 

[Retro Rocket]

I was not old enough to ride those bikes so I can't be sure but, I think that these 3 bikes were the ones which really ushered the new era in motorcycling performance:
- Honda CB750 K
- Kawasaki Z1 (or ?)
- Laverda 1000
What else could beat those 3 bikes on an open road before 1980 apart, maybe, for the GS (which arrived later,anyway)? Nothing else comes to my mind.

GS1000...1977
CB900 ...1979
CBX1000...1979
XS1100...1978
KH750 2 stroke Kawasaki, the KH500 wasn't far behind it

[ekpent]

Yamaha was king of the hill for a year or two for 1/4 mile times with their XS1100 back in the day.

[strynboen]

cbx 1000.. 1978-1982..they are iconic..if any bikes are..but still rideabel...not like the big heavy kawa..faster then the cbx..but no charme..just to heavy

[Bankerdanny]

If you are willing to stretch into the early 1980's there are 3 that I would look at: the Kawasaki GPZ1000, the Suzuki GS1100ES, and the CB1100F. All air cooled inline 4's. I think all DOHC at this point, and the GPZ was fuel injected. Any of these three would be a really fun bike, the same vintage GPZ750 is an interesting alternative too.

[strynboen]

in the erly 80..aircooled gpz 750 turbo...my next bike..if i can fine one in europa

[Bankerdanny]

Ah yes, the Top Gun bike. My personal favorite of the '80's turbo bikes with the CX650 turbo a close second.

[Stev-o]

I would like to add a Ducati to my collection one day [I'm Italian, ya know],
what do you guys think of the 750 Sport?

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/asp/classics/bike.asp?id=47

[754]

The XS 11 was on top when it came out, but after that. All the gixxers, and GPZs et all.. .. Was a new world. Nobody stayed on top for long or held that place for three years anymore.

  To me the Guzzi and Ducati twins were like..WHOA WTF What is that? Got to cross the street or turn around to get another look. The first FOURS were like that the R90S was like that the Triple Laverdas were like that..
 Maybe I don't know what iconic means...but my first few images of the bikes I just mentioned..are still burned in my brain 40 years later.. To me that means something.
 By the end of the 70sit was hard to build an online 4 that was a traffic stopper..sorry.. But that is how I see it.

[Stev-o]

The XS 11 was on top when it came out

My brother had one, we toured and street raced together, I had a Kaw 1000. The 1100 was just slightly faster in a straight line but did not handle the curves very well. Could be due to the small fairing he installed, he would get the wobbles and have to slow and I would pass.

[Wobbly]

The Laverda 1000 3C would be an excellent choice (my all-time favorite and no boy-toy). Another beautiful addition would have to be the Ducati 900SS.
]

[BPellerine]

1969 seemed to be an iconic year for bikes and cars ,still regarded by some as the best year.so I  would look for bikes that were around when they were a viable alternative even if they were not as fast,they were still the completion.bill

[Stev-o]

1969 seemed to be an iconic year for bikes and cars...

Good point.

CB750 (1st year)
H1 (1st year)
Suzuki TS (1st year)
Challenger (1st year)
Nissan GTR (1st year)
Boss 429 (1st year)
Porsche 914 (1st year)  iconic?....Ha!

[scottly]

Nobody stayed on top for long or held that place for three years anymore.

 

From '69 to '72, it was a two horse race: the CB750 and the H1 Mach 3.
I worked in a gas station next to the freeway in '72-73, and whenever a guy came in on a 750, I would say something like "nice bike, but I heard the Kawi 500 is faster", or reverse it if the guy was riding a Mach 3. Whoo, talk about stirring up brand loyalty! Any way, one day a guy rode in on a brand new H2 750, and when I mentioned the CB, he just smiled. When he left, I noticed he had an odd riding posture as he accelerated down the freeway on ramp; his torso was centered over the front of the bike? I then realized the front wheel was a foot off the ground. The sturdy CB750 was no longer a giant killer...   

[ascanio1]

I can't put 10 bikes on that list as it would remain a dream list and not a project! So, let's put  it up for a vote... You can only list 4 bikes, in the order of preference, and they must be ranked for 2 qualities only:
1. Fast on a street,
2. Image (chicks dig it, heads turn, crowds assemble outside cafes, cool to own, etc. etc.)
My list:
1. Laverda 3 Cyl 1000
2. Honda CB750 K
3. Kawasaki Z1
4. ... that's the tough one to decide!
- Kawasaki H2
- Benelli Sei
- Suzuki GS
I think that the GS and the CBX1000, XS1100 etc were a bit too late... they came in at the end of the 70's. And I think that the Guzzi LM Sport 850, BMW R90S, Ducati 900SS etc were marvelous but in a street race would lag behind.

Forum members here already helped me to decide, find and buy my CB... I can only add 2 more or, stretching it, maybe 3 more if I find really good deals...

[Retro Rocket]

Anything from 1970 to 1979 is "in the 70's" surely...?  The GS1000 first appeared in 1977 and was a revolution in motorcycles at the time,  I'd say thats in the 70's and iconic...    the "iconic" 750/4 was a first built in 1969 and that year was the fastest K model 750 so it seems you have a dilemma because the 60's weren't the 70's , 77,78,79 were though......