Topic: The best 5 of all time. (Motorcycles, duh)

[74cb750]

Norton 850 Commado
Triumph Bonnie 650
Yamaha XS650
Kawasaki H1
Laverda 750

[Rocking-M]

1974 Ducati 750 SS (if I win the lotto I'll own one, their at 6 figures now).
1971 Honda 750 (all the kinks were worked out by then)
Bimota (pratically any one) Lets say the SB8R
AND, I just got back from a trip to town to pick up paint,

MY 99 ST4 Ducati (red of course)

[Ichiban 4]

Well..for me..

I"m going to list the 5 bikes that I have liked/enjoyed riding the most..even though there are technically better and more comfortable-reliable bikes made nowadays. [Think it would be really difficult..and highly subjective to say "the 5 best of all time"]

1.) My 1959 Ariel Square Four
2.) My present 1977 550K
3.) My 1973 CB 450 Twin
4.) My 1958 Matchless 650cc Typhoon
5.) (believe it or not) my highly modified 1955 Whizzer Sportsman (20" wheels, battery, kick-start, 2-speed trans, et al.) motorbike (I rode that thing all over when I was 14-15 years old..and before my parents would let me get an actual motorcycle).

Like a lot of others here..I'd include the Vincent Black Shadow as an all time best bike.  But I never had the chance to actually ride one (or afford one)..so I'm leaving it off my list.

Domo,

Ichi / Al

[boatsdickson]

Being super biased based on limited ownership and knowledge....

1: 1978 750k8 - My first and only owned
2: 196? Jawa - My fathers cycle to be restored upon inheritance.

[bill440cars]

Well..for me..

I"m going to list the 5 bikes that I have liked/enjoyed riding the most..even though there are technically better and more comfortable-reliable bikes made nowadays. [Think it would be really difficult..and highly subjective to say "the 5 best of all time"]

1.) My 1959 Ariel Square Four
2.) My present 1977 550K
3.) My 1973 CB 450 Twin
4.) My 1958 Matchless 650cc Typhoon
5.) (believe it or not) my highly modified 1955 Whizzer Sportsman (20" wheels, battery, kick-start, 2-speed trans, et al.) motorbike (I rode that thing all over when I was 14-15 years old..and before my parents would let me get an actual motorcycle).

Like a lot of others here..I'd include the Vincent Black Shadow as an all time best bike.  But I never had the chance to actually ride one (or afford one)..so I'm leaving it off my list.

Domo,

Ichi / Al

           Ichi, you are one of the few who talk about the Ariel Square Four, I think they are "Something" as well. Closest I got to one was when a fellow brought one to my Granddad's Motorcycle shop and told my Dad that he wanted HIM to put it back together. You see he had taken it to one guy to have it gone through, painted and whatever and then put it back together. Then there was a dispute between them, so the owner gathered it up and brought if to my Dad (who had never even SEEN one at that point). Well Dad had him unload it over in a corner and Dad would just look at it for a while, when ever he went by it and finally just started slowly  (at first) trying to start putting parts together and finally had it done. I thought it was an AWESOME bike and sounded beautiful through four straight pipes (not really THAT loud either).
Must have been really something to have owned one.
           Also, you mentioned a Jawa. That caught my eye as well, since we (my Granddad and my Dad) had the Jawa franchise in Arkansas and I've done some work with them as well. Along with the fact that I too, am wanting to build up a Jawa for my Dad (doing it up to LOOK LIKE the one that he built back when). I look forward to when you might be able to work on that Jawa also.
          Plus, you mentioned the Matchless Typhoon, I never had one, but there was a guy who race one on the Scrambles track, in Arkansas (and maybe Louisiana) back in the early 60's and those things seemed pretty powerful as well.

                                         Later on, Bill

        Actually though, I'm pretty impressed by 2 of the bikes I already have, which are the 80' Honda CBX and the 83' Kawasaki GPZ1100. I mean, there's a lot of technology in those 2 bikes, they are incredible to hear AND to ride! Not too shabby, I'd say. Of course, the fact that I have those 2, makes me a bit prejudice. Not Bragging, mind you, just convinced.    
        

[Ichiban 4]

Hey Bill..

Well it seems that us old farts are probably aware of those old bikes..simply because we were there..rode them when they were the current thing.  BTW: I didn't have a Jawa..as you mentioned..although was very aware of them @ the time.  With the exception of the Matchless..I was mostly into road/street bikes (still am actually).

I'm sure you know of Malcolm Smith. Well he was a couple of grades before me in high school..my sister was actually his classmate.  I was very aware of Malcolm during my youth..but never had the cajones to do off-road stuff like he did.  He's still living and selling dirt bikes in Riverside CA (about 25 miles down the road from San Bernardino where we went to school)..he's about 68 now I believe..and still looks pretty good.

Regarding the Ariel..yeah I guess I'm kinda nostalgic for that bike (just saw one used/non restored..for 15K. The restored ones go for 25K and up..that I've seen).  I couldn't afford one anyway (one reason I have these old Honda's I guess).  Figure that if I ever had that kind of money for a bike..I'd probably get a new/newer Goldwing..something similar. 

They were ubiquitous in Southern California..where I grew up.  There were several Ariel/Brit bike dealers that sold/serviced them within a 100 mile radius.

The Harley and bobber riders hated those of us that rode them..because we could easily smoke them either from a start..or over the long haul.  Didn't seem to have that sort of animosity with the other Brit bike riders though.  And Yeah..they sounded like nothing else on the road @ the time.  Some said that they sounded like "Offy's" (Offenhauser's)..which as you know dominated the Indy and track races (autos) @ the time.

I could go on and on about the Ariel Square Fours (feel they actually predisposed me towards the Honda Fours when they came out)..but don't want to tie up this thread anymore.

The Matchless Typhoon was a real "Thumper".  Had to use the compression release just to kick it over.  I think that some of the lads today..don't realize how much it takes to kick over 500 to 650 cc @ 10:1 compression on a single cylinder.  It was impressive for what it was..but a modern 250 cc 2-stroke of today could probably clean it's clock competition wise.  Other than the initial thrill factor of a big bore single thumping away though..I much prefer the smoothness and more even power band of the multis..especially the 4's and 6's.

And Yes..I Think your CBX is another bike that I'd like to ride/check out someday.

Take care,

Al / Ichi

[motocyconomad]

CB750
Vincent Black Shadow
BMW R-90 s
Ducati
Ecosse

runner ups
honda XR650
indian scout
CBX
the Britton
bimota

[bill440cars]

 From ichiban 4:

           "Hey Bill..

Well it seems that us old farts are probably aware of those old bikes..simply because we were there..rode them when they were the current thing.  BTW: I didn't have a Jawa..as you mentioned..although was very aware of them @ the time."

                 I hear ya about the "old bike thing".  Yeah, I WAS very aware of the OLD British Bikes and thought that THEY "Hung The Moon!" The BSA Super Rockets, The Indian (rebadged Royal Enfields) Apache and the Trail Blazer, The Ariel Square Fours, the Vincents, Norton, AJS and Matchless twins and the Typhoon 600cc Single (to us, with my Granddad having the franchises for those bikes, the Triumphs and H-Ds were the competition).

                 I clearly remember the Japanese bikes coming in AND, around the same time, Ducati was starting to bring in the 250 singles, like the Diana and the Scrambler.
   
                About the Jawa, I kinda got mixed up, as it was actually "boatdickson" who brought the Jawa up, that I was thinking about. Sorry bout that.




               boatdickson, what you said about that Jawa, rang home for me because my Dad had taken am old 250 Jawa and had built it into a real runner, back in the early 60's and I've got one that I'm hoping he and I can build a (at least close0 copy of it. He still remembers that bike and talks of it fondly. So, I'm hoping that You can do YOUR Dad's as well.

        Sorry about the mixup, that I made between you and ichiban4,  Bill

[Tretnine]

Looks like our nominations are firming up. Here's a list that is by no means official or worth any merit. It's heavy on CBs, but this IS an SOHC4 forum, so we're biased. So what. Keep nominations coming if you want to see them in the list. I'm trying to put in nominations that have been made by 2 or more people, but if you think the list needs to see more bikes or other bikes, let me know... this isn't exactly formal.

CB350
CB450
CB550
CB750 (Some say 69, some say 71, others just say cb750)
Vincent Black Shadow
Triumph Bonneville 650
Ariel Square Four
Honda 919
Norton Manx 500
BMW r90s
Ducati Desmo