I used to have a Yamaha Virago 535 many years ago, wish I still had it, especially in this lovely weather.
Not my style of motorbike tbh but nice in their own right. I had a number of bikes between 16 to 26. Primary ones were this https://goo.gl/images/ncsWHe and this http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery/Kawasaki GPZ600R 85 2.jpg
Not my style either, but they certainly are visual works of art, I would enjoy taking pics of bikes like that. Your Yam and Kawa are more my style although I never got to own anything with that cubic capacity given the number of accidents I had I think that was probably a good thing
i had one like this when i was a teenager lost it on a wet corner. tore a hole in my best suit. never been on a bike since.
They are works of art Jim. I had one or two accidents over the years, mostly due to my youthful stupidity.
That is so similar to one of the early Hondas the Honda Benly Super Sport, I thought it was at first glance until I read the name Suzuki This is the exact model of the first bike I ever drove, it belonged to my mate Tony and I dropped it 100 yards later at the first corner We were off public roads and at the time I had no licence but it gave me the taste. This thing had leading link front forks and would rise up under braking rather than diving, very nice bike. Have to admit Malcolm I never rode a bike wearing a suit
This was my first bike in 1976, the CB125S I bought it second hand for £100. Learning to drive on a provisional with absolutely no training was an experience I can tell you.
The honda ‘plack’ (as in plastic) had rising brakes. The C70 and C90. I owned the much rarer 2 stroke version made by Yamaha, the FR80 . It was bought as a temporary until I got my Yamaha RD 80 liquid cooled wheelie machine
The design was stolen long ago the number of Chinese copies is staggering You see this design all over the Philippines and elsewhere in Asia, maybe not exact but hell of a close. I looked at a couple of the Chinese copies when I was over in the Phils a number of years back, the problem with the copies is inferior materials, bad chrome soft metal alloys poor electrics etc. but they are cheap. I used to get 100 miles to the gallon and she topped out at 67mph, and downhill with the wind behind you over 70mph was possible
i had already passed my test for a car licence..but only provisional for the motorbike. i bought it new--went to the dealer to pick it up--got on--kick started it--and off i went. i had never driven a bike before. i used it daily to commute into brmingham city center. hence the suit. together with briefcase and umbrella--clipped into the luggage rack. i got about 90 mpg--and could hit 50 downhill.
Nice bikes and photos . I went to a nice bike show last year , and took many photos . Even if not the type of bike I ever owned , still enjoy looking at them . I owned bikes when I was 16-18 , but gave them up when I passed my car driving test , got married , had kids etc . Never lost the bug for bikes though , and bought a GPZ 600 at the age of 40 . I sold that and treated myself to a brand new Yamaha FZR 1000 . Just a summer toy really , and spent a lot of the year under a dustsheet in my garage . Made the sad but practical decision to sell it after 3 years , it still looked brand new . Now my bike riding is limited to renting a scooter on every vacation . Still love bikes though .
My boss is around 5 or 6 years older than me and has never lost the bug. So much in fact that he has purchased nostalgia in the form of a Suzuki GT750 “kettle”. A Yamaha RD350LC and an RD500LC YPVS. He has a few modern bikes too but he says whenever he goes up to the cafe at Horseshoe pass, it is those 3 bikes that draw the crowds and comments. He has brought them all to work for me to look at (make me jealous) and they look like they came out of the shop yesterday. He paid more for them now than the original cost price. The recently bought RD500 has one owner and it was kep inside is house for the last 30 years.
The CB125 was really popular. Very reliable. My first bike was a joint owned BSA C15 trials. We got it on the road twice and then literally dumped it. I wish I had kept it now. Not been a big bike fan really
Yes it is amazing how some of the old classic bikes have increased in value. I remember my dad selling his Ariel Arrow for £20 when he stopped riding bikes . I've seen them for sale now , restored for £6-7 thousand pounds . Nice to see there are a few bike fans on the forum .
Haha yes I remember that oss, there was no training then , apart from falling off at first . There was at that time , no limit on what size bike a learner could ride either , so you had inexperienced riders riding huge cc bikes ...... Crazy , especially when you think even crash helmets were not compulsory then .
Not quite as far back as that OTT there was a 250 cc limit on cubic capacity on a provisional licence in 1976 which equated to about 25-30 bhp, that was still too much, helmets were also compulsory in 1976, but you did have kids climbing onto quite powerful machines wearing no leathers. And of course I bought mine at the beginning of June 1976 which was right at the beginning of the summer of 76 which was hotter for a longer unbroken period of time than this year, a fantastic summer that year but t-shirt and shorts weather which is lethal on a bike. I had about 13 accidents between my first 2 bikes, I was incredibly lucky that the worst result was a fractured wrist.
13 accidents?! Blimey! In the 10 years I used motorcycles as my primary transport, I never had any. Same for my driving. Maybe I'm a boring safe law abiding driver or just incredibly lucky. Having said that I've had points for speeding...on a moped. (It was a Honda Spacey 250cc) Gwent police used to hate motorcyclists with a passion back in the early 90's lost count the number of times I was stopped. I did complain and the Chief of Gwent Police sent a written apology.
