Recommend me some good classic Jap bikes from the 60s/70s perhaps even early 80s?
Looking to expand my collection and go on some classic bike rides with my Dad. Despite having an SR400 myself, I only know a bit about English and German bikes in the period. Budget is in the $5-10k range. I'm not really interested in anything 250cc or less.
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donahue Penske Porsche 917
"In Japan we no give fark for Subaru" - Trust Japan Technical Director
(TM - AVENGE)
"You can never have enough power. I remember when we had Group B cars... THEN we had enough power!"
Juha Kankkunen - Rally of Argentina '02
Katana?
aren't the frames of those generation of bikes pretty average?
SUNTORY BOSS is the boss of them all since 1992!
Z900
Kyle - for some reason the old Italian bikes don't do it for me. New ones are nice though!
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donahue Penske Porsche 917
"In Japan we no give fark for Subaru" - Trust Japan Technical Director
(TM - AVENGE)
"You can never have enough power. I remember when we had Group B cars... THEN we had enough power!"
Juha Kankkunen - Rally of Argentina '02
yam xs 650 - the jap bonneville
made a zillion of them .
http://www.xs650.com/
also beloved by choppers and bobbers ..i think there is one in this photo..
suzuki 2 smokes:
gt750
katanas will be a classic (allready there)
as are top shelf z900's , mmm jaffa paint scheme and single solid disk and weedy forks and check the size of the brake caliper
cb750:
GS1000
saw one of these with factory fairing for $4500 on the weekend ( obviously not with all the yoshi stuff on it)
and on and on
yamaha RD 2 smokes
or if you're a real masochist :
suzuki RE5 - rotary
funky riding leathers optional
Last edited by 9triton; 02-04-12 at 08:43 PM.
oh wow, never knew the rotary suzukis existed.
do want!
Originally Posted by Sathanas
'75 international acco fire truck!!
'70 VG sedan - current project, now 13's for $1300 project
'70 dodge yoot, current project - mothballed long term
'73 KE25 corolla - race car
'74 KE25 corolla - back on the road!
'89 BNR32 skyline - mothballed..
Everything 9triton posted there is a good option.... other than the rota.Rare as hell but for a reason. Pretty sure Norton made some rotary bikes also.
Another option is the original GSXR known affectionately as a slabside or "slabby".
Honda CB750, original GSXR-750 and Kwaka 9 basically created the superbike category. I'd imagine all of them are starting to become worth money. Not sure how much, never really looked into it.
Those "leathers" look like pyjamas.
Street: 2010 Triumph Daytona 675 SE
Race: 2006 Suzuki GSXR-750 (it's fixed!)
Limited Racing: 2009 Kawasaki ER6N
Street: 2010 Triumph Daytona 675 SE
Race: 2006 Suzuki GSXR-750 (it's fixed!)
Limited Racing: 2009 Kawasaki ER6N
honda CX500/650 turbo.
would make a great collectors bike... or make a good project with a GT35R hanging off it
'75 international acco fire truck!!
'70 VG sedan - current project, now 13's for $1300 project
'70 dodge yoot, current project - mothballed long term
'73 KE25 corolla - race car
'74 KE25 corolla - back on the road!
'89 BNR32 skyline - mothballed..
Absolute dog of a bike.honda CX500/650 turbo.
would make a great collectors bike... or make a good project with a GT35R hanging off it
I've seen the Suzuki rotaries at a ride day. They look ok, but I'd hate to think of trying to keep it on the road.
How reliable are the two strokes? Avoid?
Out of all of those suggested so far, I think I like the CB750 and Z900 most. Probably because they're more of a classic design than the fendered 80s models.
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donahue Penske Porsche 917
"In Japan we no give fark for Subaru" - Trust Japan Technical Director
(TM - AVENGE)
"You can never have enough power. I remember when we had Group B cars... THEN we had enough power!"
Juha Kankkunen - Rally of Argentina '02
Good luck finding a tidy z900 for sensible money.
Two strokes are plenty reliable - my dad a gajillion miles on a t500 (including racing as a proddy bike) back in the 70s.
I was thinking of getting something out of the US. My Dad is importing a Indian 841 and thinks it will cost him about $1500 to get it here.
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donahue Penske Porsche 917
"In Japan we no give fark for Subaru" - Trust Japan Technical Director
(TM - AVENGE)
"You can never have enough power. I remember when we had Group B cars... THEN we had enough power!"
Juha Kankkunen - Rally of Argentina '02
Tell me more about Z1/Z900s. Any good? Are there better versions/years to buy?
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donahue Penske Porsche 917
"In Japan we no give fark for Subaru" - Trust Japan Technical Director
(TM - AVENGE)
"You can never have enough power. I remember when we had Group B cars... THEN we had enough power!"
Juha Kankkunen - Rally of Argentina '02
They're a cult bike. Shit brakes, flexy frame, go OK for a 70's 900, look great. There's a reason I braced the fuck out of my Katana's frame and changed the swinger, and am now changing the brakes...
Just imagine you SR with enough power to keep up with modern traffic, that's what a Z900 is like :P
The SR is fine for commuting/cafe'ing, but tops out at 110! Thats scary enough with the drums that are on it...
Not really interested in the speed. I could get any modern bike and it would be faster. This is more just for cruising around on, etc. If I want to go fast I have a car with a cage. I like living!
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donahue Penske Porsche 917
"In Japan we no give fark for Subaru" - Trust Japan Technical Director
(TM - AVENGE)
"You can never have enough power. I remember when we had Group B cars... THEN we had enough power!"
Juha Kankkunen - Rally of Argentina '02
dont they call the motors in those "the air compressor"?
Tow car/daily: 2011 D40 Navara ST 6sp diesel.
75 Mini Clubman club racer - DCOE powah
In the build: U2L IPRA Honda Integra
Distraction from the above: KE20 13B
CB750/4 is another to look at, but seem to be worth abit already.
Tow car/daily: 2011 D40 Navara ST 6sp diesel.
75 Mini Clubman club racer - DCOE powah
In the build: U2L IPRA Honda Integra
Distraction from the above: KE20 13B
Saw a beautiful Ducati Pantah 600 on the way to work today. Lovely.
Yeah I like the look of that too.
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donahue Penske Porsche 917
"In Japan we no give fark for Subaru" - Trust Japan Technical Director
(TM - AVENGE)
"You can never have enough power. I remember when we had Group B cars... THEN we had enough power!"
Juha Kankkunen - Rally of Argentina '02
Cb250 with an Xr600 motor
Xr6t ute 292rwkw 12.9 at 108mph
Honda CBX 1000 is probably the only old Jap bike I would consider. Hard to get in your price range though, but occasionally a good one at a realistic price pops up.
I don't mind getting one that needs some work. But it seems like getting a restored one is the go as small things like exhausts tend to cost a fair wack.
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donahue Penske Porsche 917
"In Japan we no give fark for Subaru" - Trust Japan Technical Director
(TM - AVENGE)
"You can never have enough power. I remember when we had Group B cars... THEN we had enough power!"
Juha Kankkunen - Rally of Argentina '02
the cb 750 and kwak z 900's have great spares avalability - they remanufacture almost everything for these- inc 4 into 4 exhaists - good kwak 900' s- up at $9k + (in oz). hence usa will be cheaper -not sure by how much .
same goes for the Cb750- can get everything for these- probably $6k + for a good one (in oz)
peruse us ebay for some costs of tehse - will be cheaper for sure - but if you need to ship across usa and then here wi+ gst + customs charges etc may make the differnece seem that much smaller .
pick up a copy of just bike - lots of import businesses advertise there .
one i can think of is atlantic motorcycles - in melb some where - should have a website - he brings in some good stuff from the states - probably by the container load - so his individual import costs would be lower.
when you get to the leser known bikes - spares can be a problem - whilst you might pick up a project for say $2500- once it needs an eng rebuild and /or tinware - thats when the cost of jap stuff starts to add up .
brit bikes are other way around - relatively expensive to buy (even as projects ) -but dirt cheap for the spares
Last edited by 9triton; 03-04-12 at 04:45 PM.
for RORZ - the norton rotary won at the isle of man -
EDIT :senior TT at the he 1992 Isle of Man TT, ridden by Steve Hislop.
and the brit superbike championship in early 90's
fairly tale comeback for norton
pulled the crowds in - just like mike hailwooods caomeback in 78
Last edited by 9triton; 03-04-12 at 04:02 PM.
RE5 is out of your price range, so forget that.
Go with what 9triton has suggested, get something that the hipsters are creaming themselves over like a CB750 or something else in the CB flavour. Failing that, something with good parts availability (Triumph/Honda etc). Do not go with odd stuff like Royal Enfield or Arial, Ural etc.
Think about what kind of riding you want to do first, then zero in on that style of bike. Do you want to rebuild something from the ground up or merely clean it up and ride it?
Peter Stevens is having a sell off of old bikes at the moment, a bit overpriced but they do look well cared for.
If it was something to buy and keep stock - a CB750. Something to modify, it'd be a Triumph/BSA/Norton
I already have a "hipster" cafe bike lol. I know what kind of riding I want to do. Just cruising round, odd club run, not track days. If I wanted something fast I would just go buy a new bike.
My Dad has a few pommy/german/US bikes so I wanted something different to his. I want something (at least semi) reliable too!
I'm not a fan of the new Enfields.
I like the Triumphs. I rode a T100 Tiger for a while when I was learning, but I would prefer something Jap.
There is a guy up the road with a Ural combination and its already starting to rust! I know of an expedition that went to Russia last/this year on Urals with Lang Kidby and a few guys just abandoned theirs on the side of the road in frustration!
"If you can make black marks on a straight from the time you turn out of a corner until the braking point of the next turn, then you have enough horsepower." - Mark Donahue Penske Porsche 917
"In Japan we no give fark for Subaru" - Trust Japan Technical Director
(TM - AVENGE)
"You can never have enough power. I remember when we had Group B cars... THEN we had enough power!"
Juha Kankkunen - Rally of Argentina '02
Buy a wire wheeled RD or an RD400, Ive got an RD350 that im slowly working on, biggest problem so far has been the ignition, just going to ditch it in favor of an electronic one.
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