Patrick_R
Grand Master
Sooooooooo
You came home with a 6.3, plus two Rovers, and no motor bike?
What was the bike you went to purchase?
You came home with a 6.3, plus two Rovers, and no motor bike?
What was the bike you went to purchase?
Motorbike stories
- Thread starter Patrick_R
- Start date
Patrick, yes. Three cars and no bike. It was an accident damaged Suzuki GS750 - a very desirable bike in those days. Many years later I purchased a Suzuki 850 shaft drive, but that's another story. If you would want me to elaborate I will do so. Always something to tell that may be of interest. Regards StyriaSooooooooo
You came home with a 6.3, plus two Rovers, and no motor bike?
What was the bike you went to purchase?
N.B. I would dearly love to own a Suzuki Boulevard , the M109 model. Another story that could be told.
I am probably compromising this thread if I started to talk about Motor Bikes. Seeing that there is no further news for the time being on those swish looking pistons (Mark/Oversize), I/ll throw in a couple of bike names - and I might even be able to dig up some photos and perhaps the odd story or two.
1) Husqvarna 500 Automatic - Enduro/Motocross Up to 80 miles/hr in the twinkling of an eyelid (on knobby tyres). Over that speed (true as I write this), on straight Bitumen the handle bars would continuously move from side to side in a STRAIGHT line. Wow ! One would actually get used to it, and twist the throttle a bit more.
2) Montesa Cappra 250GP - On starting line, hand on helmet, grab clutch when the flag drops, and she takes off in reverse gear. Honest ! It had no reverse gear, but a compression ratio of 13:1 with no reed valves to soften that ratio. How could it happen ? The guy behind me on the starting line came up after the race and complained that I had backed into his bike.
3) Any number of other Montesas and Husqvarna - the names to me assume almost biblical sentiments. Nowadays, Montesa are gone, Huskies are now again revered under the auspices of KTM located in Oberoesterreich (not that far north of beautiful Salzburg), and winners of the Paris to Dakar Rallye with Huskies once again very prominent with their special colour scheme, and
4) 850GS Suzuki shaft drive - tremendous torque but still with a noticeable power band, but a shaft drive that was "clonky" on the move at times. In the back of my mind, I was always fearful that the rear could lock up at speed and send me sliding down the road witha heavy bike on top of me. That prospect was too scary for me to really want to hit high speeds, especially when carrying a pillion.
5) Montesa 360GP Vehkonen Replica - I registered that bike for Enduro and Road use, with a lighting coil speed dependant. One night, at 10, on country road, engine seized, back wheel locked up, the light went out and complete darkness as I skidded along with both feet on the ground so I could feel if I was sliding towards the road shoulder. Came to a stop. Went back next day and checked the length of the black tyre mark on the bitumen - 100 feet, as straight as a dye.
I have kept mysel as brief as possible. Regards Styria (Maybe some pics. to follow).
1) Husqvarna 500 Automatic - Enduro/Motocross Up to 80 miles/hr in the twinkling of an eyelid (on knobby tyres). Over that speed (true as I write this), on straight Bitumen the handle bars would continuously move from side to side in a STRAIGHT line. Wow ! One would actually get used to it, and twist the throttle a bit more.
2) Montesa Cappra 250GP - On starting line, hand on helmet, grab clutch when the flag drops, and she takes off in reverse gear. Honest ! It had no reverse gear, but a compression ratio of 13:1 with no reed valves to soften that ratio. How could it happen ? The guy behind me on the starting line came up after the race and complained that I had backed into his bike.
3) Any number of other Montesas and Husqvarna - the names to me assume almost biblical sentiments. Nowadays, Montesa are gone, Huskies are now again revered under the auspices of KTM located in Oberoesterreich (not that far north of beautiful Salzburg), and winners of the Paris to Dakar Rallye with Huskies once again very prominent with their special colour scheme, and
4) 850GS Suzuki shaft drive - tremendous torque but still with a noticeable power band, but a shaft drive that was "clonky" on the move at times. In the back of my mind, I was always fearful that the rear could lock up at speed and send me sliding down the road witha heavy bike on top of me. That prospect was too scary for me to really want to hit high speeds, especially when carrying a pillion.
5) Montesa 360GP Vehkonen Replica - I registered that bike for Enduro and Road use, with a lighting coil speed dependant. One night, at 10, on country road, engine seized, back wheel locked up, the light went out and complete darkness as I skidded along with both feet on the ground so I could feel if I was sliding towards the road shoulder. Came to a stop. Went back next day and checked the length of the black tyre mark on the bitumen - 100 feet, as straight as a dye.
I have kept mysel as brief as possible. Regards Styria (Maybe some pics. to follow).
OP
Patrick_R
Grand Master
- Thread Starter
- #5
Maybe Bryce can move this to its own thread, as I am sure everyone has some bike stories to tell 
Great points of interest Styria.
Some of those bikes you mention are legendary bikes, and probably worth a kings ransom today.
Unfortunately I have never ridden any of them, but saw many in my motor cycle riding days.
Locking up brakes on bikes on bikes was always a nightmare of mine.
I remember riding the first bike to hit Australian shores with ABS, the BMW K100.
I was told to hit the brakes as hard as I could in a gravelly car park next to the dealership, so I did.
Straight as, and no lock up at all.
I think this was my defining point of loving and embracing modern electronic technology in the automotive world.
Ha, and I’m still working on and helping to develop the same thing today but in trucks.
The K100 was the first European bike the NSW police started to use after a very long run of Japanese bikes (Honda)
This was also BMW’s first 4 cylinder bike (flat in line 4) that deviated from their twin cylinder boxer engine.
This was also the first bike I ever saw that had a single trailing arm for the back suspension. Which made rear wheel removal and tyre changes a breeze, and the first bike I ever recall with self cancelling blinkers and cruise control.
BMW also launched a new helmet to go with their new bike in 83, the full face helmet, which then opened up into an open face helmet (see cops on the Yamahas) again, a game changer for them.
Not bad for 1983
Funny, they are back on Japanese bikes today (Yamaha FJ1300)
I didn’t end up buying the K100, I bought the worlds most powerful superbike at the time, the Kawasaki GOZ900R
The first ever bike to produce in excess of 100hp, that was under 1000cc. (103hp 908cc)
I had to wait until 1986 until the blue model hit Australian dealers, I got the first blue one in NSW.
Great points of interest Styria.
Some of those bikes you mention are legendary bikes, and probably worth a kings ransom today.
Unfortunately I have never ridden any of them, but saw many in my motor cycle riding days.
Locking up brakes on bikes on bikes was always a nightmare of mine.
I remember riding the first bike to hit Australian shores with ABS, the BMW K100.
I was told to hit the brakes as hard as I could in a gravelly car park next to the dealership, so I did.
Straight as, and no lock up at all.
I think this was my defining point of loving and embracing modern electronic technology in the automotive world.
Ha, and I’m still working on and helping to develop the same thing today but in trucks.
The K100 was the first European bike the NSW police started to use after a very long run of Japanese bikes (Honda)
This was also BMW’s first 4 cylinder bike (flat in line 4) that deviated from their twin cylinder boxer engine.
This was also the first bike I ever saw that had a single trailing arm for the back suspension. Which made rear wheel removal and tyre changes a breeze, and the first bike I ever recall with self cancelling blinkers and cruise control.
BMW also launched a new helmet to go with their new bike in 83, the full face helmet, which then opened up into an open face helmet (see cops on the Yamahas) again, a game changer for them.
Not bad for 1983
Funny, they are back on Japanese bikes today (Yamaha FJ1300)
I didn’t end up buying the K100, I bought the worlds most powerful superbike at the time, the Kawasaki GOZ900R
The first ever bike to produce in excess of 100hp, that was under 1000cc. (103hp 908cc)
I had to wait until 1986 until the blue model hit Australian dealers, I got the first blue one in NSW.
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