Motorcycles with the longest production run in history
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 27 июл 2024
- This video covers what I believe are the motorcycle models with the longest production run in history. Enjoy!
📚Check out my Children's Motorcycle Book!
rb.gy/bdh14b
Subscribe for more Motorcycle content! ➔ tinyurl.com/ybuffutr
📷 INSTAGRAM ➔ / bart.cycle
Disclaimer
Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."
I do NOT own some or all of the video materials used in this video. In the case of copyright issues, please contact me at bartcyclebusiness@gmail.com for any further action. 
Авто/Мото
The Bullet is still sold in India...
My friend bought one last week..
And you missed the Ural and Vespa.
The Piaggio Vespa should've been on this list. It's been in continual production since 1946 and rivals the Super Cub in popularity in 3rd world countries.
Proud owner of cg125 from Pakistan and yes its still being produced in pakistan even today
Out of curiosity, what's the record for the
highest number of kilometers you've seen on a Honda 125 in Pakistan?
That's jugad not a bike
@@ChicagoBrent i myself clocked 150k kilometers in 9 years
Owner of a CG 125 from Mexico, it's still going strong but under the name CGL 125 Tool
in Brazil they’re now produced as a 160cc, but is the same thing
Bart,the ‘bullet’ name has been used since 1932
And it’s still running here in India though only the 350cc variant
It’s getting refreshed this year with a better engine the one from on the Meteor
Exactly. The Bullet is far from dead, in fact, it's going to recieve a new platform soon. RE never stopped production of the original 350cv variant
true
I wish they'd kept the 500 with the kick starter on it
@@davidrochow9382 even for the 350cc variant
I'd be glad to hear that the "Bullet" model name is still being used in India. It would have been a shame to just squander that unbroken 70+ year legacy.
.
.....
Regarding Moto Guzzi: the original V7 evolved into Le Man, California and so on. The real ancestor of the current V7 is the "small block" V50 introduced in 1977. It wasn't discontinued, just evolved over the decades. It wasn't changed radically several times like BMW GS or Suzukis GSXR, so it deserves a place on the list
And Guzzi is the longest running motorcycle factory in continuous operation. It’s the grand daddy of them all. Triumph is close but went bankrupt at one point (happens when you let the unions manage) and had to be restarted.
Had the pleasure to ride a 850 lemans. Damm vibrator. Prefer the bimmer boxer. Now that design goes back longer than a guzzi
The forerunner of the moto guzzi v twin was actually a Lambretta , if you read motorcycle engineering history you`ll see the Mr salmaggi went from Parilla after working on their 2 and 4 stroke engines then to lambretta where he designed the v twin 250 race bike his next place of employment was moto guzzt , remember this point he designed the lambretta in 1950 the guzzi did`nt come out till the late 60`s
I once rode a guzzi california 2005 model, it had the smoothest gearbox ever , unbelievable comfortable and a sweet soundtrack.
@@Fr99763 Moto Guzzi is the oldest continuous motorcycle brand in Europe, since 1921, the longest continuous brand in the World is Royal Enfield, who have continually produced motorcycles in the UK and India since 1901. It is possible that the Moto Guzzi factory in Mandello del Lario is the oldest motorcycle factory in the World, but the company has announced that it plans to build a brand new manufacturing facility in the near future.
I would have mentioned the Yamaha SR 400 as well: 1978 - 2022. And unlike many bikes on your list it actually remained almost unchanged (apart from EFI coming in 2014)
I was definitely expecting to see it here
1978 SR500 😃👍
You`re so right.
2023 SR400 for Thailand
ruclips.net/video/nHVcyBo2PpY/видео.html
Found my bike brethren.
2015 sr400.
Most people of my age 60 in the UK learned to ride on Honda 50s or cubs, we bought them for a tenner £10 and removed the plastic bits and sawed off the rear mudguards they were virtually indestructible and a good platform for riding off road cheaply.
Same here! I'm 64 and we had the 90cc version in the early 70's. We went to the local dealer to get a 50cc Mini Trail, but wound up getting the "90" since it was more of a "real" motorcycle, and it was cheaper than the Mini Trail. My Father removed the wind skirt, and it looked tougher. I learned to ride on that thing and had a blast! I rode it off road, and even did short jumps with it! I sure tore it up, but it never broke. It was a great "first bike". We wound up selling it to a guy with rowdy kids, and one of them ran it into a cement mixer. So sad.
I'm 66, my first motorcycle was a 1975 Honda ST70 "Monkey Bike", it cost me £100, the road tax was £5 a year and the insurance cost me £10 a year for third party, fire and theft. The Honda was very frugal with fuel, the half-gallon tank cost 30p to fill up and it lasted me four weeks of travelling to work and back.
I didn't have to saw my mudguard off on my C90... I wheelied it so much I wore it down 😄
Missed the Suzuki GN125. From 1982 and still going on solid in South East Asia and Latin America. Minimal styling changes, mechanically the same
I think one of the longest running "bikes" is the ural, the new ones are nearly identical to the first ones exept the motor and the brakes
yes, that thing deserves a place o this list. If you consider the BMW, which it was based on, the build time is getting even longer
@@dmitrijr7065 and with the chang jiang the original sidevalve engine was built until 2007 (if i remember correctly), and was the engine longest in production without great change
They’ve made some upgrades to ignition and brakes and stuff like that, but yes still mostly the same.
You missed the Czech Jawa 350 TS (1973 onwards). Still produced in Argentina. A highly resilient, low revving high torque 2 stroke twin. Received various upgrades, including a new design engine plus 12 Volt 228 Watt alternator electrics, in 1986 and an electric start in 2000.
The Jawa 350 TS has been sold all over the world, including the US.
1957-1985 Sportster Engine is known as the Iron Head (Shovelhead is the Big Twin). The 86+ Evo Sportster is still in production in the 883 and 1200 forms.
As of 2022 production stopped, to make way for the all new liquid cooled Sportster
@@adotintheshark4848 as of today you can still buy an air cooled evo sportster in the USA. Next year, nope.
The last year that air cooled Sportster models were sold in Europe was 2020.
If I'm not mistaken, the KLR 650 could be on this list. It was made from 1987 through 2018 with little change, and after a 2 year hiatus is back again, but (finally) with fuel injection, along with a digital display replacing the analog gauges of the older bikes.
Yeah KLR definitely came to mind for this list. What do all these bikes have in common? They're awesome and reliable.
His focus was on street bikes
In 84 there was a KLR-600.They put an electric starter on the 85,i had one.The 650 is just a continued version of the original.Good bike though.
And the GS??@@grooviefan
11:30 Pre Evolution Sportsters are nicknamed Ironheads - Shovelheads were the 1200cc (1340 from '78) motors found in early Electra's and the first year of the FXR. Both engines do look similar, but Ironheads have the transmission inside the engine, whereas Shovelheads have a separate gearbox. I would get out more, but my Ironhead is playing up again.
Bart, the current harley big twin engines are markedly divergent from the "-head" engines. The old ohv big twin had a single gear driven camshaft. Around '99 the "twin cam" birthed the current iteration, chain driven cams (first 2 shafts, now back to 1). The oiling system also changed (previously case mounted pump, now cam plate mounted.). The case could be made to declare the "knucklehead to evolution" models a single "type" (the bottom end was nearly unchanged), giving that type a 60+ year run, while the current "chain cam" engines are quite mechanically divergent from the "-head" engines. Of course, if we go by the "FL" big twin designation, we're talking a near 90 year run (the entire ohv big twin lineup of 74 or more cubic inches)
I have a 1999 Bullet almost still running. It just doesn't stop very well. I drove it all through Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan and all over Delhi. The fact that it frequently broke down was the source of many good stories for my journeys. But I love the ride and of course the noisy muffler which tells people on the road to get out of your way.
Bullet 350 is still in production with minimal changes known as standard 350 . Classic 350 is inspired from the G2 model
I agree with the CG125. It's currently my first bike and it's so reliable! Proud owner!
2019 Model, from the Philippines 👋
"The Ninja name has been putting Fear in the hearts of Mothers everywhere for 38 years." LOL.🤣 Kudos.
Norton 16h was first produced in 1911 and went through to 1954 virtually unchanged. Girder forks gave way to telescopic forks in 1947 and a few engine mods .
I am hoping for a revival of the side valve engine concept. Less parts, simple, reliable. Cheaper to build and maintain.
Adventure bikes got big for two major reasons: increased cargo capacity and increased range, mixed with some off road capability. I take my R1150GS ADV off road often enough and go on long distance trips in supreme comfort to do so.
Yamaha xt dual sport has been around since Before Rambo stole one to escape that crooked small town cop, and the Honda xr650l dual sport is making a run at the bullet apparently since they refuse to make a single update to it at all other than color changes. On a different note, I would love to see you dive into the history of scooters or Vespa specifically in a video, think that would be cool. Love the vids 👍
Another model that could be mentioned is the Yamaha XV250. It's been in production, essentially unchanged since 1988, although it has been called the Virago 250 and now the V-Star 250, it's the same bike.
Rarely ever see one though.
It’s license built still by a couple of Chinese companies in basically unchanged form.
Great review wouldn't change anything , ride on brothers
The Japanese manufacturer Rikuo built motorcycles that were licenced copies of the H-D Flatheads from 1929 until 1960. When Rikuo ceased motorcycle production they changed their brand name to Showa and went on to become a leading manufacturer of vehicle suspension units, H-D still use Showa suspension as stock fitment to this day.
Soooo the sr400 which was built exactly the same for 40 something years(apart for the efi) is not even on that list. One motorcycle, not a series or anything... One bike!
The SR is a true legend
There was a 1 or 2 year break for it before going to fuel injection so there was an interruption
@@bartmotorcycle
Yeah nah... they stopped producing SR500s in 2000 but have built the SR400 continuously from 1978 for the Asian market
Here in Australia Yamaha stopped selling SR500 in 1981 and began selling the SR400s here around 2014/15 until around 2018
If you look on RUclips you'll see videos on new 2022 SR400s so 44 years
And Sportsters don't have Shovel Heads
I hear you on how heavy ADVs have gotten. For a while I was only interested in vintage street bikes, but suddenly I got interested in doing some off-roading and I grabbed a new dual sport, the Honda CRF300L. Super lightweight and can go anywhere, it’s been a ton of fun. Definitely the antithesis of huge ADVs that are more about touring then dirt
Here in Brazil the CG125 was in production up until 2018 (1976-2018) alongside the CG150 (2004-today) and later the CG160 (2015-today) wich is a bored out 150 engine with a different head
Suzuki GS500 - produced since 1989 up to 2016/2019 in Colombia. Most likely even up to today but I couldn't find any more accurate info. Also if considering that the engine is bascially a drilled out version of the GS450 than it is produced since the 1980 and has changed little to none throughout the years.
Also great video as always!
The GS 450 dates back from the 1976 GS 400.
@@kasperkjrsgaard1447 The GS450 is a derivative of the 400, but has a different bottom end - its crankshaft has shell bearings instead of roller bearing. That causes a lot of detail changes. Bu yes, they are mostly the same
Here in Taiwan, the SYM Wolf, which is a just a Taiwan version of the Honda CB-125S, has been in continuous production since 1973, so 49 years so far.
The chain case on the CG125 is a very good feature for any chain drive motorcycle.
Keeping the chain protected from excessive wear and reducing maintenance is
achieved by using a chain case and this is basic knowledge to any rider of a
motorcycle that has a chain drive. It is especially good for unpaved roads and
off road use on trails to have a chain case to keep sand from ruining the chain
and sprockets. The service life for the chain and sprockets is greatly extended
and the chain tension adjuster needs very little attention for a chain in a case.
Motorcycle manufacturers should adopt a chain case as a standard feature.
Thanks for another nice little video. You're getting quite good at this! As one still nursing along an original pre-unit model 2005 "Bullet" I must point out that it and perhaps the Honda Cub/Passport/Step-Through are arguably the truest "engineering fossils" mentioned. All others may haved shared a well-worn model name, yet came in such radically different iterations over the years that they're hardly "the same" throughout. The original "Iron Cylinder Engine" Bullet was uniquely protracted in its design inertia from 1948 through 2008 (or even 2010 in its Indian home and some export markets like Australia), and so must hold the title for "Longest Model Production Run". Yet even there, later AVL and Unit Construction Engine (UCE) "Bullet" models were different enough as to be considered, well, "different". The Honda Cub, produced from 1958 to present, is a possible contender for that title, but has gone through several elemental, if quite sensible, engine design changes over the decades.
The '57 engine was the Iron Head. The "big" 74" Shovel Head came later in the '60s with aluminum heads modeled on the iron head design; but Shovel head's cam-pushrod arrangement is different too. The IH also had unitary crank-tranny case (in common with '52-56 K series & Sportster Evos) versus Shovel's separate engine & tranny cases.
All of those big Harleys derive from the EH Knucklehead of 1936
The Royal Enfield Bullet first appeared in 1933, with girder forks & a hard tail rear end. It's actually 88 years old.
My first motorcycle was a Honda xl 125. Great bike for a kid to learn on. Almost never had a problem out of it.
I have 3 bullet
1. 1982 standard
2. 1995 Taurus diesel (190mpg)
3. 2015 Electra 350
I love them all more than my life.
Interested in selling the Taurus?
i need the Taurus.... take money 💰🏦💸
@@AST4EVER i will sell it after i'm dead LOL!
@@ratnashekhar1740 only after i die! lol
@@ajaychoudhary9817 i believe your words.... your children will be as selfish as you are and they won't sell it either 😂😂
I think the SUZUKI SAVAGE / Boulevard s40 needs to be on your 2nd edition. 37 yrs total with a small pause, this bike stayed true to its original design everywhere that matters. Honda shadow line seems to be long living also
I was wondering when someone would finally mention the Suzuki Savage/Boulevard S40. They stopped making them in 2019 for some reason. I have a 2018, a great beginner motorcycle.
@@Earthneedsado-over177 I started out on a single cylinder bike, ikely will finish out on one too.
Many of these aren´t really the same bike as what they started with. Only the name has stayed the same. Unlike Yamaha SR 500, which has been the same bike through it´s production run.
They stopped producing the SR500s in 2000 they have built the SR400s since 1978 for the Asian market
@@hodaka1000 Essentially the same bike with virtually all parts interchangeable and main difference being the shorter stroke on the 400
@@christopherheggie1709
... the cams are different and the 500's have a nineteen inch front wheel while the 400's use an eighteen inch front wheel
Back in 1987, in my junior year of college I purchased my first bike it was a Kawasaki EX500 (the Ninja before Ninja). Its marketing name was changed in 1994 from EX500 to Ninja 500; the R suffix was added in 1998. Cycle World included the Ex500 in its "Ten Best Bikes 500cc Streetbike" list in October of '87.
No, the GPz750 (and the 550 and the 1100) was the Son of Z-1 and the Father of Ninja. Although I spend most of my time on an FJR1300 (EFI rules, I hate carbs), I still have my GPz.
I think you need to add Ural to your list.
A more apt name for this video would be "Longest Running Nameplate". Several of these motorcycles share very, very little with the original motorcycles that first bore the nameplates. In fairness, you did point out this fact on some, but using Kawasaki's "Ninja" moniker that was applied to anything Kawasaki produced and covered in green plastic, causes other bikes to lose out on this list. In my eyes, the little Honda Super Cub, and the Enfield bullet are the champions here. Both cycles are nearly unchanged except for styling. I did enjoy this video, and I thank you for making it and sharing it with us! Best Regards, Dean
The Sportsters engine/transmission case, cam and pushrod design are identical from 1957 to present, the bottom end came from a 1952 flat track bike and that bike got its cam design from the 1936 Flathead, same engine in the ww2 bikes. Cams and cam cover of a ww2 WLA and a modern day Sportster look super similar. Lots of these bikes on the list share nothing with older models but the Sportster carries its design the whole way through.
@@DefZen343 Not to slight Harley-Davidsons' XL series of motorcycles (I do have a '66 XLCH, an' 82 XLH, and an '85 XLH currently in my care) but I still feel that the Enfield Bullet and Honda Super Cub (I've owned neither) are the longest running designs here. I wasn't aware the 1952 K model H-Ds were "Flat-track Bikes". I've seen them road ready. These are the true ancestors of the XL series (Sportster) H-Ds. The 750cc WLA of WWII and later fame shared some basic structural architecture and its' 750cc displacement with the K models, but there are huge differences, most notably the unit cases containing both engine lower end and transmission, and a swingarm rear suspension, something even FL series H-Ds lacked until 1958. THE XL series bikes underwent several changes over the years, From the 900 to the 1000, then to the (AMF designed!) Evolution XLs that were designated 883, 1100, and 1200. I will agree with you that the Sportster nameplate stayed with a model closely derived from the original design, unlike some of the "Catch-all" nameplates (can you say "Ninja"?) used by other companies. Regards, Dean
I bought a RE Trials 500 last spring off the showroom floor. Dead simple and lots of fun.
I have an 85 Vmax... that was in production quite a long time.
25 years without any engine changes, I have a 88 model
SR400 should be on the list. Although it isn't produced anymore in Japan, the production is still running in Thailand (my country). They releases new variants every year but the model is still the same including fuel injection.
They took a break in 08 which interrupted the production run. Same with the cb750
@@bartmotorcycle I see, thank you for the information !!
I have a 1964 Honda super cub and it still runs and rides at lest once a week. It was my daily until I got a Navi but it still gets out on the road.
Nice vid. Sadly I think my little Suzuki Boulevard S40 (Savage) falls a few years short. It was made from 1986-2019. Still, love the "thumper."
V7 just had a 50th anniversary version in 2017. So, yeah they have been around in different forms since 1967. Thanks for the video, great stuff!
cast your eyes over the lambretta 250 gp bike from 1950
The ural has a lot more years of it’s production run. Bikes are pretty much unchanged from their early models, and if one has to be snarky towards ww2 production the ural retro was the same as those in ww2 with that production ending in 2018, but the typical ural is still going.
Still a lot less changes than the gold wing to say the least.
Somewhat true, but a Ural is a essentially a 1938 BMW R71 right down to the plunger rear suspension frame, the design pinched as WWII reparations, although later upgraded to OHV and a plunger-y swinging arm rear. One could easily say the BMW R71 is a long running design but kept alive in Ural, Dniepr & Chang Jiang nameplates.
I've only seen two Euros in my whole life I haven't ridden in 30 years now I went blinds I started to go blind in the mid-90s and couldn't ride anymore or drive and when I tell you I lived and breathe motorcycles it's no exaggeration and it's one of the things that I miss more than anything else but anyway I divert you the first one I saw was that had to be mid to late 1980s living in San Francisco and a group of us that did a lot of group writing and stuff like that this girl from Germany had a Euro and I remember it as just being like old BMW clone I mean that's what I remember is that accurate I couldn't tell you it's been so long that's what I thought anyway I was definitely an amazingly cool motorcycle and it was the only one I ever saw prior to going to ukraine. I lived in Ukraine in 2002 for a short. Yeah you know so that's all I really remember from it and I really cool motorcycle but to me I just have it in my mind as a clone of a BMW correct me if I'm wrong I'm probably am been known to do be wrong lots of times. You know I I think of it in line as like the Fiats the cloned Fiats for arguments. Mp3 discs music and the CDs every artist you can think of who would think that like that definitive Frank Zappa would be sold and Ukraine you know in 2002 like 25 minutes out everyday not far from where he had to stand and the guy was constantly working on his I don't even know the name of the I can't remember that the manufacturer's name but it was basically a Fiat only made really badly like okay we're going to clone this but we're going to clone it so it's a piece of garbage LOL anyway please I would love to know sincerely Bob the blind bedroom guitars
You know I got my answer because after I sent my reply to your comment I read the other reply and there it was you know in our 71 clone and that's exactly how I remembered it although I was going to say it was in our 75 I don't know if that's an actual model but I knew it was an r70 something wow okay so the gentleman who replied also answered my question so thank you and I was right so go figure huh sincerely Bob the blind bedroom guitars one thing I know and that's my guitars my drums and my motorcycles or at least my motorcycles up to when I stopped riding because for a while I still followed it I even kept my bike for a while and I kept it as like a piece of art because it was a it was a custom made a Harley-Davidson with parts from all different years it was a shovelhead I think the engine was from 71 or 72 the frame was a 79 lowrider the oil tank was this year etc etc and yeah it was a work of art it was on the cover of God it was like maybe edition of a super cycle I thought I could never find it after it's a long story but I never found it after I saw the initial magazine to hurtful and depressing to keep it around and the same it really kills me that I can't ride anymore and I took like a 20 some idea hiatus I'm having anything to do with even looking at motorcycles until my friends last season the end of last season for the used Harley and yeah and I started looking up things and stuff I was trying to find some videos and tips that would keep him alive because he was telling me like these dropping his bike under this condition luckily he listens to my tips he watches the videos that I share with him and applies what's in it so there's hope for him he offered a couple of times to give me a ride it's like you know no offense but I ain't getting on the back of your bike or anyone's bike as a matter of fact I rode motorcycles too long on the street to get on the back of just anyone's motorcycle nonetheless I didn't have to be driven ridden very often but the only one anyway I'm all over the place yes I will stop sincerely Bob the blind bedroom guitars
Bullet 350 is still in production with the exact same look it's had for almost 40 years. It is still being manufactured in India in 2022. Insane vibrations and lots of love.
I seem to recall that "Bullet" production stopped in 2020, the current 2022 RE 350cc machines are the "Classic" the "Meteor" and the "Hunter".
@@davidmacgregor5193 Oh, Sorry, my bad. They are still in production in India. They must be cancelled internationally.
Wow great video with lots of comments. But I couldn't find one comment that mentioned the Triumph Bonneville, I have the 2020 version. This most definitely should of made the list and I love the bike.
Those Royal Enfield Bullets just looks so classic!
As another posted, you missed the Ural. Produced from 1942 until the current day there have been a few changes - OHV in 1958, electronic ignition, and the engine was enlarged and strengthened in 2003 to 750cc. They made over 3 million of them by 1992, demand fell after the end of the Soviet Union and they are a niche bike today as the last factory made sidecar bike with 4 speeds forward and reverse gear.
As a side note, after the attacks on Ukraine in spring the owners relocated the factory to Kazakhstan. They weren't happy with the 'modern Russia' either.
I have owned 3 of these, and once they changed the engine to 750 cc they became very reliable. I still have my 2004 and it runs great.
CG125 is still currently produced and sold in pakistan. They totally cherish this model.
I think that the East German MZ bikes and the large displacement Checoslovakian Jawa models were both in production for around 30 years
I agree. Actually the MZ 125/150 model were a continuation of the pre war DKW 98. Which is copied by BSA as Bantam, by HD as Hummer, by Yamaha there was also a Russian version.
Bullet is love and never replaceable.
I felt sad for the guzzi V7 , but I hope it will get its own story from this channel.
The Kawasaki Concours started in the eighties and is still going strong.
Hi Bart, the bike depicted on the 11' 39" is an FXR, not a Sportster.
Some guys said, due to its good handling, that it was some sort of Sportster on steroids, but just as a joke. They were very different machines. The Evo Sportster motor is has a different architceture from the Big Twins motors.
Other than that, excellent video, as usual.
Peace from Brazil. ✌
If the goal is to showcase a bike that has a long run with very little change, then the Yamaha SR400 should be on this list. The only major change since it came out in the 70s was fuel injection, which was forced on it by emission standards.
i got a little cg125 07 plate, my first bike and im very tempted to keep it once i pass my test (if i ever get past that darn theory lmao)
Judging from the success of the GROM and the Cub in world markets, I would think production of a light, fast, bike like maybe a Kenny Roberts RZ350 or possibly in the form of an adventure bike, capable of reaching 70MPH would be a real success story. With all the retro attention, build a 2-stroke with cats for emissions, maybe belt drive, water cooled, 5 gallon gas tank..just thinking
Hmm, a 2 stroke moto gp adventure bike with belt drive. Nobody’s ready for that kind of thinking :)
Bart, you should do a video on motorcycle models that were made in the greatest quantity in history. You can start with the Honda CB350, of which Honda sold 626,000 between 1968 and 1973. That was more than ALL the motorcycles sold by Triumph in its entire long history. It's one thing to keep a name for many years but sell maybe a few thousand...even a few ten thousands. It's quite another to sell 626,000 in 6 years.
Which tells you how bad Triumphs were.....CB350's were JUNK!!!
Triumph made 750 motorcycles a week. You take 10 years of production now you equal the production of the Honda 350 but the Triumph was in production in 1937. Honda had brand new Factory financed by the Japanese government to put Japanese people to work. The old Triumph as well as all of the older motorcycles were built to be rebuildable forever. Honda in the 1970s started to run the engines and bear aluminum to save the cost of bushings and bearings but it also makes the engine a one shot deal. All of today's production motorcycles use the same type of production planned obsolescence is the name of the game. My Sportster has 400,000 miles on it and it's on the original engine. Still runs good its reliability surprised the hell out of me as well as its longevity. And now the Chinese come out with an evolution Sportster right after Harley-Davidson discontinued it. A good bike is one that you have for decades when someone has a motorcycle for 40 years you know he is happy with it. It's funny how I have so many of these motorcycles in my collection. Good motorcycle engine designs last for decades even while the motorcycle around them evolves with the times.
Bullet is still here in India but the company changed its name to standard for marketing purpose
Good Show. Would be even better if you remembered my Honda VT750A in production in its present configuration since 2004.
You made the statement that the CB750 Honda was the best touring motorcycle of the early 1970's, in your Honda Gold Wing segment. There are people who will argue with you about that because the GT750 Suzuki (Water Buffalo) was introduced in 1972. I remember meeting a guy during a gas stop in Scotts Bluff Nebraska in 1973, while on my way to California riding my 1968 T500 Suzuki. The guy was riding a New 1973 GT750 Suzuki and mentioned that he worked in a Honda Shop. I was the Parts Manager in a Suzuki Shop at the time, and I asked him "Why are you Riding a Water Buffalo when you work in a Honda Shop?" He said, "Water Cooling is the only way to go for a Touring Bike, when Honda makes a Water-Cooled Bike, I'll Ride that." The Water Buffalo was introduced three years before the Goldwing and yes it was a Water Cooled Two Stroke Triple. I personally rode a 1974 GT750 129,000 miles (with J&R Expansion Chambers) before it required an engine rebuild. Many GT750 owners logged many more miles than I did on the original engine and stock exhaust.
Water Bucket
This list is incomplete without the Honda XR650L. You can buy one at the dealership today and it's literally the exact same bike it was in 92 but with different color plastics. I live in Eastern Montana and trust me when I say that bike will go anywhere. It's basically indestructible also. It doesn't seem to care at all how hard you crash it.
Kawasaki VN700/750. Unique because "The VN750 remained largely unchanged throughout its 22-year production run with only minor adjustments to the components and varying paint schemes." Continuous and unchanged. Most of the bikes on your list went through radical changes or stop and re-start of production. The VN700 (750 for the rest of the world. 700cc for it's first import year to beat the import tariffs) was the first V-twin Cruiser from Japan.
I own a Honda CG125 (TMX 125 Alpha from where I'm from) and a Royal Enfoeld Bullet 350.
Both oldies but goodies
bit of an error, the first sportster came out in 1952 as the Harley K model "Sportster". was basically a WL 45 lower with aluminum heads and overhead valves. this eventually evolved into the shovelhead, ironhead, and newer variants.
The model K had a flathead side valve operated motor and it wasn't called a Sportster, that name came with the 1957 OHV motor.
@@davidmacgregor5193 go back and re-read my comment. considering I own a numbers matching 54 with the original *numbers matching* set of heads that are indeed OHV and Aluminum... your comment is wrong. the bike you're referring to is the first year of the shovelhead.
not all marketing referred to the K model as the sportster, but they had certain ads that called it a 'sportster' right from the beginning.
I owned a 52 and 54 KH model. Both FLAT HEAD SIDE VALVE ENGINES. The unitbody engine cases got the overhead valves in the 57 sportster.
@@Herbchamp that's nice. but it still doesn't change the fact that my 1954 K model "sportster" has aluminum OHV heads, and has had them since it rolled off the line.
@@tankacebo9128 54 k had side valves, if yours has overhead valves then someone has done a conversion because they did not come off the line like that.
I think the only bikes to qualify are those that did not change . Certainly the Honda Cub until fuel injection was introduced. The Yamaha V-Max was unchanged from 1985 to 2016.
The thing with the GS is that it provides a Standard seating position for larger folks, along with the power to get out of, or in to, trouble. It’s my commuter, and it will never see a single track trail, but that’s not why I bought it. It just fits me.
Maybe you should change it to “Motorcycle type names with longest running”?
Because despite the name, a ‘75 Gold Wing 1000 has nothing technical compareble to a 2022 Gold Wing 1800.
Honda Cg 125 is still in production in pakistan, and it is the most selling bike in pakistan till now, even honda itself launched modern bikes to dethron cg 125 but not a single bike came near to cg 125 in terms of sale prespective
Bruh, I missed the entire part about the Ninja because I was looking at that absolutely ridiculous commercial
Informative content
Thanks buddy
Probably the quirkiest long production motorcycle was the Harley Servicar. The engine stayed completely unchanged through its 41 year production run from 1936 to 1973 (they even threw some bikes together in 1974 cause there was still demand and parts left), and very little changed through the production run. The rear wheels went from spokes to automotive solid rims, the boxes changed size, the front forks went from springer to Hydraulic, but that's about it! the engine, frame, rear end (with a complete differential), transmission, and many other parts stayed the same from '36 to '73.
www.ridingvintage.com/2013/11/the-first-harley-davidson-servi-cars.html
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harley-Davidson_Servi-Car
Fun fact, the engine used (45 cu in flathead) would be the grandpa to the sportster engine that later had its own long lived career! The 45 WL (or G model for Servicar) birthed the K-model, which birthed the ironhead sportster. You can actually swap parts around between the three bikes, like this WL flathead with sportster cylinders:
ruclips.net/video/GZc0iED2aHs/видео.html
Surprised you missed the Ural! First production in 1942, built so tough it survived the fall of the Soviet Union and is still made today with less jank but more price.
I was obsessed with the Goldwing as a kid, it was my absolute dream bike
The XS 650 is the best bike to hot rod. I did a bobber with a home made 277/83 change and ran points it was a head turner.
I will stick with my cb750 .
Only better bike is the cbx 6 cylinder imo
@@francislutz8027 I love them too. My knowledge on the XS goes back to flat track racing, and Shell Thuet. Every photo I could get my hands on in filling and prepping the heads , and the just tank like bottom end, they were capable to be built into Superbike territory with a few mods. Mine have been really surprising!
What about the Vespa, they’ve been around for like ever with minimal changes is design?
You could have given a mention to the Norton 16H, a side-valve 500 single made by Norton from 1911 to 1954. It had changes to the engine during that time, and the cycle parts evolved somewhat, but it is recognisably the same machine.
Suzuki Savage/Boulevard S40... Other than a 5th gear add, and a name change it was the same exact bike from start to finish.
I think a 125 off-road cub is the ideal adventure bike :)
The new sportsters are so different, that I think it can’t be called continued production of a certain model now. The name is the same, that’s all basically.
Proud owner of a Bullet from india. My family has the bike since 1950
I think of Kawasaki Ninja as many different motorcycles with the name "Ninja". IMO to be considered a long run of the same bike it should be the same name, engine size, configuration and number of cylinders at least.
You missed the Ural - although the story is a little different there - while the names of the models changed frequently. The basic concept is still the same as when the first R71 inspired bikes rolled off the production lines as M72's in 1941 so one could view them as being one bike model produced throughout the years. I'd say they changed less than many models that actually made it on your list.
You missed Vespas and especially the PX that had a very long production run
Soviet Izh bikes were produced for quite a long time. They were based on German Dkw, but model 56 was different in so many ways that it can be considered it's own model. After that came Planeta, Planeta 2, Planeta 3 etc. which were basically the same bike slightly upgraded even if the name changed from 56 to Planeta. Izh stopped making motorcycles in 2008, so it was made for 52 years. Two cylinder model was introduced in 1958. Basically the same bike with different engine.
It's a brand, with a lot of models. So it doesn't belong here.
The Honda CG125 is still in production here in the Philippines branded as the Honda TMX Alpha 125. still the same basic design from the 1970's with minor updates.
Royal Enfield is bringing back the bullet according to some leaks
BSA Bantam made in 125, 150, or 175 versions. A solid two stroke go to work bike. Built 1948 until 1971 ...
The Sportsters engine transmission case, cam and pushrod designs are identical from 1957 to present, the bottom end of the Sportster came from the 1952 K model and that bike got its cam design from the 1936 Flathead, same engine in the ww2 bikes. Cams and cam cover of a ww2 WLA and a modern day Sportster look super similar in layout and shape. Lots of these bikes on the list share nothing with older models besides a name but the Sportster carries its design the whole way through. taking 1930s designs with it too. Its a true retro bike
Honda and Suzuki are still selling the CG125 and GN125 in Mexico and other latin american countries
I really enjoy this channel
You are incorrect. The Honda cb125s and the Honda TC 125 are different engines. One has an overhead cam like the one I had the other one has pushrods so they are the same displacement but not the same motorcycle. Just because the GSXR 750 is still in production does not mean it is the same motorcycle. The old one was air and oil cooled and the lightest of the 750s. They are all liquid cooled nowadays so they are different motorcycles. You even say they are different motorcycles and that is true. If one has carburetion that are cooling and the other one has fuel injected and is water-cooled they are two different motorcycles even if they have the same name oh, just like the new Bonneville is not same Bonneville as Meriden built.
try the vespa engine , 1946 and was still in production in the 2000`s
How tf did I miss the vespa... Good point
@@bartmotorcycle tbf you did include the super cub that’s a moped but left out the vespa which is a little bizarre
@@bartmotorcycle
How tf did you miss Yamaha's SR400/500s ?
Kawasaki Vulcan nameplate is still going, from 1984 to now, though not one continuous bike, the 750 ( which was unchanged after 1986 where the engines restrictor plate was removed), was replaced by the VN900 in 2006, (losing its shaft drive but keeping the V-Twin) where it's still going. So, 36 years.
They also have bigger and smaller bikes in the nameplate too
Honda XR 650L !
Virtually unchanged from 1993 to today 2022. 29 years !
I have a 93. The 2022 is beautiful.
Only the color scheme is different.
BMW GS motorcycles are ridden in many off-road adventures in Australia yearly
KLR 650 - back in production with minor changes but essentially the same engine since 1987.
Flathead>Knucklehead>Panhead>Shovelhead>Blockhead>Scraphead>Dumpsterhead