During my high school days, back in the early 60's, I worked as a motorcycle mechanic. I worked on many of the "Old" designs and brands you mentioned in your presentation. One thing about Ducati is they did have a very high performance single cylinder motorcycle called the Mark 3 Diana that could give a lot of the big British bikes a real run. Naturally, I owned and rode some of these treasures. OH, to be young again.
You’re right about Harley, they have really missed out on the mid sized retro market that has swept through Europe over the last ten years..RE and Triumph have it pretty well sewn up now…
@@lisacolbert5987 I think it cannot possibly be anything else except a fundamental lack of understanding or competence in the top leadership at the company. Someone at HD, maybe on the board, has strong views of what HD needs to be, and is completely blind to the reality of what people actually want.
Harley is dying cause they gave no.small intro bikes yo get brand loyalty. Harley owners avg ag is like mid 50s, they die or get told old fast and younger folks been buying the big 5 jap bikes and stick with them. Harley.is a stupid company and will go away sooner than later. Old harley guys dying off and younger riders not spending 20 to 30 grand for air cooled pushrod heavy v twins.
@@rt2255 I agree that Harley needs cheap bikes, but for different reasons. If you compare the most expensive bikes from HD's lineup with the most expensive Indian, BMW, or Ducati, you'll realize a stunning difference. In the Indian, Bimmer, or Duc, you are getting substantial performance components. In the Harley, you're getting chrome and bags mounted to the same bike you could have otherwise bought for less. I don't have brand loyalty to Indian, but heck I want a FTR. And it'll be way cheaper than whatever 900lbs bike HD can sell me. Harley = bling. We don't care about bling, we care about value and performance. HDs aren't even that well made. If you want to pay for real workmanship, look to MV Agusta.
10:40 SkyTeam Ace 125: I recognize that engine model, it is used on one of my motorcycles, a Zongshen 150 commercialized in my country with a localized brand. It is a CG125 engine (I also had one identical to the Honley 125) that received a balancer shaft that greatly reduces its vibration; you distinguish it by the bulge in front of its lower part, which accomodates the balancer shaft. One serious particularity of engines of this kind is the quantity of oil necessary. Instead of the 1 liter they put on the Owner's Manual, it needs 1.4 liter to reach the top mark on the oil dipstick/level visor as recommended by the book. Thousands of bikes blew up engines after only 30,000 km when used in road conditions here in Brazil. Using the correct amount of oil, which you discoer doing step by step the oil measuring procedure, that engine is plainly satisfactory.
So glad the Kawasaki W made the list. I own a 2001 W650 and it's a great bike. Everywhere I go that bike gets attention. Although it's a bit too small for interstate use, I tend to not ride on that anyway. It's perfect for street cruising. Cheers!
Nice bikes developed from BSA A10. . I think it's Mutt that have developed a Yamaha XT 500 clone . If the top end oil feed design is sorted and you don't need to throw away the head when the alloy wears round the camshaft journal, it would have been a tough engine that lasts
@@deltabluesdavidraye When I was stationed in Germany, I took my XT350 on the Autobahn all the time...had to stay in the 'slow lane' because it topped out at 90mph. Later, in the States, I've taken it on 4+ hr trips down the interstate....though it isn't the most comfortable for long trips, lol.
Some very interesting bikes that I'd never heard of Bart. Another brand you might want to look at is Royal Alloy, they do automatic scooters from 125 up to 300cc that look almost exactly like Lambrettas for the late 50's to mid 60's.
The Skyteam Ace 125 was released here in Australia & there's usually 1 or 2 available on the used market at any given time. We were also lucky enough to get the Yamaha SRV250, SRV250 Renaissa, Honda GB400 & GB500 over here, although the GB500 is pretty rare. There's also many examples of the Royal Enfield, but here it's the Continental GT535. We're spoiled for choice when it comes to small displacement retro styled bikes. On the retro Ducati's, I love them. They were more a modern interpretation of a classic rather than a pure retro, but still were a big influence when I got back into riding as they came out at around the same time. Due to Australian license restrictions I couldn't ride one legally, but I could ride a 600SL Pantah, which was the closest thing, so I bought one.
America's biggest problem with smaller bike's is not the bike's, but the over inflated ego's, of the up until now , mainstream Harley and big bike riders. These "dudes" have done such a great job at belittling all other riders with the " that's not a real bike " attitude, that the smaller cc bikes were not even imported as a real alternative to gas guzzling cars and trucks.
I had a 650cc Suzuki Savage thumper that was the largest engine by displacement that I ever rode (600cc BMW, 500-4 Honda, 250 Yamaha, 200 Triumph Mountain Cub, Honda 50). The Savage had a balance shaft, so was very smooth, low seat was comfortable, belt final drive, so very little maintenance. Great bike.
Some people brand new to motorcycling may not be aware of the Suzuki TU250 because it was discontinued a few years back, a bit small for anyone 6 foot and up but it’s pretty cool and will move if you pin the throttle and it has a higher top speed than the Van Van 200.
As anyone can see a Suzuki tempter is a Suzuki Savage with a smaller displacement engine and drum brakes on the front. I would not mind a bike like that long as it had the 650 single-engine
Some of your comments reminded me of how much the US motorcycle market changed when the max speed limit of 55mph was repealed. Back in the 1970's and early 80's, a 250 and even some 175's could maintain highway speeds, making them realistic to use as a sole means of transportation. It is surprising how little power it takes to keep up with 55mph traffic.
Americans need to get over their infatuation with big heavy barges like Harley and Indian.....There are so many much more interesting bikes than the fodder that Bikies, and Wanna Be Bikies lust after.
You are pretty wrong about the Yezdi roadster. Here in India, Jawa and Yezdi made a comeback and trust me, their bikes are so different than Royal Enfield. Not worse, but actually better and fun. The Jawa 42 2.1 2022 edition which I own, got that twin exhaust config from original Jawa from 70s, and compared to royal Enfield the engine is much much refined and these bikes are almost 50% quicker than their royal enfield counterparts. You should look into these bikes much more, and make a separate video on new Jawas and Yezdis.
Up-vote you're comment.. In my view and from experiences of owning both the vintage and today a modern Yezdi and also in past have used the early Electra model from RE (belonging to a friend in college), I felt the Jawa/Yezdi bikes seem to have performed a lot better than its rival brands. The past Yezdi bikes were/are far better in terms of cost, maintenance and lot more fun bike to ride for a typical retro classic even to this day. I think the Jawa/ Yezdi bikes in this video seem to have been less justified or underrated ... where as these bikes are really amazing and have made a remarkable comeback in the Indian market
@@vigoboy8339 thanks for relating to my comment. You are absolutely on the point. But today Jawa Yezdi are struggling because Royal enfield has established a monopoly in retro classic market, otherwise jawas run abd feel so awesome.
I'm in the UK and I had a Skyteam Ace 125. It was very cheap and once derestricted and fitted with a free flow exhaust. It was comfortable compared with modern race reps, sounded awesome and in my view looked great. It may not be fast but fun could be had down my local country lanes, pretending to be on the Isle of Man TT course. Only sold it to fund a real classic. I really enjoyed this vid 👍🏴
The Skyteam Ace 125 is a clone of the Honda Dream 50, which is now highly collectable and a retro bike in itself of the 60s works Honda race bikes. As well as the SRV there was also a SRX which featured a 4 valve single with 400 and 600cc variants.
From Malaysia here, I have heard of the Skyteam Ace 125 and seen them quite a bit on online marketplaces a few years back, I never actually seen it on the road and I could hardly find concrete reviews myself on local forums. That said, I have seen it in certain showrooms and boy do I still want one, they retailed about 1500 USD and they're not being sold anymore. You CAN get them new for 1000 USD nowadays, but those are just unsold units from back then and are few and far between. The Malaysian market is mainly dominated by the Honda EX5 (variation of the Super Cub), so I really wanted to get something that differs from the common underbones here. Hopefully in a few years I can finally get this or some other sub 250cc motorcycle with a tank in between my legs instead of sitting on it xD.
The Suzuki Tempter uses the LS650 engine as in the US market Savage and Boulevard S-40. There's a ton of 'em out there due to the insanely long model run of 1986-2021. They can be had super-cheap on the used market and make awesome donors for custom builds, like my S-40 chopper.
Super bike! I bought a 2914 S40 because I wanted something that reminded me of my old BSA....except that it was reliable ha ha. A little jetting and exhaust upgrade and that big thumper was perky and torquey around town. Yet would cruise at 60 all day without breathing hard. Unfortunately, when I got the Indian Scout, the wife said one bike at a time.
What I want is a modern homage to the MZ250ES 😍 What do you mean "I am the only one", "Do you need your eyes tested" and "Are you feeling all right".....? (I would not say no to a Suzuki SW1 though)
I don't think the Tempter single was ever sold in the USA but the 650 twin was a really nice bike. Didn't sell real well. Part of the reason might be because during several years in the 80s all the dealerships were flooded with "non-current models". So like in 87 you could buy a brand new 83 model for way less then half price and with full warranty. Was a great time to buy a bike but made used bikes very hard to sell.
An '81 GS 400S was my primary transportation for five years, year-round when I was a young student, and I could park it almost anywhere in Victoria BC... DOHC, high reving flickable paralell twin.... I could have probably stripped 20lbs off it easily. Thrilling in very tight 2nd-3rd gear twisties. Slogged a lot of highway miles on in winter to see a girlfriend on weekends. Changed out the swingarm bearings twice. Never seen anyone look so dead as me in the washroom mirror on the ferry. You don't realise your legs don't work until you try to use them.
Great video! Have you ever thought about making videos about the history of certain important figures in the motorcycle world? Sort of like what you did with John Britten, but you could also talk about Kevin Schwantz, Pietro Laverda and his sons, Massimo Tamburini, Fabio Taglioni, Franco Lambertini, etc. I would really like that! Thanks for the great motorcycle content and inspiring me to get into motorcycles.
I bought a new 2012 Ducati GT Sport and had the dealer install a Termi exhaust. LOVED the look & and feel of the bike…always fun to blast by a Harley. Definitely near the top of my many motorcycles.
We had the SRV for a few years here in Australia, and I loved it. Couldn't afford a new bike, but I really wanted one. I'd love to find one that's been sitting and restore it.
Those are mostly very weird bikes (interesting double-leading-shoe drum brake on that Tempter though, haven't seen one of those in years). Only ones I'm familiar with are the RE 500 GT, and the Ducati. "Affordable Harley" is an oxymoron these days (they had some many years ago, my first bike was badged as a Harley, an Aermacchi 125 two-stroke). BTW, the Bonneville was not introduced in the 90's, first year for it was '01.
Up the Dubs! 🙂Nice to see the Irish dealer Retro Bikes Dublin at the end! Good video. You forgot about the Kawasaki Zephyr 750 of the 1990s. I remember at the time I was thinking why the hell are they releasing an old looking bike with a 8 valve lump. I was all into race reps, and peak technology at the time. But now looking back, I totally get it! I love classic bikes and retro bikes now.
The Honley (named after a town near Huddersfield in the UK) is a Zongshen imported into the UK by a firm that thinks it will sell better under a more UK-looking name. About 8 years ago I used to meet some of the people from Zongshen when they and my employer Agni Motors were competing in the electric motorcycle race series that was running at the time. I think Zongshen is a good manufacturer.
Yezdi in Czech means 'it rides' as Jawa (read yavah) is the Czech legend bike which now is manufactured in India. Almost the same case like with Royal Enfield.
7:59 This is a affordable beginner bike. The all new =RE= Hunter 350. Same engine 350 cc as the popular Royal Enfield Meteor but shorter wheelbase and lighter and of courser easier to manoeuvre for a newbie rider young or old.
The reference to Yezdi/ Jawa bikes in the video seem to be pretty much underrated than what these bikes are actually capable of.. seems the Jawa/Yezdi bikes or their product is not given the fair share of publicity and value
Very nice compilation. Another rare retro is the Kawasaki TR250. It was a 70's style enduro, based on the 250 Estrella. I tried to get one here in Germany, but they only sold a few in Britain.
The "Tempter" was called the Thumper in Japan where it was available in the 1990s. The Honley was made for the UK and named after a suburb of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where the importer was based.
Back from church. Had to cut and run so I wouldn't be late. But that Yezdi Roadster looks like a bike I'd like. I don't care about fast any more, reliability is important and seating position is all important. That Yamaha at the end, reminded me a lot of my Yamaha XV920, NOT the Virago. Styled like a 60's British bike as best they could with that big V-twin in there.
I loved the look of the Ducati Sport Classic back in the day. I have a W800 now and I'm adding a Z900RS to the stable very soon. Would love to see the manufacturers start making retro looking sport bikes that resemble the bikes of 80's. Hopefully that'll be the next chapter in retros.
5:40 the simple answer of why these things don't get sued is because of patents. Unlike copyright which goes to infinity, patents expire after awhile. It's the same reason you can buy brand new HDMI consoles that can play NES games.
10:19 Yezdi has a cult following in india and at one time in past (1970s-1990s) were almost as popular as RE. Yezdi (ideal Jawa ) used to sell licensed jawa bikes in india, as has a history in races in india. Presently jawa,yezdi,bsa all three are owned by a single company (Mahindra) and is clubbed under the subsidiary of classic legends.
'HONLEY' : For your information, Honley Motorcycles is operated by Earnshaws Two Wheel Centre a company that has been selling motorcycles since 1906, they are a leading motorcycle dealership in West Yorkshire, England. They named the brand after the village of Honley in West Yorkshire that, in itself, has dated proof back to at least 1086. Earnshsaws are somewhat entitled to use the name HONLEY, which predates the HONDA brand name by 937 years !
lots of great memories with a Honda 305 scrambler, would be a great bike for Honda to resurrect/upgrade. minor engine and suspension improvements with the same look it had, good for carrying 2 with decent power, reliability and gas mileage.
I'm 70. Ridden bikes since I was fourteen and still do. Have had about every make out there. Harleys are just too big for me to feel confident on anymore. I would LOVE to pick up a couple of these smaller bikes (say 350 or so). Just to play around on. It would be SO easy for Honda to drop off a few of their new 350 singles over here. I was ready to buy an Enfield Meteor but the dealers around here are ALL adding $2,000+ to MSRP
The Yezdi Roadster is a liquid cooled 334 cc engine that smokes the RE Classic 350 in performance. It has more power and is way more comfortable than the RE.
As far as I know, Jawa is pronounced "Yava." I had one, about 45 years ago. It was a 305. The story was, they purchased the tools and dies from Honda when Honda retired their previous series. So it was, from the get-go, something like a 10 year older design than the actual vintage of the bike. Weird. Cheap, "exotic," fun. Until someone stole it from the alley next to my house while I was at a Rolling Stones concert, as I recall. Oh well. I do really like the small bikes though, it's so frustrating that in this country everything has to be bigger, faster. I've known too many people who have gotten really messed up in motorcycle wrecks. I prefer the idea of "going fast on a slow bike." Or going slow, on a slow bike. Like a single or twin cylinder 250-350. That's the sweet spot. For me, anyway.
I remember seeing a Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE I think this is also a Sport Classic but with a different name it was amazing for the time plus Tron Legacy also had a Sport Classic as a product placement which is nice.
The Paul Smart is indeed part of the Sport Classic family... but it was a direct copy of Paul Smart's winning 750 of the early seventies, although it has a 1000cc motor, Ohlins suspension & a half fairing. The others in the Sport Classic family are the Sport 1000 monoposto, Sport 1000 dual seated version...& the GT, with an upright riding position & dual seat.. I bought the Sport 1000 monoposto in 2006 when it came out... over 100,000kms & still going strong.. a great fun bike & worth more now than it was brand new !!
@bart you completely missed the FIRST retro bike: the Honda CD175 of the 1970s. My first real bike, which is why I’m not falling for the current retro craze - I did it already in 1976! 🧐😎😜 Peace
Better than Honley would be to import a Hero Splendor from India. Splendor was made by Honda in a joint venture with Hero and was called Hero Honda until 2014. Splendor has been India's best selling bike since for ever due to its fuel efficiency and reliability.
The motorcycle featured in Tron: Legacy is a Ducati Sport 1000 Biposto and ever since watching that movie I have wanted one, though I have never yet seen one come available.
We recently got the w175 in our country (India), also I have seen the RE continental GT500, someone in my university had it. And finally, jawa and yezdi are popping up a lot in India, I have to point this out to you here, both Jawa and Yezdi produce more power than a classic or meteor 350. Jawa uses a 294cc liquid cooled engine and yezdi uses a 334cc liquid cooled engine (which is also found in the Jawa Perak, the only jawa with this engine). This engine was developed by Mahindra, it has its roots from the Mojo (a 300cc legendary machine in India). I feel like they have more value for money than a RE, but don't have that brand heritage.
@@twowheeledparadox Oh I didn't know. Thanks for letting me know. I remember seeing GT500 or smth written on the tank, maybe I'm tripping. I only say it once, parked among bicycles outside our cafe XD. I knew it looked different cuz I've seen a couple of the 650s being ridden around the campus.
=RE= Hugely popular here in sunny tropical Thailand 🇹🇭 The recently launched Royal Enfield Hunter 350. In my opinion the perfect beginner motorcycle. Light and shorter wheelbase than my =RE= steed Meteor 350 Supernova Cheers JohnnyBikeSanooK! Straight from northern THAILAND
Thanks BART, I like your definition. “A retro motorcycle is a motorcycle that usually looks older that it actually is or a bike that looks relatively new but has some retro styling cues” Retro bikes are popular here in sunny, tropical THAILAND 🇹🇭. Especially the Triumph Bonneville Built in Thailand. I’m riding a sort of retro looking, light cruiser, Built in India =RE= Meteor 350 Supernova. Greetings from from northern Thailand. Yesterday I serviced my Royal Enfield 20,000 km on the clock. My mileage 73 years. Ciao, Johnny BikeSanooK
I don’t know if it’s a marketing thing but the single cylinder Royal Enfield Continental GT is called the GT535 in the UK (it’s 535cc). Two important factors explaining why the Interceptor 650 massively outsells the Continental GT650 are that 1. The riding position on the GT is seen as uncomfortable and 2. The colour choices are so much better on the Interceptor 🇬🇧
The Zuke Tempter single made its way here as the 650 Savage / S40 Boulevard if looks mean anything. I had a S40 and it was a very good bike. Nice low end grunt. Easy to work on, reliable. A very traditional bike. I put 13,000 miles on it before I got my Scout.
Actually, I am old enough to remember the Suzuki Tempter twin 650 sold in the USA in the 80s. Not a very convincing retro, less even than the Kawi 750 twin of the same era.
Suzuki made a 650 Tempter twin for the US market in the mid-80's. The bike you show looks like a 650 Savage. I had a 1981 Suzuki GN400T which was a 400cc single, 6v electrical system, kick-start only with a compression release lever on the right handlebar by the brake lever.
When Honda set out to outdo the British with the GB series, they sure did. They left out the oil filter. Which was quite a shock to the new owner, when changing oil. The parts guy informed them there's no oil filter.
I love the Yamaha Reneissa. That would be a great little around town commuter. I know the Virago 250 engine is very robust, nearly bulletproof. It would be super cheap to run and insure.
The thing I really hate about modern motorcycles is that the manufacturers have done away with the kick-start. All of my bikes accept my 96 Road King are kickstart. Most of these singles are easy to start. I get it that the electric start is for convenience but it's nice to have the kick-start when you're doing tune-ups and to turn the engine over without getting on a Jack and putting it in gear and turning the rear wheel.
I have to agree that small displacement bikes simply aren't abundant here in the U.S. with the exception of the Janus but that 250 is over $10,000.!! You'd think that what seems so obvious to us is not to the those in control of the offerings here! Since virtually every Harley offering since the 30's has the same vibe, their current line already is retro!
It was actually the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 (not 500) which started the relationship between RE and Harris Performance which designed the frame. It had a Brembo front brake caliper and rotor, an oversized piston to bump up the displacement to 535 cc and the crankshaft of the 350 which was lighter. The result was an engine that was more powerful than the 500 and very quick to rev.
Yeah, I was seriously considering buying a new GT 535 about six years back but ended up buying a Street Twin instead. I remembered that the weekend before last when a GT 535 (red) passed me on my recently-bought GB 250.
@@l1nepack I was considering it at one point too several years ago but decided to stick with KTM at that time. I wanted one in yellow. Rarer than the red one here in India. I have heard that parts are hard to find for that bike these days so I am glad I didn't buy it. I have an Interceptor 650 now so I am quite happy.
No, Harley-Davidson should NOT use V-twins in their beginner bikes but small parallel twins and reserve the V-twin for larger prestige models, otherwise they will dilute the HD brand like what happened with the Street line. This time HD isn't making that mistake.
That Honley is basically a CG125/TMX125, the platform and engine is soo widespreadly copied, theres like 4-6 chinese/philippine motorcycle brands with a CG125 copy with either the 125cc or a 150cc version of it, its everywhere and the engine is so easy to spot.
Those simple Jawas of around 370cc seem amazing for the price. They should be imported into the UK and are great very simple but slow utilitarian machines that won't break the bank like cd175 but keep going.
I like the Tempter. Fan of 400/500 singles. I remember the GB400 from when I lived in Tokyo in the early '90s. I agree: the Yamaha Renaissa V-twin looks fantastic.
Owned a st400 tempter in China when I lived there. Beautiful smooth and decently powered. Huuuuuuge seat, we managed to fit 3 people on it once for a short ride haha. Smoothest single I've ever ridden sold it for 10,000 rmb when I left on 2016.
Nice and interesting vid thankyou! The Tempter is something I've never seen and would line up against several modern 'cafe racers' with a set of clip ons 🙂 The Yamaha Virago 250, I've also never seen and looks (fantastic) like a Vincent. Wow! I ride a BMW R65 (860cc).
It's like Honda CD175. Their engines were so good, built like tanks. I paid £10 for an old one that just took so much abuse and never broke down even with a hammer in the tank, no ignition switch. I had to hotwire it as I bought it as a stolen and returned hack rat bike. It was basic cheap transport.
2:22 Twin double leading shoe front brake system. Probably the best bike stopper without using brake fluid. This system uses 4 cable operated brake shoes, 2 shoes in each of 2 separate drums. This type of brake system was also used on early model Suzuki GT750.
Everyone knows about sport classics and that's why the price is through the roof. And everyone knows about RE, they're one of the most sold bikes on the planet right now.
I own a pristine low klm Honda GB400 TT MK11, bought brand new in New Zealand and brought here to Australia by its owner decades ago, I have owned it for 21 years and looks the same as the 500 you highlighted, there were 4 GB’s, a 250, 2 versions of the 400, a two up seat and no fairing, a single seat and the only one of the four with Hondas factory fairing with headlight, this is the one that I have and I was told when I bought it that it was a Joey Dunlop commemorative model and the 500 with single seat, but one small error in your time of manufacture is these bikes actually were designed as a retro bike but in the 1980’s not 90’s as my bike left Hondas factory in Japan in 1986, also as a point of interest Hondas GB designation stands for “Great Britain” I believe that New Zealand was lucky enough to get a handful of these bikes as they were not sold in Australia
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During my high school days, back in the early 60's, I worked as a motorcycle mechanic. I worked on many of the "Old" designs and brands you mentioned in your presentation. One thing about Ducati is they did have a very high performance single cylinder motorcycle called the Mark 3 Diana that could give a lot of the big British bikes a real run. Naturally, I owned and rode some of these treasures. OH, to be young again.
You’re right about Harley, they have really missed out on the mid sized retro market that has swept through Europe over the last ten years..RE and Triumph have it pretty well sewn up now…
It just goes to show you how out of touch HD is. If they remade the WLA with modern parts, they'd sell them like hotcakes.
Very true. I’ve wondered what was keeping them away from it.
@@lisacolbert5987 I think it cannot possibly be anything else except a fundamental lack of understanding or competence in the top leadership at the company. Someone at HD, maybe on the board, has strong views of what HD needs to be, and is completely blind to the reality of what people actually want.
Harley is dying cause they gave no.small intro bikes yo get brand loyalty. Harley owners avg ag is like mid 50s, they die or get told old fast and younger folks been buying the big 5 jap bikes and stick with them. Harley.is a stupid company and will go away sooner than later. Old harley guys dying off and younger riders not spending 20 to 30 grand for air cooled pushrod heavy v twins.
@@rt2255 I agree that Harley needs cheap bikes, but for different reasons. If you compare the most expensive bikes from HD's lineup with the most expensive Indian, BMW, or Ducati, you'll realize a stunning difference. In the Indian, Bimmer, or Duc, you are getting substantial performance components. In the Harley, you're getting chrome and bags mounted to the same bike you could have otherwise bought for less.
I don't have brand loyalty to Indian, but heck I want a FTR. And it'll be way cheaper than whatever 900lbs bike HD can sell me.
Harley = bling. We don't care about bling, we care about value and performance.
HDs aren't even that well made. If you want to pay for real workmanship, look to MV Agusta.
10:40 SkyTeam Ace 125: I recognize that engine model, it is used on one of my motorcycles, a Zongshen 150 commercialized in my country with a localized brand. It is a CG125 engine (I also had one identical to the Honley 125) that received a balancer shaft that greatly reduces its vibration; you distinguish it by the bulge in front of its lower part, which accomodates the balancer shaft. One serious particularity of engines of this kind is the quantity of oil necessary. Instead of the 1 liter they put on the Owner's Manual, it needs 1.4 liter to reach the top mark on the oil dipstick/level visor as recommended by the book. Thousands of bikes blew up engines after only 30,000 km when used in road conditions here in Brazil. Using the correct amount of oil, which you discoer doing step by step the oil measuring procedure, that engine is plainly satisfactory.
So glad the Kawasaki W made the list. I own a 2001 W650 and it's a great bike. Everywhere I go that bike gets attention. Although it's a bit too small for interstate use, I tend to not ride on that anyway. It's perfect for street cruising. Cheers!
I agree. Love my W650. I'll keep it forever.
No a 650 is not small for highway.That attitude is the whole problem.
A friend of mine owns a W800 - what a beauty
Nice bikes developed from BSA A10. . I think it's Mutt that have developed a Yamaha XT 500 clone . If the top end oil feed design is sorted and you don't need to throw away the head when the alloy wears round the camshaft journal, it would have been a tough engine that lasts
@@deltabluesdavidraye When I was stationed in Germany, I took my XT350 on the Autobahn all the time...had to stay in the 'slow lane' because it topped out at 90mph. Later, in the States, I've taken it on 4+ hr trips down the interstate....though it isn't the most comfortable for long trips, lol.
Some very interesting bikes that I'd never heard of Bart.
Another brand you might want to look at is Royal Alloy, they do automatic scooters from 125 up to 300cc that look almost exactly like Lambrettas for the late 50's to mid 60's.
The Skyteam Ace 125 was released here in Australia & there's usually 1 or 2 available on the used market at any given time. We were also lucky enough to get the Yamaha SRV250, SRV250 Renaissa, Honda GB400 & GB500 over here, although the GB500 is pretty rare. There's also many examples of the Royal Enfield, but here it's the Continental GT535. We're spoiled for choice when it comes to small displacement retro styled bikes.
On the retro Ducati's, I love them. They were more a modern interpretation of a classic rather than a pure retro, but still were a big influence when I got back into riding as they came out at around the same time. Due to Australian license restrictions I couldn't ride one legally, but I could ride a 600SL Pantah, which was the closest thing, so I bought one.
Similar story here in NZ.
America's biggest problem with smaller bike's is not the bike's, but the over inflated ego's, of the up until now , mainstream Harley and big bike riders.
These "dudes" have done such a great job at belittling all other riders with the " that's not a real bike " attitude, that the smaller cc bikes were not even imported as a real alternative to gas guzzling cars and trucks.
Jawa Yezdi? In the original language (Czech), that would mean "Jawa runs" or "Jawa is still running". Coincidence? 😯
I had a 650cc Suzuki Savage thumper that was the largest engine by displacement that I ever rode (600cc BMW, 500-4 Honda, 250 Yamaha, 200 Triumph Mountain Cub, Honda 50). The Savage had a balance shaft, so was very smooth, low seat was comfortable, belt final drive, so very little maintenance. Great bike.
Some people brand new to motorcycling may not be aware of the Suzuki TU250 because it was discontinued a few years back, a bit small for anyone 6 foot and up but it’s pretty cool and will move if you pin the throttle and it has a higher top speed than the Van Van 200.
I've ridden them. I think anyone considering one should get a Yamaha sr 400 instead.
Better choice if they don’t mind the kick start. Another bike that was discontinued more recently. I almost got one a few years back.
The Suzuki TU 250 were great little motorcycles. My wife had one and it was just a great little bike.
As anyone can see a Suzuki tempter is a Suzuki Savage with a smaller displacement engine and drum brakes on the front. I would not mind a bike like that long as it had the 650 single-engine
my favorite is the American made Janus, their entire line up is a throw back to nearly a century ago
Designed I believe, by Hugh Janus
Some of your comments reminded me of how much the US motorcycle market changed when the max speed limit of 55mph was repealed. Back in the 1970's and early 80's, a 250 and even some 175's could maintain highway speeds, making them realistic to use as a sole means of transportation. It is surprising how little power it takes to keep up with 55mph traffic.
Americans need to get over their infatuation with big heavy barges like Harley and Indian.....There are so many much more interesting bikes than the fodder that Bikies, and Wanna Be Bikies lust after.
I did it with a Honda trail 90. It could run all day at 55 mph. I drove it to San Francisco from Santa Rosa a few times.
@@bobmitchell8012 , Romans 2: 1 applies many times.
@@darrellcook8253 I remember riding small motorcycles on the highway and thinking to myself "I'll be fine as long as there isn't much headwind!".
You are pretty wrong about the Yezdi roadster. Here in India, Jawa and Yezdi made a comeback and trust me, their bikes are so different than Royal Enfield. Not worse, but actually better and fun. The Jawa 42 2.1 2022 edition which I own, got that twin exhaust config from original Jawa from 70s, and compared to royal Enfield the engine is much much refined and these bikes are almost 50% quicker than their royal enfield counterparts. You should look into these bikes much more, and make a separate video on new Jawas and Yezdis.
Up-vote you're comment..
In my view and from experiences of owning both the vintage and today a modern Yezdi and also in past have used the early Electra model from RE (belonging to a friend in college), I felt the Jawa/Yezdi bikes seem to have performed a lot better than its rival brands. The past Yezdi bikes were/are far better in terms of cost, maintenance and lot more fun bike to ride for a typical retro classic even to this day.
I think the Jawa/ Yezdi bikes in this video seem to have been less justified or underrated ... where as these bikes are really amazing and have made a remarkable comeback in the Indian market
@@vigoboy8339 thanks for relating to my comment. You are absolutely on the point. But today Jawa Yezdi are struggling because Royal enfield has established a monopoly in retro classic market, otherwise jawas run abd feel so awesome.
I'm in the UK and I had a Skyteam Ace 125. It was very cheap and once derestricted and fitted with a free flow exhaust. It was comfortable compared with modern race reps, sounded awesome and in my view looked great. It may not be fast but fun could be had down my local country lanes, pretending to be on the Isle of Man TT course. Only sold it to fund a real classic. I really enjoyed this vid 👍🏴
The Skyteam Ace 125 is a clone of the Honda Dream 50, which is now highly collectable and a retro bike in itself of the 60s works Honda race bikes.
As well as the SRV there was also a SRX which featured a 4 valve single with 400 and 600cc variants.
The SRX was a single and not rare or unusual. :)
Saw Ducati Sports Classic for first time in Tron: Legacy (2010) and fell in love since. It made me love the café racer design.
Suzuki had a 650 twin in early 80s called Tempter in US, called GR650 other markets...soft urban cruiser style.
Always liked the retro Ducati but were ridiculously expensive when new and limited production kept them harder to find
From Malaysia here, I have heard of the Skyteam Ace 125 and seen them quite a bit on online marketplaces a few years back, I never actually seen it on the road and I could hardly find concrete reviews myself on local forums. That said, I have seen it in certain showrooms and boy do I still want one, they retailed about 1500 USD and they're not being sold anymore. You CAN get them new for 1000 USD nowadays, but those are just unsold units from back then and are few and far between.
The Malaysian market is mainly dominated by the Honda EX5 (variation of the Super Cub), so I really wanted to get something that differs from the common underbones here. Hopefully in a few years I can finally get this or some other sub 250cc motorcycle with a tank in between my legs instead of sitting on it xD.
The Suzuki Tempter uses the LS650 engine as in the US market Savage and Boulevard S-40. There's a ton of 'em out there due to the insanely long model run of 1986-2021. They can be had super-cheap on the used market and make awesome donors for custom builds, like my S-40 chopper.
Super bike! I bought a 2914 S40 because I wanted something that reminded me of my old BSA....except that it was reliable ha ha. A little jetting and exhaust upgrade and that big thumper was perky and torquey around town. Yet would cruise at 60 all day without breathing hard. Unfortunately, when I got the Indian Scout, the wife said one bike at a time.
The Suzuki Tempter is an amazing looking bike
What I want is a modern homage to the MZ250ES 😍
What do you mean "I am the only one", "Do you need your eyes tested" and "Are you feeling all right".....?
(I would not say no to a Suzuki SW1 though)
I don't think the Tempter single was ever sold in the USA but the 650 twin was a really nice bike. Didn't sell real well. Part of the reason might be because during several years in the 80s all the dealerships were flooded with "non-current models". So like in 87 you could buy a brand new 83 model for way less then half price and with full warranty. Was a great time to buy a bike but made used bikes very hard to sell.
That Suzuki 400 is a looker and that double sided twin leading shoe front brake is sooooooo nice.
An '81 GS 400S was my primary transportation for five years, year-round when I was a young student, and I could park it almost anywhere in Victoria BC... DOHC, high reving flickable paralell twin.... I could have probably stripped 20lbs off it easily. Thrilling in very tight 2nd-3rd gear twisties. Slogged a lot of highway miles on in winter to see a girlfriend on weekends. Changed out the swingarm bearings twice. Never seen anyone look so dead as me in the washroom mirror on the ferry. You don't realise your legs don't work until you try to use them.
Great video! Have you ever thought about making videos about the history of certain important figures in the motorcycle world? Sort of like what you did with John Britten, but you could also talk about Kevin Schwantz, Pietro Laverda and his sons, Massimo Tamburini, Fabio Taglioni, Franco Lambertini, etc. I would really like that! Thanks for the great motorcycle content and inspiring me to get into motorcycles.
And Mike Hailwood
I think you are spot on about the smaller displacement bikes for the US market.
10:17 awwww hello Yezdi!
I bought a new 2012 Ducati GT Sport and had the dealer install a Termi exhaust. LOVED the look & and feel of the bike…always fun to blast by a Harley. Definitely near the top of my many motorcycles.
We had the SRV for a few years here in Australia, and I loved it. Couldn't afford a new bike, but I really wanted one. I'd love to find one that's been sitting and restore it.
Those are mostly very weird bikes (interesting double-leading-shoe drum brake on that Tempter though, haven't seen one of those in years). Only ones I'm familiar with are the RE 500 GT, and the Ducati. "Affordable Harley" is an oxymoron these days (they had some many years ago, my first bike was badged as a Harley, an Aermacchi 125 two-stroke). BTW, the Bonneville was not introduced in the 90's, first year for it was '01.
Up the Dubs! 🙂Nice to see the Irish dealer Retro Bikes Dublin at the end! Good video. You forgot about the Kawasaki Zephyr 750 of the 1990s. I remember at the time I was thinking why the hell are they releasing an old looking bike with a 8 valve lump. I was all into race reps, and peak technology at the time. But now looking back, I totally get it! I love classic bikes and retro bikes now.
In Australia we did get the Suzuki Tempter was the 650cc single it was styled as a cruiser also had a belt final drive
The Honley (named after a town near Huddersfield in the UK) is a Zongshen imported into the UK by a firm that thinks it will sell better under a more UK-looking name. About 8 years ago I used to meet some of the people from Zongshen when they and my employer Agni Motors were competing in the electric motorcycle race series that was running at the time. I think Zongshen is a good manufacturer.
Yezdi in Czech means 'it rides' as Jawa (read yavah) is the Czech legend bike which now is manufactured in India. Almost the same case like with Royal Enfield.
Nice to know someone knows the correct pronunciation.
6:36 Wow that is a aerodynamic, futuristic styled motorcycle!
7:59 This is a affordable beginner bike. The all new =RE= Hunter 350. Same engine 350 cc as the popular Royal Enfield Meteor but shorter wheelbase and lighter and of courser easier to manoeuvre for a newbie rider young or old.
great to see JAWA YEZDI being mentioned
The reference to Yezdi/ Jawa bikes in the video seem to be pretty much underrated than what these bikes are actually capable of.. seems the Jawa/Yezdi bikes or their product is not given the fair share of publicity and value
Very nice compilation. Another rare retro is the Kawasaki TR250. It was a 70's style enduro, based on the 250 Estrella. I tried to get one here in Germany, but they only sold a few in Britain.
Thanks, I was trying to find this online, but didn’t know the model. The cool little bikes don’t get past Asia.
Like the 175 W , great little bike for just buzzing round on enjoying the simplicity 😀
The "Tempter" was called the Thumper in Japan where it was available in the 1990s. The Honley was made for the UK and named after a suburb of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where the importer was based.
I thought it was more a portmanteau of 'Honda Benly' to be honest.
Back from church. Had to cut and run so I wouldn't be late. But that Yezdi Roadster looks like a bike I'd like. I don't care about fast any more, reliability is important and seating position is all important.
That Yamaha at the end, reminded me a lot of my Yamaha XV920, NOT the Virago. Styled like a 60's British bike as best they could with that big V-twin in there.
The Best Retro Classic Ever Made
1. 2005-2006 Honda CB600 Hornet, 94hp or 95bhp, 6MT (Undertaker)
2. 2008-2012 SUZUKI SV650, 6MT (Jet Li)
3. 1983-2000 Honda CBR400 (Donnie Yen)
4. 1992 HONDA CBX 750 Royal (Stephen Chow) CJ7
5. 1997-2004 BMW R1200C (James Bond 007)
That Suzuki "Tempter" uses the smaller version of the Savage's LS650 engine. I think it looks great.
7:12 hell yeah the W175 finally have the recognition it deserve, imo the bike is a bit weird, it have carburettor but doesn't have a kickstarter
I loved the look of the Ducati Sport Classic back in the day. I have a W800 now and I'm adding a Z900RS to the stable very soon. Would love to see the manufacturers start making retro looking sport bikes that resemble the bikes of 80's. Hopefully that'll be the next chapter in retros.
I envy you 👍
5:40 the simple answer of why these things don't get sued is because of patents. Unlike copyright which goes to infinity, patents expire after awhile. It's the same reason you can buy brand new HDMI consoles that can play NES games.
10:19 Yezdi has a cult following in india and at one time in past (1970s-1990s) were almost as popular as RE.
Yezdi (ideal Jawa ) used to sell licensed jawa bikes in india, as has a history in races in india.
Presently jawa,yezdi,bsa all three are owned by a single company (Mahindra) and is clubbed under the subsidiary of classic legends.
'HONLEY' : For your information, Honley Motorcycles is operated by Earnshaws Two Wheel Centre a company that has been selling motorcycles since 1906, they are a leading motorcycle dealership in West Yorkshire, England. They named the brand after the village of Honley in West Yorkshire that, in itself, has dated proof back to at least 1086. Earnshsaws are somewhat entitled to use the name HONLEY, which predates the HONDA brand name by 937 years !
lots of great memories with a Honda 305 scrambler, would be a great bike for Honda to resurrect/upgrade. minor engine and suspension improvements with the same look it had, good for carrying 2 with decent power, reliability and gas mileage.
Honda is planning a CL500, based on the twin that powers the Rebel 500, CB500X, CB500F, and CBR500R. I WANT ONE!!
Steve Johnson, who built a whole racing team. Big Daddy Don Garlits. Chris Moore. Ricky Gadson. MattvCapri. Larry McBride. All of the above and more.
I'm 70. Ridden bikes since I was fourteen and still do. Have had about every make out there. Harleys are just too big for me to feel confident on anymore. I would LOVE to pick up a couple of these smaller bikes (say 350 or so). Just to play around on. It would be SO easy for Honda to drop off a few of their new 350 singles over here. I was ready to buy an Enfield Meteor but the dealers around here are ALL adding $2,000+ to MSRP
The Yezdi Roadster is a liquid cooled 334 cc engine that smokes the RE Classic 350 in performance. It has more power and is way more comfortable than the RE.
As far as I know, Jawa is pronounced "Yava." I had one, about 45 years ago. It was a 305. The story was, they purchased the tools and dies from Honda when Honda retired their previous series. So it was, from the get-go, something like a 10 year older design than the actual vintage of the bike. Weird. Cheap, "exotic," fun. Until someone stole it from the alley next to my house while I was at a Rolling Stones concert, as I recall. Oh well. I do really like the small bikes though, it's so frustrating that in this country everything has to be bigger, faster. I've known too many people who have gotten really messed up in motorcycle wrecks. I prefer the idea of "going fast on a slow bike." Or going slow, on a slow bike. Like a single or twin cylinder 250-350. That's the sweet spot. For me, anyway.
Tron Legacy made me fall in love with the SportClassic! 😍
These new retro looking bikes look awesome brings me back to my younger days
I remember seeing a Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE I think this is also a Sport Classic but with a different name it was amazing for the time plus Tron Legacy also had a Sport Classic as a product placement which is nice.
The Paul Smart is indeed part of the Sport Classic family... but it was a direct copy of Paul Smart's winning 750 of the early seventies, although it has a 1000cc motor, Ohlins suspension & a half fairing. The others in the Sport Classic family are the Sport 1000 monoposto, Sport 1000 dual seated version...& the GT, with an upright riding position & dual seat.. I bought the Sport 1000 monoposto in 2006 when it came out... over 100,000kms & still going strong.. a great fun bike & worth more now than it was brand new !!
@bart you completely missed the FIRST retro bike: the Honda CD175 of the 1970s. My first real bike, which is why I’m not falling for the current retro craze - I did it already in 1976! 🧐😎😜
Peace
I tried importing Suzuki Tempter in 97 and hit a brick wall in both Suzuki Canada and MTO Ontario.
Better than Honley would be to import a Hero Splendor from India. Splendor was made by Honda in a joint venture with Hero and was called Hero Honda until 2014. Splendor has been India's best selling bike since for ever due to its fuel efficiency and reliability.
The motorcycle featured in Tron: Legacy is a Ducati Sport 1000 Biposto and ever since watching that movie I have wanted one, though I have never yet seen one come available.
We recently got the w175 in our country (India), also I have seen the RE continental GT500, someone in my university had it.
And finally, jawa and yezdi are popping up a lot in India, I have to point this out to you here, both Jawa and Yezdi produce more power than a classic or meteor 350. Jawa uses a 294cc liquid cooled engine and yezdi uses a 334cc liquid cooled engine (which is also found in the Jawa Perak, the only jawa with this engine). This engine was developed by Mahindra, it has its roots from the Mojo (a 300cc legendary machine in India). I feel like they have more value for money than a RE, but don't have that brand heritage.
535, not 500.
@@twowheeledparadox Oh I didn't know. Thanks for letting me know. I remember seeing GT500 or smth written on the tank, maybe I'm tripping. I only say it once, parked among bicycles outside our cafe XD. I knew it looked different cuz I've seen a couple of the 650s being ridden around the campus.
=RE= Hugely popular here in sunny tropical Thailand 🇹🇭 The recently launched Royal Enfield Hunter 350. In my opinion the perfect beginner motorcycle. Light and shorter wheelbase than my =RE= steed Meteor 350 Supernova Cheers JohnnyBikeSanooK! Straight from northern THAILAND
What's the mileage you're getting in w175?
Cruising speed in highway ?
Service cost
Haven't seen that ducats before. Utterly beautiful
Thanks BART, I like your definition. “A retro motorcycle is a motorcycle that usually looks older that it actually is or a bike that looks relatively new but has some retro styling cues” Retro bikes are popular here in sunny, tropical THAILAND 🇹🇭. Especially the Triumph Bonneville Built in Thailand. I’m riding a sort of retro looking, light cruiser, Built in India =RE= Meteor 350 Supernova. Greetings from from northern Thailand. Yesterday I serviced my Royal Enfield 20,000 km on the clock. My mileage 73 years. Ciao, Johnny BikeSanooK
I don’t know if it’s a marketing thing but the single cylinder Royal Enfield Continental GT is called the GT535 in the UK (it’s 535cc). Two important factors explaining why the Interceptor 650 massively outsells the Continental GT650 are that 1. The riding position on the GT is seen as uncomfortable and 2. The colour choices are so much better on the Interceptor 🇬🇧
You're right. Smaller retro bikes would sell big time in the US!
The Zuke Tempter single made its way here as the 650 Savage / S40 Boulevard if looks mean anything. I had a S40 and it was a very good bike. Nice low end grunt. Easy to work on, reliable. A very traditional bike. I put 13,000 miles on it before I got my Scout.
Actually, I am old enough to remember the Suzuki Tempter twin 650 sold in the USA in the 80s. Not a very convincing retro, less even than the Kawi 750 twin of the same era.
It may not have worked, but the GB500 in great shape will bring some good money. I personally love them.
When I lived in the southwest, jojoba was pronounced "hohoba", due no doubt to the Spanish proclivity for pronouncing "j" as an "h"...
What, no Janus bikes?
Suzuki made a 650 Tempter twin for the US market in the mid-80's. The bike you show looks like a 650 Savage. I had a 1981 Suzuki GN400T which was a 400cc single, 6v electrical system, kick-start only with a compression release lever on the right handlebar by the brake lever.
When Honda set out to outdo the British with the GB series, they sure did. They left out the oil filter. Which was quite a shock to the new owner, when changing oil. The parts guy informed them there's no oil filter.
Jawa was always a great reliable bike been on the planet for years 👏
I love the Yamaha Reneissa. That would be a great little around town commuter. I know the Virago 250 engine is very robust, nearly bulletproof. It would be super cheap to run and insure.
Thank you for your insight and information
What the USA specifically lacks is full size bikes with smaller cc. All our small cc bikes are also physically small.
The thing I really hate about modern motorcycles is that the manufacturers have done away with the kick-start. All of my bikes accept my 96 Road King are kickstart. Most of these singles are easy to start. I get it that the electric start is for convenience but it's nice to have the kick-start when you're doing tune-ups and to turn the engine over without getting on a Jack and putting it in gear and turning the rear wheel.
10:43 A race school with a dozen of these might well be fun - 'You've all got an equal chance . . . of something!' : )
I have to agree that small displacement bikes simply aren't abundant here in the U.S. with the exception of the Janus but that 250 is over $10,000.!! You'd think that what seems so obvious to us is not to the those in control of the offerings here! Since virtually every Harley offering since the 30's has the same vibe, their current line already is retro!
It was actually the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 (not 500) which started the relationship between RE and Harris Performance which designed the frame. It had a Brembo front brake caliper and rotor, an oversized piston to bump up the displacement to 535 cc and the crankshaft of the 350 which was lighter. The result was an engine that was more powerful than the 500 and very quick to rev.
Yeah, I was seriously considering buying a new GT 535 about six years back but ended up buying a Street Twin instead. I remembered that the weekend before last when a GT 535 (red) passed me on my recently-bought GB 250.
@@l1nepack I was considering it at one point too several years ago but decided to stick with KTM at that time. I wanted one in yellow. Rarer than the red one here in India. I have heard that parts are hard to find for that bike these days so I am glad I didn't buy it. I have an Interceptor 650 now so I am quite happy.
Honestly I think the Ducati Sport Classic is one of the best looking Ducs ever made. But then again I'm weird and I like weird bikes
Suzuki Tempter looks so clean. From thumbnail I thought it was a recent custom build. Love it.
No, Harley-Davidson should NOT use V-twins in their beginner bikes but small parallel twins and reserve the V-twin for larger prestige models, otherwise they will dilute the HD brand like what happened with the Street line. This time HD isn't making that mistake.
Glad to reveal that Triumph , Harley Davidson, are shortly introducing lower capacity ( less than 500CC) motorcycles in India
Always a good day when Bart uploads 🙌🏽
That Honley is basically a CG125/TMX125, the platform and engine is soo widespreadly copied, theres like 4-6 chinese/philippine motorcycle brands with a CG125 copy with either the 125cc or a 150cc version of it, its everywhere and the engine is so easy to spot.
Totally agree. People here would BUY them. I grew up in the 60's and 70 's .we had those options then. Thanks again for the info about the bikes.
No we would not. The US has proven time and again that we won’t buy small bikes in decent numbers. The TU250 and SR400 are recent examples.
The North American market is brainwashed into thinking bigger is better. Personally, I own a 2014 CB500X.
Those simple Jawas of around 370cc seem amazing for the price. They should be imported into the UK and are great very simple but slow utilitarian machines that won't break the bank like cd175 but keep going.
The Tempter was ultra cool.
I like the Tempter. Fan of 400/500 singles. I remember the GB400 from when I lived in Tokyo in the early '90s. I agree: the Yamaha Renaissa V-twin looks fantastic.
I wish Suzuki would bring it back in 400cc flavor.
@@genesmiley3727 So do I.
Owned a st400 tempter in China when I lived there. Beautiful smooth and decently powered. Huuuuuuge seat, we managed to fit 3 people on it once for a short ride haha.
Smoothest single I've ever ridden sold it for 10,000 rmb when I left on 2016.
If anyone is interested, the faux number plate on the back of the Temper at 3:16 says "Kitagawa Motor Cycles".
Nice and interesting vid thankyou! The Tempter is something I've never seen and would line up against several modern 'cafe racers' with a set of clip ons 🙂
The Yamaha Virago 250, I've also never seen and looks (fantastic) like a Vincent. Wow!
I ride a BMW R65 (860cc).
Very small, very pretty they are. Some preferred the earlier SRV 250 but I liked the Renaissa in orangey-yellow.
It's like Honda CD175. Their engines were so good, built like tanks. I paid £10 for an old one that just took so much abuse and never broke down even with a hammer in the tank, no ignition switch. I had to hotwire it as I bought it as a stolen and returned hack rat bike. It was basic cheap transport.
Interesting! I bought a 1985 Suzuki Tempter back last month, just waiting for a couple of small parts. I can't wait to get it out on the road!
2:22 Twin double leading shoe front brake system. Probably the best bike stopper without using brake fluid. This system uses 4 cable operated brake shoes, 2 shoes in each of 2 separate drums. This type of brake system was also used on early model Suzuki GT750.
Two bikes that are never mentioned anywhere is the British Silk 700 twin two-stroke and the Spanish Sanglas 500 single four stroke single.
Everyone knows about sport classics and that's why the price is through the roof.
And everyone knows about RE, they're one of the most sold bikes on the planet right now.
I own a pristine low klm Honda GB400 TT MK11, bought brand new in New Zealand and brought here to Australia by its owner decades ago, I have owned it for 21 years and looks the same as the 500 you highlighted, there were 4 GB’s, a 250, 2 versions of the 400, a two up seat and no fairing, a single seat and the only one of the four with Hondas factory fairing with headlight, this is the one that I have and I was told when I bought it that it was a Joey Dunlop commemorative model and the 500 with single seat, but one small error in your time of manufacture is these bikes actually were designed as a retro bike but in the 1980’s not 90’s as my bike left Hondas factory in Japan in 1986, also as a point of interest Hondas GB designation stands for “Great Britain” I believe that New Zealand was lucky enough to get a handful of these bikes as they were not sold in Australia
That Tempter is fabulous.
Glad to see my GT535 on this list. Damn I love it