Favorite '80s bike?

[tstaff]

1984 CB700SC Nighthawk S, Black w/Blue was very sweet.

1986 VFR700FII Interceptor, the all white model.

I wish I still had them now.

 

[exskibum]

Honda VF1000R Interceptor

https://bp2.blogger.com/_Mvhjidbvdzc/R7AHnV...ptor%201000.jpg

Didn't own one, but was responsible for a friend ordering and owning one the year they came out (1983 or 1984). I brought the magazine announcing its upcoming availablility over and he ordered two (from different dealers), to make sure he'd get at least one and he released the second when the first came in. At the time, I had a '78 Suzuki 1000EC and he had a Honda CB900F. Riding that Interceptor, it seemed that it had a rheostat for a throttle -- smooth with a LARGE power band. I didn't think bikes could get much faster, but hey -- there were no Busas, XXs or modern liter sport bikes back then. The Interceptor gets my vote over the close second of a GS1100 or GS1150 of the time. Classic bikes.

 

[Scab]

1983 GL650

I had an 82 CX650E. One of my top 3 bikes of all time. (FJR!, VFR and the CX). Sold it in a moment of pure stupidity. Now a buddy in Edmonton has a cherry low mileage one and I'm fighting the urge to pick it up - better to remember my bike fondly and save my money.

Thats a big outhouse... is it a two-holer?

In the U.S., we only had those bikes for 3 years. 81' & 82' were the 500 cc versions and the 83' was the 650. I picked mine up used, for little of nothing, in pretty rough shape. Somebody had spray-canned the thing black. I tore it apart, had the carbs built & jetted, I painted her, and put straight pipes on her. She was sweet. She'd outrun the word of God through the choir section! But, that ole' beast would put the worst case of monkey-butt on your ass!

As for the building...I have no idea what that really is. It was sitting at the edge of a convenience store parking lot where we stopped for a break. It was one year when we were running the Trail-of-Tears ride. That is somewhere in between Chatanooga, TN, and Huntsville, AL.

I still miss that old bike.

 

[Bungie]

[i still miss that old bike.

Ack! I go looking online for a pic and I find this. Its only 2.5 hrs from here.... sure would be nice to save the FJR for road trips and to pick this up for communting and bombing around town!

CX650 for sale

Damn you! Look what you've gone and done! Actually, truth be told, looking at picking up a Yammie WR250R for next season. I miss plonking around exploring dirt roads.

 

[Scab]

Dayum, not a bad deal, there.

I really did like that transverse-mounted V-twin. An unusual beast, but a very lovable beast. When I had that bike, all my riding friends had new bikes. I used to revel in all the attention the ole GL would garner every time we stopped. It sure was a crowd pleaser and conversation starter.

You should have heard her growl with the straight pipes. Deep and rich, but never rude. Folks nowadays pay big money for sound like that. It was music.

 

[jordylad]

Honda VF1000R Interceptor
https://bp2.blogger.com/_Mvhjidbvdzc/R7AHnV...ptor%201000.jpg

Didn't own one, but was responsible for a friend ordering and owning one the year they came out (1983 or 1984). I brought the magazine announcing its upcoming availablility over and he ordered two (from different dealers), to make sure he'd get at least one and he released the second when the first came in. At the time, I had a '78 Suzuki 1000EC and he had a Honda CB900F. Riding that Interceptor, it seemed that it had a rheostat for a throttle -- smooth with a LARGE power band. I didn't think bikes could get much faster, but hey -- there were no Busas, XXs or modern liter sport bikes back then. The Interceptor gets my vote over the close second of a GS1100 or GS1150 of the time. Classic bikes.

I have to admit, the VFR 1000 would be my #2 of the 80s and could have been my #1. I was going to buy a VFR1000 but 2 things happened that put me off. My friend bought one (pissed me off as he knew I wanted one) and I didn't want to have the same bike as him, then Kawasaki came out with the Ninja 900 and I fell in love (see my earlier post in this thread).

 

[Ordrock]

A friend just asked me: "For decent power and handling, what was your favorite '80's bike?" Now that's a heck of a question... I think for me it's a tie between a Honda CBX and an Suzuki RGV 500 Gamma. I think that inline-6 was a work of art, and typical Honda over-the-top engineering, and the RGV was about as close to a 500GP bike as you were going to get. What do you think?

For raw power asnd ride ability my money is on the Honda V65Sabre. What an awesome ride, the thing never lost a race and could corner with anything of the time. Heck even today the bike is a often sought after bike. Ebay has prices at about what they cost 24 years ago. Oh and the sound of the thing going at full open throttle, and the strength required to hold on, WOW.

 

[Captain FJR]

Mine would be the VFR750, first year 1986, red white and blue. I owned an 84 interceptor, but in 86 they perfected it.

Still think it's beautiful.

 

[ionbeam]

Bought two of these VF1100S (V65) Sabres new. The first Sabre was sold like it was gold. By the time I was looking for a second Sabre there were hundreds still in the crates in warehouses because they couldn't give them away. I put more than a combined 180k miles on them:

While putting miles on Sabre #2 I also was putting 70k miles on a '88 Mad Max like this:

In the end Mad Max pounded me into the ground. Max destroyed the chin bar and front of my helmet leading to a substantial concussion, Max broke my left elbow and right wrist. My boots gave their life to limit the damage on one foot to just a small raspberry.

Sort of like the old days where you shoot the horse and walk off with the saddle -- I've got a V-Max Corbin seat for sale if anyone is interested.

 

[FJRGLASman]

83 Seca 900 anyone had, or still have one ? Mine is sitting in the basement in great shape, except for a rusty tank. 62K miles

 

[jordylad]

Bought two of these VF1100S (V65) Sabres new. The first Sabre was sold like it was gold. By the time I was looking for a second Sabre there were hundreds still in the crates in warehouses because they couldn't give them away. I put more than a combined 180k miles on them:
While putting miles on Sabre #2 I also was putting 70k miles on a '88 Mad Max like this:

In the end Mad Max pounded me into the ground. Max destroyed the chin bar and front of my helmet leading to a substantial concussion, Max broke my left elbow and right wrist. My boots gave their life to limit the damage on one foot to just a small raspberry.

Sort of like the old days where you shoot the horse and walk off with the saddle -- I've got a V-Max Corbin seat for sale if anyone is interested.

The 80s was indeed a good decade for big V4 engines, I too had a strong liking for them.

 

[spklbuk]

my favorite '80's bike is my 1980 XS1100 G. i bought it back in '84. its the only '80's bike i have owned..

cadman

Mine too! Bought it new in spring of 1980. Kick my self for ever letting it go. Great, great, great granddaddy of the FJR.

 

[Spook]

FJ-1200

 

[fjrwalker]

My first choice would have to be my 86 "Silver Dammit" Concours. Fantastic bike.

Next up is the 84 - 86 Honda CB700SC (Nighthawk S).

I've owned three of them and have 'first right of refusal" if the current owner of the last one decides to sell.

 

[snikr]

87 750 Ninja. Loved that bike.

Tom

 

[wfooshee]

I didn't own a bike in the '80s, was poor and would rather have had groceries. (Still poor, still have to have groceries, but had a small inheritance which allowed the Feej to come home with me.)

My drool bikes of the '80s (both pics from bikes at the museum at Barber) were the Suzuki GSX 1100S Katana

The Honda CBX

and I really really wished I could get a Gold Wing when the 6-cyl came out.

 

[rnees]

Kawasaki's Vulcan 750, liquid cooled, shaft drive, good lean angles for a cruiser style bike, introduced in 1985. Last production year was 2006, I wore one of the early models out, and started on an 06 model before trading it for a VFR.

+1. loved that bike. Had on 87....(i think...it was a long time ago). Went to Cali and back twice before it died.

 

[SockMonkey]

The great, great grandfather of our bikes: 1980 Yamaha XS "Eleven" G. I picked mine up in the crate from the Yamaha warehouse in Dallas TX, trailered it back to Newton KS to the Honda-Yamaha shop where I worked, un-crated it and assembled it myself. I loved that bike more than my dumb ****-of-a girlfriend who dumped me a week after I left for Air Force basic training.

 

[Braenen]

Honda VF1000R Interceptor
https://bp2.blogger.com/_Mvhjidbvdzc/R7AHnV...ptor%201000.jpg

Didn't own one, but was responsible for a friend ordering and owning one the year they came out (1983 or 1984). I brought the magazine announcing its upcoming availablility over and he ordered two (from different dealers), to make sure he'd get at least one and he released the second when the first came in. At the time, I had a '78 Suzuki 1000EC and he had a Honda CB900F. Riding that Interceptor, it seemed that it had a rheostat for a throttle -- smooth with a LARGE power band. I didn't think bikes could get much faster, but hey -- there were no Busas, XXs or modern liter sport bikes back then. The Interceptor gets my vote over the close second of a GS1100 or GS1150 of the time. Classic bikes.

This exact bike was the first one from which I experienced an unplanned get-off.

My half-brother bought the 1984 model and came by the house to show it off. He insisted on having me go for a ride down the street with him. I had no helmet and didnt want to go but the entire family applied the peer pressure. We exited the driveway and he stopped. In the length of the single block he went from 0 to 125 mph to 0 again. I say "he" because when he hit the throttle I hit the ground and watched him go. I was holding on for all I was worth but I had no chance. He made most of that trip on one wheel and did an early version of a stoppie at the stop sign.

That one event kept me from buying a bike for more than 20 years.

Edit: Oh, one more thing. That bike gave up the ghost when he failed to make a turn in a subdivision at over 140 mph and took out 110 ft of white picket fence. He was off his feet for a few months while he healed up from the pickets that went through him.

 

[Braenen]

My personal favorite from the time period was the Suzuki GSX1100F:

https://www.suzukicycles.org/GSX-series/GSX1100F.shtml

I almost bought one.