The Story of Seventies Superbikes.

[Tom]

It's a look at Japanese import bikes.     If posted before.  Let me know and I'll take it down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HESIjHvOjtw&feature=emb_rel_end

[BobA]

Back then I rode and raced several Laverdas. The modifies Jotas were as fast as anything out there and would stop and handle better than any of the aforementioned Japanese bikes. Really great machines. Raced 750 SF and SFC. Bikes were competitive, me not so much. The Jotas would vibrate fillings out and loosen buttons.

[Turin]

Thanks Tom, good stuff.

[Ncdan]

👍

[chuck peterson]

Yeah baby, the original Superbike photographed by yours truly exiting the 4 story right hand drop at Bryar 1979 or 80... God I love this shot




post images


Roberto Pietri (sp?) on the Pops Yoshimura Suzuki

[Tom]

Loads of fun bikes!     I missed out on a Benelli Sei, Laveda Jota, H2, Z1.

[80CX100]

     That was like a trip down memory lane, the bikes I rode and lusted after. 

     As that decade finished off, I started dreaming about the exotics, which were completely unavailable to me, the Laverdas, Ducati 900SS and it's variants, but the bike reviews about the MG Lemans CX100, describing it something to the effect of the "gentleman's thundering locomotive express" and being "easy to live with", fired a curiosity in me that took almost 40 yrs to satisfy.

     What I find interesting and it was conspicuous in it's absence, was how poorly the Yamaha XS1100's reputation has stood the test of time.

     I had ridden the Kawi H2, replaced it with a much better all around bike with the KZ900 imho; and then moved on to the Yamaha XS1100, which to me at the time was the best of the bunch, the XS11 had such smooth turbine like torque and power, I felt at the time that it was the ultimate bike of the day (I do realize that the GS1000 was king,but I wasn't into Suzukis or their dealers), but the XS1100 doesn't receiver the same excitement and hype from enthusiasts, like some of the others, it didn't even get a mention in the video. 

     Kelly

[sdcr]

Boy, can I relate to this. When the 850 Le Mans came out, I had taste for the exotics, but a Honda 350 budget.

     That was like a trip down memory lane, the bikes I rode and lusted after. 

     As that decade finished off, I started dreaming about the exotics, which were completely unavailable to me, the Laverdas, Ducati 900SS and it's variants, but the bike reviews about the MG Lemans CX100, describing it something to the effect of the "gentleman's thundering locomotive express" and being "easy to live with", fired a curiosity in me that took almost 40 yrs to satisfy.....
     Kelly

[Ncdan]

I really enjoyed that, brought back a lot of memories for us older guys👍

[Furbo]

That was fun man!

Lessee, I managed to go thru the H2, the 750 Four, a couple Z900's, a couple 550 Fours, and one '76 Wing.

[acguzzi]

"long legged and easy to live with" I remember that Guzzi add clearly. The Jota as well, I remember that creating quite a stir, of course well after the kawasaki z machines shocked the market. I remember as a student one guy buying the kawasaki but he was so short he had to sit off to one side to even get a foot down.