What is the oldest bike that is modern day practical?

[LowRyter]

Perhaps.... I assume you mean the new Ducati is a far more precision than a 90's Ducati....So, is it more challanging to ride a perfect machine or one that with a few flaws compared to the new one? And back to my original question, could you ride a 90's Ducati with a good suspension to it's limit on the street?

I've ridden a 90's era Duc, I've got an EV and a V11 Sport, a 1200 Bandit.  There's no comparison to my 939 SS.  I enjoy the older machines.  But I am blown away with new bike.   Will all the electronics leave me on the road somewhere?  I dunno and appreciate the criticism, I almost didn't get it for that reason. My Guzzis have stranded me because of a fuel pump and simple electrical connections.   But there's no comparison with the riding enjoyment and performance with my 939.  I've never ridden a bike in the twisties that's come close to this one.  It's also more comfortable than any bike I've ever owned.

The oldest bike I could own and ride anywhere would be the 305 Superhawk.  The best bike I could ride anywhere is my '17 Duc.

[Rough Edge racing]

  Thanks for the info, I have only ridden one fairly new bike, a friend's 2010 Triumph Speed triple...My Ducati is a 1996...So I have no clue about what it's like to ride new sport bikes...The roads around here are more friendly to my modified 79 Triumph T140...

[Tusayan]

If you want to compare the riding experience of the 939SS with 90s Ducatis, it’s in many ways more like an ST4S with the bags at home than a 900SS. The engine and power output of the newer bike is similar, but it’s lighter.  On the positive side for the ST4 is better bags when you need ‘em and better comfort, particularly for two and if Helibars are fitted, as they are on my ST4.  Also the fuel tank is about a gallon larger on the ST.

[LowRyter]

If you want to compare the riding experience of the 939SS with 90s Ducatis, it’s in many ways more like an ST4S with the bags at home than a 900SS. The engine and power output of the newer bike is similar, but it’s lighter.  On the positive side for the ST4 is better bags when you need ‘em and better comfort, particularly for two and if Helibars are fitted, as they are on my ST4.  Also the fuel tank is about a gallon larger on the ST.

I just don't there is any comparison riding them.  I enjoy old bikes too but that isn't the point.

[reidy]

I just don't there is any comparison riding them.  I enjoy old bikes too but that isn't the point.

Sorry, but the heading "What is the oldest bike" sort of indicates that old bikes should be the point in this thread. Maybe I misinterpreted what the op was asking. If so my mistake.

Steve 

[Chuck in Indiana]

So generally my time slot of interest is mid-70s to very early 2000s.

We must be brothers from different mothers.. 

[Rough Edge racing]

 This old lump is very practical for me...79 Triumph T140D..No it's not stock.It's been modified by me with Honda Interceptor front forks, Ducati front disc and caliper, rear set pegs .etc...The engine is modified with tricks I learned from the Triumph race bike but it's not a radical engine...Sure it vibrates some but it's fun to ride, like you think left and it banks left..  and has enough speed to surprise many other riders in the straights and curves..No it's not for cross country trips or commuting long distances on the freeway and there's the kick thingy to start it....And it doesn't leak oil or shed parts....

       

[tazio]

Rough, that bike of yours brought back some fond memories.
Me with my 1982 Vision 550 water-cooled shaft drive, and my best riding pal
Paul(R.I.P.) on his '79 T140D. Photo taken around 1987 somewhere up in Tennessee..
Great times and great rides on two very different motorbikes.

[SIR REAL ED]

I caught him the other day eyeing my carb'd SV650 with interest, its smaller and lighter than the others, but unfortunately its no longer possible for me to toss him the keys and see his reaction to a test ride.  I think he'd like it if he could try it.

Damn shame he can't try it out.  First Generation SV 650's are the very definition of motorcycling fun!  Anyone with a pulse will agree!!!!

And IMSMO, the best looking OEM frame ever is a plus.  Zlock Racing used to/maybe still does make a 744cc kit.  With a rear wheel sprocket two teeth smaller than stock the  744 would wheel as easily in second gear as the SV 650 did in first gear.

[SIR REAL ED]

There are as many hillbillys here as anywhere...On Saturday night, the local Amercian Legion is the place to be....I'm a member but rarely go there beacuse I rarely consume alcohol..I don't eat "Garbage Plates" either... ....i want to move south but my wife has family here....While in the Army I got along with Southerners best...

You are welcome down here anytime.  All my relatives say the same after visiting:  "I must be an idiot not to move south from Rochester NY!"

[LowRyter]

Sorry, but the heading "What is the oldest bike" sort of indicates that old bikes should be the point in this thread. Maybe I misinterpreted what the op was asking. If so my mistake.

Steve

really?

[geodoc]

Nobody stipulated that you couldn't have a support vehicle as part of the package.







.

[Chuck in Indiana]

Dog.. I'd look good on that..^^^^^ support vehicle or not. 

[LowRyter]

what is that bike?

[hauto]

my 1982 Vision 550 water-cooled shaft drive,

My son is riding my old 82 vision I bought new back then. Once you get the carb sorted it's a very good ride,even today. Puts out 60hp and very stable in the turns. The market is cruel,it only had a two year run. Hell,I road it from NJ to Yellowstone NP and back in 83

[Testarossa]

This old lump is very practical for me...79 Triumph T140D..No it's not stock.It's been modified by me with Honda Interceptor front forks, Ducati front disc and caliper, rear set pegs .etc...The engine is modified with tricks I learned from the Triumph race bike but it's not a radical engine..

That would be practical for me, too, and so would my '70 TR6R if it had your brake and suspension upgrades. The consensus emerging is that we all want proper disc brakes and DIY maintenance.

[Rough Edge racing]

That would be practical for me, too, and so would my '70 TR6R if it had your brake and suspension upgrades. The consensus emerging is that we all want proper disc brakes and DIY maintenance.

 The stock disc brakes on the 73 and newer Triumphs are adequate but the master cylinder bore is too large and gives a "wooden" feel.But the large disc and Brembo caliper is so much nicer.The stock forks can be improved some but they give a stiff ride...The 90's Showa front ends are not a bolt on, you need to pay attention to the yoke offset ,the tubes may need to be shortened, springs fussed with and steering stem and axle fabricated...but the cost is very reasonable if the labor is free. The 41 MM forks, compared to the stock 35mm give a nice ride and better steering feel..This bike seems to vibrate less than most and 75 MPH is tolerable for short trips on the freeway.The engines are ok with 5000 rpm cruising but the rider usually isn't..

[blu guzz]

"my 1982 Vision 550 water-cooled shaft drive"

i test rode one when new and was really impressed, but they were just too expensive for a 550 by a long stretch.  somewhere around 3,000+ which was 750 territory in 1982.  that and i didn't have that kind of money to spend on a bike anyway.  in those days, when a bike was 3,000 compared to 2,200, it was a mile.

another fun bike from that era by yamaha was called the 650 seca.  not to be confused with the 550 and 750 cruiseresque american versions, this one had shaft drive, an 8 inch headlight, low bars, more rearset pegs and a euro feel and riding position.  the pundits at the time reviewed the euro version and clammered for yamaha to import it, which the eventually did, but at 3,200. tested it, loved it, but again, way out of reach for me.  like the vision, didn't sell well, dropped after only a few model years. 

it was interesting that yamaha was so bold at that time.  however, most will remember that the early 80s was when the japanese makers were dumping massive quantities of bikes on our market, so in the end these great, visionary (no pun intended) bikes were partially doomed by their own practices.

[tazio]

"my 1982 Vision 550 water-cooled shaft drive"

i test rode one when new and was really impressed, but they were just too expensive for a 550 by a long stretch.  somewhere around 3,000+ which was 750 territory in 1982.  that and i didn't have that kind of money to spend on a bike anyway.  in those days, when a bike was 3,000 compared to 2,200, it was a mile.

In 1984, I bought my 1982 550Vision brand new when I lived in Venice, Florida.
 It was a "Left over" model and I payed $1600 out the door. THOSE were the days!
This bike ran great and served me well. I've heard of the fueling issues but they were never pronounced in my bike. (The same is said of my 2015 GRiSO, but 27k miles later I've not been moved enough by any issues to do something about it. Love this bike but I guess one day I'll pour some of that "Beatle Juice" in it and get it correctly mapped and learn all of what I've been missing )
The 1979 Bonnie that I bought after my time with the Vision dragged me and my girl all over the southeast for a few years. Miss that beautiful bike, did everything I needed it to do at the time for the type of riding I did and where I rode..

[SIR REAL ED]

"my 1982 Vision 550 water-cooled shaft drive"

i test rode one when new and was really impressed, but they were just too expensive for a 550 by a long stretch.  somewhere around 3,000+ which was 750 territory in 1982.  that and i didn't have that kind of money to spend on a bike anyway.  in those days, when a bike was 3,000 compared to 2,200, it was a mile.

another fun bike from that era by yamaha was called the 650 seca.  not to be confused with the 550 and 750 cruiseresque american versions, this one had shaft drive, an 8 inch headlight, low bars, more rearset pegs and a euro feel and riding position.  the pundits at the time reviewed the euro version and clammered for yamaha to import it, which the eventually did, but at $3,200. tested it, loved it, but again, way out of reach for me.  like the vision, didn't sell well, dropped after only a few model years. 

it was interesting that yamaha was so bold at that time.  however, most will remember that the early 80s was when the japanese makers were dumping massive quantities of bikes on our market, so in the end these great, visionary (no pun intended) bikes were partially doomed by their own practices.

Yep, back in the day Yamaha was my favorite manufacturer.  Big balls in the US market.  The SRX 600 was another beauty that only sold for a year or two.  I lusted after all three, but being poor white trash at the time........ as opposed to white trash now....

As I recall, the Seca 650 cost $400 more than the Seca 750, which was also shaft drive, but butt ugly!

[LowRyter]

I owned a Pearl White/Red-Black stripe '81 Seca 550.  Kinda a sportbike/pretender.  I owned it for 17 years and put 44k miles on it.  I tested a 550 Vision and was impressed with it's midrange and go.  Didn't compare top end to the Seca.  Finally got rid of the Seca due to intermittent ignition failure.  Replaced it with 1200 Bandit which I still own with 82k miles on it.

None would be the oldest viable bikes nor would compare to my newest.

[blu guzz]

Ed:  it always struck me as odd that in a class as important as 750, yamaha didn't have a real competitor to go against the other big 3 (all chain drive, 5 speed) until they brought out the 1985 20 valve model.  quarter mile times in magazines were king back then and all things being equal, shaft drive just couldn't cut it.  and of course, those unusual looks, another critical factor among young men.  man were we shallow.

[mhershon]

I bought a CB72, a 250 Hawk, in 1962 from Dreyer Cycle in Indianapolis. I rode it to Tucson and then to the Bay Area and part-way home. I met an H-D flat-track racer in a cafe somewhere in the west. He was headed for the Midwest just as I was, so he loaded my little red Honda on his three-bike trailer between his half-miler and his mile bike. We rode together in his pickup for hundreds of miles. The Hawk was my first bike, so I was not educated enough in our sport to appreciate the wealth of stories he told me. I believe, as LowRyter does, that those two Hondas, the CB72 and CB77, were the first bikes that were practical for all kinds of uses. You didn't have to be an engineer to keep one running or to keep the lights lit or the parts screwed on where they belonged. The floor under the bike stayed clean.

They were genuine enthusiast motorcycles that young working people could afford to buy and maintain. Parts were plentiful and not terribly expensive. The brakes were powerful, double-leading-shoe front and rear. Looking back sixty years, the bike could have used a five-speed gearbox. Maybe alloy wheelrims. The dual-point ignition worked fine, I thought, and you could time the ignition with a strobe -- the rotor was marked. The rider footpegs could be mounted in three positions. The oil spinner was useless and you destroyed it the first time you tried to clean it per the instructions in the manual. There was one place to put oil, a quart and a half if memory serves. You didn't have to learn how to read British moto-jargon to maintain the thing. You could ride across town in traffic and when you reached the far side of town the clutch still worked. You could find neutral.

As I reread what I've written, I can imagine that those of you who started riding in the '70s or '80s may not find any of the Hawk or Super Hawk (305cc) qualities remarkable. In the '60s, we couldn't take any of it for granted, not on a working person's budget. LowRyter is ryte on.

[SIR REAL ED]

Ed:  it always struck me as odd that in a class as important as 750, yamaha didn't have a real competitor to go against the other big 3 (all chain drive, 5 speed) until they brought out the 1985 20 valve model.  quarter mile times in magazines were king back then and all things being equal, shaft drive just couldn't cut it.  and of course, those unusual looks, another critical factor among young men.  man were we shallow.

I agree now.  I owned two of the XS750 triples, a 78 XS 750 and a 79 XS 750 Special. The 1976 and 1977 models were slow and heavy, 1978 saw a dose of horsepower added and redline increased from 7500 to 9000.  A couple magazines (Cycle Guide?) rated the 1978 Yamaha as the best and fastest 750.  High 12 second quarter miles IIRC.  Mid range torque allowed the Yamaha to stomp the Suzuki GS 750 in everyday riding.  The SOHC Honda was getting long in the tooth.  Yamaha seemed to give up on the 750 by 1980 when it became the 850 and lost power.  Honda came out with the four valve 750 in 1978, Suzuki's GS 750 went four valve in 1980, and that seemed to become the new focus.

I think Yamaha sank a lot of money into shaft drive and viewed it as the future of big bikes.  And also as a brand identifier.  But better, longer lasting drive chain technology and belt drive dethroned it.  And shaft drive became synonymous with big touring bikes.

My brother to this day regrets trading in his 1979 Yamaha 750 Special on a Yamaha 1100 Special.  I think it was the early 80's before anyone cared about weight, and of course the GSXR 750 was a game changer.

[LesP]

There are probably people out there who would regard a NON ABS, NON traction control bike to old.
If my needed criteria for a motorcycle was dictated by its ability to get me to work (I fly) in peak hour traffic or crawl through bumper to bumper chaos or drone down a multi lane motorway or interstate it would be time to hang up the helmet. 

I just watched a You Tube series where a guy rode a new Honda Monkey bike nearly 5000 miles from Melbourne to Perth and back for charity.
I guess ones persons impracticality is another's adventure.   

[SIR REAL ED]

There are probably people out there who would regard a NON ABS, NON traction control bike to old.
If my needed criteria for a motorcycle was dictated by its ability to get me to work (I fly) in peak hour traffic or crawl through bumper to bumper chaos or drone down a multi lane motorway or interstate it would be time to hang up the helmet. 

I just watched a You Tube series where a guy rode a new Honda Monkey bike nearly 5000 miles from Melbourne to Perth and back for charity.
I guess ones persons impracticality is another's adventure.   

Brings to mind the Hodaka ad of the early 1970's.  A 200 lb guy rode one around Australia, almost 10,000 miles and carrying 200 lbs of gear IIRC.

[SmithSwede]

I owned a Pearl White/Red-Black stripe '81 Seca 550.  Kinda a sportbike/pretender.  I owned it for 17 years and put 44k miles on it.  I tested a 550 Vision and was impressed with it's midrange and go.  Didn't compare top end to the Seca.  Finally got rid of the Seca due to intermittent ignition failure.  Replaced it with 1200 Bandit which I still own with 82k miles on it.

None would be the oldest viable bikes nor would compare to my newest.

Funny you mention that.    I too had a 1981 Yamaha Seca 550 in pearl white/red with the bikini fairing.  Boy, I loved that bike.   Very pleasant and easy to live with.  I put about 50 or 60K on it before I went to a Suzuki. 

But that Seca nearly killed me.   I was testing its top speed on a ratty back road on Avery Island, La near the Tobasco place.   Got it up to 100 or 105 and it went into a very nasty tank slapper. 

Never did it again.    But it darn sure spooked me. 

[Bulldog9]

As old as I'll go for a trusted daily rider. 78 XS750, 79XS1100.  I've owned the 1100 since 84 and has over 130K miles on it (? gets fuzzy). Retired from regular riding in the late 90's, and rode a bunch in 2005, but infrequently.

No fuel pumps, no FI, but both have electronic ignition, self cancelling turn signals, shaft drive, terrible brakes even with new MC, SS lines, and scintered pads. etc. The 750 (red) is a garage sale buy that I hoped my wife would ride, but even with custom 9" shocks and lowered seat, it was too tall. Sweet little triple. The bikes are currently in storage since 2013, and though I drained the carbs and fogged the motors before storage will have to rebuild the carbs & such. Prior to this, I would have ridden either anywhere. Hopefully one day when I retire, they will rejoin the land of the living.

[LowRyter]

Funny you mention that.    I too had a 1981 Yamaha Seca 550 in pearl white/red with the bikini fairing.  Boy, I loved that bike.   Very pleasant and easy to live with.  I put about 50 or 60K on it before I went to a Suzuki. 

But that Seca nearly killed me.   I was testing its top speed on a ratty back road on Avery Island, La near the Tobasco place.   Got it up to 100 or 105 and it went into a very nasty tank slapper. 

Never did it again.    But it darn sure spooked me.

True enough, that bike would get a little fiddly when you approached top end.  Mine gave me some warning, so I never got to the point of losing control.   Some said it was the bikini fairing that caused it.  I would just clamp down the preload nut on the steering bearing and it would tame it for a while- until the bearing was shot.   

[SIR REAL ED]

How about a 1980 BMW R80?  Asking cause I just bought one.  Only 166,000 miles.

Any thoughts on preferred break-in procedure?