Brilliant designs

[faffi]

The BMW airheads had the centre stand placed to make the bike sit balanced, allowing removal of either wheel without a jack; remove rear wheel, and the bike would rest on the front wheel, or remove front wheel and the bike would rest on the rear.

[bronzestar1]

Quick-release body fasteners on an MV Agusta F4 750 I used to have, along with the one-piece tilt-up tail piece.  Had a BMW K1200S that used 5 lug bolts instead of one big central-locking nut for the rear wheel (didn't need that huge socket and breaker bar).

[Wayne Orwig]

My Kawasaki had a two-piece center stand. Push down the main part and it barely touched the ground, then push down the second part which 'jacked' up the bike in the air. Easy to use.
Kawasaki had a neutral finder. When you were stopped in first, you shift up, you are in neutral, never second. Once moving it easily shifted normally.

[Moparnut72]

The V100's have the same feature on the shift mechanism. I had almost 5,000 miles on mine before I figured it out. Mine couldn't be shifted into neutral when stopped when it was fairly new unless the engine was shut down. It was probably this mechanism that needed to be broken in before it would function normally. I complained to the dealer about it, I was told all Italian bikes did that. It took about a 1,000 miles before the shifter worked normally. I sold the bike just short of 10,000, the shifting was still getting better and was by then pretty good.
kk

[Dukedesmo]

Quote from: Wayne Orwig on Today at 01:45:40 PM

Kawasaki had a neutral finder.

___________________ ___________________ _

As does my LM2 - one between, pretty much, every gear...   

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Hinged rear fender and under seat light on the V7 Sport.

[Alfetta]

My Kawasaki had a two-piece center stand. Push down the main part and it barely touched the ground, then push down the second part which 'jacked' up the bike in the air. Easy to use.
Kawasaki had a neutral finder. When you were stopped in first, you shift up, you are in neutral, never second. Once moving it easily shifted normally.

It's a super great feature.  I would love to have it on my V7, as finding neutral on this bike is a bit annoying...

[drdwb]

Glass oil level window, self canceling turn signals, speedometers/ odometers that work after 50,000 miles, built in features found on most Japanese motor cycles since the late 70’s.

[bigbikerrick]

My Kawasaki had a two-piece center stand. Push down the main part and it barely touched the ground, then push down the second part which 'jacked' up the bike in the air. Easy to use.
Kawasaki had a neutral finder. When you were stopped in first, you shift up, you are in neutral, never second. Once moving it easily shifted normally.

I also think Kawasakis neutral finder was brilliant. Their K- Tric ignition advance setup was pretty brilliant as well!
Rick

[Bulldog9]

Glass oil level window, self canceling turn signals, speedometers/ odometers that work after 50,000 miles, built in features found on most Japanese motor cycles since the late 70’s.

My 78 XS 750 and 79 XS1100 had all these plus tip over shutoff protection. It all still works!

The XS 11 also had an electronic ignition and auto style vacuum advance which was odd 

[clubman]

The BMW airheads had the centre stand placed to make the bike sit balanced, allowing removal of either wheel without a jack; remove rear wheel, and the bike would rest on the front wheel, or remove front wheel and the bike would rest on the rear.

 
 One of my pet peeves about modern bikes is the  absence  of a center stand or even any way to add one. Had 3 airheads and routine maint. was a simple pleasure.

[blackcat]

Hinged rear fender and under seat light on the V7 Sport.

Not to discount the V7 Sport hinged fender but early 50's HD's (Panheads) and mid-50's Nortons (ES2's) had hinged rear fenders.