Motorcycle of The Decade

[rocker59]

Originally Posted by Berto

I would say that the Evo engine Harley has had a bigger impact on motorcycling than any other bike.

That's a big claim. You want to elaborate on that thought?

[Nadgett]

I had a Commando 850 and a Honda CB750. The Norton was much more fun to ride, but the Honda was far more reliable.

[Berto]

Originally Posted by rocker59

That's a big claim. You want to elaborate on that thought?

The Evo and softail chassis was the first Harley that was pretty reliable and didn't needs lots of care and attention to keep it running well. It was a bike that appealed to more than just the faithful and defined the cruiser class.Its the bike that has gotten 100s of thousands of people on a motorcycle.It is the bike that brought us PIRATES!!

[Fundy Rider]

My vote has to be the ktm950/990 adventure series from 03 on.

Name me one other bike that can do it all as well. I mean everywhere and not just in the dirt, and in the dirt for a 500 pound machine to do what it does at speed or not. It really comes down to the rider. Tour, Canyon Carve, two up, and leave everything else in its category in the dirt behind.

Lightest v-twin on the market. Racing pedigree. Actually a race bike that became a road bike.

[Steve G.]

Originally Posted by Berto

The Evo and softail chassis was the first Harley that was pretty reliable and didn't needs lots of care and attention to keep it running well. It was a bike that appealed to more than just the faithful and defined the cruiser class.Its the bike that has gotten 100s of thousands of people on a motorcycle.It is the bike that brought us PIRATES!!

Using that example, would you think that the Honda Cub had a bigger effect on world ridership? Remember we are talking about world here, not just here.

Steve

[Unstable Rider]

As far as bikes that are Energizer Bunny ready to go all the time, and just go, go, go

Honda Pacific Coast PC800.

Not particullary thrilling, but it was ultra reliable, and still has a great following.

"Plastic coated reliability"


2nd vote:

The infamous Kawsaki KLR 650.

25 years of bone rattling service to us. I did not say "fine service", and not "refined service".

The KLR is the lever action Winchester rifle of the motorcyle world. More of them (the rifle and the bike) in the hands of more adventurers around the world because they were handy, reliable, and affordable.

Ps: Lucas McCain had a doo-hickey too.

[IgoFar]

No doubt, the 1200GS. The GS is the father of the adveture tourer and the 1200 further refined the that niche. The bike does it all. On the hiway, you can go all day long and still have something left in you when you're done. In the twisties, catch me if you can. Gravel and light off road, surprising for a 500+ lb. bike. Of course, a goldwing will do better on the hiway. Sure, a sport bike will do better in the twisties. No doubt, a KLR will do better on the dirt. But as a complete package, The GS can't be beat.

[Pantah]

Do we have any candidates for the present decade? Is there a 2010 or newer motorcycle that moves the dial like the the landmark machines listed for earlier decades?

Ducati launched the Panigale, Multi and Daivel, but somehow they don't strike me a landmark products. KTM has their SM-T 990? Their new 350/500 dual sport products that might qualify, since they are street legal race bikes, complete with CA emissions gear. Triumph has their 800 Tigger.

Anything novel out there so far this decade?

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by rocker59

That's a big claim. You want to elaborate on that thought?

He's got a point. When the employees bought the Motor Company from AMF through a landmark LBO and made over the product line with the EVO motor, they launched a surge in motorcycle ownership not seen since Honda and the 'nicest people'.

Thank you Dean Witter...

[Vertical C]

Originally Posted by Pantah

Anything novel out there so far this decade?

Honda NC700s/x/i

[FootLoose1949]

I would contend that the Vincent 500cc Comet, 998cc Rapide, Black Shadow and Lightning, were the motorcycles of two decades, the 1940s and 1950's. Few if any other bikes were as tehnologically advanced until at least 2 decades after this, (Engine a structural part of the chassis, probably the first production machine with mono-shock rear suspension) and until the early 70's the world's fastest production motorcycle. For decades after the bike went out of production, it was many a pubescent teens fantasy motorcycle and it took over 4 decades for other motorcycle manufacturers to realise that mono-shock suspension was superior handling-wise to the old swinging-arm system. Quite why the HD gets nominated, unless it's for being the absolute opposite to the Vincent, baffles me!

[OrangeYZ]

Originally Posted by Pantah

Do we have any candidates for the present decade? Is there a 2010 or newer motorcycle that moves the dial like the the landmark machines listed for earlier decades?

Their new 350/500 dual sport products that might qualify, since they are street legal race bikes, complete with CA emissions gear.

Anything novel out there so far this decade?

As great as those are, they're just upgrades of the 450/525/530 street legal race bikes which came about in 2007. Which I think Husky did with a couple of bikes in 2005 or 2006.

[caponerd]

Originally Posted by FootLoose1949

I would contend that the Vincent 500cc Comet, 998cc Rapide, Black Shadow and Lightning, were the motorcycles of two decades, the 1940s and 1950's. Few if any other bikes were as tehnologically advanced until at least 2 decades after this, (Engine a structural part of the chassis, probably the first production machine with mono-shock rear suspension) and until the early 70's the world's fastest production motorcycle. For decades after the bike went out of production, it was many a pubescent teens fantasy motorcycle and it took over 4 decades for other motorcycle manufacturers to realise that mono-shock suspension was superior handling-wise to the old swinging-arm system. Quite why the HD gets nominated, unless it's for being the absolute opposite to the Vincent, baffles me!

Everything you've said about the Vincent is debatable. (this will be taken as blasphemy, but as good as Vincents were for the time, the mistique of the Vincent has gone far beyond what it really was)

Other manufacurers have used the engine as a structural part of the chassis, most notably, for the British Industry, was Royal Enfield.

If you want to consider the Lightning as a "production motorcycle" (I don't), then yes, it might put Vincent at the top of the speed class, but I think a check of road test statistics through the 60's might actually prove even that assumption to be wrong.

And the Vincent may have had a rear suspension similar to a modern mono-shock suspension, but even Vincent owners (I'm friends with several, and have ridden a Black Shadow myself) will tell you that there's a bit of a hinged-in-the-middle effect, even when they're well put together. And let's not forget that they continued to use a girder front suspension right up to the bitter end.

But beyond that, there are other motorcycles that helped "define" motorcycling for the two decades you mentioned, while the Vincent because of it's price and exclusivity, failed to influence motorcycle design very strongly at all, even if some of their innovations were eventually adopted and improved on years later.
And while they captured the imaginations of many young men and boys, they weren't very successful in the marketplace in spite of their reputation. The last one was built in 1955, only half way into the decade.

For the 50's, I'd want to name the Triumph Twins, starting with the Speed Twin, and ending with the Bonneville.

[Wraith Rider]

80's: BMW R GS series - that's when it startet, not the R 1200 GS or something
90's: Suzuki Hayabusa for obvious reasons
00's: BMW S1000RR for changing the BMW image and technological superiority (engine, electronics)
10's: VFR 1200 FD for being the first motorcycle with dual clutch transmission

[2handedSpey]

Originally Posted by klaviator

KLR650 for the last three decades. What other bike was good enough to remain mostly unchanged and still sell well for over 20 years? What other bike has a doohicky??

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