Those where the days: bike regos for 1986 [Archive]

spanner spinner

6th October 2013, 21:19

We got a pile of old kiwi riders dropped off at work and this article from a 1986 copy reminded me of how good the bike industry use to be. 1986 3.2 million people 13,372 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.004 per cent) 2012 4.4 million people 5,272 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.001 per cent) and the 1986 numbers where a drop from 1980 29,957 new bikes registered!

288276

pete-blen

6th October 2013, 21:32

[QUOTE=spanner spinner;1130621400]We got a pile of old kiwi riders dropped off at work and this article from a 1986 copy reminded me of how good the bike industry use to be. 1986 3.2 million people 13,372 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.004 per cent) 2012 4.4 million people 5,272 new bikes registered (some thing like 0.001 per cent) and the 1986 numbers where a drop from 1980 29,957 new bikes registered!]

Unless you were there in the late 70 , early 80... don't know how meany bikes were on the road...
Then along came the cheap jap import cars....

rastuscat

7th October 2013, 08:09

ellipsis

7th October 2013, 08:49

...most of the riders of motorcycles on the road in the40's, 50's, 60's, early 70's were riding 'transport'...Wednesday night rides were generally home from work and most riders wished they had enough 'overseas funds', so they could get permission to own a car and then wait months until it arrived on a boat...the biker lifestyle had not been perceived as anything other than, riding a bike as opposed to walking or taking the train...then things changed...hollywood, jappas, 1% yanks etc etc...

willytheekid

7th October 2013, 09:06

...most of the riders of motorcycles on the road in the40's, 50's, 60's, early 70's were riding 'transport'

MOST! lol

...My Grandad was riding his Norton Flat-track racer from the dunedin race track, to the pub, and then out to the mudflats to see my Gran at the batch :killingme

...and anyone familar with Dunedin will remember the huge white cross waaay out in the mud flats at Purakaunui inlet on the dog leg corner...Don't ride norton flat trackers drunk!, they don't take highspeed corners to well:no:...but they sure can skip across mud flats!:killingme

(*his mate and him went back the day after to get the bike...it had sunk!:facepalm:...hence the huge cross lol)

iranana

7th October 2013, 09:16

[QUOTE=pete-blen;1130621402]
I don't envy young people who love bikes these days. It's become a wealthy mans passtime.

I have a Yamaha RD as a project bike, for what I've spent fixing it I could have quite a nice car, but fuck that, let's keep the dream alive :2thumbsup

Voltaire

7th October 2013, 09:39

Banditbandit

7th October 2013, 14:25

Those where the days: bike regos for 1986

Fuck - now I feel really OLD ... I'd been riding for 13 years in 1986 ... It's hard when the young bucks think that was a long time ago - and some of us think it was recent history ... (someone born in 1986 would be 27 this year ...)

SPman

7th October 2013, 16:18

You feel old....I'd been riding for 20 yrs and the missus for 25yrs (she started youngish).....

pete-blen

7th October 2013, 16:44

my recollection of British bikes in the mid 80's was totally outdated bikes that gangs rode.

LOL.... I couldn't have said it better :niceone:

pete376403

7th October 2013, 16:58

Hire Purchase on bikes only required 1/3 deposit, where cars required a 1/2 deposit - that help bike sales a lot, too. My 72 Bighorn 35o was $390 down and the balance over two years (General Finance had pretty exorbitant interest rates, though

Motu

7th October 2013, 19:05

WOW Triumph sold 16, must have been to some old diehards as my recollection of British bikes in the mid 80's was totally outdated bikes that gangs rode.

By the mid '80's all the gangs were on Harleys, none would have the skills to keep a Triumph going by then. The later Meriden Triumphs were a shadow of their former selves burdened with US emission regulations. Low compression, restrictive exhausts and lean carbs turned the lightweight nippy Triumph into a gutless fat slug. I knew a guy who had one then, he reckoned it was hard pressed to do 80mph.

1986 ? At one point in that year I might've been down to just 2 bikes, after swapping the CB750 for a Singer Vogue, I'd never had that few bikes since I was 16. Five years later I was back to 10 running bikes. In the '70's and '80's everyone was on bikes - my inlaws both rode CB125's, and all their 8 kids rode motorcycles as everyday transport, and not what you would call a hardcore motorcycle family...it was just a cheap way to get around.

HenryDorsetCase

7th October 2013, 20:27

Fuck - now I feel really OLD ... I'd been riding for 13 years in 1986 ... It's hard when the young bucks think that was a long time ago - and some of us think it was recent history ... (someone born in 1986 would be 27 this year ...)

I hired someone this week who is doing exactly that. I'm like "What the hell just happened?" They study stuff like the Springbok tour in HISTORY class.

HISTORY!!!! I was there!

Woodman

7th October 2013, 20:29

Back then most of the dirt bikes were road registered, IT's PE's KDX's XR's etc wheres now they are not. Wonder how much this skews the figures?

russd7

7th October 2013, 20:50

Back then most of the dirt bikes were road registered, IT's PE's KDX's XR's etc wheres now they are not. Wonder how much this skews the figures?

all the ones that i knew of that were road reg were ridden on the road (mine included), most were toys as well as transport even tho the the black and whites were nazis. I got a ticket for no mirror even tho i had the remainder of the mirror with me and fresh grazes from when i had not long before come off. when i asked how i was sposed to get my bike home his answer was "push it, its not up to warrant of fitness":tugger:, well pleased that most traffic officers i come across these days are a lot more understanding :2thumbsup

Motu

7th October 2013, 21:09

Back then most of the dirt bikes were road registered, IT's PE's KDX's XR's etc wheres now they are not. Wonder how much this skews the figures?

These are all the bikes still exempt from indicator requirements, still in the VIRM. Trials bikes and enduro bikes. I used to ride a Rickman Metisse on the road - ownership papers and plate, fully legal. At the time there was also a daytime WoF available - no lights required.

Table 4-5-1. Motorcycles exempted from direction indicator lamp requirements

Bajaj Super 150

Bultaco Sherpa T250

Bultaco Sherpa T350

Bultaco Frontera 250

Bultaco Frontera 370

DKW 125 Enduro

Gemini MA 50

Honda NC50 Express

Honda XR185 Enduro

Honda XR200 Enduro

Honda XR250 Enduro

Honda XR500 Enduro

Kawasaki KLX 250 Enduro

Kawasaki KV75

Kawasaki KT250

Mini Buffalo

Montesa 250H6

Montesa 360H6

Montesa 247T

Montesa 247

Montesa 348

Suzuki DS80

Suzuki DR 370

Suzuki DR400

Suzuki PE 175

Suzuki PE 250

Suzuki RL 250

Suzuki TF 100

Suzuki TF 125

Suzuki TF 185

Yamaha IT175

Yamaha IT400

Yamaha Trials TY175

Yamaha Trials TY250

Yamaha TT250

Yamaha TT500 Enduro

Zundapp K 550

spanner spinner

7th October 2013, 21:21

Back then most of the dirt bikes were road registered, IT's PE's KDX's XR's etc wheres now they are not. Wonder how much this skews the figures?

Yep plenty of road legal dirtbikes but it's still a sale and it's still another bike been ridden every day and it's still another bum on a seat. I bet Honda would be happy to sell as many crf250's today as they sold xr200's back then.

Banditbandit

8th October 2013, 08:18

I hired someone this week who is doing exactly that. I'm like "What the hell just happened?" They study stuff like the Springbok tour in HISTORY class.

HISTORY!!!! I was there!

Yeah ... in class I once referred to "the events of 1981" .. and the whole class said "what happened in 1981?" ... that was a shock to the system ... and it wasn;t like it was high school - it was in tertiary education

awa355

8th October 2013, 14:00

These are all the bikes still exempt from indicator requirements, still in the VIRM. Trials bikes and enduro bikes. I used to ride a Rickman Metisse on the road - ownership papers and plate, fully legal. At the time there was also a daytime WoF available - no lights required.

Table 4-5-1. Motorcycles exempted from direction indicator lamp requirements

Gemini MA 50

The Gemini ?? I owned a Gemini 125 back in 1973. Rode it home from the dealer in Putaruru to mums place at Tirau. Seized about 100 yards from home. First time I washed it, part of the decal on the side panel came off with the car brush.

Back then, Taiwan were where where the Chinese are today.
288340

danchop

8th October 2013, 18:17

Yep plenty of road legal dirtbikes but it's still a sale and it's still another bike been ridden every day and it's still another bum on a seat. I bet Honda would be happy to sell as many crf250's today as they sold xr200's back then.
yeah i worked for bill russell honda in whangarei back in the day and our biggest sales month was one when we sold just over two hundred xrtwo hundred rds in the first month they came out

scumdog

8th October 2013, 18:44

These are all the bikes still exempt from indicator requirements, still in the VIRM. Trials bikes and enduro bikes. I used to ride a Rickman Metisse on the road - ownership papers and plate, fully legal. At the time there was also a daytime WoF available - no lights required.

Table 4-5-1. Motorcycles exempted from direction indicator lamp requirements

Bajaj Super 150

Bultaco Sherpa T250

etc...etc

Zundapp K 550

My'81 Harley was also exempt due to year of manufacture/year of import loop-hole.

Motu

8th October 2013, 19:07

You had to find a friendly cop to get a daytime WoF, and I wasn't going to wash and comb my hair just to sweet talk a bloody Cop! They stopped the daytime WoF and now we have farm rego - I like those. When it comes up on the computer that the vehicle doesn't require a WoF I show the screen to the customer, tell him it doesn't have to have a WoF and walk off. ''Oh, but I want one anyway''....'Why pay for one when you don't need one?' Round and round in circles and then I put it through. Why don't they admit they are dodgy bastards? We'd have a good laugh then, but they just gotta lie.

BMWST?

8th October 2013, 20:11

WOW Triumph sold 16, must have been to some old diehards as my recollection of British bikes in the mid 80's was totally outdated bikes that gangs rode.
I had a Z1000j ( $4100, 4 years old) and wanted a Ducati, but they were almost unheard of...a Doo what I?
Used to drool over Two Wheels mags at the range and prices of bike in Oz.
Bought my Ducati in Sydney for $2700 AU compared to the $6000 Auckland Motorcycles wanted for a similar Darmah.
Picked up a BMW there too as I had not seen many in Auckland, I think Jensens in Newmarket were the dealers and you could order them from the catalog.

eh?
In Wellington everyone knew what a Ducati was,I got a 900s2 from bike clinic in Tory Street.I am pretty sure they had at least one in the show room,plus darmahs and Pantahs.Some time later i got a K100rs from Bike clinic (top of taranaki st then) I dont think they had them on the showroom floor because they were new to the Market,but the std model K100(and the touring version) was out.Again i think there were brand new twins and flat fours sitting on the showroom floor as well as Kawasakis.

Muppet

9th October 2013, 10:58

Road toll in 1986 was 766 and banks didn't let you use your mortgage like an ATM either!

Banditbandit

9th October 2013, 12:20

banks didn't let you use your mortgage like an ATM either!

So there was no Global Financial Crisis ...

Muppet

9th October 2013, 18:58

So there was no Global Financial Crisis ...

Is that a question?

Motu

9th October 2013, 19:41

We had to wait another year for that.

ellipsis

9th October 2013, 19:53

We had to wait another year for that.

...for the question?...

Gianz

9th October 2013, 20:02

I wonder how much the rego was?

ellipsis

9th October 2013, 20:04

I wonder how much the rego was?

...thats a question...I can tell, it has one of these things...?...

scumdog

9th October 2013, 20:10

Road toll in 1986 was 766 .....!

And has dropped to its present level by magic. (Or some would have you think that...).

Sad times 70's and 80's with less vehicles on the road - but more people being killed on those same roads.

russd7

9th October 2013, 20:56

And has dropped to its present level by magic. (Or some would have you think that...).

Sad times 70's and 80's with less vehicles on the road - but more people being killed on those same roads.

and the speed limit was only 80km/hr, f**k that cost me a lot of fun tax in the early eighties:yes: yet the only ticket that ever pissed me off was the one our kindly MoT gave me for riding my xr250 with no mirror, and i had the grazes and broken mirror to show i was just heading home after an off:brick:

Motu

9th October 2013, 21:42

...for the question?...

For the 1987 financial crash, oh, those poor Yuppies. Interest rates were up to 21%, we got our first Housing Corp mortgage in '88 at a very low 13%....we thought we were lucky. You didn't have to have a high income to get into the housing market, you had to get your income as low as possible. I took a pay cut to get the mortgage. I sold a bike to pay the lawyers fees, but didn't give up bikes just because of marriage, kids and a mortgage.

ellipsis

9th October 2013, 21:54

For the 1987 financial crash, oh, those poor Yuppies. Interest rates were up to 21%, we got our first Housing Corp mortgage in '88 at a very low 13%....we thought we were lucky. You didn't have to have a high income to get into the housing market, you had to get your income as low as possible. I took a pay cut to get the mortgage. I sold a bike to pay the lawyers fees, but didn't give up bikes just because of marriage, kids and a mortgage.

...I'd just arrived back in kiwi then, after about seven years away...never saw the yuppie explosion over here, but I do remember arriving back to a kind of stunned bunch of 'ex' groovers who weren't groovin so much...it was a good time to arrive with a big heap of cash...

Muppet

10th October 2013, 17:44

This thread reminds me of the Monty Python-Four Yorkshiremen sketch.

ensapp

10th October 2013, 18:00

Are there any Old riders here. I can't tell if a bike is really good until they get 20 years old. I only recently sold a bike I loved for over 30 years. I prefer a 1950 Vincent Black Shadow to any bike out there. I have owned Indians, Harleys, a couple of Honda's, The V65 Magna was great. I use to think my 73 Suzuki GT750 Water Buffalo was fast but the old Vincent was faster for longer. I had a Norton 650 Commando in the mid 70's but it really wasn't very impressive. I ride a RF900R today and I love the bike. I sold the Vincent and it nearly broke my heart but the new owner gave me 72,000 reasons to feel better about it. I joined this site because of a personal hero of mine who was from New Zealand, Burt Munro
http://www.dudeworld.com.au/images/BM20.jpg

Banditbandit

11th October 2013, 10:15

Is that a question?

Not unless that was an answer ...

Banditbandit

11th October 2013, 10:17

Are there any Old riders here.

Depends what you mean by old .. I'm late 50s and some here make me feel young ...

ensapp

11th October 2013, 11:57

GREAT, I am at the right place. I'm about your age, pushing 60 and have owned cycles since I was 15.
I'm thinking about adding a turbo and nitrous to the RF. Has anyone else done it ?

russd7

11th October 2013, 17:53

GREAT, I am at the right place. I'm about your age, pushing 60 and have owned cycles since I was 15.
I'm thinking about adding a turbo and nitrous to the RF. Has anyone else done it ?

just do it:Punk: it will either work or it won't :shifty: