There is a good discussion going on at ADVrider about what was the world's first Superbike. I reckon it was the first fast 750's in the late '60's - to me that was the Commando, Rocket 3, Trident and CB750, and then there was the Mach III, only a 500 but with power to match the 750's. OK, BMW made a 750 in '69, but nobody put it in the superbike class, until someone won the first Superbike race on one. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=908657 I think this 1970 Cycle magazine test put my case to rest. Findings similar to my clouded recollections, although I didn't think the CB750 would be as fast as that around a track, they handled pretty bad. The Rocket 3 had higher gearing than the Trident, which would explain it's quarter mile times - pity they didn't do a top speed test because then the Rocket 3 would be at the top of that list.
Great article Motu, thanks for sharing. Interesting that most of the specs checked out at strip down too...............you would still hear the moans today, if they hadn't agreed to do the checks that way. Doesn't matter what class you decide to race in, someone will always find a creative way to cheat. Some years back, the Toyota Rally Team were stripped of their world title for creatively concealing a hidden entrance allowing extra air into the engine, adjacent to the turbo inlet. The rules stipulated a maximum turbo inlet size which Toyota always met The pundits scratched their heads for months, trying to figure out why the Celica's speed was so superior to the other cars. Many scrutineers missed that little gem over many International Rallies, before they were finally sprung.
Hi guys in the interest of a good discussion, the last paragraph sums it up nicely, next years superbike will be better and the next years better an so on and so forth, one could argue that the GPZ900R was the first official "superbike" with its watercooled 908cc inline multi-valve four producing 115bhp and a top speed of 243km/h being the first to break the 150mph bracket and being the first of what is now the standard for most sports bikes design... one should ask what constitutes a superbike?? is it just in the eye of the beholder??
Yes the BMW R75/5 only does the standing 1/4 in 14.6 seconds according to Mr Falloon, it would probably do it day after day after day unlike the British bikes. They won the very sexy sounding Maudes Trophy for 7 days of continuous running around the IOM with both bikes clocking up 16 000 mls. I had a GPZ 900 for a while in the late 90s, lasting impressions were heavy and hot in traffic....never tried it on a runway though. I always thought the first Superbike was the Vincent Black Shadow, coolest ever name for a bike and monoshock to boot.
And it was black - always a good feature on a motorcycle.
Ahh in the eye of the beholder, zee bavarian tractor is a super...bike voltaire but is it a "superbike"? , agreed on the vincent by the way
Of course the Ducati V twin was not around in 1970 but hey...
Like the Z1, just cashing in on the new craze.
Pretty exciting times back in the early 70,s when the market was aimed at 20 somethings and not their Dads.
Much as I like the T500 Suzuki, I wouldn't ever think of calling it a super bike.
If they had the T500, they may as well have had the XS650 in there as well.
was the benchmark for a Superbike in 1970 the Triumph Bonneville ? I suppose it had a 10 year run at the top. This was probably the first superbike 1968
The Mk2 Ariel Square 4 must rate as an early superbike. Made from 1953-59, this 1000cc machine was a genuine 100 mph production bike. They were first produced in 1930 in a 500cc version................. it was designed by Edward Turner...............now where have I seen that name mentioned before?
The Squaf was a pretty slow bike, a Bonnie would leave it for dead....but plenty of grunt, a guy I knew tow started a Wolseley with his. I was going to say a 20 something in the early '70's couldn't afford any of those Superbikes....but then I remembered that in 1973 just a few days short of my 20th birthday I got the 1/3 deposit out of the bank on friday night to put down on a brand new Triumph Trophy Trail on saturday morning. But a look through the morning Herald saw me off to look at a Triton, and spent the $600 on that. Hmmmm, almost exactly 40 years ago.
Brough Superior SS100 would be right up there as well. "In 1927 George Brough and Freddie Dixon both achieved a record 130 mph (210 km/h) for the kilometre on the SS100 and in 1928 Brough broke his own record with 130.6 mph (210.2 km/h). In 1932 Ronald Storey achieved 81,08 for the standing half-mile at Brighton and in 1939 Noel Pope secured an all time Brooklands track record lap time of 124.51 mph (200.38 km/h) on an SS100" http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brough_Superior_SS100
