When you were a nipper, like - what was the biggest bike around?

[swarfie]

you're dreaming, my 1918 Henderson is 1000cc, my 1924 Ace is 1100cc and my 1920 Henderson is 1301cc, teen Indians were 1000cc then in the twenties they went to 1200cc and Harleys had 1200cc bikes in the twenties too.
The british produced a number of 1000cc bikes in the twenties and thirties too and yep the Vincent twins on standard bore were 998cc.

Jeez Spyda you look a bit ruff but I didn't think you were a nipper in the teens or even the 20's

[pritch]

I was thinking 650. I'd forgotten the Squarial, had only ever seen a couple. Only ever saw one Vincent on the road as I recall.

So 650 was the normal maximum. In retrospect I think one of the bikes that impressed me most was the BSA Super Rocket owned by a guy I knew. It went well and sounded great, looked a picture too.

[Grubber]

AJS 650 was my first big impression bike. My sisters boyfriend had one. Sounded so cool. Then it was the Honda 500 four when they first came out. Remember the local dealer hooning the crap out of one up the street. Man it was so fast back then.

[Banditbandit]

The biggest thing we saw on the road was the 750cc - Triumph Trident or BSA Rocket 3 ... there were the old bikes - Ariels, Vincents, etc etc. But on a daily basis the 750cc were the biggest around ...

The next I remember was the Honda 750cc F1 .. then the Kwaka Z1 ... then it was all about BIG ccs ...

(Addition) clearly - my memory is not as good as it was ... others have mentioned the Norton 750cc commando and the Kwaka 900 ... I remembered both of those when I was prompted ...

[GrayWolf]

As a Nipper?
The biggest bikes were the Ariel Square 4, and the Vincent both at 1000cc

the general 'big bike' was any of the various manufacture of British 650's

[Motu]

you're dreaming, my 1918 Henderson is 1000cc, my 1924 Ace is 1100cc and my 1920 Henderson is 1301cc, teen Indians were 1000cc then in the twenties they went to 1200cc and Harleys had 1200cc bikes in the twenties too.

When you were a nipper in the '20's, yes, but when I were a nipper in the '60's it was Vincents and Squaffs.

[unstuck]

My cousins Laverda jota. That thing was huge when I was a kid. I spent hours sitting on it brum bruming away.

[roogazza]

In the sixties we were the new generation on Jap 250's and the big stuff round then were Bonneville 650s and Comando 750s.

Still remember a fine clear Sunday morning in 1968 when I stopped at Te Marua, before heading over the Rimutukas.
I heard this incredible engine sound, Mal Wrigley (Wgton bloke who also raced for a bit) flew by on the first of the Triumph Tridents,a 750 3 cyl !
Complete with fur covered helmet with cow horns !!!!!

[Naki Rat]

Brit 750s were about but the Honda 750/4 was popular when released, and the Suzuki 750 'Waterbus' and Kwaka H3 , but then Kawasaki produced the Z900 (and Z1R Turbo ). Yamaha XS 850 then an 1100, Suzuki GS 1000, Kawasaki Z1000, Honda Lead Wing, Beemer's 1000RS, 850 Norton, and Honda came up with the 6 cylinder CBX 1048.

Rode a mate's CBX once (with a 6 into 1 exhaust) - fuck could that go

[pete376403]

Are we talking about physical size or engine size? Brit 650s were the big bikes of my nipper-hood, but put one next to my Suzuki GS1100GK and it would look like a mini bike.
Same with power - back then a 49hp Bonneville was a "superbike", now you need close to 200hp to gain respect

[ital916]

Woooo, first bike I ever saw when I was little was the new 88 zzr-1000....she was black and purple and fucking beautiful.

[Conquiztador]

A Panhead. I fell in love.

Then I did see a Munch Mammoth. And I started dribbling. 10 years later (in early 1970's) I was down the track of buying a Mammoth. Then a Triumph Bonny crossed my path and I have never owned one.

Today I dream of: