Your best ever bike

[Skinny_Birdman]

1987 'jelly mould' CBR 600FH. An ex-racebike (and hence a bit thirsty on the oil), it would still easily do 200km/h, was light, comfy, good two up, and withstood 30000kms of merciless thrashing including an 'off' with equanimity. Not the best looking bike ever, but still a classic in my eyes... Unfortunately it had to go to make way for the Blackbird...

[warewolf]

Definitely the KTM 640 Adventure. Goes anywhere from trail to street. Belt along the highway then go poking about in horrible shitty rough single-track. Good suspension and handling, not too shy on power. Slides on the tar in a controllable fashion, even for a mere mortal like me.

Always wants to be ridden harder/faster/better, and responds better the more assertive you are with it.

The 1992 Yamaha TDM850 probably comes in second; fun motor and good on-road/rough-tar running gear, but too limited in scope (no knobbies) to come out on top in this comparison.

[FROSTY:Me]

too many really to give one.
ICE--my first xj900 -raced it rallied it commuted on it
darn thing was indestructable.
Yamaha rd250lc---first race bike -taught me what real speed was all about

[deanohit]

Zongshen 200GY, basically cause it's the only real bike I've had so far. But it does everything I want at the mo, touring, back road blasting, gravel and this week end will see how it likes the dirt.I need to upgrade soon though as my skill has surpassed the suspension and brakes, it ran out of power for me AGES ago.

[kevfromcoro]

1998 Yamaha TDM facelift model

TDM....900..HAVE HEARD they are good bikes.....
never riden one......good cunts allright.
lol ..KEV

[banditrider]

My RG250 (2nd road bike) taught me how to ride all the bikes after it have been a blast. But now the Concours is king!

[Motu]

Those are some shit scary first time adventure bikes guys....dunno if I'd like to get sideways in gravel on a drag bike! Comprehension used to be a subject in Primary School.....

Going over old ground as I've talked about it several times before,but there are new guys here who might be interested,I'll put a photo of it back up as my avatar for this thread as long as it's current.

I'd had street legal trail bikes before,and set up my road bikes for gravel,but the bike that opened up a dark part of my soul to how I could really ride,how fast I could go and get away with was the 1964 Rickman Metisse I got in 1975.I tossed out the slow old 5TA engine and fitted a 1973 T100C Daytona unit into the bike,fitted lights and a Triumph conical rear wheel so I could change sprocket sizes easily (cut sprockets).I did some off road riding on it,and rode it on the street as my daily bike....but what it did best was be the fastest damn thing I've ever ridden on gravel.Rose tinted glasses maybe,but in my early 20's I had no fear,and no idea of what wasn't really possible in the real world....nor did the Rickman! This is the best bike I have ever ridden being totally happy sideways....we were sliding fools.Modern bikes have a higher CG and softer suspension,the Rickman was old school and went sideways like a flattracker....and that's where it ended it's days of competition,at Rosebank Speedway.

I didn't know what I was doing,and Supermotard hadn't been invented yet - but that's what I was doing on seal....crossed up sideways out of turns with the front wheel in the air.There is a time in your life when you are game for anything....and then you meet a bike able to supply your wildest fantasy.

[Edbear]

1970 Suzuki T500

first bike I 'did the ton' on
first bike I ever did a massive powerslide on (unintentional but fun/addicitve)

and I suppose as a result of the above ...first bike I rebuilt the engine on

oh to be 18 and bulletproof again (my brains arrived in my mid 30's)

Mine was the '73 model and I loved it after the '51 BSA B31 350! Yep first ton-up bike, first tankslapper chasing a cute chick on a CB350 through the Mamaku's...(she won...) First pillion ride with my then GF in '75 - can't have scared her enough, she married me after that 30 years ago and she's still here!

Have to say each bike has been special in its own way. The Beeza 'cause it was my first bike, the T500 for the above, the '89 GSX-F600 I returned to biking on in '03, and the C50T now 'cause it got the Missus back into pillioning again and it's just a pleasure to ride, (and look at) anywhere!

[Unit:Me]

I have to go with my current bike ZX14 '07, wow. But its a tough choice, theAprillia RSVR Factory was glorious, I loved my first ever bike, Norton 850 Commando '73 but it was so long ago the memory is faded so hard to compare, and I also loved the 1927 AJS 350 I used to kick around on when I was pregnant with my daughter, but once again too long ago to compare.
So far, nothing touches my 14

[deanohit]

So far, nothing touches my 14

Not even DMNTD?

[Clivoris]

I'm of an age that the XR 500a ruled when I was 18. It was the weapon for wheelstanding home from school, or down Ocean beach. I took me all over the North Island and was pure joy in the gravel. I worked 3 jobs around my school-day to get that bike and it broke my heart when it was stolen. Forced me to swap my car for a GS1000. Better than morphine for easing pain, but I still dream of an XR. I suspect the Motard XR650 or the KTM would give a similar buzz.

[cuppa]

A yamaha TT500 Polished tank with orange sides.I owned the second one in Auckland with the wheely king Pete Hodge getting the first one.

[Toaster]

I have had 5 bikes, 4 were sports bikes and the best is the M109R muscle cruiser - makes me grin from ear to ear every time I start it up and hop on for a ride.

[98tls]

TLS1000 which i still have,best bike ive ever had is the reason why i still have it,9 years later still brings a smile to the dial and thats about the best thing you can hope for when your an old basterd like me,will buy one more new bike but the S will stay.A future classic for sure,thats why ive kept all the oem bits.

[Clivoris]

.A future classic for sure,thats why ive kept all the oem bits.

Hope you aren't too old to remember where they all go.