Year for a classic bike?

[portokiwi]

Just a quickkie..... What year can you call a bike a classic????

[Maha]

The early RF's are now vintage aren't they??......

[portokiwi]

Just brought an old GSX550 looking at doing up.
picking it up on the way down to wellington....

[malfunconz]

i remember them well , they were a wicked little machine, my mate had one . have fun.

[malfunconz]

dont know if they "vintage" though

[portokiwi]

I had one back in the 90s I loved it.
Going back in time... This one is a 85

[riffer]

The early RF's are now vintage aren't they??......

you must spread some reputation around....

[MVnut]

the year really isn't that important imho but if an older bike was crap when it was new it's just gonna be older crap now. Some folk's idea of a classic astounds me

[wickle]

vary between 25/30 years Hawkes Bay reconise 1980 as Classic at present

[portokiwi]

well this bike is either an 84 or a 85 so its very close lol.

[Ojai]

Is a 21 year old GB400 a classic yet? Or is it still just old?

[dangerous]

Just a quickkie..... What year can you call a bike a classic????

generally speaking its like this:
classic, pre 1972
post classic pre 82
post classic pre89

[Dodgyiti]

Is a 21 year old GB400 a classic yet? Or is it still just old?

Just old sorry..

When it is a classic it will be a classic retro classic instead of just a retro classic isn't that weird?

What is there that was a retro classic and now a classic?

The GB had to be one of the real early ones, Moto-Guzzi did the 1000s based on the V7 Sport/S750 in the very late 80's and Yammaha did the W bikes pretty early on too. Royal Enfield made in India does not count, they thought it was modern when they were buying up the dies

[PeteJ]

generally speaking its like this:
classic, pre 1972
post classic pre 82
post classic pre89

That's the MNZ/various club classifications for racers.

Most of the classic m/c clubs for other bikes have a rolling 25-year rule, having now abandoned specific years. The various vintage and classic clubs world wide have similar stances.

Debates about the true meaning of the word "classic" in this context have been going on for much more than the 25-year rolling period. One person's treasure is another's grey porridge (a term, incidentally, that I first saw in a "Two Wheels" article about the then-emerging classic m/c movement in 1973).

"Classic" is so intensely subjective in individual applications that a rolling time period definition is proving to be the most workable one for clubs (apart from those whose intention is to distort history). For instance, I would happily argue in favour of the proposition that the Honda 50 Cub, which changed the face of transport, is a classic. On the other hand, some ex-owners thereof say that the Vincent Rapide, an overpriced and underpowered 1000cc twin with a propensity for tankslapping, never changed anything. Others will differ in their opinions; I suspect we will never convince one another to change our biases. So what?

[dangerous]

That's the MNZ/various club classifications for racers.

Most of the classic m/c clubs for other bikes have a rolling 25-year rule, having now abandoned specific years. The various vintage and classic clubs world wide have similar stances.

Debates about the true meaning of the word "classic" in this context have been going on for much more than the 25-year rolling period. One person's treasure is another's grey porridge

Yip as I race post classics that being why I posted so... however I always went on the 20yr roll around but these days as bikes and cars last that much longer I guess that time period gets extended.

As for ones personal opion of a classic well thats just that, a classic could be born tomorow, how ever I tend to swad with those that say bikes that changed the world or were a big step ahead are classics, ie: Kawa trips, CX turb, CB dry sumpers.