The Story of Seventies Superbikes
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- čas přidán 13. 07. 2015
- A review of the most important Japanese motorcycles of the 1970s, as featured in Classic Bike Magazine, John Naish tells the story from behind the handlebars of the era’s legendary bikes: the Honda CB750 Four, Honda 500 Four, Kawasaki H2 750, Kawasaki Z1, Suzuki GT750, Honda GoldWing, Suzuki GS1000 and Honda CBX.
The 70s was an incredible period of motorcycle development. In less than 8 years, everything changed forever - before 1969, features such as electronic ignition, disc brakes, top speeds of over 130 mp/h or quarter mile times of around 12 seconds were almost unheard of. These unique Superbikes made that performance accessible to the mass market.
Shot at Paul Brace’s Proper Bikes in Sussex, England.
properbikes.co.uk
A Brightside Media production
brightside-media.com - Auta a dopravní prostředky
I was racing at Vaca Valley Raceway, west of Sacramento, California, back in 1972. Paul Smart from England, raced the new '73 Z1 and won his race very easily. After the racing was over, I went to his pit to have a look at his bike. He was very congenial to talk to and said, "if you want to take a ride on it, go ahead". I took it around the track and came back in and handed the bike back to him. He could see that I had a large grin on my face. A week later, I bought one and enjoyed it for several years. It was, and still is, a very reliable, good handling and fast bike!
What an awesome story! You must have enjoyed telling it when riding your Z1. Did you see our film about the Z1 and CB750? czcams.com/video/YW4_YZ3Skh0/video.html
I was born in 1975 and a teenager in the early 90s by the time my generation was old enough to ride these bikes they were well used and plentiful. I spent most of my teenage years acquiring, taking apart, modifying and putting back together and riding the wheels off of these old Superbikes, and I absolutely love every one of them. Such wonderful machines.
Born in 1965, I remember One motorcycle more than any other... the Honda 750 Four! The flying wings, extended forks, padded sissy bar and chopped open pipes. That was So dope for '70! Nothing else like it :)
I worked at both a Honda and Yamaha shop in the 70's and rode them all... My last personal street motorcycle was a 79 RD400F Daytona Special... not sure if i'd rather have that back or the CBX... the sound of six cylinders at speed was incredible...
The GS1000's impeccable handling is what really set it apart from all of the other superbikes of that era.
As a kid growing up in the 80's these bikes inspired in me a passion for motorcycles which continues to this very day. 70's bikes rock!!
Great video...brings back excellent memories! I had a Honda CB500 1972. Took it to California from Canada, about 3500 miles each way when I was 17 with no faring, bags or anything....man that was living! Just a bike and an open road! Thanks for sharing the video! Safe riding!
Kawasaki's KZ-1000 LTD was one of the fastest production bike in its time.. just before the CBX. My first bike was the KZ-454.. ran it to the ground...went everywhere. Own a Vulcan 900 Custom today... great machine.
I was 24 in 1970 and I remember well the progression of these bikes. I saw them all when they first started hitting the road and was amazed by many. I ended up buying a 1971 750 Honda 4 in the same gold color he showed in this video. It was a fantastic ride and I had a great time with it. Some friends at work had the Kawasaki 500 triple and the 750. Both of them managed to wheelie them over backwards because the power comes on with a burst if you twisted the throttle at low RPM. When it came up on the power band the darned thing would start reaching for the sky, SUDDENLY without warning. It was not a smooth increase in power it was instantaneous.
Both of them eventually traded for the Kawasaki 900. It was a much more sensible bike.
This was a great video, sort of a walk down memory lane and it was reassuring to hear him mention how some of those "old bikes" were stable and comfortable.
I had a CB 750 1968 and a 1978 Gold Wing , Blue like the 1 in the video, I loved them both and would love to have either restored, I'll give you my Harley.
Me and everyone I knew as a teenager had all the bikes in your video collectively... My first was. Honda 550-4 witha kirker 4-1 pipe! I have owned over 30 bikes since then currently down to two.. but oh the memories riding those older bikes...
Loved my GS750. Graduated Navy boot camp in San Diego Ca in 1983. Saw a ad in the paper. Had my friend take me there to see it. Bought it from the original owner with only 458 miles on it and drove it all around California in the 1980"s in my early 20's. Top that.
Wow,LOVED watching ALL these Beautiful machines zooming by!!! What a feast for the eyes indeed!!! BUT..........like many others have already commented on here......................I'LL be awaiting an "80's " version,featuring all the game-changing bikes that came about during THAT decade!!! Can't wait!!! :)
In 1975 I had a Honda 550 and my friend had the earlier 500 I'm not sure of what the difference was except the additional 50 cc but I could easily run away and hide from him. Every gear I would start pulling away with it pulling harder as the revs climbed. If we switched it was the same. My bike pulled away. The 70s was the best time for bike lovers. 4 stroke 2 stroke even a rotary engine bike . Those days will never be back.
there's nothing to stop manufacturers making 2T engines and selling them to people to retrofit. There's no law or rule to stop that.
Enjoyed your video. I am the proud owner of a totally restored 1972 Honda CB 750. It was a few years in the making but, she is finally done! My dream bike is a Kawasaki ZR1 1000.
We're sure it was a labour of love and completely worth the time and effort. Congrats on a successful restoration :-) Did you see our latest film about a beautiful K0? czcams.com/video/hcdUgUu66bk/video.html
Had a Honda 750 4 cylinder, it ran great and handled better than any bike I bought before or after. I think I'm going to look around and see if I can find one to put it on the road. Fond memories
Had a 1980 Suzuki GS10000E. Miss that bike soooo much. Bought it new, off the showroom floor, in '82! Man, I wish I still had that bike!
GS 10000E ? Thats big !
I've never been so impressed by anything I've viewed on the internet as I was with your story !! Can't wait to view the rest of them..!!
I feel so lucky to have been born in 1966 , I grew up with my dad dropping me off at school from Grade 1 on the back of a 1972 Harley Davidson Super Glide , an XR 1000 , a 1973 Kawasaki H2 500cc and H2 750cc Mach 3 , and Triumph Bonneville ,, I Had a 1972 TY 80 Trial bike at 7 and at 12 to 13 I had a 1977 Yamaha DT250 and the first monoshock YZ 125c , then from 16 to 22 had a 1979 Honda CB 250, 1966 Honda CL - CB 350 and about five Honda CB 350 to 400 4s and 2 Yamaha RD 350LCs,, I am on bikes 22 and 23 now and I wish they were from the 70s
I rode a push bike
@@wiganfan3373 - I had a 50cc moped, then 4 wheels for the next 30 years before returning to two !
1977, 24 years old, bought a low miles, like new '75 Kawi Z1. God, I felt like the king of the road. Still have dreams about those days.
I'm now 24 years old and just got my first bike, a 1977 Honda. I'll remember these days forever that's for sure
@@mitchtucker awh yes a time when I be came an apprentice under the instruction of pop yoshimura of Honda's R&D as the EPA was killing the last of our muscle cars with phony propaganda that you can easily prove to yourself by simply asking Google to show you a pie chart of all the gases that comprise the entire Earth atmosphere that is monitored and posted annually by every major college and university in the entire United States.. and the findings are composed from mandatory classroom technology required for those students for future careers of meteorology... Has Bob Dylan used to saying you don't need a weatherman to tell you which way the wind blows.... As we had no idea back then but Bob did as he seen it coming...and today if you look at what I have been telling everyone who will listen who are as scare us as hen's teeth to find the total carbon dioxide level is 0.040 of 1% of the 0.98% of all pollution total of the entire 100% of the entire Earth's atmosphere by volume that absolutely beyond any doubt is telling you that the total pollution is less than 1% and of that less than 1%, not even a half a percent of that is carbon dioxide which is barely enough to keep plants producing photosynthesis that makes the oxygen we breathe.... Now add the problem of all of you millennials who have bought this very big huge lie of propaganda from the EPA that if they get their way you will not have any Oxygen left to breathe very shortly if bye 2025 they manage to cut the carbon dioxide level in half of what it barely is today.... Now as I said here helpless I can die with the rest of you imbeciles knowing I told you so
This brought back memories for me. My first motorcycle was a 1971 Honda CL 100 my Dad purchased for me. I remember when the first Honda 750 FOUR's appeared in 1969. I was 12 years old and had my first mini bike. Today at 59, I now ride an FJR 1300. I'm a few decades older, but my love for two wheels has never ended..
mates older brother had a k1 one ride on the back of that and i was hooked.
God, I was a kid when these came out and I wanted every one of them. My favorite was the Kawasaki Z1 and the other if I couldn't have it was the CB 750 Four by Honda. Did this video ever bring back good memories. These bikes changed everything in the refinement of power and handling leading the way for what is out there today.
This video brought back fond memories. I was there and enjoyed every bit of motorcycling when it was for fun and not prestige. You got it all right. Thanks.
Back in the early 70's I had a red Kawasaki '71 350 S2 and then an orange '72 500 H1. Later went on to ride the purple '73 750 H2 and a brown '74 900 Z1 . I then gave up the bikes for classic British sports cars having had a '59 MGA and a '62 TR3. In '75 drove my TR from British Columbia to Nova Scotia in the middle of winter. It worked like a charm. Yup, fun times for sure! 😊
I remember well. Superbikes happened all at once, in the fall of 1968. In 1967 the bikes were the same models that had been available for years. The Harley Sportster at 116 mph was the fastest stock bike tested, aside from a single specially tuned straight piped BSA Hornet and the exotic Dunstall Norton. One year later the Honda 750, BSA Rocket 3, Triumph Trident, Kawasaki 500 and amazingly the old Norton 750 reinvented into the Commando could all claw their way to 120 mph or a little better. And all cost less than the 1967 Harley Sportster.
YOU KNOW IT! These guys missed all that.
The fastest bike was capable of 149mph a long time before the sporster's lame 116 mph.
Afternoon of June 7, 1973 - I rode my new Z1 to work, then after the longest workday ever, I rode it home, taking the long way. Didn't get home until the sun came up. I still have it, still original except for the seat. Not for sale.
Good lord that may be a $20,000 bike now !
Nice one Danny ,bet u luv that machine
Wow! And you chose the right one to keep. Congrats!
I drooled over a Z1 my friend had in high school. He was the coolest kid there on that bad boy. I was 15 and couldn't afford a big bucks bike. I went the rd350 route. I got a red 2002 ZRX1200 now.
I had a buddy with a RD 350 he put chambers on it and some other mods I had a H2 750 he was a smaller guy and could keep up pretty well with me on that machine !
thank you for the memories - OMG what a time I had!
The "77"+ "78" KZ 1100 and GS 1100 were the shit when I Was 13 and already a seasoned rider, although mostly in the dirt! I had a KZ 400 I rode all over Spokane on. I never got pulled over on it once in 4 year's. I rode it to grade school +junior high, and parked it at a friend"s house 1 block from my school!!
Great video. The Kawasaki Z650, released in 76 would also of been a good addition, arguable the best middle weight bike of its time, with an engine design, namely 4cyl, DOHC with plain bearings that became the blueprint for all future inline 4s.
Thank you so much, With this film about a piece of history. What a beautiful motorcycles raced in 1975 to 1980 on a Suzuki GT 550 and a Laverda 750 FS.
Love this video. I bought my first big bike, and Honda 750 in 1972. I remember all of these bikes, and man they almost killed off BSA's and Triumph's.
I LOVED LOVED LOVED my '72 Kawi H2 750 two stroke! So glad still to be alive! Got into Suzukis later with the gixxers. I bought and sold five GSXR's. I miss those beasts sometimes.
Owned and drove a 1973 Kawasaki Z1 900 - nice memories.
Mr. Phillips
Canada
You might like the next film that's in the works then - The Birth of the Z1. It'll be up soon. Stay tuned.
New film about the Kawasaki Z1 & CB750 up now: czcams.com/video/YW4_YZ3Skh0/video.html
Blair Phillips
I had a cd400/4.....smoothest running engine I had encountered...perfect size for bombing around town, back country roads and the occasional jaunt on the highways....
z1 in graphite grey.
sorted machine man
Oh man I loved this ride back in time. My Z1B 900 Kaw was such a blast. I started out with a 72 CB350, gold just like the CB500 in your video. Haven't owned a street bike since the 900 though. Dang...bucket list item for sure. Thanks again...I'm sharing this.
Awesome love my classic bikes :) really can't beat the soul of an old bike
Thank you for an excellent and enjoyable blast from the past. I'm proud to say I owned three such bikes. Having ditched my hideous (read dangerous) BSA A10 Super Rocket, I bought a CB 500 Four. What a delight. And the 4 into 2 megas made it sound awesome! Then came the CB 750 Four K2; silent and civilised; a proper tourer - and I did some touring back then. And the one you missed out? My last Honda was the CB 750 F2. OK, you are quite right to miss this one out; not because it was a poor motorcycle, just that it didn't really represent a step forward from my K2. It sported Comstar wheels, restyled livery and a slight bump up to 77HP. I really should have rounded out my biking days with a CBX! But hey!! What's a young guy to do on an apprentice wage?
I have a soft spot for 1970's Japanese bikes. These were often our first bikes, for my generation.
And out last most any bike built today
The KZ900 was the first super bike and I took one to college in 1977 !! It's a wonder I'm alive....
Spot on. Surprised he never brought it up. Up until then nothing could touch the KZ900
Thank you for making this video. I grew up in the 80s and yes the Honda CBX was on my bedroom wall. I love the presentation in this and other videos. Big cheers to team Brightside Media.
Great job thank you for this nostalgic educational and enjoyable video to watch and hear.
That was a great time. Had a pre-K1 750 that was a little heavy but a blast to ride fast. Had a friend with K0 500 that was sweet. BSA 500 Gold Star,650 Bonneville and BMW 600(?) were great bikes. Kawasaki 750 almost killed a friend. They were fast, but had horrible handling.
Thanks for bringing it all back for me.
Ahhh! my gold Honda 500 four 0:54
So enjoyed riding that through the country side in New Zealand.
That was a good well built and would run for ever
Very good video.
"what bike did I have then...then...then......" I was fortunate to have some memorable bikes. First new bike .... 1966 Aermacchi / Harley Sprint 250cc, 1971 BMW R60/5 for touring around Europe, 1972 Suzuki T350, 1973 Honda K3 CB 750, a used 1974 CB 250, 1975 Yamaha RD 350B, 1977 Yamaha RD400D, 1987 Sportster 1100 Evo, 2000 Road King, 2002 Honda CBR600 F4i, 2006 Yamaha Vino 50 and a Vino125, a Suzuk DR400 and Honda dirt bikes in between. All great bikes...good memories....only one crash over all these years.
Thanks I loved every nostalgic second of that.
OMG, THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL, KEEP SHINING.
Fantastic, what a collection. I still have a real bookmarked memory from when I managed to blag a go of my mate's CBX thou back in the early 90's. They're like Venus' arms now.
What a beautiful video! Thank you. I remember beeing a schoolboy and waiting at a bus stop next to a bikers meeting point in West-Berlin called "Spinnerbrücke". I saw all the bikes passing by: Honda CB 750, Goldwing, CBX 1000, Kawasaki Z1R, Z1000, Suzuki GS 1000, Guzzi Le Mans etc. It has changed my life! Beautiful collection!! I own a Cb 400 four and a ZRX
Thank you for watching :-) That bridge in Berlin must have been awesome, and what a great name for it too! Well done on your CB400. If you like, check out our latest film about the CB750: czcams.com/video/hcdUgUu66bk/video.html
Great video mate. It's very nostalgic for me watching this. Those bikes...
Great production... Thanks for the memories!!
Never fancied a goldwing but you can't deny their longevity
Thanks, really enjoyed that, brought back memories.
What an awesome collection and it was nice to see and hear them in motion. I had a poster of a CBX way back then as well as the KZ1300 and now decades later I enjoy my old ZRX.
you covered the topic perfectly. I lived it. I was there. you covered it very very well.
When I was young having one of those beautiful bikes would be same like owing helicopter today. I was seeing them almost every day and they were out of reach. Ever lasting beauties. Great video, gave it a thumbs up.
Thanks :-) Glad you enjoyed it.
What a channel!! I just found this. Most of these bikes were owned by the older guys in y neighborhood. Great bikes, great memories. Awesome channel gentleman.
I loved my 750 4 . It was my dads and it got handed down to me. I fixed it and rode it for years. I gave it back to my dad and he's redoing it.
The greatest advantage of the first 'Wing', of course, was it was built with the tolerances of an aircooled motor...and then they watercooled it.
This made it virtually indestructible.
Ive owned and still own many of the bikes in this video. Here is what I have to say about them:
Honda CB750: Smooth running, but no power. Decent brakes for the time, but heavy.
Honda CB500: Same as above but much less powerful. Im not sure how Honda's CBs were considered super bikes. They seemed pretty average after owning an H1 500.
Kawasaki H2: I still own mine. Its insanely fast for its time and is quicker than the other bikes on the list. The brakes aren't as bad as people say and it actually does corner well. The trick is to get use to the power band.
Suzuki GT750: Big, Heavy and has no power band. Not at all what you would expect from a two stroke. The bikes are stone reliable though. They weren't built as a super bike, but a touring bike.
Kawasaki z1: Faster than the Honda, but not as fast at the H2. Handles about the same as the H2, but is heavier so slower cornering.
Suzuki GS1000: Fast bike, but late to the game. Designed a little better than Kawi Z1.
In my opinion, the winner of the era is the Yamaha R5/RD350 (not mentioned in the video). These bikes were insanely fast for the time and can out handle all the bikes mentioned. I still own a tuned R5 350 (non power reed valve version of the RD) and I prefer to ride it over my other bikes. These bikes were never considered "super bikes" for unknown reasons even though they shared the same frame as the TR350 race bikes of the time. They were called "Giant Killers" for a reason... my 350 will outrun a CB750 fairly easily.
+Retroman My first bike was the final version f the RD series, a 1979 RD400 Daytona Special. Sure, it could out run and out handle most of the big bikes of the time, but not the easiest to use for more than an afternoon's outing. Loved it regardless. My second bike was a 1981 GPz550.
+orangelion03 Actually the final version of the RD was the water cooled Yamah RZ 350. It was night and day compared to the old RD. Why was your RD 400 not so easy to use? I ride my R5 just about everywhere without issues. I used to have an 84 GPZ 550. Great bike!
They were super bikes compared to most at the time. When I bought my 750 in 1972, it was just about the ulitmate.
Yeah, I had a CB750 after my CL550 was so slow i traded it in 3 weeks, lost money, CB750 was overly complicated with 4 carbs, mechanical linkages, I got rear ended by an idiot at a red light. Current Harley fatboy is a universe ahead of that old Honda
Brough back memories when you mentioned the rd350, used to scare the crap out of 750 and 900 riders through the ranges.
A very good compilation. TOP!!!
Graduated college in the 70’s and rode a similar blue GoldWing on an 8,000mi trip around the USA. What a blast....reliable as an anvil, smooth as silk, rained on, snowed on, and all without a hiccup.
The Goldwing was one of the most underrated bikes of the 70s. Awesome machine.
When I was a Sr. in H.S. in '74 I bought a '72 H2 750, she was very slightly used and was stock except for expansion chambers and a rejet job, and I had the dealer put lower handle bars on...I grew up on mini bikes and mini cycles and dirt bikes and had just hung up my motocross racing boots at the time from a pretty long racing career (I earned an AMA Experts license in 125cc Motocross), so I was a very accomplished rider but had never ridden a fast street bike (just a couple Enduro bikes I had previously owned). I bought her from a big dealer and on my first test drive when I got on it the acceleration startled me and almost caused me to loose my grip with one hand...it got my attention real quick. So when I bought her, I had about a 50 mile drive to get home (through downtown Orlando to get back to the east coast...Titusville, Fl.), so by the time I went thru a few of the Downtown Orlando stop lights I learned pretty quick that I could spin the back tire with just throttle roll...it suddenly dawned on me it was just like my YZ except on pavement...after that I got comfortable real quick. By the time I reached the coast I was doing 3 gear power wheelies. So I'm driving her all over town showing her off when one of my friends walks up and says hey you know the guy who has the badass Z1, well he said he wants to race you and tonight. Apparently word had spread quick that a kid with a fast H2 750 was in town and the guy with the Z1 didn't like it. I didn't personally know him but I had seen him and his Z1 and it had headers and the guy knew how to ride it and it did look like a badass bike...I had only had the bike for a few hours but I already felt pretty comfortable on it and my GF was standing right there, and I was extremely confident of my two wheeled skills so I said okay tell him beach road at 10:00 pm...So I pull up at 10:00 m with my GF on the back and there is a big crowd to see the Big race...I'm starting to feel a little trepidation thinking Wow Steve it may have been smart to tell him to give you a few days to get used to it...I mean I had never even done a full on launch...but I'm there now so need to get it done...as we get our bikes pointed in the right direction he starts smoking his rear tire getting his launches all prepared...I had never attempted one and so I just sat there waiting for him to get lined up and he has me a little bit intimidated...I'm trying to come up with my launch strategy when it dawns on me to launch just like in motocross...do what you know how to do...So I got weight up off the seat, leaned way forward, went full throttle and at redline I dumped the clutch...my first full throttle clutch drop launch and it felt just like my motocross launches, rear tire breaking loose, bike getting squirrely, front tire clawing for the air and a finely orchestrated effort to keep her going straight and fast...it was an absolutely PERFECT launch and I never saw the Z1...I beat him and beat him badly...afterwards he was shocked and humiliated and really pissed...he couldn't understand how I had beaten him and kept mumbling about something not being right with his bike. I told him well when you get her running right give me a shout...I never heard from him again...so I beat the fastest bike (vehicle) in town after having only ridden an H2 750 for a few hours. Obviously my riding skills were mad and though he was good I was much better and he also weighed probably about 185 to 195lbs whereas I weighed 140 lbs soaking wet...I later added 34mm Mikunis and had the man who did my Motocross port work on my YZ's also do some port work...she was crazy fast then....she would pull 100 mph power wheelies in 3rd gear when she came on port....ahh those were the days....oh and a word about the H2 handling...it was indeed known as the widow maker (that title was given the H2 not the H1 as the gentleman says in this clip), but when I had mine I thought she handled just fine...I used to beat riders I respected on modified RD-350's through the twisties...again maybe it was just my skill but she'd twist and wobble through the turns but if you just rode it you could deal with it and get her to go pretty damn fast thru the twisties....I only dropped her once and that was on a wet road when I was pushing the pace.
Great story mate. Well done. :)
I had a Z1 in the mid 80's kickin my ass now for getting rid of it!
Ian MacRae Yeah isn't that how it goes? I've looked at the H2's over the years...a good restored one is about $17+K...I never really considered it though. I am however considering a 2 stroke Road Race track bike; a very nice TZ(R)-250 can be had for about $27K and I've even considered a TZ-750, of which a nice OW31 (or a TZ-750 with some of the OW31's goodies)will run about $85K...which is a chunk of change but I'm a retired Engineer with a very nice paid off 4/3 pool home, a nice pension and a 7 figure portfolio so I have some financial options if I want to buy a toy.
Me too Steve Fowler,I never rode anything as savage as this! I stripped an H2 to the bone, powder-coated the frame and went mad dog from there. I will skip the nitty gritty. but did a second stage porting and got all of the right pieces afterwards. Scary fast. Pussed out because I did not want to widow my wife.
/.
Steve Fowler. Yep. And no Rolling Stones
What a really GREAT video.
Thanks for sharing this. well done !
Another well done video! The bikes are awesome in their own way, and makes one want any of them. Thank you for reminding us of how good these were back in the day!
Glad you like them! You're very welcome. Thanks for watching.
The Honda CBX was always my favourite, my first encounter with a CBX was when i was 16 and my parents next door neighbour just moved in, he started that bike, gave it a couple of revs and shook all the windows of my parents house, i ran outside to see what it was and i saw this 6 cylinder beast of an engine with a bike wrapped around it (LOL)😃 I'm still looking for a CBX of my own to ride to this day.
We've just made a new film about the CBX that's being edited right now. Watch this space.
Before I learned to ride a bike I desired that big, beautiful CBX. Maybe just as well I didn't have one in my early 20's- think I would have been a real arsehole and probably would have acted like my dick was as big as my bike!
Beautiful bikes my very first bike when I was 16 was a 1971 Honda CB 360 metallic blue paint job beautiful bike. I wish I had it today.
My first also ,except mine was gold metalflake and had the gears changed for top end freeway crusin'.
Wil Reyes I got the same bike and im 16 it's not my first but I love this bike
One of my first bikes in hs '75. Rd400 Kenny Roberts colors was the other
Grieg Ragen yeah i had a 75 or 76 my dad gave to me when I was 17... got about 2000 miles on it the cam chain broke. Tricky repair, lots of metal debris in the case. I was in the navy had saved some $$ bought a 6 mo. old 81 CB750C when I was at the dealer picking up the tensioner for the 360. Looked so nice I could not walk away from it.
Wil Reyes fit and finish was very nice on those.
Beautiful video lads I really do appreciate this one! If anything could be different I would have liked to hear that GT750 go by. It likely none of us will ever even get to see one let alone hear it run in person.
Terrific coverage of many of the bikes of that era. My first big road bike was the '78 Z1R a beauty. I was lucky to have mates who had all of these machines so I got to ride a CBX 1000, a GS1000, a K7 750/4, Z1B 900, Z1300, an XS1100 ....and my second Kwaka a Z1R-II. They were all terrific bikes. A mate put his z900 into a Rickman kit and wow was that a nice bike. The power of the Kwaka and the wonderful handling geometry of the Rickman frame. Great days!!
Thanks :-) You've really been lucky to ride all those great bikes, nice one. Great days indeed!
first time I had ever been on a bike, I picked up my friend's Kaw z1 from the repair shop and rode it 500 miles to where he was. very first time on a bike. on-the-job training lol
How were you able to drive it on the road if you didn't already have a bike license?
@@mitchtucker You don't need a piece of paper to know how to ride a motorcycle or fly an airplane. Just use common sense, stay alive and don't get caught.
I wish they still made bikes like that. Had a 1980 Honda 750 CB custom. Great all around bike. Not many old bikes being ridden nowadays
I had the 750f, the silver racing model. Fast bike ,Different engine. Hondas always got you home!
Very nice overview of my bike whist list during the seventies! Thanks!
My first brand new road bike was a Honda cb 350 4. Rode it from Perth to Sydney when there was still 300ks of dirt road on the Nullabour. It was winter so many floodways were full. Pushed the little gem through water coming up to the tank. Drained the exhaust and it started first go. Indestructible little bike.
'78 was the GS1000 Suzuki, but not mentioned was a better balanced tremendous performer, the GS750. I bought one that spring, and rode it for years. The dealer wanted me to upgrade to the 1000, but a test ride just left me feeling that it was for me too heavy, and not as nimble on a twisty road. A dedicated bike lover friend was amazed at how well the 750 would track highway on and off ramps at silly speeds. Loved that bike, would certainly like to have another one, if the opportunity arose. Currently riding a VFR 800. Fantastic in it's own right.
The bikes of my youth....wonderful
What a great video, those are the bikes I remember from my youth, absolutely loved seeing them again. In 1986 I bought a third hand GT 500 twin and then 6 months later I got a "slightly damaged" 550 triple, both long gone now but I have great memories of the amazing feeling of the acceleration from a standing start, nearly dying or least shitting myself because although they sped up quickly they weren't so great at slowing down again.😉
To be honest, we must have been good riders, because I guarantee you riders these days couldn't handle these bikes. Crap brakes, tyres, suspension, the lot, and that was most of the fun!
thank ye mate for kicking the dust off my deep memories.
i had the Honda cb 550 it was a great bike!!
I've had 35 bikes. Including a Kawasakis KZ 1300 which is also a six cylinder. The inline 4 changed everything. I now own a Kawasaki 1982 B2 GPZ 1100, triple discs, mag wheels, and fuel injection. The king of the air-cooled Superbikes. I rode a Yamaha Seca 750 triple discs with shaft drive. It was a good bike.
Small enough yet big enough.
The reason I bought the GPZ was I thought it was the peak. So many were built, so many were raced and abused. I remember when the
Honda 305 was the Superbike.
What was your favorite bike you ever owned??
My first bike was a 1974 Honda 750-Four, with the same color scheme as the 1973 that appears in your video.
It was awesome. Wish I had never let it go.
Great video!
I miss the 70's!
I owned a CB-550, a Suzuki GS-1000 E, a GS-1000S and a CBX! Too many near death experiences to count!
Loved watching this video. Brought back a lot of great memories. I had friends with Kawa 750 triple, Z-1 and Honda CB750 and first Goldwing. I had a Suzuki Water Buffalo. Smooth bike. Heavy and didn't handle that great, but it sure ate up the miles with ease. I took it from Alaska to Texas when I got out of the Air Force back in the early 80's. I always wanted one of those Honda 350 four cylinders -- and their 500 twin.... Aw heck, I wanted all of them.
Ride My restored 1972 Suzuki GT750J every Sunday...out here in Northwestern Arizona... Run AV gas ... 100 Octane.... and use Amsoil dominator 2 Stroke Racing oil in the injector bottle. With the original Front and rear Highway Bars.... not afraid to take it up to 100 MPH . It screams , especially with that 3 into 4 exhaust system... sounds like angry bees..............The only drawback are those front dual drum brakes... hard to stop it.......With that amsoil 2 stroke oil... virtually no smoke out the back......I am 62, but when riding that bike, I feel like I am 20 again............what a blast....
I'm 63 and have a Gs 750 I ride everyday. I know what you mean by feeling 20.
My 10th grade friend's had GT750. We rode the shit out of. Was doing some hard burn outs on it and broke the chain. The chain went up in those deep cases and boke all kinds of cases. His dad got rid of it in disgust.
In 1986 my army buddy had a 1972 GT750 (with the original cooling fan). What a beast! A disaster in really slow turns, it tended to fall into the the turn (oversteering). But when you got it up to speed with those 3 cylinder screaming under your ass, it was a monster! Almost flat out around Den Bosch on the highway, it was like riding on rails. This thing was glued to the road and rode like a knife on those really long turns.
There was one for sale that same year, but I did not have the money. My dad wouldn't lend it to me either (you will go out and ride it before you have your license!!), so I never got it. Still some regrets in that one.
2 years later I got another Suzi, an even better one. A 1981 GSX750L. Yes indeed, the famous GS750L, but with that fat (120kgs) 16 valve engine, producing 85 bhp. And with the original 4 in 2 exhaust replaced with a 4 in 1 Marshall Deep Tone, she sang a great tune! Specially in tunnels.. :-)
She weighed over 240 kgs dry, but man... was she agile. Once I got to know her, she was a twisties dream. She never let me down and she took me through every twist and turn, like she loved it! My friend, a way better rider than me, could not keep up on the winding roads of the French Alps, that how good she was. Still miss that bike.
My buddy bought a brand new Water Buffalo in 72 thinking he was upgrading from his previous 69 Suzuki Titan 500. He couldn't believe how much slower the 750 was. At the time I rode a 68 Matchless 750 that would leave him behind and could easily be outrun by his old Titan.
Thanks for a great documentary, brings back many memories of being a kid growing up in the 70s. And yes I too had a poster of a CBX on my bedroom wall (next to a poster of Kate Bush)!
Nice ride down memory lane. Between my brother and I we owned several of the bikes featured in this video with my ultimate bike being a CBX. That bike got lots of attention and compliments, even parked. Didn't handle worth a crap though.
I wish i had one of those honda or kawasaki.... by the way i love how you end it!!
I still miss my '78 KZ1000 Ltd. Had it for over 20 years. Sold to a collector.
I also had a Kawi KZ1000 LTD with a Z1R front fairing and pipe. It actually worked well for looks.
That was a great video, sent it to all my friends.
Thank you for doing that. We really appreciate your shares and likes.
In the 80s and 90s I use to pull these out of bushes and with some carb parts have them on the highway days later.. The CB and Kawasaki scramblers were fun
Great video. The only gripe I have is music overpowered the sounds of the bikes.
Yes, that hurts, well, that and the shaky shoulders..
The bikes sound like hair dryers, you didn't miss much.
Amazing how these people always dress like twats to talk about 60/70/80 and even 90's bikes. Thats wasn't a 70's helmet and definitely not 70's fashion and yet ...
If you think those sound like hair dryers something is either wrong with your hearing or your hair dryer.
Who says they have to? He dressed for the conditions. I wouldn't wear what I wore in the seventies, I've learned from them. Personally I wouldn't wear an open face helmet ever again.
Beautiful collection of bikes and you are privileged to be able to ride them
A great, wonderful, positve addition to the powersport industry. Thanks!
GREAT video!! Thanks! (Lot of work in this video...)
Thank you for watching. There was a whole load of work in it, you're right.
Nice vid. Shame the music drowned out the real music- those engines!.
Indeed! I so wanted to hear that GT750...
The guy opened the video admitting he knew squat about music.
Good point I agree with your comment
@@stephencrewdson7848 touché
🤣🤣🤣🤣 OMG!!!! I love the ending,now I am going to be dreaming about the CB750. great video.
Damn. What a mouthwatering collection.
I've had 8 Hondas from the seventies, smallest was a CB500. And I've driven almost all of the bikes driven in this video. And some more, like the Z-1300 Kawasaki, GS750, GSX750 and GSX1100. But I found "my bike" when I got hold of a 1975 Norton 850 Commando Roadster. It it the sweetest ride ever. I cannot imagine one single japanese from the seventies with better roadholding than the Norton. Truth is, you have to go to the mid eighties to find a japanese bike that outperforms the Norton on a twisty road. And it is reliable too. Never broke down, (well, I crushed a chain tensioner while having fun, had to work a bit to get home...) The engine can take a beating, fuel consumption is very low, and it sounds better than anything. Yes, the sound of the Commando,...is very special. Still got it, needs a little work. Fuel tank is leaking, rust on a fork leg, engine heads need an overhaul (smokes when cold) and so on. But it runs, electrics are ok. Not a bad bike at all. Used it from 1997 and eight years as my everyday bike. Only modification is Lucas Rita electronic ignition. And with a top speed of 123-124 mph and a quarter mile at 12.26, what's not to like?
Great review, I was there living it! Ahhhh the good ole day's
I was too. I was a mechanic at a Honda/Kawasaki dealership in the 70's and 80's.
Same here . Had a CB 500 Twin for all of 7 days . Guy pulled out in front of me , and wrote the bike off , and nearly me as well. .
Wow. What a ride down memory lane. Thank you, thank you, thank you for making this.
Wonderfull - Many thanks for the video!!!!
You’re welcome 😊 Thanks for watching