Motorcycle = GN

[gnturboray]

Which Motorcycle do you think holds the same classic respect for speed and style as the GN?

My opinion-- 1) 1985-current Yamaha V-MAX
2) 1985-86 Kawasaki GPZ 750 Turbo

 

[Gary Wells]

FWIW & IMHO:
Mid 40's-early 50's: Vincente Black Shadow or Rapide
Mid 60's: Harley Sportster
Late 70's-early 80's: (1978 or1979?)-1985:Honda CBX 6 cylinder
in line.
Of late: Harley V-rod might be a contender in the near up and coming years.

 

[wiked87gn]

1986/1987 GSXR 750 and 1100 GSXR, broke a lot of records that still hold to this day.

 

[More Boost!!!!!]

Which is cuter?

Anything that says H-D.

Wicked 87 GN;

Tell your technical advisor you need MORE BOOST!!!!

 

[Pat Adkins]

Anything that says H-D shouldn't be associated with speed

 

[Gary Wells]

Previously posted by Pat Adkins:
"Anything that says H-D shouldn't be associated with speed"
I am not too sure that I agree with that statement, and I am not a big Harley fan.
In the mid 60's the Harley Sportster was the bike to have, and it pretty much owned the stoplight to stoplight drag racing contest title until the Kawasaki tripples came out. Even Triumph, BSA, & Norton played second fiddle to the "Sporty" at the stoplight races, and even the sanctioned legal 1/4 drags. The early day Sporties were a definite class act and the bkie that everyone wanted to own.
And picking the GN or TR equivalent for 17 years down the road of bikes being currently manufactured is difficult at best.
The top 4 SJM (Standard Japanese Motorcycle) being made today are all so close on top ends, 1/4 miles, and appearance and have changed so little recently that picking a GN match would be just a guess.
The V-rod is reasonably quick for a Harley in 1/4 mile times.
And is definitely different looking, to say the least.

 

[Pat Adkins]

The V-rod is a joke as far as power goes(especially out of 1300cc). even if you put that motor on a buell frame it would not be able to contend with the smaller v-twins put out by suzuki TL1000R (996cc 138 hp)Honda (rc51) or the Aprilia.Maybe if they put that liquid cooled motor on a full dresser they would have a great touring bike. You'd think that with all the money they've made in the past 15 years they could upgrade the motor a little more instead of using 1930 technology.. Oh yeah almost forgot that new polaris cruiser (american bike) runs real good.plenty of power for a cruiser.

 

[Buick From Hell]

Ask any 17 year old Mustang or Camaro owner if he has any "classic respect for the speed and style of a GN"...

"classic respect" is in the eye of the beholder!

 

[orion681]

My opinion-- 1) 1985-current Yamaha V-MAX

i would have to agree with you. the 750 turbo is still a pretty fast bike compared to even new bikes. and the vmax is a savage. those things sound like funny cars if you do the exhaust right.

 

[2quiktocare]

I have to agree with you Wells on the Vicente Black Shadow for more than just the obvious reasons. Those and the Ariel Square fours. I had a Kawasaki H-2 and it was by far the meanest thing I ever rode on two wheels for sure, but as far as complete package goes, they did lack good road manners. Mark

 

[turbofish38]

Originally posted by Pat Adkins
Anything that says H-D shouldn't be associated with speed

I agree, Not knocking H-D but I think if any Rice Rocket should be compared to a GN than it better have "state of the art " written all over it. I.e. EFI,water cooling,DOHC, multi-valve, varible valve timing,etc. When the GN hit the streets it had a lot features that were a first for any car(SFI,DIS) offered back than. Now I know H-D offers all this on their current bikes but they ain't noted for speed. I wasn't old enough to drive when the Sportster came out in 59 but from what I hear any of the British Twins could still kick it in the butt. I hate to knock on any thing made in the USA but I've been riding since the late 70's and I can remember the "buy American!" and other BS you Harley riders would swear at me and I bought Jap because I wanted to go fast,scarry fast and I'm sorry but as far as I'm concerned H-D should stick to touring and cruising(real slow) because the V-Rod is just a cruz'r posing as a Jap bike IMO. And the buyers must be saying the V-Rod stinks too because just last week I was looking at H-D's and the VRSC was the only bike the dealer was discounting as everything else was over invoice(lots over on the hard to get FXD's).

 

[turbofish38]

Originally posted by gnturboray
Which Motorcycle do you think holds the same classic respect for speed and style as the GN?

My opinion-- 1) 1985-current Yamaha V-MAX
2) 1985-86 Kawasaki GPZ 750 Turbo

After pulling my head back out into the sunlight(check my previous post) I would assume you are talking the 80's here. Well seeing as I am a die-hard Suzuki man I would pick the Suzuki XN85. Not many were made but it was IMO a two wheeled GN! It had many first's for a MC. 16" wheel,turbo,EFI, etc. Check out this site. http://www.xn85turbo.com/

 

[Gary Wells]

As a general rule, the first bike to kick a sporty's butt in a stoplight to stoplight drag was one of the Kawasaki's oil burning triples. I believe that , if memory serves me right , the Kawasaki 750, the H-2, I believe, ran a good stoplight race against the sporty, winning about half of the time, but the 900 triple, (H-3?), would kill a sporty almost all of the time.
Were the Kawasaki triples 250, 500 & 750 in size, or were they 500, 750, & 900 in size?
Anyhow, the biggest of the triples would kill the sporty generally.
And BTW, I owned a '64 Triumph 650 T120R Bonneville in about 65. a '68? BSA 650 Lightning Rocket in about '69, and about a '71? 750 Norton Commando in about 73.

 

[turbofish38]

I believe you are right on the 250,500,750 for the triple. I keep telling the women I need a good cruz'n bike and the only ones I would be happy with is a 50's or 60's with drum brakes(XLCH included!) BTW my very,very first ride on a MC was on my HS buddies Kaw triple dragbike. It had an air shifter and all the toys and I can still remember him saying all you have to do is stay on the throttle and press this button when it wraps out. I stayed in first till the 330' mark and ended up still doing a low 12. Sorry to hi-jack the thread.

 

[KEVINS]

V-ROD has better styling than any crotch rocket, IMO. Crotch rockets all look the same, anyway. No, the V-rod is not a power house but wasn't suppose to be with its 1130cc (high 11's I think I just read today). It's a styling cruiser and mine ranks equal to my GN

ks

 

[Pat Adkins]

The question at the beginning of this thread asked about"speed & style" not just style that is why I voiced my opinion & Harley's are not fast.

My vote is for the V-MAX.

 

[More Boost!!!!!]

Speed & Style

Yes that was the question, speed and style. Two different issues.

Saying harleys are not fast is like saying GN owners are all gay. Some are, some aren't. I have a harley and it will run away from 75% of the GN's on the road. And yes I'm crazy enough to ride it that fast, even have references. Of course I had a GN that did things everyone said could not be done also.

If you only knew what crazy is.

 

[Quick6'n'-K.C.]

Originally posted by gnturboray
Which Motorcycle do you think holds the same classic respect for speed and style as the GN?

My opinion-- 1) 1985-current Yamaha V-MAX
2) 1985-86 Kawasaki GPZ 750 Turbo

i wished i had purchased a V-MAX a few years ago that i saw on EBAY. it was tricked out, lots of upgrades, aftermarket wheels, and the bike just looked FAST sitting there!!!

i vote for the V-MAX, i want one, just no room!

BW

 

[2quiktocare]

The 750 H2 was the biggest triple they made Wells, the 900 was a 4 cyl 4 stroke. The H2 was the rocket. I ticked off many Honda 750 and Sportster guys with mine in the day. All I ever heard was "rice burner" , but hey, it kicked some major bootie. The Triumphs were the bike that got me hooked on cycles. They are still a thrill to see and hear run

 

[Gary Wells]

None of the Brit bikes were a match for even the Honda 750 K1 when it first came out. Dubbed the "Gentleman's Superbike" by many a motorcycle magazine due to it's being the first production motorcycle to dip into the 12's, have electric starter and lights that really worked, and it did it all very civilized. And the Honda 750 was no match for the 750 Kaw trip in the quarter or stoplight races. The 750 honda ran a pretty good race against the early sporties, generally beating it out about 3/4's of the way down the quarter. But the h3 750 Kaw took it from the get-go all the way home. Till then the sporty was considered to be "King of the hill" for stoplights and quarters.
I'll stop before I get too nostalgic.