The 12 motorcycles that matter

Really?

No Fireblade? The first of the big Superbikes that actually handled?

Triumph Speed Twin? First bike with an Aluminium engine?

Royal Enfield Bullet? First bike with a rear swing arm?

Ducati Monster? First real desirable naked roadster and probably longest running model?

Great as they are, the KR1 and RD400 aren't all that influential

Posted: 23/11/2011 at 19:57

The triumph GP was   their first alloy motor.The speed twin was however Triumphs first unit constuction motor in 1959.

Posted: 24/11/2011 at 11:02

RE Bullet first bike with rear swingarm?? cobblers. Vincent had a rear swing-arm bike in 1930. (with a Uni-Track type layout no less - suspension units were under the saddle). It wasn't a new idea even then. RE didn't use a swinging arm until after WW2 (like most).

I'd have included the original Vespa - the bike that got Italy mobile again after the war.

Scott Flying Squirrel - water cooled parallel twin two-stroke in the '30s. So fast they banned it from racing.

Moto Guzzi V8 - just to show that excess CAN be achieved!

Posted: 24/11/2011 at 13:09

>RE Bullet first bike with rear swingarm?? cobblers. Vincent had a rear swing-arm bike in 1930. (with a Uni-Track type layout no less - suspension units were under the saddle). It wasn't a new idea even then. RE didn't use a swinging arm until after WW2 (like most).

Scott Flying Squirrel - water cooled parallel twin two-stroke in the '30s. So fast they banned it from racing.<

Hey Burner... isn't it amazing that "new and revolutionary" actually means "been there, done that"??

It is really interesting to do some research and look at all the revolutionary design work done pre WWII...

Suzuki "kettle"?? I give you the Scott...

Mono shock swing arm?... as you pointed out, the Vincent...

Any "new" engine configuration or layout... ala the Rocket III inline triple? How about an inline 4 on the Indian or Henderson...

Now, that is not to diminish the work and refinement of current engineers and designers... Just give credit to the guys that did the really trick stuff back in the day... Probably scratching it out on a sheet of paper with a pencil... They hadn't thought of computers and CAD programs back then... Well, they might have... but probably thought they were for twits...

Posted: 24/11/2011 at 13:26

You guys blew it this time. Although the bikes on that list are cool, most weren't ground breaking industry changers.

A few that come right to mind for me, in no particular order. I live in the U.S. so these may have been released in Great Britain earlier or later:

1969 Honda CB750. This bike was so influential I don't even know where to start.

1972 Kawasaki KZ900 Z-1.

1983 Honda VF750F Interceptor.

1984 Kawasaki ZX900 Ninja.

1987 Ducati 851 Strada.

Posted: 24/11/2011 at 13:44

How about the 1984 Kawasaki GPZ 900 Ninja
The very first Ninja ever
I bought mine new for $3400. Compared to the KZ chassis it was on rails. and liquid cooled

Posted: 24/11/2011 at 17:25

I think there are bikes that are more pivotal, I agree with some of the other guys
Speed twin father of all modern bikes
GSXR 750 not ZXR don't get me wrong I prefer the ZXR but the GSXR the prosody racer.
Fireblade
CB 750 took the mantle of big bike from the Brit twins
Gpz900 first proper modern Superbike
Vespa just a stunning bit of design
Vincent - Ducati Revolutionary using the engine as a stressed frame pahh
Honda cub not glamourus but the most successful bike ever
My 2p
Cheers

Posted: 26/11/2011 at 12:07

Another old Kawi that seems missing. In 1978 I bought a Silver Blue Z1R. That may have been the first 4-1 stock pipe
That bike was beautiful
In 78 it was $2800 New from Hectors in NY.

Posted: 28/11/2011 at 18:32