Most influential bikes?

[Horse]

On the heels of the [debatable... ] list of influential Japanese bikes. In that thread, I posted the rip-snortin' Honda Cub.

What are (were) influential bikes?

What do think the list should include? From any nation.

[Count Steer]

I'll start with one that should have been, but probably wasn't or was before it's time. Japanese, shaft drive, water-cooled V-twin with the first production fitted tubeless tyres.

Ladeeez an Gemmun, I give you the Honda CX500.

*muted applause*

[Bustaspoke]

Ladeeez an Gemmun, I give you the Honda CX500.

*muted applause*

Well it certainly influenced a few hipsters
Going a bit left field I'd say MZ with their knowledge of 2 strokes & expansion chambers.There would have been no competitive 2 stroke race bikes,no noisy Micron/ Allspeed spannies without Walter Kaaden
Have a read below
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/c ... ke-engine/

[weeksy]

To me personally .... 1998 Yamaha R1 and the Ducati 916. With an honourable mention for the fangled spinny engine Norton.

They're what got me into bikes back in the day.

But the bike that influenced the last 10 years for me was this
DSC00874 (2) by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

It was and still is in my book, a game changer.

[Ditchfinder]

Scott Flying Squirrel - Watercooled 2 - stroke, engine canted forward in the frame a la Yamaha Genesis

[Yorick]

Scott Flying Squirrel - Watercooled 2 - stroke, engine canted forward in the frame a la Yamaha Genesis

From Bradford

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I think if you're going to say that a motorcycle is influential you should say what it has done that hasn't been done before, and what it's influence is

[weeksy]

I think if you're going to say that a motorcycle is influential you should say what it has done that hasn't been done before, and what it's influence is

I think you're reading too much into it

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I think if you're going to say that a motorcycle is influential you should say what it has done that hasn't been done before, and what it's influence is

I think you're reading too much into it

Probably, every time I think of an influential bike I think "that's just a refinement of a previous bike or idea"

[weeksy]

I think if you're going to say that a motorcycle is influential you should say what it has done that hasn't been done before, and what it's influence is

I think you're reading too much into it

Probably, every time I think of an influential bike I think "that's just a refinement of a previous bike or idea"

Well to an extent, most are as they're a frame and 2 wheels. but things like the 916 for me changed my whole perception on bikes.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Okay bikes that changed my perception of bikes

RD250LC - fast, good handling and reliable, much better than the air cooled two strokes
GSXR750F - first 4 stroke I rode that was better than an LC

[Yorick]

In my lifetime. Bikes which pushed the boundaries of invention and performance.

C90
CB750
CBX1000
RD350
GSXR750
NR750
RC30

I'll think of some more.

Oh the road going Honda RCV and Ducati thing derived from MotoGP bikes.

[Rockburner]

I think if you're going to say that a motorcycle is influential you should say what it has done that hasn't been done before, and what it's influence is

Probably a good idea if it's an older bike that not many would remember. Also some influences are negative ones.... the CX500 was probably responsible for killing the 'minimal headlight fairing' look for a good 30 years. There's also the question of influential to whom? As evidenced by Weeksy's first post - he posted what HE found influential to HIM - not what he thought was influential to the marketplace.

Details schmetails.



Not sure what the most influential bike is, there's certainly plenty of contenders for all the facets of biking but for bikes that started off long-term trends then you can't ignore the BMW R12 & R17 which brought Telescopic forks to the market properly, or the 1930s Vincents which brought centrally mounted suspension units tucked up under the saddle to the rear swinging arm and which is used by just about everyone now.

[Count Steer]

I'll add the Honda CB400 super four. Probably the first mass selling IL4. There may have been other IL4s before but I don't think they sold in those sort of volumes.

[Ditchfinder]

The first twin headlight speed triple must be up there as fairly influential - would we have had all of these modern factory naked sports bikes without it?

[Rockburner]

I'll add the Honda CB400 super four. Probably the first mass selling IL4. There may have been other IL4s before but I don't think they sold in those sort of volumes.

Lots of inline 4s pre-war, along the frame mostly, but very expensive. The CB400 was the first across the frame Il4 (I think), but definitely the harbinger of the UJM.

[Count Steer]

In terms of influential as in getting this countries yoof mobile and on two wheels the answer probably isn't a bike - so Lambretta and Vespa, probably peaking with the SX200 and SS180 respectively.

Not just transport but the whole tribal Mods thing. Probably symbols of a generation.

[Rockburner]

The first twin headlight speed triple must be up there as fairly influential - would we have had all of these modern factory naked sports bikes without it?

Good point, even if it was aping the 'street-fighter'* trend that had been going for a good 5 or 6 years.


* Take a crashed race-rep, stick on a couple of Bates headlights and some Renthals and go look cool at the Ace in your combats and denim jacket.

[Count Steer]

The first twin headlight speed triple must be up there as fairly influential - would we have had all of these modern factory naked sports bikes without it?

Not fundamentally different from the original Trident/Rocket 3?

[Rockburner]

The first twin headlight speed triple must be up there as fairly influential - would we have had all of these modern factory naked sports bikes without it?

Not fundamentally different from the original Trident/Rocket 3?

Did they have the 'twin-round-light' look?