What was the best bike you have ever owned

[Claude]

From a bike perspective itself it has to be the Brutale, it is 'the best bike I've owned'.
But many I will remember fondly for example....
Mt5 first road bike so first freedom.
NSR125 first 'sports bike'.
RGV250, that power valve.
ZXR750 First bike I got my knee down on.
R6 first bike that blew my head off with its sheer acceleration.

[Yorick]

Blimey. I missed the obvious choice. My 300cc of fire breathing 2 stroke

What a beasty. It flatters my riding and ride it up and over rocks like a trials bike.
Chuck in some hills. What hills? It just steams up.

And the noise from the huge spanny is awesome

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[Druid]

The best was the VFR750. I've owned two and they are capable of doing everything I've ever asked of a bike (never tried to take one off road mind). Not the fastest or best handling bike but good enough for me, all day comfortable and really well built.



My favourite was the 1050 Speed Triple. It made me behave like I was 20 again

[KungFooBob]

Has that VFR got a Firestorm front end?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Has that VFR got a Firestorm front end?

It did...I bought it off Mad Ax who bought it off Druid I sold it last year cause I needed the space.

Great bike. Did an indicated 160mph (GPS 140) on it flat on the tank at Bruntingthorpe with more to come.

[Bigyin]

Then got an RC8R to join it. Hard to seperate which was better.
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Forced to sell them both because having them matriculated when I moved to Spain was going to be both difficult and expensive. My biggest regret of moving countries.

Weeksy is going to spaff himself silly at the thought of not 1, but 2 RC8's

[maccecht]

Tbh.. I don't know.

Loved the fizzy at 16. Bought different style bikes since, got bored and changed. Some were more reliable, some looked better, some handled better. Some were faster. But which was the best .

No idea. Loved them all.

Need to go with Dodgy on this one had so many bikes over the years. (No where near Weeksy or Couchies's levels) but quite a few. Liked them all to a degree ones that dwell are the Tls 1000 BMW Rs1100 Honda SS50 my first love. BMW R80 mono10 years 140k miles longest owned. And risking excommunication the Burgman 650 owned from 2016 from new now 66k on on it the ultimate commuter bike. Bite me Got a Tracer 900 for fun. Most folks platoniclty love the bike that floats their boat at the time of ownership the real question is what bike would you buy back if you had the chance. For me the Tl1000s or the BMW R1100Rs the rest Meh,.

[Druid]

Has that VFR got a Firestorm front end?

Yes, I did a thread on TRC but that's gone now. VFR stanchions and Firestorm sliders and calipers.

[KungFooBob]

I'm getting good at spotting Firestorm forks on old Viffers.

There's a 90's bikes group on Firendface and I spotted a set of Firestorms forks on an even earlier Viffer on there.

[asmethurst99]

I've bought on price and opportunity .
Loved my Bros - commuted and toured on it .
I'd say it's the CBR 900 I bought last year - I've not ridden it loads but it always makes me smile .

[Mr. Dazzle]

I think my '97 Speed Triple is still my favourite....it was my first big bike after losing my 33bhp restriction. I still have it, but it needs some restoration.

In terms of objectively "the best", Druids old Viffer was pretty hard to fault. Didn't stop me selling it though

[Scuffmark]

A few spring to mind as being great bikes like a 748 E and a CBR 600 fp for instance but the KTM 950 SM was more versatile

[KungFooBob]

A friend of mine used to work at one of the bike rags, he'd turn up at my house in a van with bikes in the back and we'd go thrash them. One time he turned up with a just launched 1050 Speed Triple and a 950SM.

After a go on each, neither of us wanted to ride the Triumph

The SM really does encourage you to ride like a complete twat, If I'd have bought one back then I'm pretty sure I'd have been dead by now.

[v8-powered]

Probably my 5VY R1 - spent a bomb on suspension etc, handled like a dream if a little wheelie prone!

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But my RSV1000R Factory was pretty special as was my R1150R Rockster. I'd happily own either of these 3 again.

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[MingtheMerciless]

A friend of mine used to work at one of the bike rags, he'd turn up at my house in a van with bikes in the back and we'd go thrash them. One time he turned up with a just launched 1050 Speed Triple and a 950SM.

After a go on each, neither of us wanted to ride the Triumph

The SM really does encourage you to ride like a complete twat, If I'd have bought one back then I'm pretty sure I'd have been dead by now.

I loved my 950SM, very close second to the 7R I mentioned earlier, we had two great years terrifying the A27 commuters with its very vocal akra's and yes it makes you ride like a dick. I only chopped it in as at 12 years old it had some large bills looming (suspension rebuild, the stanchions were going rusty, valves service, head races etc) and somebody at Kawasaki thought a bike with a "blower" was a good idea!

[G.P]

The best was the VFR750. I've owned two and they are capable of doing everything I've ever asked of a bike (never tried to take one off road mind). Not the fastest or best handling bike but good enough for me, all day comfortable and really well built.

IanB had one recently, A '95 I think. I rode is a few times and could n't believe how capable and fun it was. I've owned the VTEC VFR800, did about 30k miles on it and it was very good but completely bland. I didn'r mond as I was commuting 500+ miles a week. The old 95 750 was MILES more fun to ride.

[Gimlet]

KTM 1190 Adv. Does everything well and just a lovely thing to ride. All the comfort and perks of the big adventure class but with a zany KTM engine.
And I've got a 1290 Superduke too,but this is still the best bike I've ever had.

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[cheb]

Probably my R100GS. Scratty enough to need lots of work and common enough for me not to worry about keeping it original. I think I have bikes more for fiddling with than riding.

Close second, and it may yet win, is my TDR250.

[porter_jamie]

1987 fzr1000 genesis in blue and white. met my now wife and took her for rides around dorset back in the early 90's. good times.

[Bigjawa]

I have 3 that I would hold up as the best.

In no particular order.

1999 GSXR750 SRAD. Basically an RGV on steroids, ridiculously quick and utterly predictable.

1990 and 2001 ST1100s Just brilliant, all day comfort and a pleasure to ride.

2008 K1200R Sport. A triumph of tech over common sense, the engine is insane, the handling decent with the ESA and it's utterly gorgeous. I could sit for hours just looking at it.

None of them is my favourite bike though.