the Game changer bikes

[KungFooBob]

The monster cost them bugger all to develop and they sold shit loads. Saved Ducati, or something

[mangocrazy]

Yeah, saw a video on YT about the Monster and how Ducati weren't at all convinced about the concept. Until the sales went ballistic, of course...

[Mussels]

I'm surprised nobody mentioned the Butler Petrol Cycle, some of you must be old enough.

[The Spin Doctor]

Yeah, saw a video on YT about the Monster and how Ducati weren't at all convinced about the concept. Until the sales went ballistic, of course...

A process they have managed to completely reverse by making it an over-priced, over-styled hipster toy.

[mangocrazy]

If we're talking 'over-priced, over-styled hipster toys' I'd suggest that the Ducati Scrambler is another prime contender.

[Newey]

I'd probably consider the 916 as a good sideways step, the timing for something other then an IL4 was on Ducati's side and with Foggy cleaning up on a V twin never hurt the PR.

[Scotsrich]

Not a single bike as such but a range of bikes including the x7 and later the lc250.

The publicity over ‘100mph’ 250’s led the way for the reduction in capacity for learners and increasing complexity in the test.

[Demannu]

Honda NS400R
First bike to handle properly, like a modern bike.
Shame it was given such an asthmatic overbored 250.
MK1 Fireblade, because.....

[lostboy]

I'd probably consider the 916 as a good sideways step, the timing for something other then an IL4 was on Ducati's side and with Foggy cleaning up on a V twin never hurt the PR.

Helped by the rules of WSBK at the time

[Bigjawa]

The SRAD was a 1000

What's that written on the tail of this TL1000R

It might be written on the tail but when people talk about SRADs, they mean GSXRs.

TL is a different kettle of fish.

[Bigjawa]

Surprised no-one's mentioned the Ducati 916 yet. Apart from totally transforming Ducati's fortunes it also brought large capacity V-twins onto Joe Punter's radar and hugely influenced motorcycle styling.

More recently BMW's GS and GSA twins can be considered a game changer, sparking the rise of the Adventure style moto (the two wheel equivalent of the 'Chelsea tractor' i.e. Range Rover if you ask me)

How much of the GS fetish was due to Obi Wan and his mate riding round the world? Seemed that as soon as that show came out the bloody things came from nowhere. I heard they wanted KTMs but KTM didn't want to supply free bikes. Someone made a career boo boo there.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

To be fair to BMW the first R80GS in around 1980 was the first trail styled touring bike.

[bevvo]

I'd say 675 street triple. First middle-weight roadster worth buying for decades...

[Demannu]

I'd say 675 street triple. First middle-weight roadster worth buying for decades...

Not exactly game changing though, is it!

[bevvo]

I'd say 675 street triple. First middle-weight roadster worth buying for decades...

Not exactly game changing though, is it!

It depends what you mean by game changing. It certainly made yamaha up their game and start making triples - the MT09 arguably rescued their ailing fortunes. Similarly, MV Agusta.
The street triple set the bench mark for middle weights. I satnd by my claim!

[bevvo]

Mk1 Fireblade, effectively killed the 750.

Defo a game changer. It made every other big sports bike of the time look like a tourer over night.
The R1 has been mentioned, but I reckon that was just Yamaha's response to the fireblade. A very effective response, mind you.

[bevvo]

Another one: Aprilia Tuono.

The first proper performance naked.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Another one: Aprilia Tuono.

The first proper performance naked.

If by that you mean "the first time a manufacturer did a geniunely naked sportsbike, rather than one detuned for midrange etc." surely the Speed Triple pre-empted it by a few years?

If you just mean fast naked bikes...well, they're been around for donkeys haven't they? At one point they were the norm.

[Rockburner]

Another one: Aprilia Tuono.

The first proper performance naked.

If by that you mean "the first time a manufacturer did a geniunely naked sportsbike, rather than one detuned for midrange etc." surely the Speed Triple pre-empted it by a few years?

If you just mean fast naked bikes...well, they're been around for donkeys haven't they? At one point they were the norm.

You could argue that the Norton Dominator 99 falls into that category (or any other bike based on the one that won the TT last year. )

[bevvo]

Another one: Aprilia Tuono.

The first proper performance naked.

If by that you mean "the first time a manufacturer did a geniunely naked sportsbike, rather than one detuned for midrange etc." surely the Speed Triple pre-empted it by a few years?

If you just mean fast naked bikes...well, they're been around for donkeys haven't they? At one point they were the norm.

I wondered if anyone would bring up something like the z1, but could it be termed naked before 'clothes' had been invented?

I did think about the speed triple. Not quite performancy enough until triumph upped their game, arguably in response to the Tuono? Anyway the tuono was based on a real sports bike, which wasn't quite true of the daytona on which the speedy was based...