interesting bikes found randomly..

[Count Steer]

I've never understood the fascination with CX500's. A mate bought one when they came out, I had a spin and thought it was decidedly average. In fact everyone who had a go declared it about as boring as boring gets. They probably haven't improved over the years, but each to their own I suppose.

I'm not sure why anyone would be fascinated by them now, other than they're available, cheap and easy to work on and adapt. However, when they came out they ticked lots of boxes as a daily workhorse. Shaft drive, tubeless tyres (a first on a production bike) and the water-cooled, V-twin across-frame config promised a degree of longevity. Valve clearance checking/adjustment was a doddle. Home maintenance wasn't beyond the capabilities of an average spanner wielder.

They weren't going to set the world alight with performance or handling but as a comfy, high daily mileage bike they were Even the looks could grow on you.

Mine was registered the year before the one in the YT above and I put 17k miles on it in the first year in all weathers, including snow. (+ I never had to clean, lube or adjust the chain. ).

PS I wasn't a courier. I just lived a long way from work and it was our only transport.

[Buckaroo]

I had one too and really liked it, but mortgage and kids called an end to it. Bought a dooer upper and regretted every moment.

Thought the video was good and shows not to let perfect get in the way of progress.

[Count Steer]

I liked his pipe bending rig.

(I did wonder how he was going to get the extinguisher back off the bench though!).

[Taipan]

I had one for dispatching after killing a z5004 and a LC350 doing that job. It earnt my respect as it just ran and ran all day and was pretty faultless and not too bad on juice and of course shaft drive!

I kinda like them as cafe racers, poor mans Guzzi if you will, but cant see the ridiculous values people put on them!

[Horse]

poor mans Guzzi if you will

I always thought of them as poor man's BMW.

And that was probably an insult to the CX - it was definitely far smoother and handled much better than my R65 and R100RT. Even the K bikes too.

[Taipan]

poor mans Guzzi if you will

I always thought of them as poor man's BMW.

And that was probably an insult to the CX - it was definitely far smoother and handled much better than my R65 and R100RT. Even the K bikes too.

In our dispatch office the BMWs were the long range bikes. The MZs were the shorter range bikes and the CX was the all rounder!

[Nobby]

I loved my CX, did a few thou short of 200k as a courier in the early 80’s.
Comfortable, good mpg with K+N in box air filter, never changed the clutch plates, did though the cam chain. One breakdown when the nut on the water impeller came off and dislodged the housing from the face.
I suppose now, 40 years on I own the modern day boring bike, a v Strom.

[ChrisW]

Looks like a - forgive me - very ultra-low mileage RD500, albeit with a few bits missing.

[url]https://www.manorparkclassics.com/aucti ... =1&g=1[url]

[KungFooBob]

The 47X is the early UK model, what you really want is the 51X, the JDM version with the aluminium (rather than steel) frame.

I bet that ones goes close to the estimate, it's immaculate (except for the missing bits).

[Ditchfinder]

Cool as penguin piss

[KungFooBob]

I quite like this, £6k doesn't seem too silly either.

I think I'd have to get engine covers that didn't say Suzuki on them tho

Screenshot 2025-09-22 181739.png (2.46 MiB) Viewed 1286 times

I imagine Cheesy will know something about it.

[Bustaspoke]

I rode to the local bike meet earlier,here's some 'Interesting bikes' that you don't often see these days.
In my youth the owner of the 350 Honda had a Yamaha shop,I bought a new XJ550 from him a long time ago..


Not seen a GS1000S in years,a couple of my mates owned them back in the day



You still see TZR 125's running around but I can't remember when I last saw a KR1S



The nights are drawing in & it's getting cool when the sun goes down,the summer gloves might be going into storage.

[KungFooBob]

I quite like those CL360s (and the various other engine capacity CL's), but I don't think we officially got them in the UK, they're mostly Septic imports... and the CB360 they're based on and we officially got is supposed to be a proper dog.

[Beancounter]

Parked outside the office today.

PXL_20251008_131235595 (Medium).jpg (338.34 KiB) Viewed 1085 times

PXL_20251008_131223281 (Medium).jpg (315.58 KiB) Viewed 1085 times

PXL_20251008_131213160.MP (Medium).jpg (300.88 KiB) Viewed 1085 times

[KungFooBob]

Diavel V4 RS

https://www.ducati.com/gb/en/bikes/diavel/diavel-v4-rs

That's pretty sexy for a cruiser!





£34k is a bit eye watering tho'

[Yorick]

£34k 182 BHP. But no fairing.

Useless above 80 really.

[KungFooBob]

£34k 182 BHP. But no fairing.

Useless above 80 really.

Why would you go above 80, the highest speed limit in the UK is 70mph :p

[KungFooBob]

£34k 182 BHP. But no fairing.

Useless above 80 really.

Why would you go above 80, the highest speed limit in the UK is 70mph :p

No one can see how cool you look if you're going too fast.

[crust]

Parked outside the office today.

PXL_20251008_131235595 (Medium).jpg

PXL_20251008_131223281 (Medium).jpg

PXL_20251008_131213160.MP (Medium).jpg

I'm liking the G clamp holding the round thing on the front under the motor.

A proper well used bike, top man/person.

[Yorick]

£34k 182 BHP. But no fairing.

Useless above 80 really.

Why would you go above 80, the highest speed limit in the UK is 70mph :p

In that case, 50 BHP is sufficient