MCN - Best bike vote
 

so according to the MCN pole the 916 is the best bike ever

so MCN can get some things right then;)

Not the 999 then, ha ha.

Oooooops sorry, i'll get my flak jacket and leave.

Oh by the way guest1, i still need some technical help please
and JPM when you get back from holiday i need a favour.

KeefyB and Loz, will you stick up for me please.....

Oh dear, judgment clouded by sentimentality.

I reckon Andyb will be on soon to say that they only run polls like that to reassure the insecure 916 owners that they ride the best bikes!! ;)

I reckon he misses the ol' 998!!!!
:o:o:o:o

You can't argue that it's had a huge influence on the biking world since 1994. Style has become much more important to all manufactures not just the Italians, it won WSB/BSB races and titles, and picked up design awards left right and centre. It was the bike that got me REALLY into bikes rather than just liking them

An absolute icon.

I forgot to say - the sound of them on Termis. You can never tire of that Desmo drone...

I don't know what the criteria for voting was, the bikes in the poll seem to be the ones that have had a big effect on on future design etc. The 999 can never do what the 916 did. But when the V4 comes along?

Really think if it's Dukes then for my money it was the 900ss desmo, black and gold, bevel drive.
I drooled at the write up which said the best run top speed at the time was only 125~130, then the clutch started slipping and so the estimated top speed was 160-ish.

absolutely

that was about 21st in the poll

I think they got it wrong - it should have been the FireBlade.

After all, it basically invented the whole sportsbike concept and was absolutely legendary when it was first released, unlike nothing else with it's no comprimise power and low weight, sharp steering and stunning styling.

Although it's been watered down of late, in typical Honda style, it looks like it's back again with avengance now.

916、good choice. from just style alone, but then there was that new engine that was a big jump for Dukes and especially for other twins. A real jewel even with all it's faults and I think someone said it was the bike that got him really into two wheelers. Probably not alone in that! Italy at its best!

Fireblade - nah
It was just a 750 with a big bore on it - other than that it was just another IL4 and never as good as a GSX750R

I have to agree with ant, the blade is the bike that's got nothing wrong with it. I owned one for 7 years and it was perfect, couldn't fault it.

The 916 is an icon, it's obviously an awsome bike in race trim but as a road bike, to be honest, it ain't really up to much by comparison. Don't get me wrong, my 996 is the only reason I come to work every day, it's a top shelf bike which I've always aspired to, but to say it's the best can only be based on desireability, surely. Think I'll write a letter!

Stone me, burn down my house, even step on my blue suede shoes if you must... but my good ol' FireBucket gets my vote.

Hmmm..not sure about where tha stats came from either...I seem to remember the monster and laverda jota being nearly bottom of the poll in the first edition a few weeks ago..?? :puzzled::puzzled:

Nat

What a truely awesome response, not sure i agree though, no offence meant, not knocking yer, just putting my personal twopunce worth in.

The Fireblade is a brilliant and iconic bike in its own right, although on the H0nda front still prefer the RC30, but the Blade changed the whole scene, and was far more readily available to the general public than either RC30 or 916.

The Blade is a better bet in a lot of ways but doesn't stir the soul in the same way the 916 did/still does. As you say your 996 is the reason you go to work. I don't think the 9** is that bad a road bike, but maybe i'm just strange.

The Blade in its various incarnations (my Favourites being the original which blew me away at the time, and the 2002/2003 model) is a great bike, and is a milestone along bike development.

Other milestones being CB750, Z1, GPZ900, GSXR750, (Blade), R1.

But my personal top 3 would be
916 1st
RC30 2nd
Blade 3rd
CB250 G5 4th (bag of scrap but it was the first roadbike i ever owned)
:D

p.s. this is only my humble opinion, not having kept a Blade for 7 years, but i have ridden all the different models and had a couple of them in the garage over the years.

Did you notice that it was a RED 916 in the MCN!:roll::roll::roll:

Hey BDG, my opinion's worth sweet f.a. when it comes to the crunch. I've only owned 10 bikes, and not ridden many others.

I remember the rc30 tho - a guy up the road had one, and I used to dream of getting one of them after i'd learned to ride me Puch properly! That was until the 916 came to light...

:)

No way is your opinion worth sweet f.a. Your opinion is just as valid as mine or anyone else's. I thought it was a great response especially as it wasn't the party line on a Ducati board. I was only voicing a purely personal alternative.

Just read wot I wrote... I'm gonna get turfed outa the club aren't I..!!! :lol:

Seriously tho, these rating lists don't do a lot for me. I don't think a bike can be rated, cos when they say 'best' what do they mean? Best at what?? And how can bikes from different era's be compared?

So, best all round bike of my era is what my thoughts were based on... I even used to go get the weekly groceries on the 'blade - big cardboard box bungee'd to the back seat... it was a sight to behold!

But on trackdays my 996 is noticably better to me. Don't know if it's quicker (i think it is?) but it sure is more fun. And it's as sassy lokking as a bike can get!

orange Jota.Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm,I would have loved one of those instead of me SS50 five speed:)

where was the fizzy 50?

Wow, shows my bike choice isnt that bad with owning a 1995 916, RC30 and a RD350

About 10 years ago :lol::lol::lol:

I for years as a married man with kids dreamt of owning yet alone riding the 916. Managed to get back into bikes and now separated I have a Monster s4 and really not bothered having a go of 916. I still love them because its the pinnacle of Ducati but am so happy to ride the s4 because its awesome and fun. The 916 is still a dream I may get around to just for the beauty of it.

I had the 916 and now the 996 :cool:

It looks bloody sexy full stop.

As for the 749/999 the sooner the replace the bloody ugly things the better

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

Age

hey I started out on an SS50! - A 4 speed though, handlebars so narrow, - blew up the engine though :( I also had a dream for an Orange Jota, - I remember hours spent studying the stats in my Observers book of motorcycles.

And yes the 916 is THE BIKE of the modern era, perhaps the Vincent Black shadow was also years before its time. Sorry no way could a Fireblade be number 1, - the shell suit paint jobs just let the thing down so badly! And whatever the 999 was it never stood a chance of being as much an artform as the 916.....but I have grown to love that shape, - my dream brand new bike now would be a 749R.

The bikes where voted by readers via the MCN web site, you had to pick your top 5.

Fizzy was a few places behind the jota (ie - near the bottom) :puzzled:

Still confused..?!

Nat

think its right..the birth of the superbike WAS the 916...yep the blade redefined the 750 class, and kwaka had a few iconic bits, but the legacy of the 916 is still developing and a whole brand was built on the back of it, you cant say that of Nonda and the fireblade

I owned that very bike! Bought as an ex-demo from Coburn & Hughes after the mags had thrashed it. It was hugely overgeared until I upped the rear sprocket by 2 or 3 teeth. Best I ever got was 140ish down the A9. Of course I just had to vote for it :burn:

[/quote]I owned that very bike! Bought as an ex-demo from Coburn & Hughes after the mags had thrashed it. It was hugely overgeared until I upped the rear sprocket by 2 or 3 teeth. Best I ever got was 140ish down the A9. Of course I just had to vote for it :burn: [/quote]

a mate of a bloke I work with was South Wales 4 stroke champion on one of them in 1980 and another of his mates still has the bike:) but he won't sell it:sniff:

Sparkin & ian

These are my toys and yes i am a lucky git!

The Jota`s a 1983 180 and the Duke is a 998s

Another of the Jota

Fireblade
 

From 851/888 performance portfolio
888strada owner


I bet if you stripped all recongnisible body work off any of the top 1000cc jap bikes and done a blind test no-one could tell which model was which.

Albie
get yourself a go on a 998S AWSOME.
I'm glad i had a go.

my top 5
888 SPS
RC30
RG500
900 SL 92 MODEL
GT380

888 has an interesting choice of top 5, but I would replace the GT 380 with a Bridgestone 350GTR as it was pretty revolutionary for a two stroke at the time and good looking to boot. I could never get past the funky air scoop like appendages on the heads of the 380..

They make nice garage mates Rob !.. :D Handsome pair of old devils !

Nat