Bikes that impressed you when they were launched
 

off the back of Chris woods post for ugly bikes I thought I would start one for bikes that impressed you when they were launched.
During the late 70s and early 80s there was a never ending launch of new models, often my first chance to see them was the Earls Court show.

A number of them did impress me at the time and if I'd had the money I may well have bought one or two of them.

Here is one I would have bought if the money had been available

Ducati nut or not it surely has to be the 916? It just blew everything else away.

FS1E of course or the first Gixer 1000. One I loved was the Honda 400 Four with the four into one pipes, awesome at the time

WeeJohnyB

'cause at the time - it was game changing....

I think that this is the best 1000 (IL4) that's been produced, its got worse since 2005.... (just ditch the can though....)

Fizzys were great and everybody had one, the AP50s were probably a tad quicker aided by the 5-speed box. For a moped I would have went for a Garelli Tiger Cross or a Fantic Caballero.

As for the 400/4, it did impress me as much as the CBX1000, I went to the Launch of Hartwells Honda in Botley, Oxford and it took pride of place in the showroom window, as soon as I laid eyes on it I decided I would have one one day, a couple of years later and I had 3 of them, One with all the bling, Yoshi pipe, Dresda Nickle plated arm, Marzocchi shocks, Yamaha XS250 fork lowers with Yamaha mag wheels, twin discs and calipers that worked, S&B air-filters LEDAR air correctors, Pirahna Ignition, Hadleigh Custom fibre glass Mudguards and Engine covers.
Its one bike I wish i had never sold.

When the 916 came out I was more into my specials and still a big fan of the IL4 knowing little about twins other than the 2-stroke RDs, YR5s, GT750s and H1Fs that I had previously owned.

Fireblade has to be in there

The 916 was the most desired but I'll never forget seeing my first:



OMG....droool...slobber,slobber.....

I didn't.


I did.


One of my all time faves, but this was the lust object when I was 17 and on L-Plates



But got heavily into trials riding and ended up with one of these



Ossa Explorer 250 - first bike I ever bought brand new. Exactly the same as a MAR but with a dual seat so I could do trials then take my girlfriend on the back as well (ahem yes officer - on L-Plates). That way I had the choice of which way I wanted to get dirty.

Once I had passed my test, I had a mate who let me have a go on one of my objects of desire at the time...



Which resulted in a big grin followed quickly by a major arse clenching moment as the bike came on song while I was accelerating out of a bumpy corner while still cranked over - fired out of the seat in a near highside, followed by the front end coming right up while I just clung onto the bars like a bison wrestler as they slapped from lock to lock. Nearest I've ever coming to binning a bike without binning it.

Spent hours with my snotty nose pressed up against the window at slow burnin' fuse (Coburn and Hughes) daydreaming about one of these



But, surprisingly, couldn't afford one on a student grant.

This one. Minimalist beauty, imo. It was a long time after the launch before I first saw it though.