so every generation has its iconic bikes.Apartfrom the monster what are yours?

[Curmudgeon]

Friggin' thing was a light switch. It had no dimmer.

Come to think of it..., this should be the "survivors thread". 

[Speeddog]

Come to think of it..., this should be the "survivors thread". 

Oh, "survived this bike"?

I put maybe a thousand miles on one of these.
Frame had at least two hinges in the middle.
Vibration level was diabolical, combined with pathetic power.
For some reason, the owner had ArmorAlled both tires, and I never found anything that would clean them.
Honestly the biggest POS I can recall riding, it tried to throw me on the ground several times.




As a counterpoint, I had a short ride on one of these, similar vintage as the Yamaha, and it blew it away in every possible category.
Actually quite a nice bike.

[ducpainter]

A buddy rode an XS 650 from Boston to Alaska...

and back in the early 70's.

They shook, but were pretty much bullet proof.

[Speeddog]

A friend in college had a 650 Special, I rode it a little, other than the vibration it was pretty decent, would have been way better with a normal riding position.

That 400 I rode was awful.

[koko64]

A buddy's XS650 blew its carbs off every time he kick started it. Every time he grabbed the clutch in the wet, it gave him a shock from the coils.

[ducpainter]

A friend in college had a 650 Special, I rode it a little, other than the vibration it was pretty decent, would have been way better with a normal riding position.

That 400 I rode was awful.

Ever ride a BSA 650?

[Speeddog]

Ever ride a BSA 650?

No, only experience with Brit motos was a bit of riding on a Daytona 955.

Not much in common with a BSA.
Did it shake more than an XS650?

A buddy's XS650 blew its carbs off every time he kick started it. Every time he grabbed the clutch in the wet, it gave him a shock from the coils.

That's fantastic! 
You wouldn't have any video of that, would you?

[ducpainter]

No, only experience with Brit motos was a bit of riding on a Daytona 955.

Not much in common with a BSA.
Did it shake more than an XS650?

All the XS 650's I came into contact with kept all their major parts.

BSA's would shed them on the way down the road...

nothing that kept you from riding it...

tail lights...fenders...and the like.

[koko64]

That's fantastic! 
You wouldn't have any video of that, would you?

It was a long time ago.

[Curmudgeon]

Oh, "survived this bike"?

Never owned anything Japanese personally, but I believe these were OK? Amazing what turns up down here occasionally. 



Sorry about the mirror. 

[ducpainter]

Never owned anything Japanese personally, but I believe these were OK? Amazing what turns up down here occasionally. 



Sorry about the mirror. 

KX something?

Kwacks typically had great motors and lousy chassis.

[Speeddog]

I don't remember any particular trouble with bits falling off his XS650.
But that was in college, and there was a pub on campus.
And he was one member of a batch of Norwegian nationals that I was hanging with.
So some details from that time are IZ_.
I principally blame the Linje Aquavit. 

No video, a bit of a shame.
But I can imagine it, and perhaps that's better!

[Rudemouthsky]

As a counterpoint, I had a short ride on one of these, similar vintage as the Yamaha, and it blew it away in every possible category.
Actually quite a nice bike.

My buddy is rebuilding a GS750. He's put a complete  ZX750K front end and a cafe seat on it and it looks awesome just like that, and the sound is AWESOME,  that raspy banshee like sound through a 4-1 Kerker pipe, just plain evil sounding. I'm trying to convince him to trade it to me for my M750 once I get it back together.

Modified ZX750K steering stem:

[ducpainter]

Yeah...

probably difficult to remember that far back.

[Curmudgeon]

KX something?

Side cover says KZ400. Had to look at the file to read it!