Top 10 bikes you should ride before you die

[paso87]

This is an interesting list that somehow has 12 on it although one is riding any bike in the Alps is listed as one.  How many have you ridden?

I got six, I have ridden a Honda Trail 90 which is related to the Super Cub, I have ridden a 75 RD350 Yamaha and own one which is in restore mode, rode my kids PW50, ridden a 996 Ducati, and ridden and own a CB750 and CB750F and ridden a couple of Gold Wings owned by my friends.

How will you do on this list?

https://www.visordown.com/features/top-10s/motorcycles-ride-you-die

[koko64]

4/10 here

[paso87]

What are your four?

[koko64]

Busa, 916SP, CB750 (hated it),  Goldwing.
916SP was the first time I had the knee down on the street, I did it unintensionally as the bike was that easy to ride. It was like cheating.
Does riding a Ducati through Tuscany count?

[paso87]

Sorry you didn't have a good experience on the CB750. I had ridden one of the early CB750 and thought it was pretty cool but I was riding a Suzuki 250 two stroke at the time so the power was impressive. Then about 22 years ago a guy at work gave me a 75 CB750SS which I had to do some work on and I enjoyed a lot riding it around until the dreaded cam chain broke. I too have ridden in Tuscana. In 2018 I attended Ducati World Week and we stayed in Florence and rode in all directions from Florence.  However nice Tuscany is I still think riding in the Alps on a motorcycle will be the ultimate ride. You just have to pick the passes you want to do. The Grosslockner and Stelvio are great ones but have lots of traffic but I have read there are less famous but still spectacular ones without a lot of traffic. Of course if you go in tourist off season it might be better. I want to do this in the next couple of years.

[Duck-Stew]

2/10 here.  Super Cub and Ducati 916.  I’m surprised the Honda RC30 didn’t make the list.  I’ve ridden those and they’re awesome!

[paso87]

Duck-Stew it is nice to see someone else besides KOKO64, KRJ, and myself post on this forum. Thanks

[koko64]

Sorry you didn't have a good experience on the CB750. I had ridden one of the early CB750 and thought it was pretty cool but I was riding a Suzuki 250 two stroke at the time so the power was impressive. Then about 22 years ago a guy at work gave me a 75 CB750SS which I had to do some work on and I enjoyed a lot riding it around until the dreaded cam chain broke. I too have ridden in Tuscana. In 2018 I attended Ducati World Week and we stayed in Florence and rode in all directions from Florence.  However nice Tuscany is I still think riding in the Alps on a motorcycle will be the ultimate ride. You just have to pick the passes you want to do. The Grosslockner and Stelvio are great ones but have lots of traffic but I have read there are less famous but still spectacular ones without a lot of traffic. Of course if you go in tourist off season it might be better. I want to do this in the next couple of years.

We hope to return to Italy to ride more roads and explore more of the beautiful country, culture and people.

Sadly, those plans are set back a year under the current circumstances

[KRJ]

  Not sure of all the top 10 bikes but I have ridden a lot of different bikes, when working at the Honda
   dealership I rode a lot of bikes. I have owned, xr75, xl125,tl250,xr500,cb750f café,xr650l, st1300, Hondas
   also rd400,maico 250, hodaka combat wombat, jawa 500 that killed Me twice,or so it seemed!  the list goes
    on. The Honda CBX was cool. The first Suzuki Katana We all scoffed at (not our café vision), the shop foreman rode a Norton Commando, I followed with the CB750 café, sereral other friends had KZ1000s and GS1100s. Damn what a good time that was...  And yes it good hearing from Stu on this thread, need to keep this going!!

[Duck-Stew]

Keith, right? I remember meeting you at a DitR event years ago...

You were on an XR600 I think.  Been a lot of bourbon ago.

I think the list they put together is pretty good.  It would’ve been more interesting if they expanded it out to 20 or 25 bikes...

Maybe we should do our own list?

[paso87]

If you want to start a list then I will put a couple of bikes on the list that I would like to ride before I die although two of them on the list could very well do that.  They are: 1) Original Kawasaki 500 Mach III triple, 2) Kawasaki 750 Mach IV triple, 3) Any Suzuki RG500 Gamma two stroke square four, and the BIMOTA DB7.  The 500 and 750 two stroke triples could be the ones that do me in according to legend, the 500 more than the 750.  The RG500 Suzuki is a four cylinder square four with rotary valve induction.  The DB7 is the ultimate in Super Models with one of the thinnest profiles, a BIMOTA frame, quality suspension and components with a Ducati 1098 engine. I attached a few links for the bikes. And yes, I love two stroke street bikes!

https://www.google.com/search?q=bimota+db7&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=firefox-b-1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwic86qPz7voAhUOpp4KHV1JBEsQsAR6BAgJEAE&biw=1010&bih=644

https://www.google.com/search?q=kawasaki+500+triple&client=firefox-b-1&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=aX08bqoEr0NRVM%253A%252CFUCOy9kvOnF51M%252C_&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kQ1q0Fw1A8fG6hA2Ic1524pwk9leg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjvl-Db0LvoAhWEu54KHWW7DEQQ9QEwCnoECAgQMA#imgrc=aX08bqoEr0NRVM:

https://www.google.com/search?q=kawasaki+750+h2+triple&tbm=isch&source=univ&client=firefox-b-1&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjaxbnp0bvoAhUMvJ4KHSMvBQcQsAR6BAgGEAE&biw=1010&bih=644

https://ridermagazine.com/2015/09/03/retrospective-suzuki-rg500-gamma-1985-1986/

[KRJ]

   Yes Stu, I am Keith that was at DiTR several times, Riding a Multistrada. We also drank a beer or two
     in NM when I was on a work trip,You were working on footrests options on a project bike. To start a list of bikes, Hmm, TZ750 would come to mind,Vincent Black Shadow, HD XR750 Speedway, maybe a Hypermotard
  to get crazy.  I have rode a lot of the older bikes that people say are ill handling death machines, but back then there was no suspension, or tires. Tank Slappers were normal occurrences, riding technique was squeeze
  the tank pull back on the bars till the shaking stopped, yeah and add throttle!  I enjoy riding My KZ just for
  those memories, and it's fast and fun.