Motorcyclist Mag named

[Midnightrider]

the 69 honda cb750 the motorcycle of the century...what are your thoughts?

[sanford]

great choice has a lot of recognition

[Midnightrider]

my brother had 1 , i'd sneak off on it every chance I got..his had a 1/2 chop front with high rise handle bars i was like 14 or 15 I thought i was 1 BA on that bike...

[Eye_m_no_angel]

With about 120 years of motorcycles to choose from I don't think you can pick ONE as being most significant. It seems there should be catagories.

And how is it chosen? Most sold? First with a particular advancement? Most radical changes?

[cmonSTART]

It was a fairly significant bike in it's time.

[Midnightrider]

Originally Posted by cmonSTART

It was a fairly significant bike in it's time.

I agree, it done more to change bikes as any bike...and it was affordable.. if you can get your hands on this months issue it' has some GREAT reading on why they chose the CB750... oh and other bikes & people that helped shaped the industry..

[goalie]

A mid-century Norton sums up my romanticized view of what motorcycling was and should be.

[sanford]

Originally Posted by goalie

A mid-century Norton sums up my romanticized view of what motorcycling was and should be.

or my learner bike lol, at least my bike looks like a bike..(ok let's see the wise cracks)



Let's say if the question was a sport's car...surely the Mustang would be a contender ? but did it have the significant of the CB750 for motorcycle's?
One was a mass produced cookie mold production the other a highly engineered bike...I would say significant, also in the AMA hall of fame.

[ralphlong]

I think it was a great choice. When introduced, it was inspired engineering. Got a lot of people to think differently. It changed a lot of opinions as to what a motorcycle could be.

Now I want one. Unfortunately, that article just jumped the price considerably. Should have bought last month. Story of my life.

[DachshundUberAlles]

That motorcycle was a game changer. It singlehandedly killed the British motorcycle industry as it existed and established the Japanese as major players, the dominant force in the industry.
On the world stage, it was the day Honda took control of the motorcycling world and they have held it ever since.

[arntufun]

Lets be serious !!!!!!!! Technology of bikes today wipes the floor with all the old antiquated crap. No offense to you old timers, but GEEEEZ........ saying a 1969 bike is the best bike of the century is hogwash.

Thats like saying a floor model TV is better than a flat screen or a old azz rotary phone is better than a I-phone.

[ralphlong]

Originally Posted by arntufun

Lets be serious !!!!!!!! Technology of bikes today wipes the floor with all the old antiquated crap. No offense to you old timers, but GEEEEZ........ saying a 1969 bike is the best bike of the century is hogwash.

Thats like saying a floor model TV is better than a flat screen or a old azz rotary phone is better than a I-phone.

The article was about the most significant, not the best. The bike that made the most significant contribution to motorcycling over the past 100 years.

Article is in this months Motorcyclist.

[arntufun]

Originally Posted by ralphlong

The article was about the most significant, not the best. The bike that made the most significant contribution to motorcycling over the past 100 years.

Article is in this months Motorcyclist.

I don't care what that article says......... to say that particular bike is the most significant is even more ridiculous.

I would say any bike with ABS, fuel injection or water cooled motor far exceeds that old junk. I'm sorry, foolish choice if you ask me.

[DachshundUberAlles]

Without the "floor model" there is no "flat screen". Without the "rotary" there is no "iphone".
There's always going to be somebody who howls about a choice like this and it's usually someone who thinks that everything that occurred before they took up interest in something doesn't matter.

[ralphlong]

Originally Posted by arntufun

I don't care what that article says......... to say that particular bike is the most significant is even more ridiculous.

I would say any bike with ABS, fuel injection or water cooled motor far exceeds that old junk. I'm sorry, foolish choice if you ask me.

You have to read the article. They make a pretty good case for their choice.

Of course new bikes are better than that bike, but that is not what the article was about. It was about the bike that made the biggest contribution to the motorcycling world. The bike that was the biggest game changer. The bike that broke the paradigms of the day. The bike that made all other manufacturers sit up and take notice.

Kind of like the Mustang did in 64. Or the iPad did in 2010.

Ralph

[Lurch77]

It was the single bike that did more to change motorcycling than any other single bike has. It is the best choice if you had to choose only one.

My dad has a '76 model that will be mine one day.

[sanford]

paradigms

[sanford]

Originally Posted by arntufun

Lets be serious !!!!!!!! Technology of bikes today wipes the floor with all the old antiquated crap. No offense to you old timers, but GEEEEZ........ saying a 1969 bike is the best bike of the century is hogwash.

Thats like saying a floor model TV is better than a flat screen or a old azz rotary phone is better than a I-phone.

Just to take some artistic liberty would you also say this first airplane flight by the Wright brothers was insignicant because we now are able to get men to the moon?

[Castle81]

No, the cb750 deserves this. As soon as it appeared, everything that came before was rendered obsolete in one stroke. Everything after was either imitation or evolution. Like the diffrence in history between B.C. and A.D. There is before, after, and something truly remarkable in between.

The cb750, the Apple IIe, the Nokia "brick." Are they competitive today? No. But they made today what it is, and define the yesterday that was.

[Badlands-4-2]

No way it is the CB750. I never had one!

[Midnightrider]

Originally Posted by Badlands-4-2

No way it is the CB750. I never had one!

REALLY ??? i figured most had owned a CB750...wish I had 1 now, that's the street bike I 1st rode....

[Midnightrider]

Originally Posted by arntufun

I don't care what that article says......... to say that particular bike is the most significant is even more ridiculous.

I would say any bike with ABS, fuel injection or water cooled motor far exceeds that old junk. I'm sorry, foolish choice if you ask me.

NO they didn't choose the snowmobile with wheels... that is why you don't like the choice (j/k lol u know I'm about to work at a dealership that sales them)

seriously you have to read the article as to WHY they chose it...that magazine is well worth the price....it has some great reads in it and a lot of GREAT bikes they considered..

[arntufun]

Originally Posted by Midnightrider

NO they didn't choose the snowmobile with wheels... that is why you don't like the choice (j/k lol u know I'm about to work at a dealership that sales them)

seriously you have to read the article as to WHY they chose it...that magazine is well worth the price....it has some great reads in it and a lot of GREAT bikes they considered..

I'm going to have to say the Honda Goldwing is the most significant bike of the century. I believe they paved the way to leave your own hometown for an extended period of time with a reliable machine to explore places you have never been. All with extreme comfort and options other bikes only dreamed to have.

To me, touring and exploring defines what motorcycling is.

[Lurch77]

Heck, the first Goldwings were nothing more than a CB750 with a big engine. They didn't even have fairings. The original Goldwing was an evolution of the CB, and it has further evolved into what it is today. If it wasn't for the CB, the 'wing may not have ever been.

[DoC_DaR]

Making me sad. Just sold my 1992 CB750 NightHawk. Maybe this explains why it went so quickly. Purchased bike 2 years ago as learning bike. About month ago bought a 2007 VTX1800t and posted the NightHawk on Craigs List for 300 more than I paid, haggle room. 3 hours after posting bike was sold for my asking price. Never had a single issue with the NightHawk.

[goalie]

Originally Posted by arntufun

Lets be serious !!!!!!!! Technology of bikes today wipes the floor with all the old antiquated crap. No offense to you old timers, but GEEEEZ........ saying a 1969 bike is the best bike of the century is hogwash.

Thats like saying a floor model TV is better than a flat screen or a old azz rotary phone is better than a I-phone.

Arnt:

Perhaps you failed to read my statement carefully. It was: A mid-century Norton sums up my romanticized view of what motorcycling was and should be.

I don't recall saying anything about being the best bike. I was just pointing out the simpler time of life.

Recent technology often does not "WOW" me, though. I certainly appreciate the many technological advances we've made over the past 50 plus years I've been around, but sometimes simpler is better.

[arntufun]

Originally Posted by goalie

Arnt:

Perhaps you failed to read my statement carefully. It was: A mid-century Norton sums up my romanticized view of what motorcycling was and should be.

I don't recall saying anything about being the best bike. I was just pointing out the simpler time of life.

Recent technology often does not "WOW" me, though. I certainly appreciate the many technological advances we've made over the past 50 plus years I've been around, but sometimes simpler is better.

Sorry Goalie, I was giving my opinion of the article not your post.

But since you brought it up........ My Dad said he used to have to walk 8 miles to school, uphill both ways and in 10 feet of snow. That was a simpler time, but that doesn't sound simpler to me.

[Lurch77]

Hey 3-wheeler, you are missing the point of the article and why they chose that bike. Obviously there are far better bikes 40 years later. It was what that bike did for the industry, how it changed everything, not that it is the best bike there ever was in the last 100 years. It is considered the first "super sport" bike. It started the revolution. We wouldn't be so far along in our bike technology and performance if they bike did not come along when it did. Ultimately, today's CBR1000R and other bikes like it are the descendants of that original CB.

[goalie]

Originally Posted by arntufun

Sorry Goalie, I was giving my opinion of the article not your post.

But since you brought it up........ My Dad said he used to have to walk 8 miles to school, uphill both ways and in 10 feet of snow. That was a simpler time, but that doesn't sound simpler to me.

Your Dad had it easy. We could only go to school once a week because we only had one pair of shoes to share among all eight kids.

Now if I only had a Can-Am, life would be esay street.
Seriously, though, I'm really thinking about snaggin one for the bad weather situations.

[arntufun]

Originally Posted by Lurch77

Hey 3-wheeler, you are missing the point of the article and why they chose that bike. Obviously there are far better bikes 40 years later. It was what that bike did for the industry, how it changed everything, not that it is the best bike there ever was in the last 100 years. It is considered the first "super sport" bike. It started the revolution. We wouldn't be so far along in our bike technology and performance if they bike did not come along when it did. Ultimately, today's CBR1000R and other bikes like it are the descendants of that original CB.

I understand what you are saying.........but to me the mid 80's Goldwing should be the bike that made all we have today possible. They took huge cc's to a hole new level and incorperated it with comfort and options we all strive for today.

[arntufun]

Originally Posted by goalie

Your Dad had it easy. We could only go to school once a week because we only had one pair of shoes to share among all eight kids.

Now if I only had a Can-Am, life would be esay street.
Seriously, though, I'm really thinking about snaggin one for the bad weather situations.

Be careful, these Spyders are like a STD, once you have one there is no getting rid of it.............

[Lurch77]

I don't strive for most of the options on the Goldwing. I have a car that has those options.

[smooth1]

I remember the 1st time I saw the cb 750. That 4 cyl engine looked
Huge. It was 1 of the bigger bikes in that era. That in line 4 was
A ground breaking design. I had an 82 cb 750 & wish I still had it

[sanford]

Originally Posted by Lurch77

I don't strive for most of the options on the Goldwing. I have a car that has those options.

yup, agree... sure they are a great bike but I would expect all
the bells & whistles on that high end bike could also be a saftey distraction, after all it still is on 2 wheels like any scooter is...

[DachshundUberAlles]

Honda's original intention in creating the GL1000 was that it be a superbike, not a tourer. If this is to evolve to a discussion of what each of us views as what was most significant to us personally, I am choosing the Yamaha DT-1.

[Lurch77]

Hey fun guy, I finally got around to reading all the 100th anniversary articles in the magazine. Your opinion, apparently, is not a solo one. The 1980 GL1100 Gold Wing Interstate was an honorable mention and finalists in the voting. The other finalists were:

1960 Triumph T120 Bonneville
1923 BMW R32
1948 Vincent Black Shadow
1973 Honda CR250 Elsinore
1979 Yamaha RD400F Daytona Special
1949 Harley Davidson FL Hydra-Glide
1983 Honda VF750F V45 Interceptor
1985 Suzuki GSX-R750 (I'm the owner of a '92 model)
1994 Ducati 916

[LWRider]

Pshaw!!!!! CB750 riding on the coat tails of the 1968 CB350...again and gettin' all the glory!

[smooth1]

Originally Posted by LWRider

Pshaw!!!!! CB750 riding on the coat tails of the 1968 CB350...again and gettin' all the glory!

The 350 was also a ground breaker in it's own way. It got more people into bikes. It started with the Honda scooters. They had a catchy jingle "You meet the nicest people on a Honda". Alot of the people who bought the scooters got the bigger 350's after awhile. Back then Honda didn't make cars, just bikes & they worked hard to get people to try their products.