Weirdest bike I ever rode (not owned, just a loaner while the Fazer was in for some work) was an MT-01. I coined the phrase “Yamaharley” for it, 1700 V-twin rigidly mounted in a large modern frame, with a cartoonishly large headlamp and equally ridiculous exhausts. It was big. Not particularly tall, but it had presence. It ticked over at 1500RPM and ran out of breath at 4000 so despite having more torque than a supertanker you had to short shift constantly. Considering I was used to the 4IL 1000 engine of the Fazer, which would do 80mph in first gear if you lacked the mechanical sympathy, I mean, you could ride the Fazer in 2nd from standstill to 100mph if ever your clutch went, so having to “burp-burp-burp” everywhere on the MT-01 took a bit of getting used to. It wasn’t without its merit but I can see why it never caught on.

My mate had one and loved it, but it was too impractical for me. It sounded great, looked pretty boss in a unique kind of way, it was in a class of one. Horrendous in slippery wet urban conditions, the torque came in individual lumps and threatened to chuck you on your side on wet mini roundabouts. On the motorway though it was like riding a giant vibrator, or a road drill. Or doing a big towels wash and sitting on the washing machine during the spin cycle. I’ll leave the rest to your imagination but it’s fair to say Woody Allen might have come up with a name for it in advance! 🤣

Norvin

Hey, Norvin, I’m not sure how Mr Zuccerburg does it but this popped into my feed this morning.
Not the only bike but very purty.

Norvin CR1140 by Stile Italiana.

      @Hotmetal

      That MT sounds very Harley like. Without traction control too (I don’t think any HD models have it) they’re basically just a handful of wheelspin.

      Amberale

      Looks like a Vincati, which I’ve always thought was the best looking Vincent hybrid (not that there is anything wrong with the standard bike). I saw two Australian Vincatis on the Isle of Man and they looked just right. It spurred me to look for an old air cooled Ducati to convert using my Norvin engine. I even went to somewhere near Manchester to look at one, it turned out to be an 850 or something, and I really wanted a 750 sport or 900ss.

      Friends used to call my Norvin a real hooligan bike, they used to complain about the noise from the megaphone and wouldn’t ride behind me on runs. It started off as a cafe racer but it was too uncomfortable to ride, it gradually lost the clip-ons, rear sets, thin seat etc. but the wideline frame, 5 gallon tank and high centre of gravity couldn’t easily be changed. It got to the stage where I had three Vincents in the Garage, I would use the Rapide for touring and A roads, the Comet (single cylinder, lighter and shorter wheelbase) for blasting round the local Welsh back roads and never really rode the Norvin, so I sold it.

        Amberale

        Damn that is a beauteous bike! I’m normally ‘against’ upside-down forks on old style bikes because it’s not true to the period but I think I could forgive them in that instance. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a bike and really got excited.

        Wow the nanny filter is strong on here! Before anyone thinks I was being coarse, the 4-letter word was not procreation related, merely that place where water stops and beavers live!! 🤣

        That bike is actually for sale (in Italy, POA)

        https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1423821

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        —

          I got my license and the R9T last April. So pleased I went for it and looking forward to the light nights again for blasts after work.

          There are too many bikes to try though! Already wanting a second!

          Cheers

          Ross

            Goodfella

            Too many bikes indeed. Speaking from experience, trying to find the perfect bike is an expensive, endless journey.

            The perfect bike is having multiple bikes. A fast one, a comfortable one, one with luggage, one for two-up, and an off-road one.

            Or a Pikes Peak Multistrada if you’ve got £26k.

            The dealers don’t make it easy these days either, I remember when you’d ask to try a bike and the salesperson would hand you the keys and ask you to be back before closing. These days you’re lucky to get half an hour!

                Ernie1 The dealers don’t make it easy these days either, I remember when you’d ask to try a bike and the salesperson would hand you the keys and ask you to be back before closing. These days you’re lucky to get half an hour!

                When I went to look at a bike, Kawasaki Ninja 900 I think it was (back in the day)…I asked for a test ride and the salesman said !are you going to buy it then". I was confused, and he said we will only give you a test ride “if you are going to buy it”. I politely said that I wasn’t sure he understood what a test ride was. Another shop I was in, wouldn’t even start a motorcycle I was interested in….

                Finally when one shop did remove the incredibly cheap 500 mile only CBR1000 FJ out of the window and started it for the first time in years (it had been in the window for 3+ years). It ran on 3 cylinders only. I mentioned it and they said no, it’s running on 4….I grabbed the exhaust pipe where I could feel no heat when my hand went near it and said to their head mechanic…grab any other pipe and if you can hold onto it like me…I’ll pay you asking price.

                He looked at me, reduced the price of the bike considerably, and I rode it back very gently (70 miles I think) on 3, during the ride I could feel the 4th cylinder trying to cut in. Cleaned the carbs out thoroughly, popped in some fresh oil and she was good as new…a very cheap bike.

                Contact me

                    I started out my bike journey by disobeying my parents and getting a mobelec moped a real old thing cost me £10. Then got a FS1E had so much fun with that. Next was the Susuki 250cc RAM air, another lovely bike. Had a break for several years then bought a Honda 125 twin lovely old bike but the commuting got to me so bought a Kawasaki zz600 which was ok. Then decided to treat myself to what would be my last bike and be the best of them all. A Triumph Daytona675. When I test rode one the dealer said that it could be lowered but on picking it up they then stated that they could not lower it any more. I am a short ass. I did purchase a lowering kit. I think from USA. Was she quick. Sold it as I had tennis elbow golfer’s elbow but did not play the sports and felt unstable having to slide over when stopping to put my foot down. Also thought that I would kill myself as I did use the speed to get away from the idiots you would meet in London especially coming home at 3 in the morning coming home from night shifts. We now live in Helmsey and the bikers come every weekend so I always have a good gander at all the bikes but sadly that’s as close as the wife will let me get to a bike nowadays.

                    Yeah Daytona 675 is a lovely bike. It’s what my STR is based on, but with clip ons and fairing, and IIRC the D675 had lighter pistons and flywheel or something, to make it a bit more rev happy and track focused. Sublime handling and one of the best midweight sportsbike engines out there, according to Clive Wood, ex racer and legendary Triumph mechanic. Quite a looker too. (the bike, not Clive hahaha!)

                      Hotmetal If I had bought the STR I might have still had it now. The sport riding position in town commuting is just not for me. The STR would have been the more comfortable riding position, the more practical ride. My heart not my brain bought this bike.

                        DavecUK

                        Ah, dealers.

                        When i got my first proper job I decided to treat myself to a brand new bike. It was a toss up between a Guzzi V50 or a BMW R65 (I wanted a middleweight bike for London traffic). I decided on the Guzzi and went to a dealer in the east end of London and told the salesman that I was interested in buying one, he disappeared into his office and left me standing in the showroom while he did something incredibly important. I left after waiting about half an hour. I went to the BMW main dealer in West London to buy the R65. They wouldn’t give me a test ride but did get one of their mechanics to take me out on the pillion for a little run. I actually bought one, the only new bike I have ever owned.

                            I started in the Mod era on a Lammy LD150, on and off it like a tarts underwear and moved to Triumph cub, and a Thunderbird. when the Japanese stuff came out I switched to them and became a firm 2 stroke fan, I owned most of the Suzuki range and had the Kettle 750 whilst I lived in Aussie, came back home in the 80’s and went Honda crazy with a few models, got made redundant (again) so started to courier on old BMW RT’s did the for a few years and ended up as an instructor for the last 26 years, my last ride was a Pan Euro 1300. Had to stop riding a couple of years ago due to a shoulder injury - had a good 50 odd years on them, never had a car (side-car when the daughter turned up, untill she was old enough to go on the back

                            [upl-image-preview url=//i.imgur.com/fHJeX9p.jpeg

                              Norvin Harley were very good…my Fatboyh had very loud custom pipes, largely unappreciated by the Surrey Police… The Harley Place just past Box Hill said they would fit a new standard exhaust (no charge for parts or Labour), if I let them keep the custom ones. I of course agreed,

                              They guy said how you getting back, I said I will call my wife….he said take the Buell, you can have it for the weekend if you want….so I did. Completely different attitude..

                              hubcap I started in the Mod era on a Lammy LD150, on and off it like a tarts underwear and moved to Triumph cub, and a Thunderbird. when the Japanese stuff came out I switched to them and became a firm 2 stroke fan, I owned most of the Suzuki range and had the Kettle 750 whilst I lived in Aussie, came back home in the 80’s and went Honda crazy

                              That’s a nice set of motorcycles there…the 2 stroke kettle was a funny bike. I’d tried a KH500 triple and a KH750 triple…and a mate said, do you want to try my Suzuki 2 stroke liquid cooled. I thought wowsers this is going to be good (being a Suzuiki, you expect a lot). I got on, engine didn’t sound like the usual Suzuki bag of bolts (as they did back in the day and I am expecting it to go like shit off a shovel. The H2 750 triple Kwaker used to go nuts when you got the revs up.. All I can say was the Suzuki 750 2 stroke was a remarkably “refined” motorcycle, one my dad would have loved to ride. 🤔

                              One of my favourites owned by a friend, and he let me try it, was the Seeley Honda 750…very nice indeed…beautiful to ride and so light on the handling (it had just the nose fairing). Chrome Molybdenum space frame, he was fond of reminding everyone.

                              Contact me

                                  Hi @DavecUK

                                  I worked for Mayfairs the Suzuki distributors in Brisbane, the kettle was ever so slightly warmed up by the mechanics, The upper powerband was vicious and the 3 into 1 expansion chamber really annoyed the neighbours. I eventually saw sense and traded it before it killed me. Never owned a Kwaka tripple but the widow maker nickname was apparently well deserved. I did however trade the kettle for a Z900, all the rage in Aussie at the time.

                                  That mechanic was probably Peter Trulson.
                                  He spannered my Wes Cooley rep for years at Brisbane Suzuki.
                                  Guys used to ship their water bottles from Darwin and Perth for him to work on.
                                  He ended up Service manager for Suzuki Australia.

                                    Hi Amberale,

                                    So long ago I cannot remember any names (1972/4), who ever it was knew a thing or two about kettles.

                                    I’m only sorry I did not take any photos, but there are many times in life we could have, but didn’t.

                                      6 days later

                                      Someone just liked a Facebook picture that I had posted over ten years ago and I thought people here may be interested.

                                      First picture shows the Norvin as found, it had been parked at the rear of someone’s house for over ten years and was in a sorry condition.

                                      Second picture is after renovation but as said in a previous post, it was slowly changed to make it more comfortable.

                                      One bike / engine I wish I still had was a grass track bike with a Sunbeam engine (the engine was one that had raced at the TT) The engine was so tall the frame had a crank in the top frame member.

                                      The engine had a large brass sunbeam face on the rockers and the rockers were completely open.

                                        Elcarajillo
                                        There was a Sunbeam road bike on my Godfathers farm parked next to a 500 BSA.
                                        I think the BSA was seized but I’m pretty sure the Sunbeam had the usual problems with the shaft drive worm gear.
                                        I have often wondered what happened to them, pretty sure the shed was bulldozed in the eighties when I was interstate.