Ten Best Bikes: a reader reflects

1949 BSA B31 My first big bike, a 348cc OHV single with a rigid rear end and a heart of gold. Nowadays, 16 horses and not much more than 70mph don’t seem much but back then in my teenage years they seemed like all the power and glory in the world. The weather seemed better, too, and I have fond memories of doing hundreds of miles in a day with a lass on the back. Time has blurred the roadside repairs, oil leaks and pummelling our bodies must've taken. Starting was relatively easy for a big single and everything was so direct and natural that it was the easiest thing in the world to ride... and to fall off! Mainly, I seem to recall, due to the puny half width SLS drum out front, but my body had the suppleness of youth and could survive being thrown down the road.

It was this bike that set me on the true course of motorcycling, so has a lot to answer for. I'm actively trying to buy one to renovate...

1957 Triumph Thunderbird In the fifties I'd owned a lot of motorcycles but the lovely Thunderbird was by far the best of the bunch, doing 50000 miles of hard charging in two years without a mechanical fault (let time cloud my thoughts on the electrics). It had some strange handling quirks, the most disconcerting being the habit of twitching its back wheel when banked over in long curves. Comfort, economy and reliability were all up to modern standards and the infamous vertical twin vibration was largely absent if the motor was kept below 5500rpm. I'm sure I could have broken the mill if I revved to 8000 all the time, but by the time I bought the bike I was just old enough to be able to restrain the wilder instincts. It was this machine that caused me to buy a seventies Triumph Bonnie, but it never showed the same dogged reliability or build quality of the old pre-unit Thunderbird. Still, I kept the Bonnie out of nostalgia and enjoy the odd weekend outing.

1964 Norton 650SS I bought this one new and was immediately amazed by the handling of the Featherbed frame and Roadholder forks. Definitely ahead of its time and not to be equalled in handling until the Japanese got their act together in the eighties. The engine had a bit of a reputation as being vibratory and lacking durability, hence the common practice of fitting a Triumph engine to create cafe racer Tritons. I knew one guy who fitted a Norton engine into a Triumph frame as no-one wanted the discarded bits... he ended up in hospital. I got 30000 miles out of the motor before it needed a comprehensive rebuild; along the way it had needed 500 mile services and ate oil almost as fast as fuel. Nevertheless, the sheer superiority of its steering throughout the sixties meant it was one hell of a fun bike to ride. So much so, that I bought back the original bike two years after I sold it and have kept it ever since. A lot of mods to the engine have made it reliable, oil tight and good for about 110mph.

1968 Honda CB250K1 I bought one of these for commuting on, figuring to keep the Norton for long distance stuff but found myself riding the amazing twin more and more. With 30 horses and 10000 revs on hand it was a whole new experience for someone used to panicking every time the rev counter came close to 5000rpm on big British twins. Once I'd readjusted my mind, it was immense fun to go charging around the countryside on the rice-burner, frightening 500 and even 650cc Brits with its ferocious revving ability. Although top speed was only 100mph, it could be caned along at 90mph for hours on end. Everyone reckoned that it'd blow up within 10000 miles but even with the destructive testing, the thing ran for over 40000 miles with only cursory maintenance.

I was amazed by the way nothing broke or fell off, and by the way it never needed any roadside maintenance. Its handling was OK, just needing some stiffer springs to make it track as well as a Triumph or BSA, but not quite up to Norton standards. After owning this bike I knew that the British motorcycle was going to die. I've got three rat ones in the garage awaiting my attention.

1973 Kawasaki Z1 I'd avoided fours until I bought this bike in a minor fit of madness to celebrate my 40th birthday. It looked so beautiful that I just couldn’t resist. With unheard of power and massive weight it came as a total culture shock and scared me witless the first couple of times I used the throttle hard. Even in a straight line the back end would weave and the front twitch, around the curves it was all over the place unless ridden at a moderate pace. The first bike I ever did a wheelie upon, it was hard to avoid if the throttle was used in anger in first or second. New tyres, shocks, fork springs and square section swinging arm made it tolerable up to about 90mph, thereafter the bike exploded into wobbles. Despite all that, it was fantastic fun in a way that few other bikes have been and one that pulled the birds with ease. I've still got mine and it's still a wicked ride.

1978 Suzuki GS550 I always have one bike that is a workhorse above all else, that has to take my commuting and touring chores in its stride. The GS550 wasn't particularly fast nor exciting to ride, but its sheer durability marks it out as a bike of note. It also had the kind of rock solid stability that Norton invented, although its weight makes it somewhat slower turning. The engine was amazing, exceeding the toughness of even the Z1, which is renown for running hard and long. To enhance the Suzuki's practicality I fitted a modified BMW RS fairing (just the top half) to mine, so it's an all weather commuter as well as a long distance tourer. With a few other minor mods to make it suit my body it's comfortable enough for a few hundred miles in a day even at my advanced age. It's gone through eight different countries without a moment's hesitation, not even from the electrics which are a bit infamous for blowing up. The bike is still used every day, with 170000 miles on an engine that is original apart for two camchains and tensioners. Mind you, it's been resprayed twice and I've had to give up on the engine alloy whereas I can polish my old Norton up to a mirror shine. The GS550 has worked its way into my heart over the years and I think of all the bikes I have in my garage it's the one that I would keep come what may (along with the Trident, of course).

1980 Laverda Jota Most Italian bikes had too much of a dubious reputation with regards to finish, electrics and build quality but the big triple had an aura of robustness and quality as good as anything the Japanese might offer. It had some of the directness of an old British twin, with the wild power of a big Japanese four and the best high speed handling traits of the two countries. Just the mellow but deep exhaust note was enough to get me going. A diabolical clutch, wretched gearbox (at low revs) and incredibly top heavy feel below 50mph made the bugger all but impossible to ride in town. On the open road, with some decent speed under its wheels, it was an entirely different matter, with as much as 120mph being a tolerable cruising speed with apparently rock solid handling. I say apparently because several times it went into Z1 type speed wobbles that had my heart all aflutter and the bike slamming over a couple of lanes of highway. Throw in an extremely tall seat height that made it dead easy to lose the beast when turning in town, to see why I sold if off at a massive loss after just six months. I regretted it immediately, suffering withdrawal symptoms, having found the thunderous power and sonorous exhaust addictive.

1986 Honda XBR500 I bought this one on looks alone, so resonant of the past yet | knew it would have all the civility that Honda put into its machines as a matter of course. For pottering around at reasonable speeds there’s little around that can beat the XBR, which has a mild charm all of its own that suits my age almost perfectly. Even though it's mild, the Honda could cruise along at a surprising 90mph and by the time I'd fitted Avon tyres (I still don't trust Japanese rubber) the feel of security on the road was on a par with the best of the British bikes. The XBR has 35000 miles on the clock and it’s still going strong.

1989 Honda CBR600 The dealer looked a little oddly at me when | took the CBR for a test ride, worried about such an old codger on such a prime piece of motorcycle. I thought this bike was going to be my swansong, the last wild bit of motorcycle that I'd ever buy, although unforeseen events were to change that. The riding position was a bit more sporting than I was used to, but not so extreme that | couldn't adapt to it. The engine needed to be revved like an old Honda twin but the power was in heart attack country. Just as well that it was the most competent handling bike that I've ever owned. Power, handling, stunning looks, civilized running, durability - the plus list seemed endless, only the lack of vertical twin grunt at low revs was missing even if the CBR can be run down to 25mph in top gear. You can imagine how I felt when some bugger stole the Honda when I left it parked for just five minutes in a back street. I'm sure that someone must've been following me around.

1992 Triumph Trident 900 I would have bought another CBR600 had not patriotism and the remarkable return of the Triumph Motorcycle Company tugged at my heart strings. I was a bit worried that the tall, heavy Trident would replicate the Jota in town but once a little speed was gained the mass disappeared and the bike felt as solidly and naturally planted on the ground as the old Norton, the wide bars helping out the excessive weight. The three cylinder engine had more low speed torque than the best vertical twin yet more walloping power once revved hard than I've ever come across before. A lovely exhaust note, no engine problems and handling that never came close to a weave completed the experience. It's the best bike in my garage and definitely the last new one I'm going to buy!

Over all these years I've enjoyed the vast majority of my time on two wheels, even when the bikes have been less than perfect. I could've mentioned many more bikes I've owned but enough, I feel the urge once again to ride, not write about them. 

Alex