[Nimrod48]

Originally Posted by Hornchurch


Mate !!!!!! my Suzuki GS.1000 (the bike in my 'Avatar') used to LIVE on the B.184

Funny enough, she's also the ONLY one of my numerous bikes ever to go round the track at Brands, when I used to help do 'Marshalling' for a short-period of time (around the 'Fred-Merkel'/Kevin-Schwantz/Terry Rymer period !!!!!!!) at the famous circuit.

Blimey, so you must have witnessed some of the famous Sheene/Roberts duels around that time ??????

Nimrod, what were you riding around on ? Must be even older vintage than mine ?

As for watching 'that' show at Debden itself, you are indeed, a 'Lucky-Man' !!!!!!!!!!

Such a tragedy that so many of those beautiful/famous bases closed 'tween then & now

Don't s'pose you got any pictures from that event, you, or your Dad, Grandpa, etc ?????????

I've only remembered it Latterly as 'Carver-Barracks' - yet, EVERYTIME I would ride-past on that Beautiful B.184 road, I would ALWAYS mentally acknowledge the 4th Fighter-Group & visualise those famous pictures of the 'Handover' ceremony on that rainy-weekday in late September 1942, when the THREE Squadrons that had been born in the RAF (71, 121 & 133) suddenely after lunchtime, became the 334th, 335th & 336th F.S. = the 4th Fighter Group, under Don Blakeslee !!!!!!!!
Wake up in the RAF, & go to bed that same night in the USAAF with Triple-pay & better uniforms (lol !).

If the Army ever dispose of 'Carver-Barracks', lets hope they slap a preservation-order on that 'Hallowed-Ground' (?)

Most folks don't even know, that 71 (Sq) 'kicked-off' on Brewster Buffaloes in North-Lincolnshire, before they were relegated to the Far-East & replaced by (truly) 'clapped-out' Hurricane 1's, which caused much upset in the fledgling 'Yank' Squadrons !!!!!!!! (don't blame 'em)

Pappy, you can now display some Red-Nosed '51 Razorbacks next to ya 'prop-sound' Debden Hurricane (NOT one of the 'clapped' OTU jobs !!!!!)

Yes Hornchurch I have many happy memories of my motor cycling days having started at 17 in 1966 on a Honda CB92 & finishing 20 years later on a Kawasaki Gpz 750 A3.
I count myself lucky to have seen the golden era of Japanese works bikes including the RC166 6 cylinder 250 Honda & the Yamaha RD05A 250cc V4 ridden by Mike Hailwood & Phil Read respectivley.
My mounts in the 1970s were a 250cc Suzuki Hustler, then in 1972 an RD350 Yam which in 1975 was changed for a Suzuki GT550 which in turn in 1977 was traded in for a Suzuki GS750.
In the 1980s I went for the V4 Honda 750 before ending my biking years with the Gpz750 which was my all time favourite, I do intend to return to two wheels this year but on something rather sedate a 400 Burghman, there is so much beautiful countryside around here it is crying out to be explored on two wheels.

As for the pics you asked about I was not into photography in those days so all I have are the memories, I am frantically searching for pics that I took in the paddock at the 1974 Race of the Year which included Roberts, Sheene, Read, Lansivouri,Grant & Agostini & if I find them I will post some.

[Hornchurch]

Originally Posted by Nimrod48

Originally Posted by Hornchurch


Mate !!!!!! my Suzuki GS.1000 (the bike in my 'Avatar') used to LIVE on the B.184

Funny enough, she's also the ONLY one of my numerous bikes ever to go round the track at Brands, when I used to help do 'Marshalling' for a short-period of time (around the 'Fred-Merkel'/Kevin-Schwantz/Terry Rymer period !!!!!!!) at the famous circuit.

Blimey, so you must have witnessed some of the famous Sheene/Roberts duels around that time ??????

Nimrod, what were you riding around on ? Must be even older vintage than mine ?

As for watching 'that' show at Debden itself, you are indeed, a 'Lucky-Man' !!!!!!!!!!

Such a tragedy that so many of those beautiful/famous bases closed 'tween then & now

Don't s'pose you got any pictures from that event, you, or your Dad, Grandpa, etc ?????????

I've only remembered it Latterly as 'Carver-Barracks' - yet, EVERYTIME I would ride-past on that Beautiful B.184 road, I would ALWAYS mentally acknowledge the 4th Fighter-Group & visualise those famous pictures of the 'Handover' ceremony on that rainy-weekday in late September 1942, when the THREE Squadrons that had been born in the RAF (71, 121 & 133) suddenely after lunchtime, became the 334th, 335th & 336th F.S. = the 4th Fighter Group, under Don Blakeslee !!!!!!!!
Wake up in the RAF, & go to bed that same night in the USAAF with Triple-pay & better uniforms (lol !).

If the Army ever dispose of 'Carver-Barracks', lets hope they slap a preservation-order on that 'Hallowed-Ground' (?)

Most folks don't even know, that 71 (Sq) 'kicked-off' on Brewster Buffaloes in North-Lincolnshire, before they were relegated to the Far-East & replaced by (truly) 'clapped-out' Hurricane 1's, which caused much upset in the fledgling 'Yank' Squadrons !!!!!!!! (don't blame 'em)

Pappy, you can now display some Red-Nosed '51 Razorbacks next to ya 'prop-sound' Debden Hurricane (NOT one of the 'clapped' OTU jobs !!!!!)


Yes Hornchurch I have many happy memories of my motor cycling days having started at 17 in 1966 on a Honda CB92 & finishing 20 years later on a Kawasaki Gpz 750 A3.
I count myself lucky to have seen the golden era of Japanese works bikes including the RC166 6 cylinder 250 Honda & the Yamaha RD05A 250cc V4 ridden by Mike Hailwood & Phil Read respectivley.
My mounts in the 1970s were a 250cc Suzuki Hustler, then in 1972 an RD350 Yam which in 1975 was changed for a Suzuki GT550 which in turn in 1977 was traded in for a Suzuki GS750.
In the 1980s I went for the V4 Honda 750 before ending my biking years with the Gpz750 which was my all time favourite, I do intend to return to two wheels this year but on something rather sedate a 400 Burghman, there is so much beautiful countryside around here it is crying out to be explored on two wheels.

As for the pics you asked about I was not into photography in those days so all I have are the memories, I am frantically searching for pics that I took in the paddock at the 1974 Race of the Year which included Roberts, Sheene, Read, Lansivouri,Grant & Agostini & if I find them I will post some.

Nimrod - Looks like you've been coasting round on some truly-classic machinery !!!!!!!!!

Including the very one & the same bike, that I really lusted-after as a teenager & was a 'star' in my eye = 'GS.750'

Luckily, I NEVER got drawn-into the V.4 hype, despite the sportier-versions good-looks & colour-scheme......

Another Irony, that, once again, you owned the (slightly) smaller version of what I ended up with.........

1st, your Suzuki GS.750 (& Me, with my GS.1000, in my Avatar, which I STILL own !!!!!!!!)

2nd, your Kawasaki GPz 750 (I later owned & bought a GPz1100 'Unitrak', an A.2 'Californian'-import, that thankfully had full 120bhp...

Last I heard, she was being restored by her current owner !!!!!!!

I've also had an X.7, a GSX-250, a Yamaha XS.500 (before the GS,1000 that I still own)

My Dearly-Beloved Z.1000-J.3 (similar to a 'Lawson-Replica' - I've got pix of her next to the Pzkpw.V Panther at Grandmenil, Belgium)

Plus, I currently own a Kawasaki GPz.900-R (a-la 'Tom-Cruise'/Top-Gun /Mirimar-stylee !)........

Plus, an old Classic 27 year-old Honda CB.900-F Supersport, which is MINT (bought it off E-bay for £900 )

I'll scan & post one of the GS.1000

& another-post of the CB.900-F (taken from my Mobile-Phone !) as it's not accepting those pix, at th'moment (?)


BTW, we MUST have some other 'current' bikers, or maybe, 'Ex'-bikers on the Forum, surely ????????

Best Die-Cast around, & CERTAINLY 'THE' most-fun !!!!!!!!!!!

[mkvb]

There are a couple of bikes in there that are very familiar to me Hornchurch.I was wondering if the CB 900 F Supersport is the same bike as the one I had of about the same vintage.Mine was a CB 900 F1 Boldador,I think I splet that right.It was the first form of any vehicle that took me past the 100mph mark.I remember taking a quick peak at the speedo between watching where I was going and trying to get my feet back on the footrests and she was doing 135mph.Wind assisted and mind blowingly fast on 2 wheels.I only ever did it the once..lol..A mate of mine had a Z1000 which was nice but didn't handle as well as the 900 although it seemed tobe more comfy on a long trip.

I had been off bikes for quite a few years (too many close calls) and deciced it was time to get on one again.I ended up with a ZZR which is an awesome machine but alas a couple of close calls and a sore back was enough to put me back on 4 wheels, which stragely enough I have had more accidents with...

Thanks guys for bringing back some fond memories.

[Hornchurch]

Originally Posted by mkvb

There are a couple of bikes in there that are very familiar to me Hornchurch.I was wondering if the CB 900 F Supersport is the same bike as the one I had of about the same vintage.Mine was a CB 900 F1 Boldador,I think I splet that right.It was the first form of any vehicle that took me past the 100mph mark.I remember taking a quick peak at the speedo between watching where I was going and trying to get my feet back on the footrests and she was doing 135mph.Wind assisted and mind blowingly fast on 2 wheels.I only ever did it the once..lol..A mate of mine had a Z1000 which was nice but didn't handle as well as the 900 although it seemed tobe more comfy on a long trip.

I had been off bikes for quite a few years (too many close calls) and deciced it was time to get on one again.I ended up with a ZZR which is an awesome machine but alas a couple of close calls and a sore back was enough to put me back on 4 wheels, which stragely enough I have had more accidents with...

Thanks guys for bringing back some fond memories.

Thanks for sharing, & joining in the thread that Nimrod chose to start !!!!!!!!

Yep Mk.V That CB.900-F was also known on the various Continents as "Bol D'or"

Yours was (very) probably the EXACT same model as mine..... a "900-FZ" the very 1st of 'em

Apparently, they arrived in Europe 1st (1979-onwards) & were a MASSIVE sales sucess !!!!!!!!

They also have a HUGE following in the U.S. where there are several websites, as many are still on the road 25 + years later !

One thing that ran against them, at the time, was a STUPID ruling - in that 'Norwich-Union' ; THE biggest bike-insurers at the time, set a 'blanket' (upper) limit, of "901 + cc" for insurance purposes !!!!!!
So, for 1cc, any 900-F owner was paying the same insurance as a Kawasaki Z.1300 owner, yet Norton Commando's & Yam XS.850's fell (conveiniently into a much-lower price bracket)

The "900-F" sold like 'Hot-Cakes' though, & were still selling in their final versions ('F.2-D's) as late as 1986

I keep trying to post a picture of mine, but for some reason, it just won't have it !!!!!!!!!! (I'll try again !)

Would love to hear from more forumites, if they're fortunate enough to relate their experiences ?????????

Mk.V - I'll bet you really enjoyed yourself - what with the heat & the open-roads out in Oz' ????????????
(I've ridden the ZZR 600's & ZZR.1100's !)

[dilligafocau]

1st bike was an RX125 Yamaha road bike in '79, my next bike of any note was the Suzuki GS750D (twin disc front-end ).
Really wanted the Suzi 1000G next but got side-tracked by the 750 Katana (could'nt afford the 1100) did much commuting + a few longish rides (Syd-Melbourne-Adelaide-Perth).
Next bought a rough GSX1100ES which was also used to commute and managed a run from Syd-Mel-Adelaide-Ayres Rock.
Needed a change from the big chain drive bikes so got a GSX1100G shafty, short run of commutes with this '4 cyl heavy' plus Syd-Mel-Adelaide + Syd-Bris-Cairns runs.

Basically I ran out of steam before 2000 & rarely take the bike out of the garage these days, am hoping for a mid-life crises to correct this error

[Nimrod48]

Originally Posted by Hornchurch

Nimrod - Looks like you've been coasting round on some truly-classic machinery !!!!!!!!!

Including the very one & the same bike, that I really lusted-after as a teenager & was a 'star' in my eye = 'GS.750'

Luckily, I NEVER got drawn-into the V.4 hype, despite the sportier-versions good-looks & colour-scheme......

Another Irony, that, once again, you owned the (slightly) smaller version of what I ended up with.........

1st, your Suzuki GS.750 (& Me, with my GS.1000, in my Avatar, which I STILL own !!!!!!!!)

2nd, your Kawasaki GPz 750 (I later owned & bought a GPz1100 'Unitrak', an A.2 'Californian'-import, that thankfully had full 120bhp...

Last I heard, she was being restored by her current owner !!!!!!!

I've also had an X.7, a GSX-250, a Yamaha XS.500 (before the GS,1000 that I still own)

My Dearly-Beloved Z.1000-J.3 (similar to a 'Lawson-Replica' - I've got pix of her next to the Pzkpw.V Panther at Grandmenil, Belgium)

Plus, I currently own a Kawasaki GPz.900-R (a-la 'Tom-Cruise'/Top-Gun /Mirimar-stylee !)........

Plus, an old Classic 27 year-old Honda CB.900-F Supersport, which is MINT (bought it off E-bay for £900 )

I'll scan & post one of the GS.1000

& another-post of the CB.900-F (taken from my Mobile-Phone !) as it's not accepting those pix, at th'moment (?)


BTW, we MUST have some other 'current' bikers, or maybe, 'Ex'-bikers on the Forum, surely ????????

Best Die-Cast around, & CERTAINLY 'THE' most-fun !!!!!!!!!!!

You have got some nice metal Hornchurch sadly "she who must be obeyed" is limiting me to a 400 Burghman reasoning (quite rightly) that if I had a performance bike she would never see me.
My ex wifes brother had one of the first GPZ900s back in 1983 & he could not ride it to save his life, the original rear tyre lasted 8500 miles!!!...my Gpz750 used the same tyre & it was shot at 3500 miles
of fairly moderate use.
I know what you mean about the early V4 Hondas I think the bikes warranty read something along the lines of it expires at 6 months or 6000 RPM which ever occours first I would love to find a nice condition CB92 & relive my early biking days.
What a fantastic little bike it was a 125cc SOHC twin with a 75mph top speed, electric starter, more swept braking area than a 1000cc Vincent & magnesium brake plates, this was at the time when BSA were still marketing their 125cc (DKW based) Bantam with 3 speed gate gear change, petroil lubrication & 45 mph top speed.

[ZS-VAN]

The first bike I owned was a Honda XL185. Later I bought a Z750. I stopped biking in 1980 when I got rid of my bike. I often used my brothers' XJ900 Yamaha thereafter though. Recently I've been fortunate enough to get some rides with friends who own bikes and a mate who does repos for banks sometimes gets me to help out fetching bikes. The bikes I quite fancy these days are the BMW boxers. One of the nicest bikes I've riden recently is the BMW 1200GS. The sport bikes today are totally wicked though, scarily fast.

[Nimrod48]

Originally Posted by ZS-VAN

The first bike I owned was a Honda XL185. Later I bought a Z750. I stopped biking in 1980 when I got rid of my bike. I often used my brothers' XJ900 Yamaha thereafter though. Recently I've been fortunate enough to get some rides with friends who own bikes and a mate who does repos for banks sometimes gets me to help out fetching bikes. The bikes I quite fancy these days are the BMW boxers. One of the nicest bikes I've riden recently is the BMW 1200GS. The sport bikes today are totally wicked though, scarily fast.

The BMW 1200GS looks a beaut ZS forbidden fruit to me I am afraid...

[ZS-VAN]

Originally Posted by Nimrod48

The BMW 1200GS looks a beaut ZS forbidden fruit to me I am afraid...

It truely is! This bike looks intimidating but once you start riding it really works very well. Doesn't like you gearing down, use the brakes. It is very nimble. Just seems to drop into corners, agile, really fun to ride. Your knees do feel a bit like they're dangling in the slipstream but I hear the Adventure solves that problem and is even more comfortable. I really like them. My mate reckons they're way too big though and is looking forward to the new F800GS due out very shortly.

[jim]

[quote=Nimrod48;156002]I know what you mean about the early V4 Hondas I think the bikes warranty read something along the lines of it expires at 6 months or 6000 RPM which ever occours first


Thats a hoot Nimrod,

I decided to get back on two wheels some years ago.
There I was up on the moors enjoying the views and then as usually happens down came the rain along with a freezing wind.

Thats when I remembered why I gave up biking way back, that and the fact that people kept trying to knock me off them.