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Just_ziptab
| | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2010 - 07:12 pm: | 
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"Since reading the part about the dozen B2's being crushed by the time we read it "
Well, that explains why Erik never shipped me one to test ride out here in the sticks, where it would be pretty much un noticed.......... |
Pwnzor
| | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2010 - 07:19 pm: |
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it hasn't been THAT long ago that a Sportster was the fastest production bike you could buy in the U.S.
ummmm..... WHAT!??! Are we in opposite land? |
Joshinga
| | Posted on Friday, March 26, 2010 - 08:07 pm: |
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Hes right somewhere in the late 50's early 60's it was the fastest production street bike. |
Boltrider
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 12:09 am: |
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This guy Keith Wandell seems like a great fit for Harley with his anti racing views and overall stupidity.
HD products under his leadership should become slower than they already are, and that is pretty scary if you think about it.
He must really hate Ducati....has he even HEARD of Ducati? |
Crusty
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 05:54 am: |
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Hey, Bikertrash; where can I get one of those shirts? I have a friend who's a Sportster Lover, and that would be a perfect gift for him.
Here's one of his Sportsters:
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Pwnzor
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 11:11 am: |
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Hes right somewhere in the late 50's early 60's it was the fastest production street bike.
Fastest available in the USA, or fastest in the world?
Also, "in the 50's and 60's" is a pretty long time ago for somebody born in the 70's.
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Hughlysses
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 11:17 am: |
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Quote from Cycle World's website: "Right up until 1969 and the Japanese Invasion the XLCH was the quickest production machine Cycle magazine had quarter-miled."
So, that's not necessarily fastest, but quickest. |
Mindi
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 11:45 am: |
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(Sorry about the thread hijack to Sportsters)I think Sportsters are great for the people who love them, my husband had 2 that he loved. I thought they rode terrible. My problem is with the insinuation that girls are only capable of riding a Sportster. (Not that you were saying that, it's just a common idea out there)
This is my first time at Deals Gap, on the street glide. 6 gears don't do much good there.
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Pwnzor
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 11:58 am: |
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Right up until 1969 and the Japanese Invasion the XLCH was the quickest production machine Cycle magazine had quarter-miled.
So, fastest production bike available in the USA... UNTIL the Japanese bikes started getting shipped over here. That leads me to believe that the Japanese bikes were already faster before they got here. My uncle was on leave in Tokyo toward the end of the Korean conflict and had a Honda shipped over here. He used to tell me stories about how he smoked every other bike like a pack of Lucky's on that thing.
My neighbor has a 1200 Sportster and it's all hopped up on goofballs with a big bore kit, gears, intake and pipes. He has spent a small fortune and it's still not what I would call fast by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, it pulls hard but nothing like my stock Buell did.
As far as it being a girl's bike, I always thought the reason for that was because of the low seat height and lighter weight. Women being of generally slighter stature than most men, I never thought of it as a derogatory reference. Kind of like how women's clothing is generally smaller than men's.
Chicks on bikes is like jelly on peanut butter. |
Bikertrash05
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 12:14 pm: |
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Crusty, cool Sporty! Here is the link for the shirt: http://www.lowbrowcustoms.com/triumph-tshirt/sport sters-rule-t-shirt.aspx
It looks like they are discontinuing it, but there is another new design, a few other Sportster shirts. |
Percyco
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 12:16 pm: |
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Sportsters really arent that small, they are a bigger bike than say a Triumph America (bigger engine,bigger wheels,just as heavy)and no one calls them a girls bike.
Here's this boys girlie bike...
And my other girlie street bike...
Cycle World put out a great article,renewed my sub. today . And by the way.....FUHD and the golf playing non-motorcycle riding bonehead thats leading you down the crapper  |
Hughlysses
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 12:40 pm: |
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So, fastest production bike available in the USA... UNTIL the Japanese bikes started getting shipped over here. That leads me to believe that the Japanese bikes were already faster before they got here.
No, IIRC up until then pretty much the fastest Japanese bikes sold in the U.S. were the Honda CB450's, and I'm pretty sure the Sportsters (at least the XLCH's) were faster than those.
As I remember it, first came the Kawasaki "Mach III" 500 triples which soon claimed the title as fastest street bike. Soon afterward, Honda retaliated with the CB750 4-cylinder. A couple of years later, Norton introduced an 850 which took the title for a short time, but after that, the Japanese dominated. |
Spike
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 01:09 pm: |
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quote:So, fastest production bike available in the USA... UNTIL the Japanese bikes started getting shipped over here. That leads me to believe that the Japanese bikes were already faster before they got here.
No, IIRC up until then pretty much the fastest Japanese bikes sold in the U.S. were the Honda CB450's, and I'm pretty sure the Sportsters (at least the XLCH's) were faster than those.
As I remember it, first came the Kawasaki "Mach III" 500 triples which soon claimed the title as fastest street bike. Soon afterward, Honda retaliated with the CB750 4-cylinder. A couple of years later, Norton introduced an 850 which took the title for a short time, but after that, the Japanese dominated.
Just another data point- the CB750K was developed for the U.S. market and didn't arrive until 1969. It's not like it had been terrorizing the streets of Japan for a decade prior to that- it was a new bike at the time. Also, while the CB750 is considered by many to be the world's first superbike, it isn't a particularly fast motorcycle by today's standards. It was a SOHC motor making 67hp at the crank and weighing some 500lbs.
It wasn't until the 1970s when the Japanese started dominating the world of motorcycle performance. |
Tpoppa
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 08:20 pm: |
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Weren't the Vincent Black Shadow, Kawi H1, BSA Lightning, & CB750 of that generation faster then sportsters of the era? They were probably all faster then sportsters of this era too.
(Message edited by tpoppa on March 28, 2010) |
Hughlysses
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 09:17 pm: |
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The Vincent Black Shadow was out of production before the Sportster was introduced.
The Kawi H1, CB750, BSA and Triumph triples (I had forgotten about those) didn't come along until ~1969 and afterwards. So from about the time of its introduction in 1957 until 1969, the Sportster was the fastest (or at least quickest) production motorcycle you could buy in the U.S. |
Crusty
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 09:25 pm: |
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Vincent was dead before the Sportster was born; the BSA didn't make enough power. The H1 Kaw and the Honda 750 were faster, but didn't hit the US until 1969. I think the BSA and Triumph triples were faster as well, but they also didn't arrive until about '69. |
Glitch
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 09:30 pm: |
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I had a Mach IV (H2) back in the day.
That two stroke 750 triple would flat out scare the shit out of ya! |
Ft_bstrd
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 09:34 pm: |
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Mindi,
Agree completely! Sportsters are absolutely LOUSY for women to ride. They are top heavy like a mofo. Most women have them because someone else (husband or boyfriend) MADE them get one.
I was actually working a deal for an 80 year old woman who still rides and had a Nightster. She kept falling over because the bike was so top heavy.
Softtails and Dynas are much better. My 80 year old lady was actually looking at a Fat Boy. |
Pwnzor
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 09:36 pm: |
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percyco....
Nice Sportster, I love the spokes on that bike. |
Ft_bstrd
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 09:40 pm: |
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The new 48 is really cool in real life. Sat on on Friday.
It's a Sporty I'd buy. |
Hughlysses
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 09:47 pm: |
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I guess it's just a result of my impressionable youth, but I think Sporsters only went downhill after this:
 |
Davegess
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 09:55 pm: |
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Late 50's until late 60's the Sporty was the fastest accelerating bike in the world and if you were the fastest in the 1/4 you were king. Very few bikes reached speed over 100 mph back then.
Thing were different in 1963, cars and bikes were a lot slower. Tires, brakes and suspensions sucked. The big Brit bikes could beat a Sporty IF the course had enough slow bits but if it was fast than look out.
In 1972 Rayborn took an XR 750 to Britain and beat the Brits on their tracks. |
Imonabuss
| | Posted on Saturday, March 27, 2010 - 10:20 pm: |
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That was Calvin. He coulda beat them on a Sprint at that time. If he hadn't died he would have been a multi-time world champion riding Japanese bikes. |
Speedfreaks101
| | Posted on Friday, April 02, 2010 - 10:25 pm: |
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To who ever was responsible for the Barracuda 2 getting "lost" for a day all I can say is thank you. |
Rpm4x4
| | Posted on Friday, April 02, 2010 - 11:57 pm: |
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I have been all over trying to buy one. Everyone still has April on the stands.
(Message edited by rpm4x4 on April 03, 2010) |
Cyclonemick
| | Posted on Saturday, April 03, 2010 - 01:31 am: |
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When I was 18 I purchased a 1966 Honda 450 Superhawk, Really Fast little bike! With a black tank a chrome (mirrored) inserts it looked like and old bsa or BMW! I Really wish I would not have sold it! Sometimes when your young you don't think a clearly as you should! Onetime I went into a Honda Dealership looking for parts and the guy argued with me for 30 min that Honda didn't make a 450 in 66, I proved that ass&^(#@ wrong when I went straight home grabbed the tittle and drove right back just to prove the jerk wrong! |
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