do the young ones like older sport bikes

[EricGS850G]

I know i did have it running and road ready but i messed up and it has caused a lot of set backs but when i road it that was the best feeling and had the strongest response i have ever felt not to mention the smoothest ride for sitting for over 1 year when i got a hold of it.

 

[AF_Bill]

I actually have become a fan of older Jap bikes after I bought my 82 GS650G. When I was a lot younger (I'm 28 now), I thought it was either a Harley or crotch-rocket and nothing in between. I never knew how cool and how much fun these bikes can be.
I started riding this year and have gone to a few shows, each time they're dominated by Harleys and customs. I get a lot of Harley riders tell me stories about their first bike being a Honda, Suzuki, or something else. Everyone tells me ya gotta start somewhere. I go for rides with my best friend and his uncle all the time. My best friend now rides an 82(?) Yamaha Maxim (had a Silver Wing before), and his uncle rides an 08 Harley Fatbob. All three of us get some strange looks when they see my suzuki, Shawn's yamaha, and Ty's Harley all parked together. But who cares, we're all riding right?

 

[MissFabulous]

I actually have become a fan of older Jap bikes after I bought my 82 GS650G. When I was a lot younger (I'm 28 now), I thought it was either a Harley or crotch-rocket and nothing in between. I never knew how cool and how much fun these bikes can be.
I started riding this year and have gone to a few shows, each time they're dominated by Harleys and customs. I get a lot of Harley riders tell me stories about their first bike being a Honda, Suzuki, or something else. Everyone tells me ya gotta start somewhere. I go for rides with my best friend and his uncle all the time. My best friend now rides an 82(?) Yamaha Maxim (had a Silver Wing before), and his uncle rides an 08 Harley Fatbob. All three of us get some strange looks when they see my suzuki, Shawn's yamaha, and Ty's Harley all parked together. But who cares, we're all riding right?

In the last few years, I've seen more people with different kinds of bikes - even sport & cruiser - riding together. It's probably mostly to do with where I am - a lot of people ride, but don't seem to make a big deal out of it with brands, anyway. No one around here has all that much money, so I guess they're just less likely to put on airs. My 550 has such a cool look of its own that it doesn't really look weird with any other bikes, at least I don't think so.

As for young or old liking these particular bikes... looking at our membership here, it seems to be weighted in the younger and older crowds, not as many 30 somethings like me.

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

...I get a lot of Harley riders tell me stories about their first bike being a Honda, Suzuki, or something else. Everyone tells me ya gotta start somewhere. ...

Yep. If ya can't handle a quality bike, ya can always step down to a Harley!

 

[MelodicMetalGod]

In the last few years, I've seen more people with different kinds of bikes - even sport & cruiser - riding together. It's probably mostly to do with where I am - a lot of people ride, but don't seem to make a big deal out of it with brands, anyway. No one around here has all that much money, so I guess they're just less likely to put on airs. My 550 has such a cool look of its own that it doesn't really look weird with any other bikes, at least I don't think so.

As for young or old liking these particular bikes... looking at our membership here, it seems to be weighted in the younger and older crowds, not as many 30 somethings like me.

I'm thinkin' brand "snobbery" was never really an issue with intelligent folk in the first place. Today, with the internet and this "global village" we're in, there is probably a lot more awareness among riders that, like everything else in life, motorcycling is really about the rider and not so much about the ride.

However, I will probably never own a HD. :dancing:

 

[madjack57754]

This tread brings back a memory. Every year during Sturgis bike week, the wife and I ride into Sturgis to sample some of the food vendors wares. Once we rode the turbo GS downtown. It was not a pleasent ride. The thing about cooked us with the slow crawl up main, so I parked it among the H-Ds and Wings. You would have thought I was giving away dollar bills. we hardly got parked and a group of japanese started asking questions about the bike, as soon as they finished a group of Swedish Hells Angles started asking, then the Germans. Never any Americans, Guess it wasn't cool enough for them. Met a great bunch of people that day including Chica, who is still goes out of his way every year to find me just to say hello.

 

[MissFabulous]

I'm thinkin' brand "snobbery" was never really an issue with intelligent folk in the first place. Today, with the internet and this "global village" we're in, there is probably a lot more awareness among riders that, like everything else in life, motorcycling is really about the rider and not so much about the ride.

However, I will probably never own a HD. :dancing:

Oh... uh... I didn't mean to suggest people around here are all that intelligent just pretty down to earth.

Don't get me wrong, there are people who get really excited about their HDs around here, probably especially since they don't have much, but I've only had one guy in the last two years say to me "when are you gonna get a Harley" like it's something I need. I'd get a Triumph Thruxton long before I'd get a HD if I were buying up. Anyway, that same guy is a super doofus on so many other levels, anyway.

 

[mighty13d]

some of my father's friends are hard core HD owners and they talk fondly about their jap bikes that they owned for years before even thinking about changing to a harley

 

[Marine36]

I was born in 1969. If I had my way I would be on a beautifully restored 750 Bonnie. I am not.

I am however on an inexpensive 1983 GS1100g. It is alot more bike (power) than the Yamaha 650XS that was my second bike and my first true love.

I have tried to ride "cruisers" and "crotch rockets" but at 6ft 4in riding with my kness in my chest or up against the bars was just not any fun.

So to the venerable old UMJ. the indestructable UMJ to my old beloved 650 and my new love GS I say here here!!

Who give a @#%$ what those other @#$%^'s think!!!

 

[seuadr]

I was born in 1969. If I had my way I would be on a beautifully restored 750 Bonnie. I am not.

I am however on an inexpensive 1983 GS1100g. It is alot more bike (power) than the Yamaha 650XS that was my second bike and my first true love.

I have tried to ride "cruisers" and "crotch rockets" but at 6ft 4in riding with my kness in my chest or up against the bars was just not any fun.

So to the venerable old UMJ. the indestructable UMJ to my old beloved 650 and my new love GS I say here here!!

Who give a @#%$ what those other @#$%^'s think!!!

exactly! half of my teachers at lansing community college ride old ujm's and brit bikes... come to find out the minister that is marrying my fiencee and I put himself through college turning wrench for a suzuki dealer, and my favorite teacher at lcc used to do scrambles with old hondas and triumphs.

 

[makenzie71]

First, I was taught to respect people and their machines. From that I gained a fascination with them. Since, my bike line up has been all over the board because I LOVE motorcycles. Not "a" motorcycle. No. I'm far too much of a **** at heart to love just one. No, if it has two wheels, she has a special place in my heart. From Aermacchi to Zongshen and every single one of them in between.

I find my biggest fascination with old bikes, though, because I can work on them. They're fun to make a little more modern and there a greater feeling of accomplishment for being able to ride the **** out of them.

My life goes along the lines of...

1979 YZ100
19?? CB350
1992 EX250
1995 CBR1000
1981 XS400
1987 FZ600
1991 GSF400
1992 RM250
1998 TL1000S
1976 GL1000
1981 CX500
1978 CX500
1978 GS750E
1981 GS750E

There were another dozen failed bikes in between those. Not an extensive list, but pretty good considering I'm 27 years old and the CX500 and TL1000S span nearly 4 years of that.

If I had my way, though, and this is thinking realistically, I would have my GS750E and a 2008+ GSXR1000. Thinking unrealistically, though, I'd snag me a Ducati 1098R or a Buell 1125R to sit beside my GS...and a 2008 Harley Street Bob...and a nice XL1200 with a cushy set of seats and a soft suspension to haul the missus on...with a kid coming, I'll also need a small bike like a crf50...then I need another FZ600 gp bike because that was one HELL of a fun bike...a sportclassic GT1000 would fill in the days I needed something retro...as well as a Paul Smart replica for when I'm feeling retro and angry...then a VFR750 because those things sounded so cool (as long as the exhaust is on the right side...which is left side)...I also need my TL1000S back...not just "a" TL1000S, though, I need mine...and I've always wanted a water buffalo so I think I'll need one of them, too...I also need one of them crazy chinese XF200's for funky days and a custom XR650SM for funky/angry days...and then...

 

[seuadr]

First, I was taught to respect people and their machines. From that I gained a fascination with them. Since, my bike line up has been all over the board because I LOVE motorcycles. Not "a" motorcycle. No. I'm far too much of a **** at heart to love just one. No, if it has two wheels, she has a special place in my heart. From Aermacchi to Zongshen and every single one of them in between.

I find my biggest fascination with old bikes, though, because I can work on them. They're fun to make a little more modern and there a greater feeling of accomplishment for being able to ride the **** out of them.

My life goes along the lines of...

1979 YZ100
19?? CB350
1992 EX250
1995 CBR1000
1981 XS400
1987 FZ600
1991 GSF400
1992 RM250
1998 TL1000S
1976 GL1000
1981 CX500
1978 CX500
1978 GS750E
1981 GS750E

There were another dozen failed bikes in between those. Not an extensive list, but pretty good considering I'm 27 years old and the CX500 and TL1000S span nearly 4 years of that.

If I had my way, though, and this is thinking realistically, I would have my GS750E and a 2008+ GSXR1000. Thinking unrealistically, though, I'd snag me a Ducati 1098R or a Buell 1125R to sit beside my GS...and a 2008 Harley Street Bob...and a nice XL1200 with a cushy set of seats and a soft suspension to haul the missus on...with a kid coming, I'll also need a small bike like a crf50...then I need another FZ600 gp bike because that was one HELL of a fun bike...a sportclassic GT1000 would fill in the days I needed something retro...as well as a Paul Smart replica for when I'm feeling retro and angry...then a VFR750 because those things sounded so cool (as long as the exhaust is on the right side...which is left side)...I also need my TL1000S back...not just "a" TL1000S, though, I need mine...and I've always wanted a water buffalo so I think I'll need one of them, too...I also need one of them crazy chinese XF200's for funky days and a custom XR650SM for funky/angry days...and then...

wow i'm 28 and my list goes:

1982 seca 750
1979 kz400
1982 gs1100g

all i want is a nice BMW or concours touring style bike. might even get one, if uncle sam is willing to part with enough of MY cash.

 

[Zook]

What I've noticed is a mixed bag of attitudes.

The "streetfighter" crowd looks down their noses at UJMs.
Most HD riders do, too, you know, the poser types who THINK the bike makes them "bad".
The old line HD types usually remember when they or someone in their family rode one and think fondly of them.

Then there are the "youngsters" who grew up around bikes. Someone in their family rode the old machines like ours.
Or, they grew up with the "fix it" rather than the "throwaway" idiom everyone has these days.

I'm used to all these attitudes, as I've ridden Guzzis for 20 years! I get either, "What kind of bike is that", or, "Who makes that" (It says Moto Guzzi on the tank...) or, "They still make those?"

Then again when I had the Concours I always heard, "What kind of BMW is.....KAWASAKI????".

I guess I've always been different.

 

[Plooker]

My Experience

My Experience

I've been in love with GS Suzukis since the early 80s when my dad was a Suzuki mechanic. I first got a '81 GS550 in the early 2000s and rode the hell out of it. Everywhere I stopped the old guys would reminisce about when they had one in the early 80s and the younger (my age) guys would remark on what a cool old bike it was. This past summer I rode my 1980 GS85- to work every day at the HD speedshop I work at and the majority of the comments were 'I had one just like it but different in the early 80s'. The young kids are kinda blase until I explain the power potential in the bike, ie. if it spun to Hyabusa rpm ranges it would make 200 hp. Around here old UJMs and old HD (iron head/shovel head) get at least a solid dose of nostaglia, and in a lot of circles real respect due to the efforts of some local tuners.

 

[Zook]

Ya know, when it comes to HDs I lean to the old Shovels and Pans. Even the Knuckles, as they really blazed the trail for everyone.
And they just look "right".
Throw in the old British iron, too.

 

[seuadr]

i really like the look of the old guzzis.. hell the new ones too.

 

[troy]

am 19 and first bike is a gs 550,i dnt care wat the other say cause she as custom front end which kinda bring its off.

 

[mighty13d]

Welcome to GSR troy!

 

[Gargoyle081]

Im 27, and I get the same attitude from some friends who have cookie-cutter crotch rockets....and then I have a few who say "hey man as long as you like it and your out there riding" The ones who "approve" of MY bike( as if thats needed) really get a kick out of the little things I do to it....Switching bars, polishing parts. They have no clue about the history of their machine, or manufacturer. Thanks to this site Im learning more each day as a browse. I dont post too often but Im addicted to this site, and am constantly scouring craigslist for other GS projects that I could save from the junkyard. Thats probably the biggest joy of it all for me really. I like to see how these older bikes like mine are brought back and put back on the road.
Ive never riden on the road until last season, the 700 was my first road bike. Im looking for another GS to tinker with and get more involved myself with any motor work it may need.Thats another good chunk of the interest I have in older bikes, the process to completion and feeling of accomplishment

 

[theprincewilliam]

I'm one of the "younger generation" in my 20's and I love vintage bikes! I have an '82 GS650G and I think it's great. I enjoy the thrill of a twisty road and the lack of much/any body fairing and the fact that there is always some sort of tune-up needed I'm very picky about my moto preference and (most) of the crotch rockets just don't do it for me, so before you label all of us youngins "ignorant asses" just know that we true appreciators are here, although admittedly few and far between.