RS6 people knowledge...

[SteveH]

Forgive me, but I break the rules again... But value your opinion. Today was thinking about buying a bike from the year I was born... the question is, what do you consider to be "the best" motorbike that was for sale in 1976? Very subjective I know, (nothing too small as I'm a lanky bugger and would look like an ABSO child on a mini-moto) but what do you consider to be the ultimate classic of that year and essential to buy??

Any thoughts and ideas welcome. (please do not delete/move mods...)

[amanda1]

Any triumph but bonerville comes to mind!

[SteveH]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/300726454348? ... 1500wt_984

[Simon T]

None sorry don't do it. Get a good bike!

[cfcdoc]

In all seriousness and quite possibly far too morbid a style for a Sunday morning, if you do get a bike , there is almost a certainty that you at some point in your ownership of it, will come off it and its at that point and literally a case of "but for the grace of god" that will determine whether you walk away with your limbs intact or something far more serious that doesnt really need to be said.

I was considering purchasing a scooter for the 2 mile urban commute but when I recently heard of an orthopaedic surgeon I trained under being airlifted to SGH (its now a level 3 trauma unit) following an accident in Salisbury not being able to be saved and leaving behind a wife and kids my mind was made up..

Apologies for the nature of the post but they need to be called donorbikes not motorbikes....

P.S You could be casey stoner on it but that really isnt your problem, its mr and mrs "no peripheral vision" in their one ton quad who are surrounded by a sheet of steel on all 4 sides that you need to worry about.

[SteveH]

Already a biker... plan is to add a classic to the garage. Something a bit different. Have come off many times (off road that is), never on road (once dropped a bike on the road, but it was mainly embarrassing rather than painful). Mainly like off-road tours in the peaks, great fun. Do have a Yama MT01 road bike, but doesn't get a massive amount of use, just for occasional fun. Indeed, you do have to be careful, plenty of prats out there. My bike instructor used to say, work on the basis that no-one can see you, and that they are all trying to knock you off!

Quite like this vintage trials bike: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/251091563795? ... _500wt_966

[andy]

I did this the other way around and sold my Ducati 916SPS to fund the RS6. I've owned bikes since I was 16 and never had a day without a bike in the garage. Over that time I've had a few off's which resulted in broken bones and skin grafts! But I loved every minute of it. However as my riding time reduced to almost a non existent amount after my Daughter turned up and I had to reduce hobby time, I found my defensive riding ability reduced to the point I scared myself. So I took this as a sign that my bikes days were over and replaced it with RS so I could enjoy my toy more regularly

Anyway, that's not what you are after so go for it and a great idea. I would be tempted by something classic like a Suzuki GT750 or a Kawasaki Z1

[AdamM]

I would buy this, gorgeous and have it resting in the office.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/STUNNING-DUCA ... 500wt_1287

[SteveH]

Cheers guys, some good calls there. So many nice bikes, the more I look at them, the more convinced I am to get a 1976 bike.

[andy]

Tough call between those and both classics. Haven't looked at the prices for them so that may be a deciding factor?

[drybeer]

None sorry don't do it. Get a good bike!

+1.

I really want to get a bike but it WILL BE a very new BMW GS1200 Adventure with all the gadgets when I do it.

[SteveH]

Nooooooo.... don't get a GS, they're more common than an STD. Everyone reckons that they'll become Ewan & Charlie. The only dirt they see is the magazine that is carried back from the petrol station.

If you are after such a bike, the best of that bunch without question is the current KTM 990 adventure, awesome bike (the GS is wider than an HGV and I understand that you have to pre-arrange police escorts for some regions for them). If you don't like the KTM, then second place is the new 1200 Triumph Explorer (which is reported BMW are to sue them over for effectively taking a GS and changing all the bad bits to make a great bike), after that your at BMW GS and Yama Tenere.

Needless to say that I'm also planning on getting a KTM. Thats the great thing about bikes, you can get a load of them and use whichever one you want, without being on lottery or bankers money. I've got 5 bikes on my garage list, just the classic one thatI'm struggling on decision...