The design gamechanger - what was it?

The design gamechanger - what was it?

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Ari

Original Poster:

19,328 posts

214 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
In the sixties and seventies all regular production bikes looked pretty much the same. Spoked wheels, airship shaped petrol tank above the engine, flat dual seat, exhausts down each side matching the number of cylinders.

At some point in the Eighties, bikes suddenly developed style. Sculptured tanks, seats merged into the tanks, alloy wheels, plastic panels beneath the seats, exhaust manifolds.

But what bike rung in the changes? What was the gamechanger?

I'm thinking Suzuki Katana of about 1980, but arguably the Honda Superdream got there first in 1978.

Any thoughts?

podman

8,850 posts

239 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
The first, fully faired race rep was launched Nov 1983.

We'd seen half faired and cockpit fairings on bikes but the RD500 was the first of the 80s race reps.


WinstonWolf

72,857 posts

238 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
Ari said:
In the sixties and seventies all regular production bikes looked pretty much the same. Spoked wheels, airship shaped petrol tank above the engine, flat dual seat, exhausts down each side matching the number of cylinders.

At some point in the Eighties, bikes suddenly developed style. Sculptured tanks, seats merged into the tanks, alloy wheels, plastic panels beneath the seats, exhaust manifolds.

But what bike rung in the changes? What was the gamechanger?

I'm thinking Suzuki Katana of about 1980, but arguably the Honda Superdream got there first in 1978.

Any thoughts?
CB900F with Eurostyle styling seemed pretty ahead of it's time.

Tango13

8,398 posts

175 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
GPZ900R, liquid cooled a couple of years before the RD500 and one of the first multi-cylinder four strokes to have its cam drive to the side of the engine.

podman

8,850 posts

239 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
Tango13 said:
GPZ900R, liquid cooled a couple of years before the RD500 and one of the first multi-cylinder four strokes to have its cam drive to the side of the engine.
The GPZ was a benchmark bike for sure but not for being liquid cooled, id love an original model in that red/graphite grey , but both RD and GPZ where both new to the market 1984. From memory, of the 80s 4 strokes, the Honda VF range had liquid cooling earlier than either in 1982.

wildone63

989 posts

210 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
podman said:
The first, fully faired race rep was launched Nov 1983.

We'd seen half faired and cockpit fairings on bikes but the RD500 was the first of the 80s race reps.

The Honda CB1100R of 1980 might have a claim to that distinction


Spanglepants

1,743 posts

136 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
Superdream certainly made a change from the existing styling but the Katana made a bigger impact.
Talking of early race reps , RG250 from 1983


podman

8,850 posts

239 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
wildone63 said:
podman said:
The first, fully faired race rep was launched Nov 1983.

We'd seen half faired and cockpit fairings on bikes but the RD500 was the first of the 80s race reps.

The Honda CB1100R of 1980 might have a claim to that distinction

Yes, still a cracking looking bike, cant argue with that as I remember it, they was only produced in limited numbers for racing?

Ari

Original Poster:

19,328 posts

214 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
Spanglepants said:
Superdream certainly made a change from the existing styling but the Katana made a bigger impact.
Talking of early race reps , RG250 from 1983

That was an awesome bike! The only thing that (for me) challenged the RD350LC as the 'dream machine'. bow

Ilovejapcrap

3,274 posts

111 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
Spanglepants said:
Superdream certainly made a change from the existing styling but the Katana made a bigger impact.
Talking of early race reps , RG250 from 1983

Was this the first alloy framed mass production bike or have I made that up ?

bogie

16,342 posts

271 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
I think it was the first ally frame, I had an 84 model RG250 Gamma a few years later. By which point 4 stroke 600s were coming of age and the RG250 was a bit underwhelming, I didnt keep it long.

Tango13

8,398 posts

175 months

Friday 22nd July 2016
quotequote all
podman said:
Tango13 said:
GPZ900R, liquid cooled a couple of years before the RD500 and one of the first multi-cylinder four strokes to have its cam drive to the side of the engine.
The GPZ was a benchmark bike for sure but not for being liquid cooled, id love an original model in that red/graphite grey , but both RD and GPZ where both new to the market 1984. From memory, of the 80s 4 strokes, the Honda VF range had liquid cooling earlier than either in 1982.
I'd forgotten about the Honda VF's, they were a year earlier than the GPZ.

The original GSX-R750 was pretty radical for it's day, its' aluminium frame, light weight and 4 pot calipers were a departure from the usual spiral of weight gain.

The GSX-R was also the best advert ever for Carrillo con rods, at one point some racers in the US were calling for them to be banned from production racing until they could keep their engine internals inside their cases for an entire race hehe

AW111

9,455 posts

132 months

Saturday 23rd July 2016
quotequote all
I would say Bimota. Small numbers produced, but hugely influential.

Specifically the YB4 from '88.

Alloy beam frame, twin headlights, big airbox over the engine - the pattern for most sportsbikes even now.




podman

8,850 posts

239 months

Saturday 23rd July 2016
quotequote all
Ilovejapcrap said:
Spanglepants said:
Superdream certainly made a change from the existing styling but the Katana made a bigger impact.
Talking of early race reps , RG250 from 1983

Was this the first alloy framed mass production bike or have I made that up ?
That is was. Not the first beam framed alloy bike but said a real street racer. I do still miss my old yamagamma



s3fella

10,524 posts

186 months

Saturday 23rd July 2016
quotequote all
wildone63 said:
The Honda CB1100R of 1980 might have a claim to that distinction

Id give my left bk for one of them.

Chipchap

2,580 posts

196 months

Saturday 23rd July 2016
quotequote all
Having been a youngster during that era and being privileged to ride all the superbikes of the day. The game changers were:

1972 Oct. Z1 Kawasaki 903cc DOHC in line 4 with disc brakes and electric start. 130 MPH + out the crate.

1978 Honda CBX-Z 6 cylinder. Honda just showcasing what it could do. Big and fast as well as hugely complex.

1984 Kawasaki GPZ900 Ninja. Compared to the GPZ1100A2 they had short wheelbase, liquid cooled, handled, stopped and turned. They were also the first bike that you could steer just by pushing down on a footrest to get it heeled over.

1986 Suzuki GSX-R750. Changed Production racing worldwide. If you were not on a GSX-R you were just wasting fuel and tyres.

2001 BMW R1150 GS. The real start of Adventure bikes.


A smile

Tango13

8,398 posts

175 months

Sunday 24th July 2016
quotequote all
Chipchap said:
Having been a youngster during that era and being privileged to ride all the superbikes of the day. The game changers were:

1972 Oct. Z1 Kawasaki 903cc DOHC in line 4 with disc brakes and electric start. 130 MPH + out the crate.

1978 Honda CBX-Z 6 cylinder. Honda just showcasing what it could do. Big and fast as well as hugely complex.

1984 Kawasaki GPZ900 Ninja. Compared to the GPZ1100A2 they had short wheelbase, liquid cooled, handled, stopped and turned. They were also the first bike that you could steer just by pushing down on a footrest to get it heeled over.

1986 Suzuki GSX-R750. Changed Carrillo's bottom lineProduction racing worldwide. If you were not on a GSX-R you were just wasting fuel and tyres.

2001 BMW R1150 GS. The real start of Adventure bikes.


A smile
EFA thumbup

Rubin215

3,985 posts

155 months

Sunday 24th July 2016
quotequote all
Chipchap said:
1984 Kawasaki GPZ900 Ninja... ... the first bike that you could steer just by pushing down on a footrest to get it heeled over.
You can't steer any bike ever just by pushing down on the footrests.

Edited by Rubin215 on Sunday 24th July 00:48

Chipchap

2,580 posts

196 months

Sunday 24th July 2016
quotequote all
Rubin215 said:
You can't steer any bike ever just by pushing down on the footrests.

Edited by Rubin215 on Sunday 24th July 00:48
I suppose what I meant was influence. On a 62" wheelbase GPZ1100/Jota/900SS you needed to be Popeye to get the things to do anything but on the GPZ it just got on its side really easily with little effort and input from pushing on the inside peg.

A


mudster

784 posts

243 months

Sunday 24th July 2016
quotequote all
Tango13 said:
podman said:
Tango13 said:
GPZ900R, liquid cooled a couple of years before the RD500 and one of the first multi-cylinder four strokes to have its cam drive to the side of the engine.
The GPZ was a benchmark bike for sure but not for being liquid cooled, id love an original model in that red/graphite grey , but both RD and GPZ where both new to the market 1984. From memory, of the 80s 4 strokes, the Honda VF range had liquid cooling earlier than either in 1982.
I'd forgotten about the Honda VF's, they were a year earlier than the GPZ.
Suzuki GT750 (if we are talking mass produced liquid cooled)?

Probably quite a few other liquid cooled bikes made earlier, but maybe not mass produced.