What Bikes Changed Everything?????????

[popeye]

In your opinion what bikes came along and changed bikes for you???   

For me it was things like, l remember riding my first YZ 80 E WOW, bit different to anything ld been on, 
XR Hondas from 84-85-86. 350-500-600. Then came the biggest change of all for me was the 98 WR 400.

On the road it was things like the GP Replicas RZ500 then the next year the RG500, the first 4 valve Duke in 88 and then the 916 which beside a modern bike today doesn't look out of place.

I haven't listed any twin shock bikes as l never had one in the day, parents couldn't afford to buy us a bike...

[TM BILL]

Personally BSA Bantam my first bike 



CR 250 and 125 Elsinores ,

a real racer for everybody  Remember when the 125 first come out , round a corner on your now very obsolete Bantam and theres at least 2 of them laid on their sides cos they had loaded up 

RM 125S



RM 125X

both made everything before them obsolete  I remember it well 

1982 on Maicos

 WTF happened  went from the clubmans favorite from 1978 to 1981

to a frame or shock breaking lemons until their total demise  :'(

YZF 400

Turned a fun competitive affordable sport into a Shit shadow of its former self , run at the top level by meglomaniac arseoles

 and filters down at club level to talentless pri madonas 

On the upside the arrival of the YZF400 and its succsessors stengthend my passion for VMX and gave Maicos a 2nd coming 

[MX?]

On the road it was things like the GP Replicas RZ500 then the next year the RG500

Obviously you're a young'n. 
For me it was the Z9.....
oh, and the XL250. 

[vmx42]

Suzuki RM125X Full Floater... just magic

[TM BILL]

Suzuki RM125X Full Floater... just magic

I remember Tony Mcniece racing a pre proddy 125X at i think Hawkstone park in 1980 , the bloody thing was like cheating  i think Beamish sold out of the first shipment long before they were even in the country . If you wern't on an X in 81 you were nowhere 

[Iain Cameron]

For me it was the YZ80b a mate down the road had one . I had an electric start DT125 low guard (steel ) trials tyres .

[Tony T]

I think in recent history, the YZF400 is the bike that really did change everything.
Whether you think it's for better or worse is the question....... 

Hey Bill, is that photo of the Bantam your actual first bike?

[TM BILL]

No Tony i will dig some out of mine and post them , it was similar but yellow 

[bazza]

so the yellow bantem is responsible for your suzuki addiction?

[TM BILL]

so the yellow bantem is responsible for your suzuki addiction?

  Could be Mike , loved that Bantam  was a constant work in progress . I remember the biggest change was when we did away with the magneto and ran a total loss battery system  the thing revved like a gooden . No matter what we did with the brakes they were at best rubbish but on the upside it taught me through nessesity to carry good corner speed 

[suzuki59]

Definitely the RM125x for mine when I see that bike it sums up motocross and my addiction.

[Curly3]

Revolutionised Short Circuit, DT, in the mid 60's.

[Stewart Allen]

For Mine

DT1 Yamaha
Elsinores CR125M & CR250M
Then the first monoshock Yamys
The first Disc Brake Kawa

[Curly3]

Why should MX be excluded from technological advancement?
The only thing different now is that all the " Backyard " type development and experimentation has been taken over by big business.
Can't hold back the tide.

[Lozza]

There are few catagories too, complete bikes, technical aspects and design aspects.Things that made everyone else follow suit whether they liked it or not. Then there are bikes that were well ahead of their time. Bikes like the Elsinores or the Full Floater, Yamaha's YPVS or Monoshock and the Ducati 916 in total and particularly the underseat exhaust. There is also race and sales records, how many Honda Cubs were or still are being sold? Race records like the NSR 500 and Aprilia RSW/RSA 125/250. Even the ill fated Cannondale MX deserves a place in history as being approximately 15 years ahead of it's time.