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ibiza bonnie
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Posted: Wed Sep 3rd, 2008 10:51 am |
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According to the next month panel in the september issue there will be another piece about jap turbos from the eighties. It doesn't seem that long ago that there were several pages devoted to these machines. Surely there's other stuff out there to write about, instead of covering the same thing again so soon.
The mag is still a good read, but seems to be getting more and more like the copies of Bike magazine I read in the 80's. Its nice to see the bikes I grew up with again but ClassicBike seems to be getting stuck in the 70's/80's. It would be nice to see a few more old Brits in the pages and not just the usual late Triumphs and Nortons.
Personally, I'd like to see more technical features about fettling and less shiney restorations. Nice as they are they all tend to blend into one after a while. I'm sure there's a lot of readers in my position just struggling to keep their bikes legal and in good running order, so a bit of help in servicing and tuning would help us all.
All in all i still enjoy reading the mag, but it seems to be losing it's diversity.
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JimM
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Posted: Wed Sep 3rd, 2008 12:47 pm |
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Hi IB
The difference with this turbo feature is that this is road test, not just an over view. As for your point on restoration features, we don't do shiny concours winning make overs. We do bikes to be ridden – GS, Triton, Harris etc, and there's always technical know-how in every issue.
As for diversity, the August issue covered everything from AR50 and LCs to 30s Velos, vintage Banbury run machines, motocrossers and seventies metal. How much more diverse do you want?
Jim 
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Kasper/Denmark
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Posted: Wed Sep 3rd, 2008 09:40 pm |
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As a formerly owner of a Yamaha XJ 650 Turbo, i was wondering why you're not bothered to write about that one? I had mine for a year and a half ( '89 to 91 ) and beside a fried clutch ( replaced under warranty ) it went like a clockwork! The fuel consumption was between 10 km/L to 22 km/L and a measured top-speed at a dyno a bit over 230 km/h ( 140 miles/h ) or 10000 rpm in top gear. I really can't say that much about the comfort as i never came over 800-900 km a day, but the fairing was one of the best fairings with the least wind noise i've ever experienced! It had a mileage of about 40000 km when i sold it in exchange of a Ducati, and i still miss it!
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Velton
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Posted: Wed Sep 3rd, 2008 10:32 pm |
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I have some sympathy with Ibiza Bonnie.
I know I've whinged on a bit on occasions - about the amount of Japanese bikes mainly, very few of which hold any interest for me - but the mag seems to be going for more variety in recent issues, which I think is great.
Personally, I thought the all Kawasaki issue was a low point for the magazine.
On the other hand, I'm sure some people loved it and wouldn't be bothered if they never saw another British bike.  Each to his own. Look at the variety of "Favourite bikes" on here for example.
Something for everyone seems to be a good starting point.
Lots of requests on here for more technical articles, but I suspect that the effect on each month's sales will determine the balance of pretty restorations vs. grimy fingered mechanicking in future issues.
I was chatting to Frank Whitworth a while ago and he said that they had loads of requests for articles about sidecars/ combos on their site. But that putting one on the cover made their sales dive that month.
I wonder whether the request for more technical articles will ultimately have the same effect on CB?
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ibiza bonnie
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Posted: Thu Sep 4th, 2008 07:59 pm |
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JimM wrote: Hi IB
The difference with this turbo feature is that this is road test, not just an over view. As for your point on restoration features, we don't do shiny concours winning make overs. We do bikes to be ridden – GS, Triton, Harris etc, and there's always technical know-how in every issue.
As for diversity, the August issue covered everything from AR50 and LCs to 30s Velos, vintage Banbury run machines, motocrossers and seventies metal. How much more diverse do you want?
Jim
I accept what you say about the august issue, it was the best issue for quite a while. Regarding my point on restorations, I didn't mean the ones the mag did, I was talking about the bikes featured in general. It always amazes me the lengths people go to when restoring, most of the bikes featured are far better than they were when new. It's just a shame they get squirreled away and hardly ever used. Old bikes which have been well used, upgraded and sensibly modified are far more intresting to me. But in the end it's all down to pesonal taste. One mans classic is another mans landfill.
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ScotDuke
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Posted: Fri Sep 5th, 2008 11:59 am |
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As for turbo bikes, the one that kicked off the Japanese turbo bike phenomenon was actually the Morini 500 turbo.
I have never read an article anywhere on that. There were a few built and tested and surely more than one or two survive.
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Kasper/Denmark
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Posted: Fri Sep 5th, 2008 09:51 pm |
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| I'm afraid that you're wrong there mate. The Morini Turbo was ( sort of ) presented long after the Japanese invasion in 82 or 83! Honda came first with their CX 500,presented at the IFMA in '79 as far as i can remember. Yamaha was next as it was in their "We can beat Honda" period with the XJ 650 T.
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ScotDuke
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Posted: Fri Sep 5th, 2008 11:21 pm |
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Kasper/Denmark wrote: I'm afraid that you're wrong there mate. The Morini Turbo was ( sort of ) presented long after the Japanese invasion in 82 or 83! Honda came first with their CX 500,presented at the IFMA in '79 as far as i can remember. Yamaha was next as it was in their "We can beat Honda" period with the XJ 650 T.
The Morini was in testing for years. Word has it that the turbo supplier as intrigued as to why an Italian motorcycle firm would be intersted in a small turbo. This news got round in Japan, with Honda sitting up and taking notice.
A guy I worked with had one of the first CX500 turbos and that was in 81.
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Hooli
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Posted: Fri Sep 5th, 2008 11:34 pm |
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jap bikes are still dull though & always will be. the japs have never managed to put any character into anything, they might make great machines but they are dull machines.
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ashley748916
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Posted: Sun Sep 7th, 2008 07:13 am |
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Hooli wrote: jap bikes are still dull though & always will be. the japs have never managed to put any character into anything, they might make great machines but they are dull machines.
That's why you own a GSX1400 then Hooli?
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ashley748916
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Posted: Sun Sep 7th, 2008 07:16 am |
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ibiza bonnie wrote: According to the next month panel in the september issue there will be another piece about jap turbos from the eighties. It doesn't seem that long ago that there were several pages devoted to these machines. Surely there's other stuff out there to write about, instead of covering the same thing again so soon.
The mag is still a good read, but seems to be getting more and more like the copies of Bike magazine I read in the 80's. Its nice to see the bikes I grew up with again but ClassicBike seems to be getting stuck in the 70's/80's. It would be nice to see a few more old Brits in the pages and not just the usual late Triumphs and Nortons.
Personally, I'd like to see more technical features about fettling and less shiney restorations. Nice as they are they all tend to blend into one after a while. I'm sure there's a lot of readers in my position just struggling to keep their bikes legal and in good running order, so a bit of help in servicing and tuning would help us all.
All in all i still enjoy reading the mag, but it seems to be losing it's diversity.
You mean fill the mag with Brit stuff like they have for the last 25 years?
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Frankfurt-Beesa
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Posted: Sun Sep 7th, 2008 08:50 am |
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ashley748916 wrote: ibiza bonnie wrote: ....
All in all i still enjoy reading the mag, but it seems to be losing it's diversity.
You mean fill the mag with Brit stuff like they have for the last 25 years?
I say, there's an excellent idea.
On the subject of Jap turbo's the only one that really worked without too many scary moments was the GPZ750 Torbo. The Honda CX attrocity was more likely to hurl itself at the nearest tree when accelerating out of a corner as the turbo cut in at the most inconvenient least expected moment.
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Hooli
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Posted: Sun Sep 7th, 2008 04:51 pm |
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ashley748916 wrote: Hooli wrote: jap bikes are still dull though & always will be. the japs have never managed to put any character into anything, they might make great machines but they are dull machines.
That's why you own a GSX1400 then Hooli?
yes mate, because its a bloody great machine. works everytime, doesnt break, gets me to work each day etc etc etc it is however dull as a dull thing compared to a real bike like stroppy. thats why ive got both
i can respect the abilites of the japs in making good machines that work & work & work without claiming they are the best thing ever. in the same way i think real bikes are the most fun ever & have much much more character while being inferior machines that break & require more maitanance.
to me a classic is special in someway, be it a bantam because the misguided always wanted one when they were 16 or a bonnie because the equally misguided wanted one when they were 17. they both have a special something called character. jap bikes dont have that for me & not do bmws 
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Frankfurt-Beesa
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Posted: Sun Sep 7th, 2008 04:55 pm |
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Hooli wrote: ashley748916 wrote: Hooli wrote: jap bikes are still dull though & always will be. the japs have never managed to put any character into anything, they might make great machines but they are dull machines.
That's why you own a GSX1400 then Hooli?
yes mate, because its a bloody great machine. works everytime, doesnt break, gets me to work each day etc etc etc it is however dull as a dull thing compared to a real bike like stroppy. thats why ive got both
i can respect the abilites of the japs in making good machines that work & work & work without claiming they are the best thing ever. in the same way i think real bikes are the most fun ever & have much much more character while being inferior machines that break & require more maitanance.
to me a classic is special in someway, be it a bantam because the misguided always wanted one when they were 16 or a bonnie because the equally misguided wanted one when they were 17. they both have a special something called character. jap bikes dont have that for me & not do bmws
BMWs do have big saggy tits though. I do agree with what hooli says. If I hadn't wanted something for hilaiously blasting about on every day, then I would probably have bought another clasic instead of the Street Triple.
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ScotDuke
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Posted: Mon Sep 8th, 2008 09:41 am |
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Frankfurt-Beesa wrote: ashley748916 wrote: ibiza bonnie wrote: ....
All in all i still enjoy reading the mag, but it seems to be losing it's diversity.
You mean fill the mag with Brit stuff like they have for the last 25 years?
I say, there's an excellent idea.
On the subject of Jap turbo's the only one that really worked without too many scary moments was the GPZ750 Torbo. The Honda CX attrocity was more likely to hurl itself at the nearest tree when accelerating out of a corner as the turbo cut in at the most inconvenient least expected moment.
The CX500 also looked a bit like a cop bike at a glance. The guy I worked with who had one said other bikers would often do a quick double take when he came up behind them.
It was a 500 and yet weighed more than his previous GS750.
On the other hand, it did have LCDs showing turbo performance, which was funky at the time.
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theroadkingster
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Posted: Mon Sep 8th, 2008 03:47 pm |
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| Can't wait for next CB issue!
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