10 Retro Motorcycles that you've never heard of

[@bradtipton986]

During my high school days, back in the early 60's, I worked as a motorcycle mechanic. I worked on many of the "Old" designs and brands you mentioned in your presentation. One thing about Ducati is they did have a very high performance single cylinder motorcycle called the Mark 3 Diana that could give a lot of the big British bikes a real run. Naturally, I owned and rode some of these treasures. OH, to be young again.

[@annpeerkat2020]

ahhh... high school kids working in bike shops on customer's bikes! My strongest recollection was a brother's TX750 twin, with a fancy omniphase balancer. Unfortunately the high school kid that rebuilt it put the balance weight in 180 degrees out. While it was funny to see it idle on the centre stand... continually wheelstanding... the shop did fork the bike comprehensively.

[@philtucker1224]

You’re right about Harley, they have really missed out on the mid sized retro market that has swept through Europe over the last ten years..RE and Triumph have it pretty well sewn up now…

[@aka_pierre]

It just goes to show you how out of touch HD is. If they remade the WLA with modern parts, they'd sell them like hotcakes.

[@lisacolbert5987]

Very true. I’ve wondered what was keeping them away from it.

[@aka_pierre]

@@lisacolbert5987 I think it cannot possibly be anything else except a fundamental lack of understanding or competence in the top leadership at the company. Someone at HD, maybe on the board, has strong views of what HD needs to be, and is completely blind to the reality of what people actually want.

[@rt2255]

Harley is dying cause they gave no.small intro bikes yo get brand loyalty. Harley owners avg ag is like mid 50s, they die or get told old fast and younger folks been buying the big 5 jap bikes and stick with them. Harley.is a stupid company and will go away sooner than later. Old harley guys dying off and younger riders not spending 20 to 30 grand for air cooled pushrod heavy v twins.

[@aka_pierre]

@@rt2255 I agree that Harley needs cheap bikes, but for different reasons. If you compare the most expensive bikes from HD's lineup with the most expensive Indian, BMW, or Ducati, you'll realize a stunning difference. In the Indian, Bimmer, or Duc, you are getting substantial performance components. In the Harley, you're getting chrome and bags mounted to the same bike you could have otherwise bought for less. I don't have brand loyalty to Indian, but heck I want a FTR. And it'll be way cheaper than whatever 900lbs bike HD can sell me. Harley = bling. We don't care about bling, we care about value and performance. HDs aren't even that well made. If you want to pay for real workmanship, look to MV Agusta.

[@jeffersonwagner6706]

10:40 SkyTeam Ace 125: I recognize that engine model, it is used on one of my motorcycles, a Zongshen 150 commercialized in my country with a localized brand. It is a CG125 engine (I also had one identical to the Honley 125) that received a balancer shaft that greatly reduces its vibration; you distinguish it by the bulge in front of its lower part, which accomodates the balancer shaft. One serious particularity of engines of this kind is the quantity of oil necessary. Instead of the 1 liter they put on the Owner's Manual, it needs 1.4 liter to reach the top mark on the oil dipstick/level visor as recommended by the book. Thousands of bikes blew up engines after only 30,000 km when used in road conditions here in Brazil. Using the correct amount of oil, which you discoer doing step by step the oil measuring procedure, that engine is plainly satisfactory.

[@JKyle-ii1mz]

So glad the Kawasaki W made the list. I own a 2001 W650 and it's a great bike. Everywhere I go that bike gets attention. Although it's a bit too small for interstate use, I tend to not ride on that anyway. It's perfect for street cruising. Cheers!

[@bruceisaachsen1930]

I agree. Love my W650. I'll keep it forever.

[@deltabluesdavidraye]

No a 650 is not small for highway.That attitude is the whole problem.

[@hansjanko7966]

A friend of mine owns a W800 - what a beauty

[@Ian-bq7gp]

Nice bikes developed from BSA A10. . I think it's Mutt that have developed a Yamaha XT 500 clone . If the top end oil feed design is sorted and you don't need to throw away the head when the alloy wears round the camshaft journal, it would have been a tough engine that lasts

[@empireoflizards]

@@deltabluesdavidraye When I was stationed in Germany, I took my XT350 on the Autobahn all the time...had to stay in the 'slow lane' because it topped out at 90mph. Later, in the States, I've taken it on 4+ hr trips down the interstate....though it isn't the most comfortable for long trips, lol.

[@ADingoTookMyDasco]

The Skyteam Ace 125 was released here in Australia & there's usually 1 or 2 available on the used market at any given time. We were also lucky enough to get the Yamaha SRV250, SRV250 Renaissa, Honda GB400 & GB500 over here, although the GB500 is pretty rare. There's also many examples of the Royal Enfield, but here it's the Continental GT535. We're spoiled for choice when it comes to small displacement retro styled bikes. On the retro Ducati's, I love them. They were more a modern interpretation of a classic rather than a pure retro, but still were a big influence when I got back into riding as they came out at around the same time. Due to Australian license restrictions I couldn't ride one legally, but I could ride a 600SL Pantah, which was the closest thing, so I bought one.

[@matauboy]

Similar story here in NZ.

[@Gassit]

Some very interesting bikes that I'd never heard of Bart. Another brand you might want to look at is Royal Alloy, they do automatic scooters from 125 up to 300cc that look almost exactly like Lambrettas for the late 50's to mid 60's.

[@richardanderson1988]

I had a 650cc Suzuki Savage thumper that was the largest engine by displacement that I ever rode (600cc BMW, 500-4 Honda, 250 Yamaha, 200 Triumph Mountain Cub, Honda 50). The Savage had a balance shaft, so was very smooth, low seat was comfortable, belt final drive, so very little maintenance. Great bike.

[@Theoderich]

I absolutely love the Ducati Sport Classic 1000. The S and GT variants not so much but man what a machine. The Classic 1000 inspired me to get my motorcycle license and is one of my all time dream bikes.

[@michaelpaciorek4068]

my favorite is the American made Janus, their entire line up is a throw back to nearly a century ago

[@jerzywoking1699]

Designed I believe, by Hugh Janus

[@rishavrakshit3995]

The Yezdi Roadster is a liquid cooled 334 cc engine that smokes the RE Classic 350 in performance. It has more power and is way more comfortable than the RE.

[@bobwalsh3751]

10:17 awwww hello Yezdi!

[@mountainhobo]

Jawa Yezdi? In the original language (Czech), that would mean "Jawa runs" or "Jawa is still running". Coincidence? 😯

[@rust405]

From Malaysia here, I have heard of the Skyteam Ace 125 and seen them quite a bit on online marketplaces a few years back, I never actually seen it on the road and I could hardly find concrete reviews myself on local forums. That said, I have seen it in certain showrooms and boy do I still want one, they retailed about 1500 USD and they're not being sold anymore. You CAN get them new for 1000 USD nowadays, but those are just unsold units from back then and are few and far between. The Malaysian market is mainly dominated by the Honda EX5 (variation of the Super Cub), so I really wanted to get something that differs from the common underbones here. Hopefully in a few years I can finally get this or some other sub 250cc motorcycle with a tank in between my legs instead of sitting on it xD.

[@greatbigeye2506]

Some people brand new to motorcycling may not be aware of the Suzuki TU250 because it was discontinued a few years back, a bit small for anyone 6 foot and up but it’s pretty cool and will move if you pin the throttle and it has a higher top speed than the Van Van 200.

[@GunFunZS]

I've ridden them. I think anyone considering one should get a Yamaha sr 400 instead.

[@greatbigeye2506]

Better choice if they don’t mind the kick start. Another bike that was discontinued more recently. I almost got one a few years back.

[@robertdickerson2821]

The Suzuki TU 250 were great little motorcycles. My wife had one and it was just a great little bike.

[@surajtomar4870]

Saw Ducati Sports Classic for first time in Tron: Legacy (2010) and fell in love since. It made me love the café racer design.

[@karoltakisobie6638]

I tried importing Suzuki Tempter in 97 and hit a brick wall in both Suzuki Canada and MTO Ontario.

[@roc2coffee]

I bought a new 2012 Ducati GT Sport and had the dealer install a Termi exhaust. LOVED the look & and feel of the bike…always fun to blast by a Harley. Definitely near the top of my many motorcycles.

[@frankmarkovcijr5459]

As anyone can see a Suzuki tempter is a Suzuki Savage with a smaller displacement engine and drum brakes on the front. I would not mind a bike like that long as it had the 650 single-engine

[@chrisbaker2903]

Back from church. Had to cut and run so I wouldn't be late. But that Yezdi Roadster looks like a bike I'd like. I don't care about fast any more, reliability is important and seating position is all important. That Yamaha at the end, reminded me a lot of my Yamaha XV920, NOT the Virago. Styled like a 60's British bike as best they could with that big V-twin in there.

[@jayluper9523]

The motorcycle featured in Tron: Legacy is a Ducati Sport 1000 Biposto and ever since watching that movie I have wanted one, though I have never yet seen one come available.

[@themotorcyclehistorian8099]

The Skyteam Ace 125 is a clone of the Honda Dream 50, which is now highly collectable and a retro bike in itself of the 60s works Honda race bikes. As well as the SRV there was also a SRX which featured a 4 valve single with 400 and 600cc variants.

[@PrimoStracciatella]

The SRX was a single and not rare or unusual. :)

[@bobwalsh3751]

7:51 BROS!

[@azfa_ra]

7:12 hell yeah the W175 finally have the recognition it deserve, imo the bike is a bit weird, it have carburettor but doesn't have a kickstarter

[@jfess1911]

Some of your comments reminded me of how much the US motorcycle market changed when the max speed limit of 55mph was repealed. Back in the 1970's and early 80's, a 250 and even some 175's could maintain highway speeds, making them realistic to use as a sole means of transportation. It is surprising how little power it takes to keep up with 55mph traffic.

[@bobmitchell8012]

Americans need to get over their infatuation with big heavy barges like Harley and Indian.....There are so many much more interesting bikes than the fodder that Bikies, and Wanna Be Bikies lust after.

[@darrellcook8253]

I did it with a Honda trail 90. It could run all day at 55 mph. I drove it to San Francisco from Santa Rosa a few times.

[@senatorjosephmccarthy2720]

@@bobmitchell8012 , Romans 2: 1 applies many times.

[@jfess1911]

@@darrellcook8253 I remember riding small motorcycles on the highway and thinking to myself "I'll be fine as long as there isn't much headwind!".

[@peterbennett4948]

I'm in the UK and I had a Skyteam Ace 125. It was very cheap and once derestricted and fitted with a free flow exhaust. It was comfortable compared with modern race reps, sounded awesome and in my view looked great. It may not be fast but fun could be had down my local country lanes, pretending to be on the Isle of Man TT course. Only sold it to fund a real classic. I really enjoyed this vid 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@rishabhtiwari7396]

You are pretty wrong about the Yezdi roadster. Here in India, Jawa and Yezdi made a comeback and trust me, their bikes are so different than Royal Enfield. Not worse, but actually better and fun. The Jawa 42 2.1 2022 edition which I own, got that twin exhaust config from original Jawa from 70s, and compared to royal Enfield the engine is much much refined and these bikes are almost 50% quicker than their royal enfield counterparts. You should look into these bikes much more, and make a separate video on new Jawas and Yezdis.

[@vigoboy8339]

Up-vote you're comment.. In my view and from experiences of owning both the vintage and today a modern Yezdi and also in past have used the early Electra model from RE (belonging to a friend in college), I felt the Jawa/Yezdi bikes seem to have performed a lot better than its rival brands. The past Yezdi bikes were/are far better in terms of cost, maintenance and lot more fun bike to ride for a typical retro classic even to this day. I think the Jawa/ Yezdi bikes in this video seem to have been less justified or underrated ... where as these bikes are really amazing and have made a remarkable comeback in the Indian market

[@rishabhtiwari7396]

@@vigoboy8339 thanks for relating to my comment. You are absolutely on the point. But today Jawa Yezdi are struggling because Royal enfield has established a monopoly in retro classic market, otherwise jawas run abd feel so awesome.

[@roblewis7186]

The Suzuki Tempter is an amazing looking bike

[@carlarthur4442]

Like the 175 W , great little bike for just buzzing round on enjoying the simplicity 😀

[@Stoater1]

I love those Ducatis. I can't understand why they were not popular.

[@spokebloke1]

We had the SRV for a few years here in Australia, and I loved it. Couldn't afford a new bike, but I really wanted one. I'd love to find one that's been sitting and restore it.

[@benvoiles3505]

I don't think the Tempter single was ever sold in the USA but the 650 twin was a really nice bike. Didn't sell real well. Part of the reason might be because during several years in the 80s all the dealerships were flooded with "non-current models". So like in 87 you could buy a brand new 83 model for way less then half price and with full warranty. Was a great time to buy a bike but made used bikes very hard to sell.

[@brockett]

That Suzuki 400 is a looker and that double sided twin leading shoe front brake is sooooooo nice.

[@seivaDsugnA]

An '81 GS 400S was my primary transportation for five years, year-round when I was a young student, and I could park it almost anywhere in Victoria BC... DOHC, high reving flickable paralell twin.... I could have probably stripped 20lbs off it easily. Thrilling in very tight 2nd-3rd gear twisties. Slogged a lot of highway miles on in winter to see a girlfriend on weekends. Changed out the swingarm bearings twice. Never seen anyone look so dead as me in the washroom mirror on the ferry. You don't realise your legs don't work until you try to use them.

[@Ritalie]

7:40. Really good point about the USA not getting any of the small bikes. I've been angry for years about this. The most cool looking basic motorcycles are never brought to the USA, only the unaffordable flagship models. It's very likely that there is actually a political embargo, and it has nothing to do with marketing or sales. Because a 175cc motor would get nearly 100mpg, and you're talking 5 times more gas mileage and 5 times less fuel profits. The Earth is owned and run by fuel companies, that's the truth of it. It's the fuel companies that make the political directives, and decide which emissions laws are in effect, and what levels of gas mileage will be allowed for a specific region of the Earth. For example, who decided that motorcycles sold in the USA, should be geared with race track gear ratios, and no overdrive? Bikes should get 65 mpg, but they get 46 mpg, because of the lack of an overdrive.

[@ccooper8785]

What I want is a modern homage to the MZ250ES 😍 What do you mean "I am the only one", "Do you need your eyes tested" and "Are you feeling all right".....? (I would not say no to a Suzuki SW1 though)

[@bruceisaachsen1930]

I think you are spot on about the smaller displacement bikes for the US market.

[@lesklower7281]

In Australia we did get the Suzuki Tempter was the 650cc single it was styled as a cruiser also had a belt final drive

[@csj9619]

The Suzuki Tempter uses the LS650 engine as in the US market Savage and Boulevard S-40. There's a ton of 'em out there due to the insanely long model run of 1986-2021. They can be had super-cheap on the used market and make awesome donors for custom builds, like my S-40 chopper.

[@kybourbonboy]

Super bike! I bought a 2914 S40 because I wanted something that reminded me of my old BSA....except that it was reliable ha ha. A little jetting and exhaust upgrade and that big thumper was perky and torquey around town. Yet would cruise at 60 all day without breathing hard. Unfortunately, when I got the Indian Scout, the wife said one bike at a time.

[@triumphrider9796]

Those are mostly very weird bikes (interesting double-leading-shoe drum brake on that Tempter though, haven't seen one of those in years). Only ones I'm familiar with are the RE 500 GT, and the Ducati. "Affordable Harley" is an oxymoron these days (they had some many years ago, my first bike was badged as a Harley, an Aermacchi 125 two-stroke). BTW, the Bonneville was not introduced in the 90's, first year for it was '01.

[@noone-zl2di]

10:19 Yezdi has a cult following in india and at one time in past (1970s-1990s) were almost as popular as RE. Yezdi (ideal Jawa ) used to sell licensed jawa bikes in india, as has a history in races in india. Presently jawa,yezdi,bsa all three are owned by a single company (Mahindra) and is clubbed under the subsidiary of classic legends.

[@antothemanto77]

Great video! Have you ever thought about making videos about the history of certain important figures in the motorcycle world? Sort of like what you did with John Britten, but you could also talk about Kevin Schwantz, Pietro Laverda and his sons, Massimo Tamburini, Fabio Taglioni, Franco Lambertini, etc. I would really like that! Thanks for the great motorcycle content and inspiring me to get into motorcycles.

[@Saxondog]

And Mike Hailwood

[@loddude5706]

10:43 A race school with a dozen of these might well be fun - 'You've all got an equal chance . . . of something!' : )

[@2loudspeakers]

Up the Dubs! 🙂Nice to see the Irish dealer Retro Bikes Dublin at the end! Good video. You forgot about the Kawasaki Zephyr 750 of the 1990s. I remember at the time I was thinking why the hell are they releasing an old looking bike with a 8 valve lump. I was all into race reps, and peak technology at the time. But now looking back, I totally get it! I love classic bikes and retro bikes now.

[@leondown6869]

Suzuki had a 650 twin in early 80s called Tempter in US, called GR650 other markets...soft urban cruiser style.

[@cedriclynch]

The Honley (named after a town near Huddersfield in the UK) is a Zongshen imported into the UK by a firm that thinks it will sell better under a more UK-looking name. About 8 years ago I used to meet some of the people from Zongshen when they and my employer Agni Motors were competing in the electric motorcycle race series that was running at the time. I think Zongshen is a good manufacturer.

[@ishanmisra7472]

great to see JAWA YEZDI being mentioned

[@vigoboy8339]

The reference to Yezdi/ Jawa bikes in the video seem to be pretty much underrated than what these bikes are actually capable of.. seems the Jawa/Yezdi bikes or their product is not given the fair share of publicity and value

[@Milo_Minderbinder]

Very nice compilation. Another rare retro is the Kawasaki TR250. It was a 70's style enduro, based on the 250 Estrella. I tried to get one here in Germany, but they only sold a few in Britain.

[@duellingscarguevara]

Thanks, I was trying to find this online, but didn’t know the model. The cool little bikes don’t get past Asia.

[@maakatipa4613]

America's biggest problem with smaller bike's is not the bike's, but the over inflated ego's, of the up until now , mainstream Harley and big bike riders. These "dudes" have done such a great job at belittling all other riders with the " that's not a real bike " attitude, that the smaller cc bikes were not even imported as a real alternative to gas guzzling cars and trucks.

[@misterx-gy3fg]

If a populace can be shamed by a bunch of guys in pirate costumes, they don't deserve better bikes.

[@joshb2088]

These new retro looking bikes look awesome brings me back to my younger days

[@derangeddwayne5532]

I loved the look of the Ducati Sport Classic back in the day. I have a W800 now and I'm adding a Z900RS to the stable very soon. Would love to see the manufacturers start making retro looking sport bikes that resemble the bikes of 80's. Hopefully that'll be the next chapter in retros.

[@rleerm]

I envy you 👍

[@State3ever]

Tron Legacy made me fall in love with the SportClassic! 😍

[@rickhibdon11]

I'm 70. Ridden bikes since I was fourteen and still do. Have had about every make out there. Harleys are just too big for me to feel confident on anymore. I would LOVE to pick up a couple of these smaller bikes (say 350 or so). Just to play around on. It would be SO easy for Honda to drop off a few of their new 350 singles over here. I was ready to buy an Enfield Meteor but the dealers around here are ALL adding $2,000+ to MSRP

[@basilbrushbooshieboosh5302]

Haven't seen that ducats before. Utterly beautiful

[@edwinbrown3303]

Thank you for your insight and information

[@mattgoodmangoodmanlawnmowi2454]

Steve Johnson, who built a whole racing team. Big Daddy Don Garlits. Chris Moore. Ricky Gadson. MattvCapri. Larry McBride. All of the above and more.

[@modelnutty6503]

lots of great memories with a Honda 305 scrambler, would be a great bike for Honda to resurrect/upgrade. minor engine and suspension improvements with the same look it had, good for carrying 2 with decent power, reliability and gas mileage.

[@fredtracy3931]

Honda is planning a CL500, based on the twin that powers the Rebel 500, CB500X, CB500F, and CBR500R. I WANT ONE!!

[@N3ilCrox]

I remember seeing a Ducati Paul Smart 1000 LE I think this is also a Sport Classic but with a different name it was amazing for the time plus Tron Legacy also had a Sport Classic as a product placement which is nice.

[@S735334]

The Paul Smart is indeed part of the Sport Classic family... but it was a direct copy of Paul Smart's winning 750 of the early seventies, although it has a 1000cc motor, Ohlins suspension & a half fairing. The others in the Sport Classic family are the Sport 1000 monoposto, Sport 1000 dual seated version...& the GT, with an upright riding position & dual seat.. I bought the Sport 1000 monoposto in 2006 when it came out... over 100,000kms & still going strong.. a great fun bike & worth more now than it was brand new !!

[@G58]

@bart you completely missed the FIRST retro bike: the Honda CD175 of the 1970s. My first real bike, which is why I’m not falling for the current retro craze - I did it already in 1976! 🧐😎😜 Peace

[@bluevalkyrie2517]

2:22 Twin double leading shoe front brake system. Probably the best bike stopper without using brake fluid. This system uses 4 cable operated brake shoes, 2 shoes in each of 2 separate drums. This type of brake system was also used on early model Suzuki GT750.

[@stormyb3739]

We recently got the w175 in our country (India), also I have seen the RE continental GT500, someone in my university had it. And finally, jawa and yezdi are popping up a lot in India, I have to point this out to you here, both Jawa and Yezdi produce more power than a classic or meteor 350. Jawa uses a 294cc liquid cooled engine and yezdi uses a 334cc liquid cooled engine (which is also found in the Jawa Perak, the only jawa with this engine). This engine was developed by Mahindra, it has its roots from the Mojo (a 300cc legendary machine in India). I feel like they have more value for money than a RE, but don't have that brand heritage.

[@twowheeledparadox]

535, not 500.

[@stormyb3739]

@@twowheeledparadox Oh I didn't know. Thanks for letting me know. I remember seeing GT500 or smth written on the tank, maybe I'm tripping. I only say it once, parked among bicycles outside our cafe XD. I knew it looked different cuz I've seen a couple of the 650s being ridden around the campus.

[@apexxxx10]

=RE= Hugely popular here in sunny tropical Thailand 🇹🇭 The recently launched Royal Enfield Hunter 350. In my opinion the perfect beginner motorcycle. Light and shorter wheelbase than my =RE= steed Meteor 350 Supernova Cheers JohnnyBikeSanooK! Straight from northern THAILAND

[@james_isaac]

What's the mileage you're getting in w175? Cruising speed in highway ? Service cost

[@geo2theo]

Yezdi in Czech means 'it rides' as Jawa (read yavah) is the Czech legend bike which now is manufactured in India. Almost the same case like with Royal Enfield.

[@fredtracy3931]

Nice to know someone knows the correct pronunciation.

[@LEXICOGRAFFER]

Really enjoyed this....well done!

[@ShayeDeeeee]

Honestly I think the Ducati Sport Classic is one of the best looking Ducs ever made. But then again I'm weird and I like weird bikes

[@countryjoe3551]

I love the Yamaha Reneissa. That would be a great little around town commuter. I know the Virago 250 engine is very robust, nearly bulletproof. It would be super cheap to run and insure.

[@kybourbonboy]

The Zuke Tempter single made its way here as the 650 Savage / S40 Boulevard if looks mean anything. I had a S40 and it was a very good bike. Nice low end grunt. Easy to work on, reliable. A very traditional bike. I put 13,000 miles on it before I got my Scout.

[@ghalston5641]

Actually, I am old enough to remember the Suzuki Tempter twin 650 sold in the USA in the 80s. Not a very convincing retro, less even than the Kawi 750 twin of the same era.

[@1990-t1j]

I like the Tempter. Fan of 400/500 singles. I remember the GB400 from when I lived in Tokyo in the early '90s. I agree: the Yamaha Renaissa V-twin looks fantastic.

[@genesmiley3727]

I wish Suzuki would bring it back in 400cc flavor.

[@1990-t1j]

@@genesmiley3727 So do I.

[@Giitzerland]

That Suzuki "Tempter" uses the smaller version of the Savage's LS650 engine. I think it looks great.

[@audiencemember26008]

10:38 Wow, second time in a row you've done this "Not sure if you've heard of this bike." Yeah wanted one when I lived in Australia, available in Australia. A nice little copy of the Dream50. People customise and upgrade the parts there too. Previous video was a the SDR200. YES! a much bigger dream bike of mine. 105kg of pure fun. Would love to experience that 2 stroke powerband on such a nimble bike. Currently riding another dream bike of mine. BabyBlade.

[@dogshome7110]

Nice and interesting vid thankyou! The Tempter is something I've never seen and would line up against several modern 'cafe racers' with a set of clip ons 🙂 The Yamaha Virago 250, I've also never seen and looks (fantastic) like a Vincent. Wow! I ride a BMW R65 (860cc).

[@l1nepack]

Very small, very pretty they are. Some preferred the earlier SRV 250 but I liked the Renaissa in orangey-yellow.

[@Angryeddie14]

Always a good day when Bart uploads 🙌🏽

[@carlarthur4442]

Like the look of the 1st one with a single cylinder engine , Tempter lovely 😍

[@stewy62]

I don’t know if it’s a marketing thing but the single cylinder Royal Enfield Continental GT is called the GT535 in the UK (it’s 535cc). Two important factors explaining why the Interceptor 650 massively outsells the Continental GT650 are that 1. The riding position on the GT is seen as uncomfortable and 2. The colour choices are so much better on the Interceptor 🇬🇧

[@carlarthur4442]

Enjoyed the video, thanks 😊

[@PremPS1000LE]

After owning the Ducati Paul Smart 1000LE, and riding with the rest of the Ducs on our Sunday club rides, it was the bike that got the most praise from non-Ducatisti at fuel/food stops. I will say, because of the riding position, I was probably the rider in our group that was in the most pain at the end of the day. I had the honor of meeting Paul Smart at the 2008 Isle of Man TT, and then again at the Indy MotoGP that same year, his feeling was that it was a good bike for hanging out, doing general around-the-town riding, but was not that well behaved of a sport bike. I did take it out for a few track days ... let me just say, it didn't instill a lot of confidence to get out in front. Still, it looked great.

[@yardenl1998]

Glad to see my GT535 on this list. Damn I love it

[@browngreen933]

The Tempter was ultra cool.

[@uralbob1]

Very cool! Thanks for this video!

[@LoosiuFlying]

Nice to see those machines and nice to hear it with your voice - audio and video goes together just well

[@carlarthur4442]

Jawa was always a great reliable bike been on the planet for years 👏

[@ilanmetoudi]

Shout out to Retro Bikes Dublin! Great retro bike video!

[@kevinmcdonald6446]

That Tempter is fabulous.

[@StuckinRiyadh]

The "Tempter" was called the Thumper in Japan where it was available in the 1990s. The Honley was made for the UK and named after a suburb of Huddersfield, West Yorkshire where the importer was based.

[@paulwilliams2080]

I thought it was more a portmanteau of 'Honda Benly' to be honest.

[@surajtomar4870]

Suzuki Tempter looks so clean. From thumbnail I thought it was a recent custom build. Love it.

[@brucebirnbaum6152]

Totally agree. People here would BUY them. I grew up in the 60's and 70 's .we had those options then. Thanks again for the info about the bikes.

[@epbrown01]

No we would not. The US has proven time and again that we won’t buy small bikes in decent numbers. The TU250 and SR400 are recent examples.

[@fredtracy3931]

The North American market is brainwashed into thinking bigger is better. Personally, I own a 2014 CB500X.

[@kylejohnson423]

5:40 the simple answer of why these things don't get sued is because of patents. Unlike copyright which goes to infinity, patents expire after awhile. It's the same reason you can buy brand new HDMI consoles that can play NES games.

[@dbtrailseekers4140]

Thank you for featuring my bike Bart, i own a w175 it is a fun bike, simple and reliable

[@LabRat6619]

Personal adverts inside a video suck . I'm bailing .

[@jwill9637]

It is probably a sign of your youth that the biggest miss you had on the Tempter is the fact that it sports a four leading shoe front brake. Oh, also, I love your channel.

[@aestheticcruise8807]

Interesting! I bought a 1985 Suzuki Tempter back last month, just waiting for a couple of small parts. I can't wait to get it out on the road!

[@greatbigeye2506]

The Tempter looks to be based on the Savage/S40, pretty cool! Wish that was available in the US.

[@chrismidis9024]

there is the Suzuki GR650 which was called the Tempter in the U.S but was a 650 twin

[@greatbigeye2506]

Very 80s looking but still kinda cool.

[@matthewetmoi8436]

@@chrismidis9024 I had that bike in the 80s. It didn't look that great to be honest -- much prefer the 60s and 70s styling -- but it was nice to ride.

[@PrimoStracciatella]

Same engine as the LS 400 cruiser. In the US and Europe it came with a longer stroke 650cc single, which was used for the 1360cc Intruder 1400.

[@twowheeledparadox]

It was actually the Royal Enfield Continental GT 535 (not 500) which started the relationship between RE and Harris Performance which designed the frame. It had a Brembo front brake caliper and rotor, an oversized piston to bump up the displacement to 535 cc and the crankshaft of the 350 which was lighter. The result was an engine that was more powerful than the 500 and very quick to rev.

[@l1nepack]

Yeah, I was seriously considering buying a new GT 535 about six years back but ended up buying a Street Twin instead. I remembered that the weekend before last when a GT 535 (red) passed me on my recently-bought GB 250.

[@twowheeledparadox]

@@l1nepack I was considering it at one point too several years ago but decided to stick with KTM at that time. I wanted one in yellow. Rarer than the red one here in India. I have heard that parts are hard to find for that bike these days so I am glad I didn't buy it. I have an Interceptor 650 now so I am quite happy.

[@patwalker9890]

What, no Janus bikes?

[@jamesgovett3225]

I own a pristine low klm Honda GB400 TT MK11, bought brand new in New Zealand and brought here to Australia by its owner decades ago, I have owned it for 21 years and looks the same as the 500 you highlighted, there were 4 GB’s, a 250, 2 versions of the 400, a two up seat and no fairing, a single seat and the only one of the four with Hondas factory fairing with headlight, this is the one that I have and I was told when I bought it that it was a Joey Dunlop commemorative model and the 500 with single seat, but one small error in your time of manufacture is these bikes actually were designed as a retro bike but in the 1980’s not 90’s as my bike left Hondas factory in Japan in 1986, also as a point of interest Hondas GB designation stands for “Great Britain” I believe that New Zealand was lucky enough to get a handful of these bikes as they were not sold in Australia

[@innerlight7018]

Nice selection. 👍

[@spencerdawkins]

I am IN NO WAY anyone's dream market segment for motorcycles, but (in your order) I liked the Yamaha 250, the Kawasaki W175, and the Royal Enfield 500 from your list. I feel your pain about the gaping hole between 125-cc Groms and Z125s and 390-400 cc bikes in the US. My first bike was a Kawasaki 175 Enduro (new, in 1972), and I loved it, but I would have been even more excited if it had fuel injection, disc brakes, and ABS - and I'm pretty sure almost any new bike that size in Europe would have all those things. I'm talking to my son about transportation for his twin 15-year-old girls, who live on the edge of a small Texas city, and a 175-200 cc bike would be great (especially if he has to buy two of them). My current bike is a 2019 Honda Rebel 300 (see? in between 125 and 390-400 ccs), and I got it because I was looking for a streetable single-cylinder bike - which makes me especially interested in the Royal Enfield 500 Continental GT. So, if I was looking for a bike for myself now, I'd be interested in something like that.

[@senatorjosephmccarthy2720]

7: 00, the wheels fit the design perfectly. 4: 06, Ducati's styler really needs to get out more. 8: 44, a good, tough and quality looking bike, and looking like it's designed for doing wheelies. 12: 52, somehow it's reminiscent of the Honda CB 450, it exclaims quality. 13: 43. Nice! I would polish every other cylinder fin, and the cam covers. Run the back fender only to under the seat cowl, and mount the taillight slightly frenched under the cowl. Even the color is great. Thanks for showing more retro bikes.

[@johnhenke6475]

1:25. I'd love to find one of theos front wheels with the double drum breaks.

[@passinthru4328]

Really like the styling of the Honda GB500 and the Yamaha SRV

[@martinmuller2809]

And the GB500 isn't heavy and underpowered. 38 hp and 178kg. To this day (for more than 30 years) my Clubman has not been overtaken by any american motorcycle.

[@mmuller199]

Congrats on your sponsorship, Bart!

[@philtucker1224]

Very nicely presented and explained. Very interesting and unusual content that has been well researched.

[@bukster1]

I was waiting for the GB500 to come up. I used to own one. It was a good bike but the one I had was prone to some nasty starting problems, especially when it was cold. I only found out years later that the next owner was able to track it down to a fault in the carburettor.

[@PrimoStracciatella]

If the bike ran fine but didn't want to start, it may have been the gasket between carb and intake. When cold it sucks air, when hot, the metals expand and all is well.