10 Retro Motorcycles that you've never heard of

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Today we're looking at some rare, obscure retro motorcycles that you've probably never heard of
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Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing."
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[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@punchbuggyyellow7097]

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.

[@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.

[@brockett]

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

[@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 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@leondown6869]

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

[@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.

[@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.

[@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

[@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. :)

[@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.

[@carlarthur4442]

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

[@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.

[@roblewis7186]

The Suzuki Tempter is an amazing looking bike

[@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 👍

[@mountainhobo]

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

[@Angryeddie14]

Always a good day when Bart uploads 🙌🏽

[@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.

[@bobwalsh3751]

10:17 awwww hello Yezdi!

[@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.

[@LEXICOGRAFFER]

Really enjoyed this....well done!

[@LoosiuFlying]

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

[@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.

[@uralbob1]

Very cool! Thanks for this video!

[@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 !!

[@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!".

[@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

[@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.

[@bruceisaachsen1930]

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

[@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.

[@Giitzerland]

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

[@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.

[@citizenkane0014]

Good to see the Honda GB 500 Tourist Trophy on the list, I purchased one brand new on the day of release in my country, it is a direct copy of the Manx Norton 500 Single that raced in the Isle of Man TT races. It was a little underpowered but the shorter frame made it great to ride on twisty roads.

[@dirkidentification]

still topped 180km/h with it

[@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.

[@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.

[@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.

[@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!!

[@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.

[@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

[@carlarthur4442]

Enjoyed the video, thanks 😊

[@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.

[@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)

[@philtucker1224]

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

[@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.

[@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

[@apexxxx10]

6:36 Wow that is a aerodynamic, futuristic styled motorcycle!

[@apexxxx10]

7:59 This is a affordable beginner bike. The all new =RE= Hunter 350. Same engine 350 cc as the popular Royal Enfield Meteor but shorter wheelbase and lighter and of courser easier to manoeuvre for a newbie rider young or old.

[@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.

[@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.

[@mmuller199]

Congrats on your sponsorship, Bart!

[@basilbrushbooshieboosh5302]

Haven't seen that ducats before. Utterly beautiful

[@joshb2088]

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

[@bitey6709]

I like the tempter. Here we got this 650 single in cruiser form called a savage. In Oz we got the duke sport and a touring version also. Very expensive, didn't sell. Have seen an Ace on the road and show rooms. Agree with the person who said it would be best suited for the lounge room. Very pretty. Have never seen a Renaissa. Looks like a Morini. Very nice

[@surajtomar4870]

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

[@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

[@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.

[@State3ever]

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

[@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

[@Demonbfg]

The Tempter 650,in the US was the LS650 Savage(same engine but cruiser style). I had the 1987 version, Good Bike.

[@innerlight7018]

Nice selection. 👍

[@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

[@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.

[@kevinmcdonald6446]

That Tempter is fabulous.

[@apexxxx10]

Thanks BART, I like your definition. “A retro motorcycle is a motorcycle that usually looks older that it actually is or a bike that looks relatively new but has some retro styling cues” Retro bikes are popular here in sunny, tropical THAILAND 🇹🇭. Especially the Triumph Bonneville Built in Thailand. I’m riding a sort of retro looking, light cruiser, Built in India =RE= Meteor 350 Supernova. Greetings from from northern Thailand. Yesterday I serviced my Royal Enfield 20,000 km on the clock. My mileage 73 years. Ciao, Johnny BikeSanooK

[@davidpeters6536]

I like the Yam V-twin cafe. I used to ride my friend's Virago cruiser 30 years ago and it was fun. RE also make a Meteor which looks cool. The odd bike with all the fairings looks a little like an Ariel from the 50s.

[@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.

[@jessiehenrycastillo4438]

there's a chinabike named keeway cr152. stylish too. keeway superlight is also a small cruiser bike with 200-250 cc displacement (I forgot the actual displacement). also the britstol bikes 400-650cc. different models but looks good too

[@loddude5706]

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

[@bearpowers166]

I absolutely LOVE the Ducati Sportclassic. If I had my choice of bike to buy right now would be the red 2007 full faired bike.

[@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.

[@John-rw2zf]

Great review. I always liked the Yamaha SR500 single Retro that sold in the US for a long time. It was a very good looking bike. Kick starter only was kind of a bummer.

[@user-sw2lv3zp6o]

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.

[@user-sw2lv3zp6o]

@@genesmiley3727 So do I.

[@ilanmetoudi]

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

[@brodieboy255]

Kind of tempted to get some Honley badges for my Dads' old Honda C92 Benly now

[@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.

[@yylin3266]

suzuki tempter 400 looks astonishingly beautiful! love the simplicity of it.

[@MOTOZILIANS]

great video very good to see diferent bikes....wish couple this bike were here in the U.S.

[@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.

[@vladimirlojka3740]

Great video and nice motobikes.

[@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!

[@davidhunternyc1]

I would love for you to review the new Janus Halcyon 450. You always have a unique and interesting take on things.

[@keithgardner5818]

As far as I know, Jawa is pronounced "Yava." I had one, about 45 years ago. It was a 305. The story was, they purchased the tools and dies from Honda when Honda retired their previous series. So it was, from the get-go, something like a 10 year older design than the actual vintage of the bike. Weird. Cheap, "exotic," fun. Until someone stole it from the alley next to my house while I was at a Rolling Stones concert, as I recall. Oh well. I do really like the small bikes though, it's so frustrating that in this country everything has to be bigger, faster. I've known too many people who have gotten really messed up in motorcycle wrecks. I prefer the idea of "going fast on a slow bike." Or going slow, on a slow bike. Like a single or twin cylinder 250-350. That's the sweet spot. For me, anyway.

[@dbtrailseekers4140]

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

[@patwalker9890]

What, no Janus bikes?

[@carlarthur4442]

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

[@nicolasmingham5307]

Have a Honda XBR 500 in the shed , radial 4 valve head motor 44 PS same as a Manx Norton , not as light but still a fast 500 single , the Clubman was the nice version with spoked wheels.

[@karoltakisobie6638]

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

[@Thunder_Bear_mg]

A retro standard v-twin would be very cool. Something similar to the Yamaha SRV but with a 500-750 air cooled push rod v-twin.

[@darkiee69]

Why use 50's tech? With a modern engine they could get as much power out of a 650 as they did the 1200 evo.

[@halomarck]

I think the Ducati Sport Classic is a great looking bike. Probably one of the most pretty modern retros. - Those "Honley" models are still being sold under different brand names in South America.

[@ericellquist7007]

Some nice bikes here. If you Google the Dec. 2010 issue of Rider magazine, you will see a bike Designed by Denny Berg in conjunction with Cobra Engineering that is based upon the Honda scramblers of the 1960's. Honda made three iterations of this bike, a 250cc, a 305cc, and later a 350cc. The one off custom by Berg and Co. used a Honda Shadow 750 cc V Twin and frame components to create this retro motorcycle, and with it's red and grey paint scheme it looked just like it just rolled off the Honda factory floor. I remember those early Honda bikes, and I have to say, they really nailed it...

[@stephenwandersonea1935]

The 400cc Suzuki Tempter motorcycle is really good looking! You're right, it's too bad they aren't available in the West.

[@wsbill14224]

The Suzuki Tempter started out as the Savage around 1986. It was a budget cruiser.

[@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.

[@robertchapman6795]

We had/have the Skyteam Ace in Australia. They were very cheap. The Yamaha Renaissa (the green one) didn’t look as stylish as the preceding SRV250 (red one). They were both sold in Australia and Yamaha Australia made a limited run of the SRV250 called the Clubman. It had a rear seat cover, clip on bars and rearset pegs.

[@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.

[@brakenoodle105]

The Tempter's engine was used in a cruiser called the Suzuki LS650 Savage, sold in the UK.

[@joshuahastie3339]

You need to look at the Yamaha SRV 250. Built in 90s. Way way ahead of its time! Amazing retro styling.