SM Motorbike thread

midlifecrisis

midlifecrisis

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Do you remember the Britten V1000 from the 90's it's unusual fairing was all about putting air into the hole behind the bike to reduce drag.

Despite the 90's shell suit colours,it's a thing of beauty.

101001
 
BennyD

BennyD

Sea Urchin Pate
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I saw it race on the Island in the early 90s and what a machine it was, you could hear its thunder right across Fraggle Rock.
 
Marco07

Marco07

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midlifecrisis said:
Do you remember the Britten V1000 from the 90's it's unusual fairing was all about putting air into the hole behind the bike to reduce drag.

Despite the 90's shell suit colours,it's a thing of beauty.

View attachment 101001
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I most certainly do and had the pleasure of meeting John Britten in 1992. We kept in touch but he sadly died a couple of years later from testicular cancer which I contracted myself in 2011. Anyway, after the Christchurch earthquake I contacted his widow to ask how they were and she told me that everything had been lost. The only thing she had left were Britten key rings, one of which she kindly sent me. I use it on one of my Guzzis and is worth more to me than the bike.

JB was fascinated by the Norton Rotaries and admired their success against the major teams. Some of the later Britten bikes had a chequered flag design running through them which I pinched for my own Norton Rotary paint job. There’s video of it on YouTube if you search Bracey Special.
 
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2b1ask1

2b1ask1

Special case
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20,275
Nibby said:
Well after seeing them in books and magazines 45 years ago I saw a Benelli Quatro in the flesh for the first time ever today, lovely thing but tiny, looked more like a kids bike. 250 4 cylinder.
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Rare indeed; there used to be a Laverda/Benelli/Moto-Morini dealership in Upminster, Essex back in the day, they used to get all the latest ones in there.
 
Oneball

Oneball

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11,126
2b1ask1 said:
Rare indeed; there used to be a Laverda/Benelli/Moto-Morini dealership in Upminster, Essex back in the day, they used to get all the latest ones in there.
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Slaters the UK Laverda importers who also had the idea for the Jota were just up the road from here in Bromyard. 103478
 
Nibby

Nibby

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2,092
2b1ask1 said:
Rare indeed; there used to be a Laverda/Benelli/Moto-Morini dealership in Upminster, Essex back in the day, they used to get all the latest ones in there.
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Also you had the Fantic importer in Hornchurch.
There was a Laverda dealer in Haverhill, owned by an Irishman called Murray, rumour had it if you went in there after he'd just come out the pub and he was three sheets to the wind you could get a deal of the century.
 
Nibby

Nibby

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2,092
I think some of it stemmed from the *** bikes of the early 70s were in the rawest form and they started detuning bikes towards the end of the 70s as there was a rumour that America was going to ban over powerful motorbikes.
Along comes the RD250LC and it went completely the other way.
 
philw696

philw696

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25,476
Nibby said:
I think some of it stemmed from the *** bikes of the early 70s were in the rawest form and they started detuning bikes towards the end of the 70s as there was a rumour that America was going to ban over powerful motorbikes.
Along comes the RD250LC and it went completely the other way.
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Always funny seeing a big 4 or 6 pot Japanese bike USA spec and it's 85mph speedometer.
Loved all my 70's sports bikes I had with the upright riding position.
Can't be doing with modern sports bikes too fast and painful to ride.
Had a R6 for a little while and knew that would finish me off.
Should have kept the Z1000 if only to look at.
 
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