Empty your wallet

Well I knew Hondas RC-213 V- S was a pricey piece at $184,000 without the $32,000 race kit but this one takes the cake.

"Yes, a motorcycle that has six zeros’ on its price tag. This is an extremely Limited Edition bike that’s called the "T12 MASSIMO" that was the final brainchild of Massimo Tamburini, also known as the ’Michelangelo of Motos’. Only 12 of these samples will be ever made, each for a million bucks."
That's $1,000,000.oo. F-Me
Now what would Swan Insurance say if I said "Hey I want to insure my bike for a million dollars." They'd hang up thinking it was Bullyang as no M/cycle ever cost that much!!!!

For that amount of coin I'd want a proper motorcycle rather than a Honda ;)

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Originally Posted by GeeRam

For that amount of coin I'd want a proper motorcycle rather than a Honda

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Proper?

Honda? His reference to Honda was just relating the high cost of their RC-213. Maybe you should have read up on it before you jumped to a conclusion. Powering this motorcycle is a 230hp in-line-four motor sourced from BMW

The designer, Massimo Tamburini has quite a pedigree, also designed two of the most desirable motorcycles ever. The Ducati 916 and the MV Agusta F4.

Though not my style of riding, I can surely appreciate it's design. It hurts my back to just look at that ride. I'm a cruiser with a Harley Ultra Classic.

Take a look at this article.

Tamburini T12 Massimo – the million-dollar motorcycle

Jim,
That would have to have a very special linked chain for that engine and for me to ride it, I'm in your camp mate............ Harley Military MT350 all day for me at the older age group and a gun box in case I may ever need it at the rear. ;):lol:
I remained on a powerful bike once when the chain snapped at 65mph, it was the most enlightening time in my whole life trying to weave the handles from right to left as I slew to a halt. On inspection the chain had literally welded itself to the rear sprocket........................always wary now of fast bikes and slack chains!!

Yes there are only about 6 employees that hand build the RC - 213 Honda's and by hand build it is literally that welding up the frames & swing arms etc etc hand crafting the panels to blue printing the engine a very dedicated crew hence the enormous price tag.
I am a go fast around corners rider within reason and I never knock a persons ride or whatever they own personally I have owned 6 Honda's 3 dirt and 3 road and if you cast you mind back to the 80's early to mid when Honda introduced the 1100R series up the the 1100RD model then the VF1000R what exquisite machines they were stunning to look at and go like heck.
I drag raced my mates 1100RD against my VF1000R who ever got the start won as whatever lead you got neither could draw away nor close the gap I think top end the VF1000R may have had it but you cannot beat cubic capacity.

Honda's have always had a good finished product whilst my Z900's and my ZIR MkI had brilliant engines that rubber frame that bucked and weaved when cornering made ones constitution a bit wary so its horses for courses, I will stop and help almost any stranded riders except the 1%'ers as they want to be in that category so I guess I will pass them by.

I am glad I got my Ducatis as the F4 MV I almost brought well apparently are a nightmare to work on.........

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Originally Posted by CINDERS

I will stop and help almost any stranded riders except the 1%'ers as they want to be in that category so I guess I will pass them by

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Good to see motorcycle folks are the same world wide.
Kind of like firearms folks.

Honda has been making very reliable motorcycles for decades.
Back in "my" day the British bikes were desired. I wanted a BSA Lightning. Loved the look of the Star on the tank, and the history of BSA. My friends liked the Triumph Bonneville. These were $1,300 in 1964 when I was fifteen and more than I could afford. I wound up with a Honda 305 Superhawk at $699. This is the bike I feel got the US crowd going for Honda. It could break 100 mph. Over the next two years my bike was always on the road. The British bikes were not. And I didn't have a puddle of oil on my garage floor. But they were a little, and I mean only a little faster than my 305 bored out. In 1969 I bought a Honda 750K, it smoked the British bikes. A couple years later I did feed my British yearning with a new Norton 850 Commando. Great look and ride. Same 58 HP as my four year older Honda 750, but I felt cooler riding it. After that I went to Harley's. Their oil piddling had not yet been corrected. So I tried a Honda GL 1000 Goldwing when they came in 1975. For me it was too bulky and stayed in my garage less than a year. Back to Harley's (puddling fixed) where I have stayed, the wife did have a 1985 Honda 750 Magna for a while.
I like going fast, but have stayed more in the upright riding position. I haven't gone crazy fast on a bike, 124 mph being my tops. My lay down CBR friends have gone much faster.
But I did reach the winter of my life in one piece. Riding continuously for 52 years now, and noticeably slowing down. There is something to be said about the air on your face.

You riders keep them upright and enjoy your experiences.

Jim, I suspect we are of similar vintage as our riding experiences are comparable. Although my first bike was a 1945 WL Harley Davidson I have always preferred British machines. My first bike post military in 1972 was a Triumph T100C 500cc twin that I rode consistently hard for a decade or more, an absolutely bullet proof bike and one of the best cornering (quick and stable) machines I've owned. Remember English made K70 Dunlops? My daughter owns and is restoring it now. In '77 or '78 I traded some work for a 1969 BSA Rocket III that had been used for riding power line trails. Yeah, a 500 lb. three cylinder dirt bike. After sorting it out mechanically and back into road trim it was a regular ride to classes at Ft Steilacoom Community College. A fellow student had an early CB 750 Honda and we often had friendly races between the south Tacoma College on the winding road behind Ft. Lewis through some small burgs to home in Olympia. Both bikes were box stock and and had similar weight and horsepower but my BSA was always first to the Oly city limit sign. He subsequently traded for a Kawasaki Z1 and my winning days were gone. Other than the first HD I have never owned another Harley. I worked for the Olympia dealer off and on as a mechanic up until just after the evolution engine came out in I think 1984. Unbreakable roller bearing bottom ends combined with with poorly cooled top ends produced an engine that would usually only go 20 or 30,000 miles before needing serious attention. They billed their bikes as American made but the forks were Nagoya or maybe Showa and the carbs were Keihin. Harley has always seemed a little too agricultural for me but I have read they are much better now. Anyway, it is nice to hear someone else with vintage bike experience. Best Tom

Jim,
Now that took me back. If I remember correctly it was an English guy living in Belfast who took his 4 stroke technology to Honda first hand.
I remember it because we were stationed in Belfast at the time, and thought as I read the article, "lucky old bugger".
Well it was this guy who couldn't get any motor cycle manufacturers in the UK to take it on board at the time, wish I could remember his name!

The Honda 750 4 cyl was one of the best kept industrial secrets ever it blind sided Kawasaki which had a wooden mock up of the Z1 and it took them back a bit it also made the release date of the 900 Z1 stagnate for a bit whilst they digested the Honda I should imagine they had an employee buy one so they could evaluate it.
As the 500 Mach III's and the 750 H2's were lethal in a straight line not so good with cornering, in late 1976 I rode a fully worked H2 with the view of racing it after looking at the beam of the headlight pointing skywards I took it back. And proceeded to shelve the boy racer as I rode my 1976 Z900 home.

As a footer Kawasaki have announced they have a fire breather for the street next year 2019 a 243Hp monster which will probably smoke the Panigale V4's and maybe the BMW HP4's it is getting to the stage where the rider is the limiting factor for these bikes even with all their electronic aids and believe me they have plenty.
With my new bike my physical capabilities of hanging on at full power acceleration is the limiting factor as thats what allot of the test riders have said about Ducati's V4 your struggling to hold onto the grips under full dynamic power. Gad's have to give it a go once or twice just to see what its all about I just had a medical with a grip test so at 63Kg's & 62Kg's respectively I should be right..........

Next thing might be stirrups on the grips to keep your hands on.

I thought 243 HP on two wheels was a lot.

Then I saw this:
Kawasaki Ninja H2R is the fastest production superbike to date. Though a track only motorcycle. With a whopping 300 H.P, 326 H.P. with ram air the supercharged Ninja H2R can hit over 249 miles per hour. From a 998 cc supercharged DOHC inline-4 engine. The motorcycle screams all the way up to 249 mph – an indicated 400 km/h – in roughly 26 seconds.

Watch a Kawasaki H2R race bike hit 249 mph on a public road - Autoblog

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...sjcmcgif-1.jpg
https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo...vqa4usvg-1.jpg

I think they have a $60,000/Au price tag and cannot be licensed for the road although I priced a Ducati V4 "Speciale" that was $65,000/Au +ORC of which I graciously passed on and purchased the V4 "S".

:lol::lol: All great but after my experience give me a shaft drive anytime, especially at that speed:thup:

My Ultra is a shaft drive. And you are correct, very nice and smooth.

Jim...................and it don't snap either at speed :madsmile:

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Originally Posted by JimF4M1s

The designer, Massimo Tamburini has quite a pedigree, also designed two of the most desirable motorcycles ever. The Ducati 916 and the MV Agusta F4.

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The 916 and 748 are in my opinion the nicest bikes ever produced, When I was working for Chevron there was a 748 in a local bike shop, hefty price tag at the time as it wasn't that old, £16,000.00 ............. very tempted at the time too, I even had the money but decided against it, but not all was lost I bought the Suzuki GSXR 750 Slingshot he had instead for a 5th of the price..... it was a lovely example and in red and white, not a common colour scheme at the time as the tank was nearly all red and the fairing with white and black dividing lines........ I was very lucky one time, I'd joined a ship up in Scotland and could keep the bike on board for the two weeks, on my time off did some routine maintenance and adjusted the chain as it was looking a bit limp.

On the Journey home the bike just didn't seem right at the back end, average speed was 70-80 Mph, the rain started to come at me Horizontal and then my lights started to play up as I only had full beam and no dip....... after getting blinded a few times by Truck Wa...rs, I decided to pull in and see what was wrong, couldn't find anything and the lights seemed to fix themselves so took it down an A road at a gentle 30mph, then a sudden increase in revs and no power.........the chain had snapped..........It played on my mind some time after that, the bike received new sprockets and a high priced chain and replaced the oiler. It was the end of any lengthy motorway journeys for me.

Thats one good thing about the one below you can't go too fast as you know you can't stop fast....

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../lbpiBYr-1.jpg

Geoff,
Had one of them, whats it worth today? I suppose its what people will pay for them. Sold mine for £150 a lot of years back, lovely bike though!!

Gil, Prices vary as you say its what folk will pay, I would say one in very good or restored would be around £2500, they were not very popular at the time it was introduced, its a Model 8 (350) and same as G5 Matchless, only difference is the badge.

I paid well under half of the above price........

Geoff,
Nothing pretentious about the old AJS 350/8 breeze in your hair and no rushing around like the big bikes, people give you room..........and respect. Nice buy mate ;)

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Originally Posted by bigduke6

Thats one good thing about the one below you can't go too fast as you know you can't stop fast....

https://www.milsurps.com/images/impo.../lbpiBYr-1.jpg

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Excellent, nothing wrong with classic bikes.......with milk bottle tops for brakes... :D

You need to go back another decade or so in design, and add girder forks and rigid frame into the 'fun' mix ;)

[quote=GeeRam;440903]You need to go back another decade or so in design, and add girder forks and rigid frame into the 'fun' mix[/quote

Along with the Matchless WD G3L, which is slowly going back together., whilst looking for bits for it I always came across cheap BSA M20 bits, I have a late war BSA M20 frame and a set of war time crank cases, also picked up a rear frame for this a few months back ...... (the girder forks are a bit on the expensive side if you can find them and don't fancy the New ones from India).

The rear frame has the side car lug, which at first I thought was post war (post war had two lugs) the single lug was for an RAF contract during the war, approx only 700 made. I picked it up west side of London, the guy was building up an M21...... as we got talking he noted my interest was WD bikes but he showed me his collection of Brit bikes......... I was gobsmacked, he must have had over £250,000.00 worth of bikes in his other shed.......all shiny and new.

After that it was another train Journey to the East side of London, to pick up a hard tail G3L frame....... the G3L frame was to build up a repro WD bike as I have a lot of bits which have accumulated after buying boxes of bits but only require one part etc, although I do fancy a G3L trials bike so not sure on that yet.......... :)

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Originally Posted by bigduke6

Along with the Matchless WD G3L, which is slowly going back together., whilst looking for bits for it I always came across cheap BSA M20 bits, I have a late war BSA M20 frame and a set of war time crank cases, also picked up a rear frame for this a few months back ...... (the girder forks are a bit on the expensive side if you can find them and don't fancy the New ones from India).

The rear frame has the side car lug, which at first I thought was post war (post war had two lugs) the single lug was for an RAF contract during the war, approx only 700 made. I picked it up west side of London, the guy was building up an M21...... as we got talking he noted my interest was WD bikes but he showed me his collection of Brit bikes......... I was gobsmacked, he must have had over £250,000.00 worth of bikes in his other shed.......all shiny and new.

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I live in outer West London and used to have a 1940 built BSA WDM20, so may know of him?
Sold my WDM20 back in 2001, still miss it, but had great fun with it and used it for a lot of veterans events as well, including 1st Airborne Recce Association reunions when dear old Chalky White was still alive, who had been the 1st AB Recce Don R at Arnhem and was probably the last person to escape from the bridge area back to Oosterbeek, albeit a somewhat hazardous journey by m/c.

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Originally Posted by GeeRam

I live in outer West London and used to have a 1940 built BSA WDM20, so may know of him?
Sold my WDM20 back in 2001, still miss it, but had great fun with it and used it for a lot of veterans events as well, including 1st Airborne Recce Association reunions when dear old Chalky White was still alive, who had been the 1st AB Recce Don R at Arnhem and was probably the last person to escape from the bridge area back to Oosterbeek, albeit a somewhat hazardous journey by m/c.

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The Guy was an Indian gent., his interest was 60-70's Civilian Brit Bikes, he collected rare editions or one offs, he had at one time cornered the market for a particular Enfield Continental Gt....... ,
He parked them in groups, as rode all of them too, but they were museum quality.

At the time I didn't know the true value of the rear frame I was picking up, as it was a best offer deal........ and as I thought a post war one. I have to thank Ron Pier for the relevant info regarding the RAF contract BSA M20's etc.

Geoff,
That is odd, as I too have an Indian gent who buys all things British, motobikes and including SMLE's because he says they are so easily fixable.
Recently a neighbour a farmer sold off all his tractors and Combines via a major farm seller, bid cards internet bidding etc.
The only pieces the Indians wanted was the non computerised Combine Harvesters as they could repair them easier in India by hand....................amazing and very proactive of them. They were bidding against each other on line and at the actual auction, needless to say the Combine went for more than the book had it down for!