Of the bikes you have owned, which was your favorite also which was your least favorite and why?
My least favorite was a Honda CD 175, my second road bike. I called it the old cow as on hard acceleration
its exhaust gave out a strained “Moo” sound. It also had Continental tires with very hard rubber, it was like riding on a banana skin. Anyhow this was in the early 1970’s and riding like an aspiring boy racer that bike put me down on a number of occasions also ploughed into the back of a car, those tires just would not grip. I had to rebuild the engine twice in the short time I owned that bike as it had a tendency to snap timing chains. I’ve had a few Hondas since and got on OK with them, just not the old cow. My favorite was a yellow 750 Norton Commando fastback. Considering what was around in 1974 that bike could really fly. It had the Combat motor (I had very little trouble with mine though some thought the Combat was a lemon). It also had the triple S high lift cams, crappy brakes and lots of noise. People knew you were in town. That bike oozed character, it could kick back on the kickstart very convincingly. On Dunlop TT100 tires handling was superb, I had that bike for 11 years and it never dumped me once. After a couple of years I put on some Dunstall goodies, 2-1-2 exhaust system, rear sets, clip-ons and a yellow fibreglass front mudguard. Also a Boyer/Bransden electronic ignition kit. Even in the mid ‘80s that bike was still very competitive. I sold it to a youngster who wrote it off within a month. At least he survived and only had minor cuts and bruises.
Ride safe
