[molebaby]

Which model of motorcycle has had the biggest inpact on the sport.
My vote goes for the Honda Cub or Super cub with the you meet the nicest people on a honda ad campain. Brought people into the sport that never would have owned or ridden bike's.
They were produced over (30) thirty years and in the #s of (30) Thirty plus Million units.
Mr Honda really brought motorcycles to the masses.
Well thats my (2) two cents worth whats yours?

 

[Tobydawg]

i had never even heard about the honda cub. but looking at pics of it...its just a scooter isn't it? i say the honda 50 had the biggest impact. here's an article about it:
http://world.honda.com/history/challenge/1959establishingamericanhonda/text06/

 

[bikeaholic]

re

i can't dispute a single fact you state- "H" would be the logical choice
as being the leader in bringing bikes to the masses
a trail 50 was the first bike i ever rode(besides a briggs powered minibike before that :grin: )and their marketing was the reason my dad bought it.
although many mfg's have brought innovation to the sport, H has mad it appealing to a much broader base with the many models and styles they have
offered

 

[2WheelFun]

Maybe this is a little off target....But it seems like the Honda Trail 90 was another bike that got alot of people on a motorized two wheel scooter.

http://100megsfree4.com/honda/h0051/trail90.htm

 

[molebaby]

Honda Cub / Super cub and the Honda 50 are the same Bike. The Cub and Super Cub are pre 1962 names
They are still being made in Vietnam.

 

[rfrench102]

I think there are more people riding now than ever due to two words... Harley Davidson. Love um or hate um, numbers don't lie.

 

[Tobydawg]

Harley Davidson

 

[ispeed77]

i would stick with the "H" bikes, for the same reasons already listed. as far as HD, i don't think those number have impacted the sport as much. i agree that a lot of people have purchased them, but many just for status. to me that doesn't impact the sport as much as the H bikes.

 

[Calamarichris]

Sorry to harp on semantics, but I don't feel like motorcycling is a "sport". Sure guys race, but after watching the ridiculous 750cc I4's compete against 1000cc V-twins, racing became only a tense commercial for me, and the commercial is being paid for by a name that rhymes with "Fonda".
But I'm picky about "sports." Golf is not really a sport IMO, but golf may be #1 on your list of sports.
Motorcycling is a pastime, a hobby, or if you must get Harley-Davidson about it, a "Lifestyle." Everyone has a different idea about the perfect bike. Some value appearance, some value laptimes or dyno-charts, some value a blue-collar projection of false machismo...
There is no penultimate #1 bike. Look at all the hate-mail generated whenever a magazine picks a stupid bike-of-the-year!
If I could only have one bike in my garage right now, it would be the red 2002 Ninja 500R, or an '04 with the orange-stickers removed.
The perfect bike is the one in your garage right now. Otherwise, why'd you buy it?
-CCinC

 

[ispeed77]

can't argue with that logic Chris

BTW, nice new quote !

 

[Scary Harry]

delete

 

[molebaby]

I think there are more people riding now than ever due to two words... Harley Davidson. Love um or hate um, numbers don't lie.

And what did the more people that are riding now start riding on? (Most started as kids.) Probably a little honda 50.
As for numbers over (30) Thirty million and the same basic model for (30)thirty years. and a the basic motor is still being made. That little Honda brought more people into our sport than anything before, H-D just brought them back after there kids were grown and out of the house.. And they were stupid enough to pay (20) twenty thousand plus for an out dated machine.
That mostly sits in the garage collecting dust.
My two cents. I better get off of my soap box before some bad A$$ harley wantabe kicks it down.

 

[rfrench102]

And what did the more people that are riding now start riding on? (Most started as kids.) Probably a little honda 50.
As for numbers over (30) Thirty million and the same basic model for (30)thirty years. and a the basic motor is still being made. That little Honda brought more people into our sport than anything before, H-D just brought them back after there kids were grown and out of the house.. And they were stupid enough to pay (20) twenty thousand plus for an out dated machine.
That mostly sits in the garage collecting dust.
My two cents. I better get off of my soap box before some bad A$$ harley wantabe kicks it down.

I guess you would be in the "hate um" category.

 

[molebaby]

I don't hate H-Ds, I owned and rode H-Ds in the bad old good days. Then and now I have a strong dislike for the wantabes that own them.

 

[grunt]

This was my first bike. A 1958 Harley Davidson Hummer. It was a 165cc, two stroke putting out around 5.5hp.

 

[gorillahandz]

I say the '69 and up Honda CB750. It was the inline 4 that changed the world. It paved the way for modern supersport bikes and was the first bike to have an electric start, front disc brake, and an across the frame 4 cylinder engine in a production bike. This is the bike that buried Triumph, Norton, and BSA. The only reason Harley stayed alive was because of a fierce brand devotion and it, along with other Japanese bikes, got Harley to prompt the U.S. to adopt an over 700cc tariff on import bikes.

 

[nathan600r]

I think there are more people riding now than ever due to two words... Harley Davidson. Love um or hate um, numbers don't lie.

Ah yes the HD with the drivetrain that hasn't changed since 1913, and is slowly trying to copy japanese sportbikes a little bit more every year.

 

[rfrench102]

Ah yes the HD with the drivetrain that hasn't changed since 1913, and is slowly trying to copy japanese sportbikes a little bit more every year.

I think you may have missed the point. Love um or hate um, there are more people riding than ever before.

During the third quarter of 2004 the Company shipped 80,578 Harley-Davidson units and increased diluted earnings per share 24.2% over the same quarter last year. On a year-to-date basis the Company shipped 236,702 Harley-Davidson motorcycles and grew diluted earnings per share 20.5% over the same period last year.

I'm not saying they have the best engineering... that's not what this thread was about.

 

[molebaby]

I beleive that MV Agusta in early 60s offered a production inline, electric start and disc brake four cylinder bike. At the time the bike was to much tech and too much Money.
Again MR. H could read the times and be there with good bike bike at a price that alomst evreyone could afford.

 

[nathan600r]

Well it doesn't matter what brand it is. Whatever is shown the most on tv or in hollywood movies, is going to be the most popular I guarantee it. Orange county retards, Jackass james, and all those others HARLEY knock offs are the most popular.