You may want to shoot me down in flames, but I reckon most affordable modern motorcycles aren’t much better than those produced back in the 1980s.
Sure, they have fancy fuel injection (to meet the latest emissions regulations) and dinky instruments that look like smartphones (because they’re cheap to make) but your average middle-of-the-roadster doesn’t go or handle much better after four decades of development. And yes, I’ve ridden some modern bikes, and they’re fun. I can’t say, though, that a Honda dating from 1984 is much less of a machine than the latest offerings.
Motorcycle design hasn’t changed much over the past two generations. Steering geometry and suspension compliance are critical to the way a bike behaves, as are weight distribution and rider ergonomics. The modern layout as we understand it now only properly evolved in the early eighties, and since then not much, apart from tyre development, has improved.
I mention a 1984 Honda because I recently had the pleasure of riding a four-cylinder CBX750F that was first sold in Europe that year. Restored back to its original condition by Neil Haworth, who has provided a number of lovely machines for CMM to sample, it was remarkable for its secure and nimble handling, smooth and lusty engine, and sporty riding stance. Compared with the latest CB750 Hornet, a contemporary DOHC eight-valve 270-degree twin, just about the only criticism you
