Was talking the other day to some like minded souls about which vintage of the current models would be viewed in the future as THE most iconic of the range. To date anyway. It was suprising that the most favoured models were not necessarily the best performing or the one with the most gadgets. There was however a consensus. This is amazing if you knew the bunch of reprobates who filled my very non representative sample! Blade: 2006/2007. CBR600: 2003 ZX10: 2005 ZX6: 2003 GSXR 750/1000: 2005 GSXR 600: 2003 Yamaha R1: 1998 (Only if its a red/white one Lol) Yamaha R6: 2003 Looks like 2003 was a superb year for 600cc class with the bigger bikes peaking a little later. R1 would appear to be a class of 1. Not saying that everything before is bad….just not as good. One thing that did stand out during the discussion was that older (more experienced) riders initially went for older bikes and the new brigade went for very recent machines but after much nashing of teeth there was a reluctant admission that the above were the models worthy of the name. Future classics or rose tinted glasses?
future classics can't rule out the sp1s to the rate those are going up early srads' an the odd low millage zx7r is really interesting watching prices on certain models k8/k9 is an interesting one dropped right down and seem to have gone the other way and holding steady probably got to bang the very first 675 on that lis to just for the british aspect, was having an interesting discussion the other day about restoring plastics guess thats where 3d printers are going to come in to there own future wise
The only one in that list I can see is the 1998 R1. Possibly the gixxer K1 may be, but not listed there None of the 600's will ever be classics. Well not in the next 40 years at least. You may find the last carbed bikes and the last models before all electronic may just be, but it is very hard to predict. The most unlikely bikes become classics. The only one I'd have put money on 25 years ago were that slabbie gixxers.
Your not wrong about the SP1 and the very first 675. Two cracking machines. Didn't include then cause they didn't seem to fall into a family as such. What We were trying to get was eg taking all if the GSXr family to date, which one model would be considered the most iconic. Solid arguments for the original slab side or slingshot or the first liquid cooled in 1992. We reckoned although all great bikes, the 2005 was THE model. The one to have as a keeper. Power, handling and looks peaked and then the gixer got all lardy. Our opinion only, at that point in time. Lol The rest was similar selections of both big sports bike or middleweight for each if the big four. Big bike could be 750 to 1000 but had to fall within the family. It's all good tho cause there's no right or wrong answers, just wondered what others views were. A different way if putting it would be if all bikes stayed the same from now on which model year of each of these would you hope to have in your garage in 50 years time? CBR YZF GSXR ZX
I know what you're saying, but the best do not always make the classics. Just take the mid 90's blades or gixxers as an example. They were far better than the first or last ones, but it's usually the first of a model or type, the last of a model or type, or one that has a particularly evil reputation that becomes classic lol. I answer to your 50 year question, I think it would be an fireblade SP. limited numbers, loads of bling as standard and possibly the last of a line (if the much rumoured V4 ever comes out). For Gixxers it will be the K1 or whatever the last one is before they completely change it. That's why the 98 R1 is destined to be a classic. The last landmark before that was the original fireblade or the 916.
The Fireblade SP will never be limited 2015 will be a limited number of a different colour (prob repsol) and so on.
Agree with most of that - but the k5 is one of the 'classic' gsxr's - has a cult following and for all the right reasons. Regarded as the best one they made, in comparison to its then rivals. Just like all the bikes you mention. Obviously newer models are 9 times out of 10 improvements over previous. IMO what makes em a classic, is they are a new model which comes out and blows away the competition and changes the game. 92 blade, 98 r1 perfect examples of this.
The evil reputation and the first of a line, particularly ticked some boxes during our discussion. The value was not a consideration because if you had kept a bike for 50 years you wouldn't be selling it now. Lol You would still ride them and bask in the glory of having one of the very best vintage. The only reason the very first blade didn't get the vote was because it was then improved, arguably peaked at the RRV and then got all tourer like on the RRW. No wrong answers remember.
