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Different eras & different heroes –
Sunday shed wrap
Strange
contrasts and what's next for the fleet
26 July 2026, by Guy
'Guido" Allen
Today was another when
we pulled a bunch of bikes out of their shed and took
them for a gallop. Not enough, of course...so we'll
try again tomorrow.
In any case I couldn't
help putting these two gems together – hero bikes
from different eras. The one in front is of
course a third-gen Suzuki Hayabusa and in this case a
25th Anniversary model. The underlying tech is exactly
the same as any other third-gen, however the cosmetics
are different and there are a lot of little styling
easter egg scattered around the machine.
I own four Hayabusas:
one very nice stock example of each generation, plus a
Phil Tainton-modified first-gen
called Hannibal (above – pic by Lou Martin). My
wafer-thin excuse is I'm using them as the foundation
for a Hayabusa book.
And in case you were
wondering, the third and current generation is by far
the slickest and best riding experience of the lot.
Well, okay, Hannibal does add a dangerous visceral
aspect to it. A story for another day.
Then there is the 1985
Ducati Mike Hailwood Replica Mille shown here. I rode
those two bikes back-to-back this afternoon and the
contrast is spectacular. The Mille is raw and loud,
setting off dogs and car alarms in its wake. The
Hayabusa? Not so much.
The Ducati is
soon to have its handlebars changed over to
stock units, plus we'll be replacing the now damaged
screen with a NOS item sold to us by a very kind
AllMoto reader.
What else was in the
exercise yard this afternoon? The little and
delightful Harley-Aermacchi
Sprint 350 SS was first to go out. It was in my
way. I used the opportunity to make a few minor
adjustments – it's now idling properly. Next job on
the list is to restore a factory tail-light and fit
it.
Next was the mighty 1982 Honda
CBX1000C. It reminds me of that famous pre-WWII
line from Ettore Bugatti who, frustrated by giant
Bentleys beating his quick and delicate racers,
described the Brit product as very fast trucks.
The Honda is a monster
and the sound of inline six is a unique experience of
controlled violence.
Next was the 1975 (first
model) Honda GL1000 Gold Wing. If you haven't already
seen it, our east
coast cruise is worth scanning. It proved that a
well-restored 50-year-old motorcycle can be a
fantastic travel companion.
Then we hopped on the
1975 R75/6 BMW. What a lovely thing. It's kind of like
going for a ride with your favourite plush toy, maybe
a teddy bear. There is something strangely reassuring
about bumbling along with this bike, knowing it will
keep going forever and be entirely predictable.
So what's coming up?
Well, we have the little 1970 Yamaha DS7 to pick up in
Dubbo (NSW) next month. It's a runner, is near
complete, and needs a lick of paint to bring it up to
scratch. Why buy it? I like the idea of having another
two-stroke in the shed, love the looks and the price
was right. Plus, I reckon it will be a hoot to ride.
We also have a 1990
Suzuki Katana Limited in the import pipeline via Brad's
Vintage Cycles. I regret selling my previous
Kat and this looks like being a good stand-in.
Then there is the 40th
Anniversary Suzuki GSX-R1000R on order, in blue,
due around September.
So, plenty to keep
muggins amused...
***
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