[Armo]

Thought it might be informative and fun to share your top 3 bikes owned by you with everyone else and also why?and also what would your next bike be? I know we might be biased but you never know. I'll go first:

I've owned over 20 bikes in my 30 odd years road riding from fs1e's to 1000cc monsters also including trial and enduro bikes but these are the ones that have given me the greatest pleasure (apart from the injuries)

1st : my Scrambler- I know I know but that was the reason for this thread as this bike has really made an impact like no other bike I've ridden and owned, i thought it would of worn thin after 2 years but I actually like it more than ever especially since I've tweaked the look also the noise from the termi OMG!
2nd : gsxr 600 srad - although not as fast as my gsxr750 it was more rewarding to ride until it tank slapped me off at over 100 mph and broke a few of my bones but I still loved it.
3rd : Kawasaki Kr1s - awesome 250 racer that made you feel like Kevin schwantz, eventually seized in 5th gear at about 90mph but still one of the most rewarding rides.

Also ran close : s2r 1000 and ktm 690

Next bike Mmmmm not sure maybe an 1100 monster but fancy keeping the Scrambler and have a second bike to go mental on (another 690).

 

[Max Kool]

Same as the OP, I've been riding 30 years or even more when I include my moped days.

1st: my Desert Sled. It really is all I ever wished for. I'm slowly becoming an older guy, and I love having a bike that is fun to ride even without being in balls-out mode, looks damn sexy, has good suspension and isn't completely covered in plastic body panels like most two cylinder all roads. A keeper unless Ducati releases a 1000cc or Testastretta version in a few years.
2nd: my first BMW R1100GS back in 96, took me all over Europe. Problem free super torquey workhorse that beat the sh*t out of most sportsbikes on any twisty road. Sold it to pay for a marriage... (did get another one a few years later though)
3rd: Aprilia RSV 250 two stroke beauty. As close as you could get to owning a street legal road racer in the 90's. I weighed 150lbs at 5'10" back then, so it fit me really well. Only lasted three weeks before I totalled it....

Honorable mention: Suzuki DR650SE. They always keep coming back in my life. We still have two in the garage at the moment. one from 1996, and one from 2015. Despite their low power they give more fun than they deserve to. Not very good at anything particular, but just good at everything. All road traveling, innocent desert trips or just chasing through the canyons. The moment Suzuki stops selling them I may get another one just so we won't run out of DR's until we die...

 

[Derek]

1.

2.

3.

 

[Black dog]

Multistrada 1200 DVT
Ducati 900 SS Bevel
Vincent Black Shadow

 

[Hawkeye]

Well...

I've been riding for 14 years now, but I've only owned two bikes, ever!

My first (and I'm in the process of selling it now) is / was a 1993 BMW K75.
My second and current is my '16 Scrambler Icon.

I love both of them for totally different reasons. The BMW was an ULTRA reliable total workhorse. Not super great at any one thing but good at lots of stuff. The 750cc triple was smooooooooth and I could put some serious miles behind me on that bike. Bought it when I was young and single, did some short-ish trips on it, commuted, and generally used the heck out of it for 14 years. Then I bought my Scrambler, and I love it for different reasons, but it's definitely the bike for me right now for sure. Fast, small, light, and fun.

 

[Joooooooosh]

1. Scrambler FT 15'
2. Honda XR125l 04'
3. Kawasaki ER6n 13'

In my 7 years of riding, they are the only 3 bikes I've owned. Ridden many many more but that wasn't the question.

Scrambler has been such a laugh and I've really fallen for it. Craving more performance though.
The XR was my first bike. Cost £400, did over 20,000 miles with me. Dealt with all of the abuse I threw at it, including a 200 mile trip with maybe a thimble's worth of oil left...
ER6n, did what I needed. Got me to work and back but dull and heavy.

Next bike... Deciding between:
Monster1200s (but the footpegs are stupid)
Hyptermotard SP (Unreliable electronics)
RnineT (Heavy)
New Street Triple RS (Yet to have a test ride)

 

[Armo]

1. Scrambler FT 15'
2. Honda XR125l 04'
3. Kawasaki ER6n 13'

In my 7 years of riding, they are the only 3 bikes I've owned. Ridden many many more but that wasn't the question.

Scrambler has been such a laugh and I've really fallen for it. Craving more performance though.
The XR was my first bike. Cost £400, did over 20,000 miles with me. Dealt with all of the abuse I threw at it, including a 200 mile trip with maybe a thimble's worth of oil left...
ER6n, did what I needed. Got me to work and back but dull and heavy.

Next bike... Deciding between:
Monster1200s (but the footpegs are stupid)
Hyptermotard SP (Unreliable electronics)
RnineT (Heavy)
New Street Triple RS (Yet to have a test ride)

Awesome! 20,000 miles on a £400 bike, saying that my first road bike (fs1e dx) cost £150 but only managed about 2,000 before it got swiped but some scumbag.

 

[Joooooooosh]

Awesome! 20,000 miles on a £400 bike, saying that my first road bike (fs1e dx) cost £150 but only managed about 2,000 before it got swiped but some scumbag.

It was a little tank of a bike. Photo taken on ride to Scotland (took a while)
Probably the most fun I've had on a bike.
Thinking about doing a tour with the same buddy on a pair of Honda Groms! Haha

Interestingly, the XR also used Pirelli MT60 tyres...

 

[ScramblinGraham]

Thinking about doing a tour with the same buddy on a pair of Honda Groms! Haha

My buddies all have Groms. Its not an everyday bike but dammit those little things are fun to whip around the city. I have to convince myself every time i ride his that i don't "need" one.

 

[Plantboy]

If I can be permitted to exclude consideration of my current Icon, my top three are:
1. 1972 Honda XL 250 Motorsport;
2. 1986 BMW K 100 RS; and
3. 2008 Aprilia SL 750 Shiver.

I bought and rode the Honda while living in Papua New Guinea from 1970 to 1978. This first model XL taught me a lot about motorcycle maintenance and self-reliance riding the dirt in remote locations. In five years of ownership the little Honda never let me down.

The flying brick was a sleek aerodynamic design with excellent 1st generation FI giving it power and torque to burn, capable of safely cruising long distances at well in excess of 200 km/hr with factory luggage. Alas, I crashed it in 1991.

Despite being cutting edge in specification (95 bhp, RBW throttle and tri-mode mapping in 2007) the stock Shiver was somewhat overweight and let down by very low-rent suspension. However, when fitted with multi-adjustable Matris suspension, de-cated and lightened with a pair of LV cans and some additional tweaks, this machine became a real weapon on the poorly surfaced tight and twisty roads where I live. I covered almost 45,000 kms on this sensor-laden electronic marvel, and apart from 2 flat tyres, it too never let me down.

Two other bikes also deserve an honourable mention. First, the venerable Suzuki DR 650SE - an adventure bike before the term was invented, and still going strong. Last, a flawed gem, the gorgeous black Moto Guzzi GRiSO 1200 8v, re-mapped with ferocious acceleration from 5,500 to 8,500rpm - not too shabby for an air/oil-cooled V-twin.

 

[PhilSFO]

I've only owned two bikes, a 1970's BMW R90/6 with the S fairing and tank. Drove that for many years, back and forth across the US camping and traveling by myself. After 60k miles it tank slapped me off at full throttle but I fared better than Armo and didn't get hurt.

25 yrs later when kids got to college, I got the scrambler classic. Almost same size, weight etc as the R90 and had decent suspension travel as well so I put a deposit on a pre order.

Right choice! Made some mods to make it more like my old bike, taller gearing, lower bars, modified the seat pan and a dart screen (couldn't find a good quarter fairing as the headlight is set too far back). Loving it and have ridden long trips on back roads with camping kit by myself.

Keeping me young at heart.

Don't have a plan to buy a third bike

 

[Calixto]

My buddies all have Groms. Its not an everyday bike but dammit those little things are fun to whip around the city. I have to convince myself every time i ride his that i don't "need" one.

1)16 Scrambler Urban Enduro
2)15 KTM Duke
3)14 Honda Grom w/ surf racks

Love my UE all around. Really, really fun bike for where I live. Dido "ScramblinGraham" I keep telling myself I should get rid of my Grom but it is just too dang fun to ride. I live about a mile from the beach but up a huge hill so it's great to have the Grom to throw a surfboard on the side and not worry about Summer crowd parking at the beach. Also it's such a fun "grocery getter" My Duke was really fun as well due to it's light weight but I just couldn't get over all the Orange. Hoping to add a dirt bike for Baja trips to my stable soon.

 

[littleowl]

I've only been riding 7 years and had 4 bikes. The Scrambler is by far the best of all for me in looks, size, weight and performance - but not comfort! Although I've had the suspension upgraded, I still find the ride jarring. If I could find a way to smooth out the bumps a bit, it would be perfect.

So I can't really say which are my 'top three' - as I've only had three since passing my test - but if I had to put those in order it would be:

1) Scrambler
2) Suzuki Gladius (lovely ride but too top heavy for me - I dropped it many times and it finally fell on me and broke both leg bones!)
3) Moto Guzzi V7 Stone (lovely looking bike but had no go in it!).

I should also mention my little Yamaha YBR125 which I had many adventures on while learning to ride. It was a fab little bike to learn on and I was quite sad to see it go, although didn't miss the lack of power!

There are many bikes I'd like but wouldn't consider due to my short stature and lack of strength as I'm getting older (did consider the MT07 once as it's supposed to be a good all round bike but it's looks do nothing for me!). So the Scrambler will probably be my last two wheeled bike before I give up!

 

[Hawkeye]

3) Moto Guzzi V7 Stone (lovely looking bike but had no go in it!).

That's such a shame. The V7, had they put a properly punchy engine in it, would have made a fantastic bike. They look the part and they're SO unique.

 

[Plantboy]

That's such a shame. The V7, had they put a properly punchy engine in it, would have made a fantastic bike. They look the part and they're SO unique.

I don't want to go too far off-topic here, but the the 'new' V7 has had a few significant changes since the 2009 Classic, Sport and Racer models. Based on personal experience with my wife's early Classic these dual TB models were indeed sluggish, and could be hard to start (particularly when hot) and took up to 10,000 kms to run-in. Many also had quality problems with rusting chrome and even peeling chrome from wheel rims. These initial retro V7s felt really gutless, and didn't respond well to being flogged, which usually resulted in some loss of engine oil.

The first upgraded models scrapped the dual TBs and went with a far more effective single TB and a few other refinements/changes including a larger capacity steel fuel tank in place of the earlier plastic one. My wife's current ride, a 2013 V7 is a single TB model, and revs out very willingly, is far smoother with noticeably quicker acceleration, and can easily maintain a comfortable 130 kph + cruising speed without burning engine oil. Low speed fuelling is also improved but not perfect - apparently it can be further improved with the addition of a Booster Plug, just like our Scramblers. Further model upgrades in the form of the V711 and just lately the V7111, have continued to improve the model, with the latter dumping the old Heron head for a more modern conventional design. As a result of riding many thousands of kms on these 'little' pushrod V twins I know they can compete in the real world of fun riding and light touring duties with the likes of Suzuki 650 V twins and Kawasaki 650 parallel twins. True, V7s will never compete on performance terms with our 800cc Scrambler models, but as a comfortable and smooth riding light sport tourer, they should not to be dismissed lightly.

 

[Armo]

I don't want to go too far off-topic here, but the the 'new' V7 has had a few significant changes since the 2009 Classic, Sport and Racer models. Based on personal experience with my wife's early Classic these dual TB models were indeed sluggish, and could be hard to start (particularly when hot) and took up to 10,000 kms to run-in. Many also had quality problems with rusting chrome and even peeling chrome from wheel rims. These initial retro V7s felt really gutless, and didn't respond well to being flogged, which usually resulted in some loss of engine oil.

The first upgraded models scrapped the dual TBs and went with a far more effective single TB and a few other refinements/changes including a larger capacity steel fuel tank in place of the earlier plastic one. My wife's current ride, a 2013 V7 is a single TB model, and revs out very willingly, is far smoother with noticeably quicker acceleration, and can easily maintain a comfortable 130 kph + cruising speed without burning engine oil. Low speed fuelling is also improved but not perfect - apparently it can be further improved with the addition of a Booster Plug, just like our Scramblers. Further model upgrades in the form of the V711 and just lately the V7111, have continued to improve the model, with the latter dumping the old Heron head for a more modern conventional design. As a result of riding many thousands of kms on these 'little' pushrod V twins I know they can compete in the real world of fun riding and light touring duties with the likes of Suzuki 650 V twins and Kawasaki 650 parallel twins. True, V7s will never compete on performance terms with our 800cc Scrambler models, but as a comfortable and smooth riding light sport tourer, they should not to be dismissed lightly.

Do you work for Guzzi?
:adoration:
Only joking, the new v7's get a great write up but wouldn't want any less power than the Scrambler.

 

[littleowl]

Only joking, the new v7's get a great write up but wouldn't want any less power than the Scrambler.

Mine was a 2013 model, I fell in love with it's looks and bought it while on crutches so never got a test ride lol. I tried to love it but kept hitting the rev limiter on overtakes, had to make sure I was in the right gear at all times and got so disillusioned with it's performance I almost gave up biking - till I found the Scrambler . If it had an extra 20 or so hp, I might have kept it

 

[tully]

1. 1998 Ducati 750 Monster
2. 2001 Ducati 748
3. 2017 Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle

 

[Armo]

1. 1998 Ducati 750 Monster
2. 2001 Ducati 748
3. 2017 Ducati Scrambler Full Throttle

Explain?

 

[Mike Westall]

Thats a tough one... I've had many since 1968. I'll try to go by category...
(a) Street legal off road: 1971 Hondal SL 125 ... You could crash it all day and it wouldn't (seriously) hurt you or the bike.
(b) Long range tourer: 1978 Yamaha XS 750 shafite Triple ... It was heavy at 500 lbs but shaft diven and supremely smooth all day at 70 MPH
(c) Back roads / Twisties This one is tough. The three contenders are 1970 Triumph Trophy 500, 2006 Suzi Dr650, and 2016 Ducati Scrambler.

On handling in the twisites the Scrambler and the Trophy 500 even unnormalised for age are amazingly similar and superior to to the DR 650.

On power delivery the Scrambler engine is superb, the DR 650 adequate, and the old Triumph 500 marginal.. (I did a test ride on a Duc Sixty2 and its power reminded me of the Trophy 500.) .

On riding comfort the Suzi DR 650 (on which I've put 53,000 miles (with Corbin replacement for stock "torture rack seat") is the CLEAR winner. Both the front and rear have long travel suspesnions That are propoerly sprung and damped. The old Trimuph 500 provides a reasonable sprung if somewhat bouncy ride, but the Scamblers ride is bone jarringly harsh -- as in CLENCH you teeth and get your butt up off the seat when approaching rough pavement.... That said, riding the twisties on GOOD pavement the scrambler blows the DR and the old Triumph away..