5 Underrated Motorcycles

As something of a follow up, this time we look at 5 underrated motorcycles which are deserving of a little more Love

[clausentumsoton]

I agree about the Guzzi V50.. very underated all rounder. I had a lot of Guzzis but the V50 was a fantastic all rounder.. commuter, weekend ride, tourer.. light, handled very well, stopped very well and went surprisingly well.. mine was super reliable too

[mantarayal]

Hi from New Zealand!! In the 80s in London on my OE I bought a mint Moto Guzzi V50 II in red. I didn't even know what it was. A flatmate came with me to look. I rode it, bought it, loved it, and rode it all over the Isles and then alone across Europe to Israel and all around that country. It was such a great bike. light, nimble, with a brilliant throaty sound. Now some 40 years later after Harleys and Suzukis and Honda and all sorts of scooters, I weakened and last year bought a Moto Guzzi V7 III in black with the turquoise stripe, with rorty pipes. It too is huge fun to ride and is a real head turner. Some bikes just get in your blood. Thanks for the video guys. New subscriber!!

[billcarson]

I had a 1973 Norton 850 commando. Always started on the first kick. It would dance across the driveway warming up on it’s center stand. Never, ever let me down. I did run out of gas three times because the tank was so small. Great bike.

[gerardburton]

One bike that should make this list is the Honda NT650 Deauville. It does everything well, just not stunningly. It is a great town bike. Great mid-sized touring bike, but is also light and handles well and can be flung into corners and come out. It is also very comfortable to ride. It is also extremely reliable. I am on my 3rd one and would recommend them to anyone who wants a cheap. Comfortable and reliable all-rounder.

[weegrant]

I've owned a gs750 for about 20 years now and it still impresses me how stable and forgiving it is for something thats 45 years old and weighs about 250kg. Always get comments from people about how they've not seen one for years and how well it goes for an old bike. Very underrated bike and I'm glad you mentioned it.

[rickconstant]

My current bikes are a T140V, which I've had for 30 years, and a GS550L, which I bought a couple of years ago as a cheap winter runabout. I'm very happy with both of them.

[mjo]

When I worked in a shop, the T140 was my favorite 500 mile tune-up and road test. A really nice driving bike!

[noggintube]

Good call on the TDM. I've had two 900s over the years and they've been great workhorses. I used to commute daily into London on mine and tour into Europe fully loaded with camping gear without any fuss at all. They may not be very 'sexy' to look at, but when riding them they have a great character and had an almost cult following of people that loved them.

[JR-bjuf]

Great list! Any of the GS Suzuki series were and still are great bikes.A lot of the engines went to drag racers because they were so overbuilt and resisted blowing up. The T140 is a great choice. It's biggest fault is the heavy oil in frame "feature" that all the purists hated. It made the bike heavy and it's introduction in 1970 - 1972 was a disaster. I always thought the T140 was much more refined than the older 1969 era bikes and was a practical ride for the street in the 70s.

[michaelcoger]

I bought a new GS 750 in 1976. I put a big bore kit in it and a 4 into 1 and some carb work and it would run with the 900 Kawasaki.
On of the best motorcycles I have ever owned.

[ianlawrie]

Excellent selection and great nostalgia! No matter the passage of time, I cannot feel attracted by the TDM but wonderful to be reminded 👍👌

[martindunleavy]

I had a TDM 850 and loved it!❤ I traded it in for the very first year Ducati Multi-Strada, which I still own. Gotta say I think TDM is an all-around better bike, economical to own and operate its performance wasn’t that far off. Have to say it was one of the best motorcycles I’ve ever owned. And with the Corbin seat was much more comfortable. Then the Ducati high sport toward that motorcycle up and down the East Coast of United States putting over 40, 000 miles on it. And I miss it.

[mark.e.p]

Great review, really interesting. I had an XS 650 in the late 70's a lovely bike. It was nicknamed the Japanese Bonnie. Unfortunately, most have been butchered and customised.

[ThreenaddiesRexMegistus]

I love my 1982 T140 but you’re right, they don’t get the love the pre-OIF Triumphs get. On the plus side, they have a good strong motor, decent brakes, and are easy to look after. Totally recommend a Tri-Spark ignition though - these improve starting, idle, and general running. A Commando style oil filter mounted just in front of the rear guard is never a bad idea either.
Great selection of bikes in this video - the BSA is stunningly beautiful! 👍🏻

[colvinator]

Excellent video, thanks a lot. My choice would be a Matchless / AJS 600 / 650 CSR. I think they are the ultimate sports bike in every respect especially in looks. I rebuilt a G12 in the mid 60's to CSR spec and it was superb. In 1960 a 600 AJS was the first British bike to average 100mph for 1 hour at the MIRA test track.

[stonward]

Nice list - and I think the GS (and XJ) 750's are probably amongst the toughest motors ever made.

[petesharpe]

Moto Guzzi V65 Lario. I've owned one and found it an absolute delight to ride!
Famous for dropping valves, this used to happen when they were over revved! Problem was, with the 4 valve head, they used to suddenly hit a 'power band' at around 5500 rpm. This saw the revs - and power - suddenly increase and those who weren't watching the rev counter sometimes had an unpleasant surprise! The modification was an easy one though and replacing the valves did the trick.
Handling - thanks to the Tonti frame was excellent.
Mine used to keep up with 1000cc machines!

[theglumrant]

Wow. I bought my 1991 TDM for £1200 when I was desperate for a commuter to get to work the day after my very expensive German boxer twin broke down. A great bike, still got it!

[cedley]

I have owned three of the five bikes in this list, the A10 was possibly one of the most pedestrian bikes I've ever owned, mine was a 58 gold flash with an alloy twin carb head that I built myself, the GS750 was too heavy and slow steering compared to the GS550 and the Guzzi V50 was one of the most surprising bikes I've ever owned, it was light, nimble but never felt like it was ever going to get out of line and the engine was superb, punchy, pulled like a train from next to nothing and then got a little growl on and howled. I loved it to bits.

[noahwail]

The TDM 850 mk2 was one of the first 270 degrees crakshaft engines, it was a wonderfull bike, with a lot of carakter.