I'm not sure you can compare the R65 with say 'vintage' Triumph, sure for a spell they were being made at the same time, but the they were being honest from different eras. The Triumphs were little more than a 1950's bike sort of modernised with 12 v electrics and the like and an extra cylinder cobbled on in the case of the Trident. The R65 on the other hand was designed completely 1970's and it shows.
My 1981 R65 is 34 years old and it does not feel in anyway fragile when you ride it, unlike a Triumph of the late 70's early 80's. The 65's feel bullet proof, and they are if you keep your oil clean, then the bottom end is more than capable of doing over a quarter of a million miles.
Having owned a 79 Bonny, which looked great and made a wonderful sound but it was about as reliable as a politicians promise, I went to the land of the rising sun and got an (I could never bring myself to buy a Honda after that bloody advert) early GSXR 750. Great bike, really fast but next to no life expectancy as it wanted you to thrash the living daylights out it. I had a lot of fun on the GSXR and if I was looking for a the Jap 'classic' I'd have one.
Anyway that GSXR was to expensive when I went to University (after being one of many made redundant by Thatchers policys) so I got an R65, and of the three it the best by a country mile in my opinion. Sure its not fast like the GSXR or pretty like the Bonny, but it will always get you where you want to go, is a doodle to work on and unusual enough to stand out to those who know their bikes, which is why many people opt own a classic.
Topic: BMW r65LS v.s. Vintage Triumph, Honda (Read 8536 times)