Best Modern Twin . ?

You gonna love it !
A 1963 Triumph Bonneville only develops 48 BHP and is plenty fast enough for most guys. When I was young, a lot of my friends died in road accidents whixh were usually caused by riding too fast. What can you do with the extra 62 BHP ? - The only advantage I can see is about reliability.
 
Not the fastest but I think the Yamaha MT07 is one of the best, and easiest to live with, modern parrallel twins. Same engine as in the Tenere.

A mate of mine at work had an MT07, and it was a pretty good bike. He ended up selling it and getting an MT03, since he wanted to pour money into his race bike and he was using the MT just to commute 5kms to work in AKL.

There is one disconcerting "feature" of the MT07: it has rubber handlebar mounts. Isoelastic handlebars, if you will. You can actually push the bars forward/back when sat on the bike. Not confidence inspiring for great handling feel.
 
After many years of ridiculing folk with big massive ADV bikes that would be terrible off road. I have had a big change of mind recently.

I bought a super lightweight CCM GP450 as a winter bike and a way of exploring some gentle green lanes etc.

But it’s the on road experience that’s brought about my changed view, the high seating position, sensible riding position and hugely compliant suspension make for a really, really nice road bike.

So I gotta eat my words, I get it now, most folk don’t buy them to go off road, they buy them cos they are such good road bikes (that can venture a little off road on occasions).

So, with that in mind, I reckon the Yamaha T7 has to be on the ‘best modern twin’ list, as does the Honda Africa Twin, and, shock-horror, so does the Big Massive GS…

So, I’ll be sticking with the CCM for now to see if mild off roading is my thing, but if it’s not, I think a T7 or Africa Twin could be on the cards in the FE shed one day…
 
Agree on the big ADV bikes thing, while many guys riding them would be mad to take them off road (I'm talking big GSs etc, not a CCM), they make great all purpose bikes. I used a Guzzi Stelvio and a load of GSs as my company vehicle for years!
Anyway, I am nominating both my "moderns" as best modern twin, as they have a bit of soul (I think), are both aircooled, which I like, and have a nice "parentage".
Like Craig, just acquired a Ducati Sport Classic, a Sport 1000, same colour as my first proper bike, a 1975 250 Desmo! Not looking forward to shimming the valves though, which it badly needs (I did my mates Multistrada last year, quite the learning experience!)
My other, everyday bike is a Guzzi v85, still has pushrods, (and titanium intake valves, whoo-hoo),handles superbly and looks great (imho).

 
After many years of ridiculing folk with big massive ADV bikes that would be terrible off road. I have had a big change of mind recently.
...
So, with that in mind, I reckon the Yamaha T7 has to be on the ‘best modern twin’ list, as does the Honda Africa Twin, and, shock-horror, so does the Big Massive GS…
I really, really, really need to clean the carbs & flush the tank on my TDM, put a new battery in it, and start riding again. This gammy leg has healed all it's going to heal, just need to get used to the new "gimp" mode and move on...

This thing gets to 125MPH quicker than my best Commando ever got to 70MPH...

08-TDM850.jpg
 
After many years of ridiculing folk with big massive ADV bikes that would be terrible off road. I have had a big change of mind recently.

I bought a super lightweight CCM GP450 as a winter bike and a way of exploring some gentle green lanes etc.

But it’s the on road experience that’s brought about my changed view, the high seating position, sensible riding position and hugely compliant suspension make for a really, really nice road bike.

So I gotta eat my words, I get it now, most folk don’t buy them to go off road, they buy them cos they are such good road bikes (that can venture a little off road on occasions).

So, with that in mind, I reckon the Yamaha T7 has to be on the ‘best modern twin’ list, as does the Honda Africa Twin, and, shock-horror, so does the Big Massive GS…

So, I’ll be sticking with the CCM for now to see if mild off roading is my thing, but if it’s not, I think a T7 or Africa Twin could be on the cards in the FE shed one day…
A mate of mine has an Africa twin with over 100,000 miles on and virtually nothing has gone wrong or been replaced on it. He actually rode it to South Africa and back. I really like em but the modern ones are so complex it would be wasted on me.
 
A mate of mine has an Africa twin with over 100,000 miles on and virtually nothing has gone wrong or been replaced on it. He actually rode it to South Africa and back. I really like em but the modern ones are so complex it would be wasted on me.

Yeah, a bit too much weight and a lot too much tech for me too!
 
Yup , more than EI , FI & ABS scares me plus any seat more than 32” off the ground , not much flex left in this old body … I do like ride position on the large ADV bikes though , if only,eh
 
I really, really, really need to clean the carbs & flush the tank on my TDM, put a new battery in it, and start riding again. This gammy leg has healed all it's going to heal, just need to get used to the new "gimp" mode and move on...

This thing gets to 125MPH quicker than my best Commando ever got to 70MPH...

View attachment 80987
That is an interesting bike, and it even looks respectable. What year and model is it ? Anything such as that should be quick enough for anyone on public roads.

 
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There is a group of motorcyclists who go out for Sunday morning rides on the roads around Warburton near Melbourne in Victoria. They are all ex top line road racers. One of my friends bought a 'busa and went out with them. He is no slouch. The 'busa could stay with the group by blasting down the straight stretches of road between the corners. But you would have to be insane. Why buy a motorcycle which you cannot use in the way God intended ?
 
Depends on what rider worships , bike do lots of different things well , some like the strip , the oval , dirt track … and on and on …
 
I think it is probably more unhealthy for a grown man to be forced to ride a fast motorcycle in a restrained manner, than it is to use it in the way in which it's designer intended.
 
I think it is probably more unhealthy for a grown man to be forced to ride a fast motorcycle in a restrained manner, than it is to use it in the way in which it's designer intended.
Some truth in that IMHO.

Its why I’d never buy a 200bhp+ sports bike, I got tired of riding super fast sports bikes cos I just seemed to spend all my riding time trying to slow the things down. And as soon as I let that focus drop, I’d be doing silly speeds without really realising. Not my idea of fun.
 
Some truth in that IMHO.

Its why I’d never buy a 200bhp+ sports bike, I got tired of riding super fast sports bikes cos I just seemed to spend all my riding time trying to slow the things down. And as soon as I let that focus drop, I’d be doing silly speeds without really realising. Not my idea of fun.
That is why I stuck with my Commando way back when instead of a CBR600 or GSXR.

That said, I love my Vtwin Duc 848 Evo. Super reliable, handles well, can take it to the track and at 140hp it can be blisteringly fast (for me) without being scary.
 
That is an interesting bike, and it even looks respectable. What year and model is it ? Anything such as that should be quick enough for anyone on public roads.

'98 TDM850 twin with aftermarket Micron exhaust (still have the original), and Sargent seat. Otherwise stock.
 
That is an interesting bike, and it even looks respectable. What year and model is it ? Anything such as that should be quick enough for anyone on public roads.
THIS is somewhere in the realm of what Norton SHOULD have done with the new Commando. DOHC vertical twin, water cooled, like the rest of the known universe. Sticking with the VERY old pushrod design was doomed before it ever turned a wheel...
 
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