Pivot

Image Unavailable, Please Login
Honda CX650 or CX500, yeah I know, small CC bike, no biggest dick on the block bragging rights but, ride one before you scoff. Produced from 1978 for the 500 to maybe 1985 for the 650.

Water cooled, drive shaft bike. All but the turbos are affordable, and there appear to be plenty of parts around too.

 

If its anything like vintage car racing your choice will be limited to whats allowed by the sanctioning bodies at the events you most want to take part in.
An old buddy was in the vintage Brit bike world. As much as I was a fan of the British invasion of both motorcycles and music I just don't have the temperament for Brit bikes. Early Honda 4 is a great choice as is early Suzuki GS. Prewar or early post war American. Ducati and MV Agusta have some good choices. Ducati 750 GT was a great bike. BMW has a number of good choices.

 

The Japanese Bonneville. I have seen several of these modified into very cool bikes.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

You don't really want a vintage bike. The reason they don't do rides is because the bikes aren't much fun to ride.

You want a modern bike, which looks like a vintage bike-- like a modern Triumph.

If you absolutely have to have a bike older than 1980, I would go BMW.

My friend crashed his 1990 BMW GS (okay, maybe not truly "vintage") off a 50 foot embankment a month ago. He was fine (amazingly), and after the tow truck pulled the bike up the hill, he rode it 400 miles home. Try that with most modern bikes!

 

The Quail Motorcycle Gathering had a one day ride as part of the event. I went a number of times. The ride was not limited to vintage bikes but was heavily attended by vintage bikes and had a dinner in the evening with a speaker. On year I recall it was Mert Lawwill. Lots of interesting people on the ride too. Dan Gurney came several years on one of his odd motorcycles and several Hollywood types came with him all riding Gurney motorcycles. It was a fun show, ride dinner etc.

 

Kenny Roberts is usually there with a few old race bikes. The restaurant for the dinner is on the second floor of the club house at Quail lodge.
Some guy was given Roberts old Yamaha TZ based 750 mile bike to put up on the second floor on display. He was holding up the motorcycle at the bottom of the stairs trying to figure out what to do when I stopped to help. I said this thing is pretty light but you and I ain't getting it up a flight of stairs. I took a peek and it had fuel. I told him no one is around, if you help me push start it I'll just ride it up. He seemed game but just then about 20 people showed up so we decided that would just cause trouble. We rolled it over to the elevator and stood it on end like you'd do to move a sofa into an apartment building. At the top a few looked a little surprised when the elevator arrived with a motorcycle stood up inside.

 

A friend had a few Nortons. Never rode one I didn't like but then I never rode a Manx. I think I could hate one of those.

 

The Honda CB750, for the win..
Visit Houston Cycle Exchange on West 14th in the Heights.

For vintage BMWs it's Wolfsmith on 27th by the decades old upholstery shop, They rebuild vintage BMWs into some colls hit.

Vintage Ducatis too at times.
LMK we can get food at Cavatori's!!!

 

Rode real Triumph Bonneville's "back in the day"......they seemed pretty tough once sorted..