The RG500

Of course I'm biassed because I've owned one for over 20 years, but the Suzuki RG500 is, in my opinion, the best motorcycle ever sold to the general public. A road-going version of the machine that Barry Sheene won back-to-back world championships on, this square four 2-stroke blitzed everything on the road when it was released in the mid-80s, and still gives the much newer bikes a nasty surprise. I've left more than one modern 600 supersport in the dust with this old girl.
I love big strokers, they're absolutely mental. I love the way the spannies crackle into life when you start it up, letting you know that some wicked fun is coming your way. I love the smell of burnt 2-stroke, but most of all I love the way they deliver power when they hit that powerband. There's nothing like it; the closest thing I can think of to describe it is a big cocaine rush! One minute the thing is nowhere; the next it's trying to pull your arms out of their sockets as the engine's full power is dumped in your lap all at once and the scenery and other road-users become an instant blur.
A lot of people haven't heard of the RG500, and it's funny but most say the same thing: "It's only a 500". But the few that I've let ride the thing usually get off and utter a one-word description: "FUCK!"

The Triumph Street Triple - My Ideal Commuter

I've owned and ridden motorcycles from the age of 17. But only recently have I gone back to commuting on them. The reason: Sydney's traffic, which has gotten steadily worse over the last 15 years. The city has grown substantially but there has been no equivalent growth in infrastructure. A lot of people blame the NSW State Government, and they do have to bear a degree of culpability, but the state government cannot raise sufficient revenue to run themselves and so have to rely on funding from the federal government. And there's the core of the problem because the Federal Government uses funding to pork-barrel marginal federal seats rather than direct the cash where it's needed.
So about 3 years ago I decided to get a new bike. I already had a bike - a Suzuki RG500 - but it's far from an ideal commuter, getting 168 km on a 22 litre tank of fuel - plus the synthetic 2-stroke oil at 30 bucks a litre. It's also useless in traffic, going nowhere below 7000 rpm then going beserk as you hit the powerband. Was just not practical. What I needed was a light and nimble but powerful middleweight naked bike that could duck in and out of traffic with ease and which had a broad spread of power. I considered a few, but settled on a Triumph Street Triple. That was nearly three years ago, and I'm glad to say that the bike has proven ideal for its intended use.