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!"