by Lucerin Saldana, Guest Contributor
In the early twentieth century, motorcycles design with light-weighted chassis and engines for consistent performance. As the new decade starts, new and improved technology introduce in the automobile industry. The manufacturers started introducing motorcycles with high power engines, heavy chassis, incredible performance, and reliability. So that customers can drive them to miles with any issues and problems, here we would like to introduce Top 10 Most Reliable Motorcycle of 20th Century. We try to cover the best and legendary motorcycles that were left an image in people’s minds through their performance, looks, high speed, and reliability.
10. BMW R100
The BMW R100 comes with a 980cc air-cooled, two-cylinder boxer engine with a top speed of 120mph. This motorcycle released in 1976 by BMW Motorrad after BMW teamed up with professional stylist Hans Muth to create an unusual and iconic bike. The R100S remains one of the most efficient and reliable long-distance designed vehicles due to its wind tunnel designed frame that included the underpowered boxer engine and conservative chassis making a long-distance touring machine.
BMW manufacturer’s many variants like T, S, CS, RS, RS Classic, RT, RT Classic, TIC, R, and GS series also, even though it had a short production run constituting near twenty decades. It made it mark among the last small-displacement airheads to possess ever made their way off the factory floor. However, the real claim-to-fame of the bike lies within its architecture; it had been the first-ever bike that features framework fixed fairing, which makes it the progenitor of today’s modern sport-touring cycles.
9. Royal Enfield Bullett
The Royal Enfield Bullet is one of the famous motorcycles of the 20th Century. Saying that its name is sufficient to produce many people today salivate. The motorcycle also lays claim to some special record. It has the longest continuous production run of almost any motorcycle in history. Models of the Royal Enfield Bullet have been producing since 1948. However, the version that most collectors want to get their hands may be the Bullet that has made in 1931. This original model features a four-stroke engine, along with a chrome finish. The very fact helped the Royal Enfield Bullet’s popularity that the motorcycle was featured in dozens of movies, especially Friday the 13th and Big Fish.
8. Honda CB750
The Honda CB&750 was originally designed to crack the US market yet found phenomenal success. The manufacturer used computers for the first time to create and design the CB750 in 1969. The in-line four-cylinder engine motorcycle that was transverse became the first motorcycle to be classed as a “super bike.” It is possible to straight back again to yourself a CB750 for around $750.
The Honda CB750 is one of the very iconic motorcycles, the world over thanks to the illustrious power plant, the machining, and aesthetics. The CB 750 has an air-cooled, four-cylinder moto boasts a broad manufacturing history dating all of the ways back to 1969, which makes it a classic in its own right. But what makes the 750 truly interesting is its lineage; although manufacturers had advertised the transition toward transverse, inline-four motors before, the CB was the very first to redesign the layout, bringing it to the limelight as the very dominant engine design of the era. Honda’s iconic powerhouse is that the recipient of numerous prestigious titles, including induction to Discovery’s record of “Greatest Motorbikes Ever,” that the UK National Motor Museum, as well as also the AMA Hall Of Fame: Classic Bikes.
7. Yamaha Virago
Yamaha introduced the 1981 Virago to what the business expected would be great fanfare at a bike show in 1980. Company brass was shocked, however, to see that the bike was a flop one of the critics. It had been a wonderful new bike with innovations such as a rear suspension, but critics underwhelmed, it never quite caught on when it arrived that the newcomer was faulty. Three years later, in 1984. Yamaha tried with all the second creation Virago. However, a redesign in 1984 watched an update to a dual-shock design, tear-drop shaped gas tank and dropped the engine size to 699cc to steer clear of a bikes tariff when sending it to the US. For this day, the Virago is one of the most highly recommended and reliable motorcycles available on the market.
6. Moto Guzzi Le Mans
The LeMans of moto Guzzi made its way and has introduced as the company offering for the world’s most daunting 24hour motorcycle endurance race. The name of the bike was used only as a designator; in reality, it had been a place for the first 850 models a racer that utilized a bikini nose fairing and handlebars of its brand. Throughout its racing career, the Le Mans would help inspire Moto Guzzi invention, and it was not long until the bike made the transition into a sports-touring style that will utilize the brand’s new three-quarter fairing. It spent the majority of its life against the likes of Laverda and Ducati, until falling out of production sometime in the 1990s. The performance is remarkable, and it’s one of the reliable motorcycles of the 1990s which has ever made.
5. Vincent Black Shadow
The Black Shadow of Vincent is one of the most iconic motorcycles in the world in 1955 to the present day. Jay Leno has stated that the Vincent Black Shadow is his favorite motorcycle ever made. The Shadow has been the quickest and best-engineered motorcycle of the 1950s producing over 190mph having a 998cc and denying that the wonderful brake and handling performance to match. Black Shadow C is one of some kind, most useful of those bicycles developed.
4. Norton Commando
Norton-Villiers manufactured the Commando through Norton Motorcycles from 1967 for a decade and turned into a popular machine all over the planet. It acquired the Motorcycle News “Machine of the Year” award for five consecutive years (1968 -1972)! Initially, the system had fitted with a 745cc displacement OHV pre-unit parallel-twin engine; yet, in 1973, the motorcycle upgrades into an 850cc displacement.
3. Triumph Bonneville
Triumph requires no introduction, and for most, the Bonneville namesake is just one that they’ve heard repeatedly. While this time-tested cycle includes it’s popular among modern riders that want to get a taste of the esteemed beyond of motorcycling. The parallel-twin four-stroke was originally designed by Triumph Engineering at Meriden, England, demarcating the bicycle 1959-1983 (and 1985-1988) production runs, before being relinquished to Triumph’s Leicestershire outfit in 2001. The Bonneville is among the low maintenance bike. As a result of popular demand, the iconic moto made its recurrence over ten years past, sporting an elaborate design that involves the original’s characteristics. Interesting fact: the Bonneville name was, in fact, based off of Utah’s infamous Salt Flats, a desert location where Triumph (and also a large number of motorcycling’s most dominant manufacturers) experimented with violate motorcycle speed recordings on an annual basis.
2. Indian Chief
Indian’s Chief is, undoubtedly, one of the motorcycles with this particular list, and today, it’s regarded as the most recognizable platform at the corporation’s line up. It made its debut in 1922 as it was assembled and manufactured by Hendee Manufacturing Company (and Indian) as the company’s flagship “big-twin.” It functioned as the primary platform to the output-focused consumer base of the company, highlighting the largest displacement from Indian’s catalogues of bicycles. The Chief was the family favourite while its nimble brother was employed for its traits, and observing World War II’s orgasm. It had been the platform to be recalled and put into production by the brand. Until it went from 1953, the cycle could last to specify the flagship lineup of Indian — but not before it had made its mark on the motorcycling world as one of the most iconic platforms of all time.
1. Harley Davidson WLA
For World War II history buffs and bicycle aficionados, they do not come much better compared to the Harley-Davidson WLA. This motorcycle has been built for the U.S. Army during the Second World War and is marginally different from the civilian WL version made by Harley Davidson. The bike was modified like including fenders on the WLA version so that the bike could defy the muddy battlefields from Europe. WLA bicycles also came armed with windshields and knee guards to cut back on the spray from sand and puddles as well as the WLA bike came with blackout lights that were used when traveling with a convoy in the night. Production of the WLA motorcycle spanned the warfare 1940 to 1945. Harley-Davidson fabricated a total of 90,000 WLA bicycles. Today the Army WLA is thought of as among the coolest heavy motorcycles and a bike that every collector wants to get on their collection.