BMW Timeline

Here it is, a test run for my time line feature. I've started with BMW because it's one of the more simple model lines. I have rough drafts of all the other major manufacturers, but they all need refining (in fact this BMW one could use some improvements). All of the time lines will be based off of the US market offerings (initially). You can expect more time lines in the coming months.

Indian Four

In the 1930's Indian was looking to create a flagship model to better combat Harley Davidson. Another American motorcycle manufacturer, Henderson, was offering their Ace brand for sale. Ace had an inline four cylinder model designed by Henderson. Indian adopted the four cylinder engine for the Indian brand as a top of the line model.

In the mid 30's Indian tried to refine their new engine by creating what was known as the "upside-down" four. The new design featured exhaust valves over the intake valves, with the carburetors mounted low and the exhaust mounted high. The new design didn't last however, customers complained about the excessive heat, and the "upside-down four only lasted two years.

The four cylinder Indians didn't last much longer. In 1943 the last one was produced. Closing the chapter on American four cylinder bikes.

Ducatai Pantah

By the 1980’s Ducati wasn’t a very healthy company. The company enjoyed some success with their 750GT and 900SS but other products weren’t doing well. In 1980 Ducati introduced the Pantah, a motorcycle that would set the stage for all of Ducati’s future products. The Pantah was the last creation of Fabio Taglioni, creator of the 750 GT. It featured the Desmo valve train that made Ducati famous but it used a belt to drive the valves rather than bevel gears. Initially the Pantah came in a 500cc version, later a 600 and 650cc version were introduced. The bikes came in SL and TL trim for sport touring. Racing versions were also created called the TT2.

When the Pantah came out Ducati was on the verge of bankruptcy. In 1983 Cargiva bought the company and redesigned the Pantah as a Cargiva motorcycle. The Cargiva Alazzura was a restyled touring Pantah and the Elefant was sort of an enduro Pantah, similar to a BMW G/S. The Pantah platform would also include a cruiser called the Indiana. The Pantah production would eventually end in 1986 but its design was passed on to Ducati’s 750 F1 and Peso bikes. The belt driven design would live on in all following Ducati’s.

Norton Manx

The Norton Manx was a racing machine in the 1950's. Before the Manx Norton's racing machines were hopelessly outdated and facing stiff competition. Because of this the factory created a new machine that would become known as the Manx. It was named for the legendary Isle of Man TT races. At the time the TT at Isle of Man was the biggest event in motorcycle racing and winning it was considered the best way to sell road going motorcycles. The Manx was the first bike to feature Norton's "featherbed" frame. Riders were so pleased with the excellent handling they exclaimed the bike had a "feathery" ride. Manx bikes were powered by a 350cc and 500cc overhead cam single cylinder engine. Both engines were still based on the previous design but they were improved for more power. The bike became a favorite for racers the world over. This bike helped bring Norton back to the forefront of motorcycling. Norton bikes used the featherbed frames up until the company's demise. Today the Manx is a legend in motorcycle racing history.

Triumph Bonneville T120

Perhaps the most quintessential Brit-bike, the Triumph Bonneville. In 1959 Triumph introduced the Bonneville as their big fast bike. The bike was named for the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah. Bonneville was a large flat area where gear-heads could take their machines to their limits. In the 1950's Triumph promoted various speed record attempts. The Bonneville T120 (the 120 was supposed to stand for the top speed of the bike, which was slightly optimistic) featured a 650cc vertical twin, which was rather large for the time. This engine could make roughly 40hp and was capable of topping the "ton" or in other words surpassing 100mph. The Bonneville was introduced in American and its timing couldn't have been better. US consumers were craving bigger more powerful machines and the Bonnie was as good as it got. To add to this frenzy was the long list of celebrities who could be seen riding a Triumph. The Bonneville continued for about 10 years virtually unchanged. In the 1970's it grew to 750cc's and was known as the T140. With ever increasing competition form the Japanese the Bonneville along with all the other British motorcycle models was on it's way out. The vertical twin Triumph continued until the company closed its factory doors in 1983.

Fortunately for motorcyclists everywhere the Triumph brand would return. Triumph came back with a lineup of modern street machines. In 2001 a modern Bonneville was introduced. Although it shared nothing with the original (other than the looks of course) the bike was received very well the world over. The modern version became known as the Hinckely Bonneville (because of they were made in the Hinckely factory) thus the old Bonnies are sometimes referred to as the Meriden Bonnevilles.

Honda CBX

In 1978 Honda decided to flex some engineering muscle what resulted was the CBX 1000. After the introduction of the CB750 in 1969 there hadn't been any new radical designs from the big H. The CBX was the creation of Honda engineer Shoichiro Irimajiri, and was inspired by Honda's six cylinder Grand Prix. The CBX was a technical marvel. With its double over head cam inline six cylinder that was also used as a stressed member of the frame. With six cylinders the CBX proved to be one of the fastest bikes on the road in the late 1970's. The bike was rated at 105hp (more than any other bike at the time). But while the bike was powerful and exquisite to look at, it was also heavy and expensive. By the early 1980's Suzuki matched the CBX's performance with their GS1000. The CBX switched to a sports touring bike and later was killed off.

The CBX started in 1978, 1980 Honda switched it up and made the CBX a sports touring bike with the addition of a fairing and hard saddle bags. The bike made for a good touring model with its smooth torquey engine and smooth ride. But only three years later the bike became extinct. There has been no attempt to revive the six cylinder CBX by Honda. The v four ST series replaced took its place in the sports touring spot. It's a same as we rarely see such a outrageous product from Honda. But today there are many lucky owners of the amazing CBX.

Under Construction

Honda RC30

The RC30, or VFR750R, is one of most sought after Honda sports bikes in history. It all began in the mid 1980's when Honda was looking to make a splash in the new World Super Bike series. Honda decided to pump up their racing offerings with the RC30, a special edition VFR750F. The bike had race components such as titanium connecting rods, and light weight brake rotors. A single sided swing arm and an elegant design give the RC30 a timeless look. To ensure exclusivity the bike was only produced in very limited numbers and at a price roughly twice that of the "regular" 750cc model. Honda's effort payed off and their bike won the first two seasons of the Superbike World Championship, later they would face strong opposition form Ducati's twins. Today the RC30 is a collectors item, and is one of the rare specialty Hondas.

The RC30 didn't make the most horsepower in it's class even in it's day. But it's lightweight and exotic materials made it the sportsbike to lust after. But the RC30 was a rare beast and wasn't around very long. Just enough were produced to satisfy homologation into the WSB. By 1994 Honda was having trouble keeping up with the Ducatis. The RC45 was introduced to take the place of the RC30. Today Honda does not offer a special edition sports bike, though their new CBR1000RR seems to be quick enough.

Harley Davidson XLCR1000

It's not often The Motor Company goes out on a limb to make something like the XLCR "cafe racer". When it came to cafe racers Harley was a day late and a buck short. The CR version of the XL (Sportster) was the creation of Willie G Davidson and was an attempt to appeal to the motorcyclists who hot rodded their Triumphs and BSA's in the 60's and 70's. The bike itself was a sales flop. It only lasted two model years and sold roughly 3000 units. It's a shame that the bike did not perform better on the sales floor, as Harley has stayed away from selling anything racy since (with the exception of the V-rod dragster models).


Even at the time Harley entered the cafe areana the market had moved on to "super bikes" like the Honda CB750 or Kawasaki Z1. English bikes were nearly extinct by 1977 because of the superior performance of the new Japanese bikes. And this XL could barley keep up with the lighter Brit bikes little own the multi cylinder Japanese machines. The CR was based off of the regular XL but featured an all black theme complete with powder coated wheels? (or engine/exhaust i can't recall). The bike also featured a lowered handle bars, a bikini fairing, triple disc brakes, and a XR style rear fender. All of which gave the XLCR a menacing look, that remains tasteful today. Now the XLCR is a highly saught after collectable model.

Family Tree
1977/1978 XLCR1000

Yamaha RZ500

The Yamaha RZ500, or RD500LC depending on where you live, was about as close to a street legal Grand Prix bike as you could get. In 1984 Yamaha released the RZ500 in Canada/Australia and the RD500LC in Europe. The RZ was a liquid cooled 500cc two stroke v four. It was an evolution of the two cylinder RZ350LC which had been popular in Japan and Europe. The two stroke engine made the bike compact and lightweight. Being a two stroke the RZ made a lot of power (about 88hp) for its engine size (500cc). Despite its impressive power and lightweight the RZ did not have a long life. Two strokes were a thing of the past and people were buying bikes like the Honda Interceptor.

In the United States the EPA frowned upon two stroke motorcycles, thus the RZ500 was never available in the US. In Japan Yamaha offered an upgraded version called the RZV500R. The RZV featured an aluminum frame an other various changes, the RZV was only available in small numbers. The RZ500 was one of the last two stroke street bikes. Yamaha had long been known for its RD350/400, but times were changing and the days of two cycle bikes were numbered.

Family Tree
1984-1986 RZ500/RD500LC
1984-1986? RZV500R?

Suzuki TL1000S

When the topic of v twin sports bikes comes up most people think of Ducati. Yes the Italian company has become the image of two cylinder sports bikes since the beginning of sports bikes, but in the mid 90's Suzuki had a v twin bike of their own. It was called the TL10000 an aluminum framed sports bike with a 90 degree 1000cc v twin. It came in two flavors the TL1000S with a half fairing and later the TL10000R with a full fairing. The TL was an entirely new concept for Suzuki who like the other Japanese manufacturers specialized in inline engines. When the bike was released to performed well and seemed to be a great overall package. There were issues with the bikes design however. The TL's suspension couldn't handle the excessive travel and was prone to overheating. In addition to the suspension problems the bike had stability problems, that gave the TL the reputation of the "widow maker". Despite updates and improvement the damage had been done, and Suzuki ended TL production.

Suzuki did get the last laugh however. In 1999 the SV650 was introduced. The SV650 was an entry level middleweight with a 650cc v twin. The SV650 became a huge success because of its low price and ability to please the novice biker as well as the most experienced. Later a 1000cc version was introduced to take the place once occupied by the TL.

Family Tree
1997-2001 TL1000S
1998-2003 TL1000R

Kawasaki Z1

The Kawasaki Z1, or KZ900/Z900 as it was also known, was one of the meanest motorcycles in history. It started in 1971 when Kawasaki was developing a large four cylinder four stroke bike under the code name "New York Steak". The bike was meant initially to be 750cc's, but when Honda revealed their CB750 a year before the Kawasaki the development team went back to the drawing boards. They came back with a 903cc air cooled dohc bike that successfully upstaged Honda, as well as just about everyone else in the industry. With about 80hp the Kawasaki's motor was a beast, giving the bike the nickname "The King". Not only did the Z1 over power Honda's revolutionary CB750, but it outsold it. The Z1 was not with out its faults. While the engine of the Z1 was second to none, the rest of the bike was not quite as impressive. This bike carried on the tradition started by Kawasaki's Mach III and Mach IV, with a monster motor and a relatively limp chassis. Steering was downright scary and the brakes were adequate at best.

Despite the Z1's quirks the bike was a huge success for Kawasaki and the Z1 lived on through the years in various disguises. In the early 1980's a racy version called the Z1R was introduced. Racer Eddie Lawson was made famous riding this mean green machine. The 900cc Z1 eventually evolved into the 1000cc KZ1000, which lived on as a police motorcycle for many years. In Japan the Z1's basic design lived on in the Zephyr model line. Z1 DNA can be seen in many of Kawasaki's bikes. The ZRX was introduced in the 90's as a retro tribute to the Z1R of the 80's. Today the Z1's spiritual successor is the Z1000 a "naked" bike based of the ZX-9R. This bike set the tone for Kawasaki's four stroke street bikes, and helped create an identity for the brand that lasts today.

Family tree (for US market)
1972-1976 Z1 (KZ900)
1977-1983 KZ1000
1978/1980 Z1R