the most GOATED motorcycles ever made

Overview

The video celebrates motorcycles that influenced sportbike design or stood out for their unusual performance, engineering, comfort, or character. The narrator argues that modern motorcycles owe much to earlier models and favors distinctive engineering over headline horsepower alone. No formal ratings or scores are given.

Bikes Discussed

• 1985 Suzuki GSX-R750 (“Gixxer 750”) — Presented as one of the first true road-going racing replicas and a blueprint for modern sportbikes. Its standout feature was its low weight: about 388 lb (176 kg), compared with the era’s Kawasaki GPZ900R at 503 lb (228 kg) dry. The narrator credits its aluminum frame and air-oil cooling with helping keep it light, and notes that its full fairing, aggressive stance, and lightweight chassis influenced later sportbikes.

• 1992 Honda CBR900RR Fireblade — Honda’s “750 weight, liter-bike performance” concept, powered by an 893 cc engine producing 122 hp and 84 Nm. Its cited dry weight is about 180 kg. The narrator praises its compactness and lightness, calling it a landmark superbike. Although he generally dislikes the look of early sportbikes, he says he loves this one.

• Honda NR750 — Celebrated for its exotic oval-piston engine, featuring eight connecting rods and eight valves per cylinder, and a claimed 15,000 rpm redline. The narrator also identifies it as Honda’s first fuel-injected sportbike. Its main drawback is rarity: only 300 were made, making it very expensive and difficult to encounter.

• Early-1990s Honda Gold Wing — A comfortable touring motorcycle the narrator describes as a “sofa on wheels.” Features include an audio system, wind deflectors, air suspension, cruise control, and reverse gear. Though he says he is not a cruiser fan, he would choose one over a Harley later in life for its comfort and touring practicality.

• Yamaha V-Max — A cruiser with an unexpected V4 engine. The 1985 version is said to make 145 hp, making it the most powerful motorcycle of its era; the second generation is cited at up to 200 hp. The narrator likes its powerful sound and “wolf in sheep’s clothing” character, and calls it underrated among younger riders.

• First-generation Kawasaki ZX-10R (“Widowmaker”) — Its 998 cc inline-four makes 175 hp, while the bike weighs about 170 kg dry and is described as nearly the size of a 600 cc bike. Its short wheelbase and high power-to-weight ratio made it demanding and potentially dangerous, especially before modern electronic aids. The narrator says the nickname was earned, but still wants one.

• 2005 Suzuki GSX-R1000 K5 / 2006 K6 — The narrator’s strongest pick: he calls the K5 “perfect” and the best sportbike of the previous 20 years. He sees the K5/K6 as the golden era of liter bikes, before extensive electronics and modern industry constraints. He says BMW used the K5 as a reference when developing its first S1000 in 2009, and that Suzuki kept the GSX-R1000 design largely unchanged for nearly a decade. He also notes that surviving examples are now old and may be crashed or worn.

Comparisons and Overall Verdict

The bikes are compared with rivals and successors: the GSX-R750’s lower weight versus the GPZ900R, the Fireblade’s 750-class weight with near-liter performance, the V-Max’s unusual power for a cruiser, and the K5’s influence on BMW’s S1000.

Overall, the narrator offers an enthusiastic tribute to historically significant, characterful motorcycles—especially the GSX-R750, Fireblade, and K5—rather than a buying guide or direct head-to-head ranking.

Speaker perspective: One narrator provides all the opinions and assessments; no separate reviewers offer differing views.