These 10 affordable old bikes can make you as happy or more than many modern ones

How we are bikers. We always like to be up-to-date either with our motorcycles or with the equipment. This can sometimes lead us to enjoy less than we could, because in reality with anything with two wheels and a motor we are happy.

That is why today we want to break a spear in favor of those motorcycles that made us dreamMotorcycles that may not be highly valued future classics, but we can still find them today at a reasonable price and condition on the second-hand market. And yes, they may not be the safest because they do not have ABS or traction control, but they are just as enjoyable as the modern ones or even more.

Kawasaki ZZR600

For many of us who got a license before the A2 existed, one of the greatest adventures was to find a motorcycle that could be limited during our first two years and then limit it and live the experience of riding a real large motorcycle, with powers close to 100 CV, with which to enjoy making curves or traveling.

One of the most popular options in the 1990s and well into the 2000s was the Kawasaki ZZR600. It was a sport tourism that dazzled us with its aerodynamic full fairing in the image of the high-flying ZZR1100, but in its case it was equipped with a 599 cc inline four-cylinder engine that announced a power of 100 hp.

Kawasaki ZX750R

Pulling from nostalgia we cannot help but think of an indisputable protagonist among the sports motorcycles of the late twentieth century. The Kawasaki ZX750R In any of her versions, she was a motorcycle lady with whom we got tired of having wet dreams.

Designed to win in the World Superbike Championship, the ZX750R was the ultimate exponent of Akashi's brand specialization. Its powerful 748cc, 110hp carburettor-fueled engine was all a sports fan could need. Lots of character and a first-rate cycle part have made it today in its own right one of the most sought-after oldies among amateurs and restaurateurs.

Yamaha FZR1000 EXUP

But if we talk about vintage sports we cannot forget another of the undisputed queens. The Yamaha FZR1000 Exup He garnered countless accolades and made a name for himself as an extreme sportsman before the 1990s.

With 140 declared horsepower and a massive aluminum double-girder chassis it was a self-presented bike, but the acronym EXUP (by Exhaust Ultimate Power Valve) they raised passions (and something more) with their exhaust valve that made the most of their liter inline four-cylinder.

Like the ZX750R, today it is one of the sports most desired by those who look with tender eyes at old carbureted motorcycles.

Honda Africa twin

First with the XRV650 and later with the XRV750, the Honda Africa Twin They have gained so much weight since their birth in 1986 that in the 21st century the firm of the golden wing has had to rescue this concept and refocus it on the maxitrail segment.

Its adventurous spirit inspired by the Paris-Dakar bikes and its capabilities as a trail bike served the Africa Twins to carve a special place in the hearts of motorcyclists, whether they liked the offroad style or not. The most popular and the ones that we can still find in classified ads today are the XRV750, and they were such good bikes that today they are really well valued.

With a 60 hp vee twin engine for a weight that just exceeded 200 kg, it became an inseparable companion for those who liked both to travel and use the motorcycle daily without restrictions.

Honda CBR600F

For some time the sport-tourism concept has been abandoned, but there was a time when it was the most popular segment and the Honda CBR600F he was his best representative. The long lineage of CBR600F was born in the late 80s and only died when the segment polarized towards much more radical motorcycles.

The Honda CBR600F maintained its postulate even when the CBR600RR appeared, simultaneously selling both models. And it is that its nobility, its ease of use and the ability to make you smile in any situation were its standard in any of its generations.

They are relatively easy to find, since their popularity led them to be one of the best-selling motorcycles on the market. Relatively powerful but very usable four-cylinder engines and good habitability always worked in their favor.

Ducati SuperSport

A bit in the same sense but interpreting the sport-tourism idea in another way, the Ducati SuperSport they offered a more passionate point. Steel multitubular chassis, fantastic cycle part and a very light package made them really fun bikes without resorting to exorbitant powers.

There were several versions depending on the generation. The genuine ones were the 900SS and 750SS (also in 600 and 400 cc version), those that inaugurated their style with the mythical "square headlight" and that paved the way for the future 620/750/800/900/1000/1100 that They embraced electronic injection within a much more sophisticated fairing but true to their original style.

By the way, as in the case of Honda, the sport concept was also recovered by Ducati last year with the new SuperSport that we were able to test.

Kawasaki w800

Even before the fashion for new, old-looking motorcycles came along, Kawasaki had a model in its catalog that has recently disappeared. The Kawasaki w800 stayed true to its principles from the beginning, preserving the mark left by the W650s inspired by the motorcycles of the 60s.

Its retro aesthetic with custom airs and some of the now-trendy scrambler vibe put it on a level with the Triumph Bonneville for evocative ability. Spoked wheels, steel cradle chassis, round headlight and a low and simple line are still today completely the trendy style with which we like to pose so much on the terraces.

Suzuki GSX-R600

Born in the image and likeness of the GSX-R750 that raced in the Superbike World Championship, the Suzuki GSX-R600 They were the queens of sports for a long time at least in our country. Its concept not as radical as that of the competition, its greater habitability, its good performance and one of the most competitive prices make it still today motorcycles that are seen on the street in any of its generations.

In 1997 the voluptuous GSX-R600 SRAD arrived with their huge intake ports, then in 2001 the double throttle intake and electronic injection made the model with a much more modern aesthetic in everything that anyone could dream of and from there they maintained their great acceptance in subsequent generations.

Especially the 2006 model sold it all. Perhaps it became the best-selling (and stolen) sports car to hit our roads again thanks to an unbeatable price. Now, after a few aesthetically unsuccessful models, they have ended up becoming extinct, but if you look in the ad pages you can find them kicking and at really interesting prices.

Aprilia RS125

The queen of chicharrillas. Maybe the Aprilia RS125 It was the last of that line of sports without concessions in the image and likeness of the Grand Prix. A light bike like few others with a rabid engine that had to always be carried high for laps.

Its aluminum double-beam chassis with a swingarm made of the same material together with its matching cycle part continue to silence many modern motorcycles that are considered sports. The downside of these unapologetic Italians is that their reliability was not comparable to the tranquility that a four-stroke engine gives and that today it is difficult to find a unit that has not gone through too much hardship.

Honda CR250

We are not forgetting offroad lovers, so the Honda CR250 has a special place in this selection. One of the most popular crosseras of all time did not stand out for its extreme power or for its radicality (within the radical nature of these models), but it was reliable and relatively easy to carry in the hands of any fan.

That smell of Castrol on gravel circuits is still evocative and its 249-cubic-centimeter single-cylinder can still make anyone's hair stand on end today for prices that are second-hand around 1,000 euros for units from the early 2000s..