Although it is pretty hard to ascertain what it really takes for a motorcycle to achieve cult status, the one thing we can say for sure is that it requires a dedicated fanbase. There are most certainly newer bikes that are getting there, but the bikes we went with are all a little older. The reason for this is simple, and that is the fact that they have established reputations, and all have a story worth telling.

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Buying a used motorcycle always has an element of risk attached, so please do your research and proceed with caution. The motorcycles on this list go from oldest to newest.

From BMW's first adventure bike to Kawasaki's Top Gun star, these 80s icons hide a darker truth about their safety and performance.

When the CB750 came out in 1969, it effectively rewrote the rulebook on what motorcycles can and can’t do. It was reliable enough to commute on, comfortable enough to ride cross-country, and fast enough to go racing with only a few minor modifications. But its defining feature was the fact that it was still affordable enough for most people to buy. With this, the UJM, or “Universal Japanese Motorcycle,” was born.

Back when the G/S first came out, nobody really knew what to do with it. It was a little heavy for an off-road bike, and its long-travel suspension did nothing for its road manners. Then, once people saw it tearing up the North African desert and winning the Paris-Dakar Rally, they got the idea. It was the very first motorcycle that could be considered an adventure bike.

This is where it all started for the now-famous Ninja marque. The fact that it was the single fastest motorcycle at the time afforded it a cameo in the movie Top Gun. This brief cameo did more for the marketing of the bike than any ad campaign could have wished for, with audiences around the world all scrambling to try to figure out what motorcycle they just saw. The other Japanese manufacturers were less than impressed, and it kicked off a performance arms race of sorts.

While the 70s was a decade that belonged to the UJM, there were a host of other great motorcycles that also went on to become icons of the industry

With over 140 horsepower straight from the factory, Yamaha gave us the single most powerful motorcycle in the world back in 1985. It was rather surprisingly not a superbike, but rather a cruiser with absolutely everything turned up to 11. While not particularly effective in the corners, this ode to drag bike culture was untouchable in a straight line.

While other brands were focused on overall horsepower, Suzuki saw a hole in a different part of the motorcycle market. Riders were looking for bikes that could also handle well, and set to work on what would become the first real sport bike. With a light aluminum frame and a powerful inline-four, this fully faired repli-racer was effectively a street-legal track bike. For a time, Suzuki struggled to keep up with demand, and it kicked off a dynasty that has endured for over 40 years.

The Fat Boy is another motorcycle that owes a debt of thanks to the silver screen. Its appearance in what is arguably the greatest sequel of all time, Terminator 2, will live long in the memories of kids growing up in the 90s. The bike already had an incredible presence, but the moment Schwarzenegger threw a leg over it, lightning was captured in a bottle. Older bikes from this era do not offer much in the way of performance, but that was never the point.

You could very well insert any of the Japanese dual-sports here, but over the years, the KLR650 has built up the biggest fanbase. It is as much an institution as it is a motorcycle, with explorers all over the world falling in love with its rugged simplicity. It is one of those motorcycles that can go anywhere and do anything, without breaking the bank. While it can certainly go anywhere, just don’t expect it to be at all comfortable!

The KLR proves that you don’t need to change if you get it right the first time.

From when the aforementioned GSX-R was introduced, right up until the early 90s, 750cc models represented the pinnacle of performance. Bigger bikes were all too heavy to offer any legitimate sporting potential and were often simply developed to win the speed wars that were raging back then. Honda blinked first and broke convention with the excellent CBR900RR FireBlade, but it was Yamaha’s riposte in 1998 that completely changed the game. The first R1 weighed as much as the 750s, yet with 150 horsepower, it had significantly more power. With that, the liter-class was firmly established.

If enough is never enough, then this might be the ideal bike for you. The 1999 Hayabusa is the ultimate representation of excess, with more power than it could actually handle, and a record-breaking top speed of over 190 MPH. Its rather odd design offered the best possible drag coefficient, and that, along with 173 horses, made that record speed possible. Today, it makes for an exceptional budget sport tourer, having proven to be one of the most reliable motorcycles Suzuki has ever built.

While choppers are no longer “in fashion” so to speak, they have been around since the 60s, and certainly are not going anywhere. These custom creations are an acquired taste, and even if you never actually “acquire” the taste, it isn’t all that hard to admire the work and artistry that goes into building them. Prices vary wildly on the used market, with these being highly personalized motorcycles. But part of the joy is in the process of building the bike, and you don’t need much of a budget if you are willing to take on a project.

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Source: https://www.topspeed.com/bikes-quietly-created-cult-followings-america/