best of times

I totally agree Steve and I had been planning on starting a thread on this subject, you beat me to it.
I could list a few more things,
1)People had more free time outside of their work to take their bikes out or service them.
2) Most people had their weekends free from work and without expecting a phone call from the boss or company, or an important customer in trouble etc to destroy their weekend.
3)People could switch off from their work outside of their work hours and concentrate on their ride or project.
4)Motorbikes actually looked like motorbikes, rear springs, well cushioned seats, round head lamps, well shaped tanks. Not like the crap looking things being turned out these days.
5) Bikes were designed for the diy hobiest to maintain.
6) People mostly lived a comfortable distance from their work, perfect for an enjoyable bike commute.
7) The summers were sunnier, lasted longer, there was no property tax and the music was better.
7) People worked in factories or places where they could get nuts and bolts and things free to repair or improve their bike, the satisfaction of a diy mod was miles ahead of buying cheap add on gadget made in china which soon breaks or falls off.
8)There were potholes but you knew where they were and you avoided them.
9) Bikes were noisier and sounded better.
10) There were an array of British Twins to chose from, and few four cylinder screamers.
11) Bikes were pieces of art, designed, build and finished to look beautiful, a marriage of art and function.
10) Bikes did not have computers, if they broke down you fixed it with a few tools and the nearest house people who felt privileged to help you and you got tea and scones, if it was a farm house they gave you apples or rhurbarb or something to bring home with you on the back of your bike wrapped up in a sack cloth and bailing twine ! and you got to chat up the farmer's daughter who drooled over your bike.
11) If you met a Vicar or Priest they took pity on you and blessed you, and reminded you to take it easy as the man above made plenty of time.
12) Bikes had good chrome, and brilliant style, think BSA Goldstar.
13) Drum brakes looked better although they were not much use, so you went slower.

13.5) Mudguards were functional and actually kept mud off you and you bike, think Noddy.

13.6) Bikes had decent carriers which you could put a sack of potatoes on or a bale of hay (what ever you are into)

13.6) The passenger seat had a proper lower centre of gravity which was safer and stopped her gawking all over the place and destabilizing the bike.
14) Petrol was cheaper and did not contain crap that corrodes your tank and rots rubbers.
13) As banks did not lent to guys like me we had to save hard for the bike then we enjoyed it all the more when it finally was purchased and owned.
14) The police were out to help you if you were any way mannerly, now their job is to collect tax.
15) Owning a bike was a status symbol and proof of having a job, now it means you are a hooligan.
16) Bikes were linked to music and film.
17) You could make a few pound from your bike by doing courier.
20) If you had sense you could buy a bike get a provisional and practise and learn at your own pace, now one has to operate at the pace of an instructor, survive the day and suffer the information overload of a show off instructor which is quite dangerous and is at the instructors pace not the learners pace. And it costs a fortune.
21) The test pass rates were much higher.

I probably could list another 50 if I kept going.