The sixties for me - bikes were good, Britain dominated the manufacture and they still had that visceral purely mechanical 'feel', wind, grease and vibration!
The bike I'm building for my RTW trip is a classic, a new frame built to an old design, a reconditioned old (1967) engine but with the convenience of modern wheels, brakes and suspension. It's going to be very minimalist (no heated grips or GPS on this bad boy, no battery!). It should have about 50BHP and weigh in at about 150-160kg including luggage.
The 'downside' to older bikes is more time spent on repairs and a few full engine rebuilds but if you like getting the spanners out this isn't a problem.
I'm not sure that peoples open-ness and friendliness has diminished much in certain parts of the world, you just have to look a bit further afield.
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