Ever get the itch for a "modern" bike?

You know its strange. As a young man we could only dream of four cylinder engines. MV, Gilera made fours and Guzzi made the fabulous V-8. But these were racers and were made of unobtanium. So we dreamt.

Today there is a selection of extremely high performance machines available. Machines on the showroom floor that would put the above bikes to shame. Megga performance with a warranty!

But for some unexplainable reason I have no desire to own one. Maybe I'm trapped in a time warp but give me an old Brit anytime. Today as I was going to the store a GSXR 1300 pulled up beside me at the stop light. To my eyes it looked like a fat old gal. I know it could run to 170 without any effort but it didn't cause the pulse to race.

Its like being stood in front of a Spitfire and an F-18 and told to pick one. You know the F-18 will do everything infinitely better than the Spitfire but in your heart you know which one you'll choose.
 
there is no better feeling then being on a old 200cc going flat out, hitting corners and having a smile on your face from ear to ear then being on a new boring bike that has no soul or emotion
 
deepwaterimports said:
there is no better feeling then being on a old 200cc going flat out, hitting corners and having a smile on your face from ear to ear then being on a new boring bike that has no soul or emotion


Yes there is - boring it out to 300cc and then going flat out ;D


I don't agree with new bikes "not having any soul or emotion" - unless you mean breaking down gives a bike these qualities ::)


But seriously, put a Power Commander and a full Akropovic system on a new GSXR1000 and tell me it's boring :eek:
 
hillsy said:
Yes there is - boring it out to 300cc and then going flat out ;D


I don't agree with new bikes "not having any soul or emotion" - unless you mean breaking down gives a bike these qualities ::)


But seriously, put a Power Commander and a full Akropovic system on a new GSXR1000 and tell me it's boring :eek:


hahaha touché. If you where at a track the gixer would be fun for sure lol on the road and id probably end up in several pieces in a fiery mess over 2k’s of road, grass, buildings, gutters, walls cars etc

by soul i mean character carbys fumes oil grease hahaha
 
No, you won't. A dialed in sportbike is a revelation. And, I'm not even talking about aftermarket suspension bits here. We are talking about race track technology trickling down to a street legal machine. Seriously, swing a leg over any of the big 4 and ride for even one year. It'll open up a whole new world of riding. I would definitely say all my sportbikes had characteristics, character, and attitude (if you will) all their own. This was from back in the day (late 90's), a sportbike like no other I've owned. Full of attitude.
 

Attachments

  • 370_33809007911_553207911_1052976_5908_n.jpg
    370_33809007911_553207911_1052976_5908_n.jpg
    55.7 KB · Views: 658
I'd like to but...

I'm 6'3". Most bikes (even harleys) just don't fit at all. My old CB is actually a big bike compared to most now, I sit very comfortably with flat feet, knees slightly bent. Any sport bike... I look like a gorilla f#king a foot ball. I would need to consider a taller BMW or a V-Rod (which I do want).
 
Short answer's yes I do, but I don't understand the retro replicas. The long answer's kind of like this:

When I was in the market for a new bike in 2006 I looked at a Buell Lightning, Triumph Thruxton, and the Ducati Monster. I wanted a twin.

Buell_Firebolt_XB12R_2005_16_1024x768.jpg

The lightning looked cool from a distance and was made out of cool ideas but was a pile of absolute junk up close. The design and the engineering seemed sound but manufacturing just destroyed it.

Triumph_Thruxton_900.jpg

The Thruxton struck me as something for those who want to but can't do what most of us do on this site (build/customize their own bike) It was pretty, but the whole test ride I was just thinking I already have one of these... except the other one's real.

NV24170_2.jpg

This is what I ended up with, it was modern, but different, I'd loved the brand since I first ever saw a 916.

But eventually the Ducati was just a substitute for the bike I really wanted (748/996) and I didn't have much invested in it other than money. So I sold it, and now I'm building one of the modern bikes that I have always wanted, an RC30.
 
I sure did and when a running '04 ZX6R for $1500 with a title came along, I didn't even flinch on pulling the trigger! It's no replacement for my KZ750-R1 mut, but it'll do!
 
mysta2 said:
Buell_Firebolt_XB12R_2005_16_1024x768.jpg

The lightning looked cool from a distance and was made out of cool ideas but was a pile of absolute junk up close. The design and the engineering seemed sound but manufacturing just destroyed it.

Ok, you lost me there. How is the Buell junk when you look at one up close??? I've had two and think the design is brilliant. It is only hamstrung by the engine's limitations, namely that it's based on a Sporty lump. Ever take one apart to the ground? There's not a flimsy part on a Buell. It is a stout machine. True, the oil cooler is just asking to be taken out, but other than that...
 
Coming in late here. I love buells. They're different and neat, and that's enough for me.
And Yes I want a modern bike! I've been moving that way anyway. I've got a 72 cb750 that's an eternal project/rider switch, a 71 cb350 project, then I got an 84 Goldwing and now an 89 pc800. The plan is to sell the 350 once it's done then either the Goldwing or the pc800 and buy something modern. Not sure what yet, just something for riding instead of wrenching. I'll always have and work on old bikes, but as I get older (30 this year!) convenience comes into the equation more and more.
 
I didn't intend to offended anyone. That was only my first impression from looking at one in the showroom and test riding a XB9R (with a group) I have not owned one nor experienced their quality long term.

The design of that bike looks great, and I'm sure it looked fantastic on paper, but when I walked up to it and touched it in the showroom I was somewhat shocked at the level of fit and finish. All of the textures on the plastics looked like they came off of Playskool toys, you could see all the mold seams and the flash left over. The colored plastics (which they call a feature) looked a little worse than single stage lacquers from the 50s... and then there were the translucent plastics, if you want to highlight all the seams and inconsistencies in your mold, shoot some clear plastic in it. That gold anodize on the wheels, again a cool idea, but they didn't spend any time refining the process to eliminate any of the pooling or flow issues, they just dipped and shipped. Granted, that's all purely aesthetic but that's because I could see it, maybe the quality control is fantastic on the rest of the bike, but I have a hard time believing so.

I only got to ride one after purchasing my Ducati later and the thing that made the biggest and first impression on me on the test ride was how loose and sloppy the throttle was, on my bargain basement Monster620 Dark (that's as basic as Ducatis get) all the controls feel taught and snappy, on the Buell it was exactly the opposite.

Rim brakes, super light wheel designs, fuel and oil in frame, low and centered exhaust, cool designs, Buell's got it all and it could have been great, possibly the greatest... it just isn't, in my opinion. It seems as if they tried to build a great bike in a mediocre bike factory.

Also one last impression I had before I left that first dealership was asking about the difference between the Firebolt's two headlights at the parts counter, the response to which was "Dem Buells got two headlights!?"

I'm a prototype fabricator with a product design background so I suppose it's possible that these little production details jump out at me like they may not for others, these are the reasons that I did not buy a Firebolt. For anyone that did, or bought a Buell at all I'm sure their reasons are just as sound or more so for the decision that they made. I don't intend to offend anyone with my personal opinions or observations, but I don't intend to hide them for fear of offence either.
 
I bought that piece o'shit Misfit because I was thinking it blended modern with vintage. It blends the looks of a half-scale cafe racer with a lawn mower.

I looked at a Triumph Thruxton but it is just a hair to big/long to be fun (but I guess that is true with the old TR6's as well).

My GSXR1000K5 was about 2000 miles on it because its too fast for driving with the other idiots on the road.

The Harley XR1200X required a trip to the Harley dealership but the car refused to turn into the parking lot. When I finally made it in (kickin and screamin), they didn't have any but suggested a some junk with leather tassels instead.

I think the perfect bike would be for Honda to build a modern CB360T cafe with a set of modern forks, dual discs, 18-inch spoked wheels and a convertible cafe seat (like the Thruxton) with about 80 horsepower in a sub 500lb package.
 
I get the bug once in awhile too. I've ridden some sportbikes, but they're just too much for me at this stage of life!

I do like this though!



prex2140107a.jpg




This one has had some mods done to it, but the ZRX is a really nice smooth, powerful modern bike with a little "old skool" look. 8)

Not for everyone i know, but I could own one! :)
 
redwillissuperman said:
I bought that piece o'shit Misfit because I was thinking it blended modern with vintage. It blends the looks of a half-scale cafe racer with a lawn mower.

I think the perfect bike would be for Honda to build a modern CB360T cafe with a set of modern forks, dual discs, 18-inch spoked wheels and a convertible cafe seat (like the Thruxton) with about 80 horsepower in a sub 500lb package.
X1
I have to say a modern cb360t would be a awesome. A great idea mate
 
Back
Top Bottom