ron bayless
XS650 Addict
I 100% agree with you on the harleys.I owned 3 of them.Too porky,too big,they need 4 wheels and reverse
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ugly motorcycles
- Thread starter ron bayless
- Start date
CoconutPete
1979 XS650 Special
"porky" is a GREAT word for describing that bike!
littlebill31
Smells of Raw Fuel
I have a 2014 Boulevard BOSS. Love it. Lowered 2.5", solo seat. Great bike.
The one I think looks goofy is a Harley V-Rod. Looks screwed up to me.
weaselbeak
XS650 Junkie
We don't disagree at all. I said they needed a kickstarter. Aside from that they were excellent bikes.
My other bike is a '94 Virago 1100 that I've had many years. It ain't no beauty, I'll admit, but V'go motors are rock solid with enough power to cruise freeway speed without straining. It took me 2000 miles around the north shore of Lake Superior six years ago this coming August with nary a hiccup. (Canadians sure take care of their roads - so smooth.) They have a low seat height - I'm 6 ft tall, so swapped out the center controls for forward ones to stretch out my legs; Mustang seat a big improvement over the stock "easy chair" one - my two best comfort mod's. They benefit from installing a voltmeter, just like our 650's. I replaced the 5" headlight with an XS650 7" one to get more room in the bucket to add wiring for my Garmin - maybe it's just lipstick on a pig, but I think it "wears" the bigger headlight quite well, better than the small one. Had the front fender extended 2" in the rear to better protect the engine case from road crap coming off the tire. Swapped the mags for spoke wheels that were optional in '85 models. Road Star mirror stems dropped the mirrors down a bit. Put on an smaller master cylinder to better match m/c size to caliper piston size - another change that's beneficial on single-disc 650's with 14mm m/c's. They have a fuel pump that charges the carb bowls when the ignition switch is turned on, so they start up very easily. Went one size up on the main jets - since the front carb comes stock one size larger than the rear one, all I had to buy was one new main for the front carb, then put its original jet in the rear carb. Stock front suspension is soft - early on, I put in Progressive springs. It's very reliable - only "need to" replacement so far is the voltage regulator. I'll probably keep it a few more years - at my age, I don't really give a crap how other people may think it looks - but, yeah, someday, it'll go before my 650 does.
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pago cruiser
XS650 Addict
"If we didn't like visually beautiful bikes we'd all ride V-Stroms or something."
Lifted from ADVrider IIRC awhile ago.
Lifted from ADVrider IIRC awhile ago.
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
are you aware of ths starter system I referred to.The virago was the first japanese bike to worry harley.They got the government to not allow anything over 700ccs be allowed in the country unless it had a huge tarrif on it.They were the first true challenge to the sportster.Then when the 750 and then the 920 and 1100 came through things got confusing.The 920 I had was one of the ugliset bikes ever made.It goes on this list.The 85 and later 1100s needed a different seat,handlebars, and the gastank not cocked up at a near 45 degree angle.The 1100 classic that came out of that was a much more visually pleasing motorcycle, but then it was merely a clone of a fatboy.The early viragos with the engine being part of the frame reminisced of the vincent.Bily joel had a guy build a vinago.virago vincent clone.
your virago is when yamaha finally figured out how to make a motorcycle look.Nice bike.
your virago is when yamaha finally figured out how to make a motorcycle look.Nice bike.
ron bayless
XS650 Addict
The first year the vstrom 1000 came out it almost won best motorcycle of the year award and came in second or third in world;s best motorcycle.First place went to one of those ugly duckbilled bmw's. If I could somehow manage to get off and on one and could mount forward controls on one my bike would be a 650 v strom.They were called the swiss army knife of motorcycles.I will own one someday.I want one to do the lee greenwood tour someday. I went to barbers museum in leeds alabama once.Awesome place. They had a old goldwing there someone had ridden all the way around the world.It was just as they had gotten off of it.Some sort of padding strapped to the seat,dirty,ridden hard and put away dirty. Thats why I want a strom.No way the xs could do the greenwood tour.There is no such tour, just my name for it.i.e. from new york to LA, across the plains of texas etc etc.My best friend has a $60,000 ford truck.It is as clean as a pin in the bed.he could probably do a greenwood in it.My 93 extended cab silverado with 210,000 miles on it could too.Some things just get better with age, some just get older.Some are edsels, some are lincolns.Both made by ford.
I pity people that do not know the joy of owning a motorcycle, at least sometime in their life.When it comes to motorized transportation, getting from point a to point b a motorcycle is the most efficient minimalist approach there is to accomplishing that. 2 wheels,a motor,brakes and handlebars. A unicycle isnt a safe or existing option.Bicycles are quite efficient,but not motorized and too slow for impatient people like myself. Walking is good exercise, but also takes too long. And at my age I dont have that much time to waste. I have owned 5 goldwings,3 ventures, a valkyrie,an ultra classic, a bonejarring sportster and others. Out of those 11 I liked the sportster the best. No entertainment center,no barcalounger seat,no cup holders,just a simple mode of getting there and pretty quickly. They just have $5.00 shocks as a drawback. But that bike is my idea of what a bike should be. You dont have to constantly be mindful of countersteering its weight, you just cruise along in the countryside or superslab if one is crazy enough to do so, and enjoy the ride. Even on an ugly motorcycle it is better than driving a car for me.
Yamaha VMax.....simply too much.
Yeah, I've read a lot about the starter problems on early Viragos on the V'go forum - a genuine screw-up by Yamaha engineers. Yamaha had them fixed by the time my '94 was built - as you probably know, Yamaha carried the 1100 motor into its Star line. The V'go valve adjuster screws swap right into our 650's - a bit shorter, with female hex heads. The V'go lens and trim rings look really sharp on 650 signal housings, as do the handlebar clamps.
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That Amazonas is hilarious 
I didn't even know they existed.
Back in the 70's when I had a bunch of VW's, I might have even bought one.
And I was parting my hair in the middle back then.
I didn't even know they existed.
Back in the 70's when I had a bunch of VW's, I might have even bought one.
And I was parting my hair in the middle back then.
The '84 Magna ? Trash the crazy headlight and horns, and I would say its a decent looking bike.
Throw stones one at a time so's I can duck and dodge.
Throw stones one at a time so's I can duck and dodge.
Gosh : I hope we don't see any ugly motorcycles at the SE-MI / SW-ON meet-up:
Berkeley, Michigan
As you may know, XS650s are preferred, but ALL bikes are welcome!
Oh, dear me, was that another hijack?
So sorry!
Pete
- DATE: Sat July 15
- TIME: 11:00 AM
- LOC: Vinsetta Garage Restaurant
Berkeley, Michigan
As you may know, XS650s are preferred, but ALL bikes are welcome!
Oh, dear me, was that another hijack?
So sorry!
Pete
Bob Kelly III
Ranch Kid from way back,.... that got Old !
Ugliest bike of all time had to be the 1963 Honda 305 Dream.... it's Pressed sheet metal frame was the ugliest thing on the planet
but compared to 2M's Harley 350 single the Honda has it beat hands down ! ..... they didn't even put proper forks on the Dream they just made bigger forks from the honda 50 trail and used them ! ...I guess they had an abundance of sheet metal in Japan and had to use it up I dunno..... even the engine was ugly although it was one of the most reliable bikes I ever owned it was without a doubt the ugliest by far !
.....LOL
Bob........
but compared to 2M's Harley 350 single the Honda has it beat hands down ! ..... they didn't even put proper forks on the Dream they just made bigger forks from the honda 50 trail and used them ! ...I guess they had an abundance of sheet metal in Japan and had to use it up I dunno..... even the engine was ugly although it was one of the most reliable bikes I ever owned it was without a doubt the ugliest by far !
.....LOL
Bob........
How about another obscure motorcycle with a motor sourced from a car.
The German made Munch Mammut 2000 with a NSU car motor. They are actually quite collectible.
The German made Munch Mammut 2000 with a NSU car motor. They are actually quite collectible.
And then of course there is the Boss Hoss with a 502 Chevy V-8. Who couldn't use a 450hp 1000 lb motorcycle!
Bob Kelly III
Ranch Kid from way back,.... that got Old !
yah but that ain't UGLY it's just ridiculous !!!!!!!
HAHAHAH!
Bob......
HAHAHAH!
Bob......
Any year of GoldWing with every bit of aftermarket and Hondaline chrome is damn ugly to me, double duty on the 1100s. My '86 was done in very good taste by the PO, it was de-emblemed, semi-de-chromed and filled with ABS, repainted and pinstriped by the best artist of the time. I've seen some plain GL1800s that were done in this same style, almost twins to my '86. Plastic CAN be done well, and with bad taste. I really like the "85-'87 GoldWing bodywork, when the gaudy aftermarket crap is not used.
The best thing to do with the GL1100s is to go NAKED with leather bags and a flat shield. All of that 1100 luggage and fairing style is just as ugly now as when they were new. Windjammers, just can't give them away.
Scott
The best thing to do with the GL1100s is to go NAKED with leather bags and a flat shield. All of that 1100 luggage and fairing style is just as ugly now as when they were new. Windjammers, just can't give them away.
Scott
Nix on the 305 Dream there Bob. That's a bike that I would commit to. Those paintable surfaces are very appealing to me. With the Dream, Superhawk and CB350 twins, you are treading on sacred ground and trespassing on Old Man Honda's grave.
Scott
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