ugly bikes

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jefft

XS650 Junkie
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Happened by the mega bike store the other day to have a look around. Yea, they carried just about every brand imaginable. I guess I am getting old but their wasn't a bike in that entire store that appealed to me. I mean the looks and design of these things with the most ugly seats and exhaust systems I ever seen. What has happened to the taste of people these days? Remember the classic lines of the Triumph Bonneville? Very few bikes that look like that these days.
jefft
 
I don't know how old you are but I'm guessing we're probably close in age. If you have lot's of money you can buy just about any kind of ugly bike out there. Lol. Nowadays you have to build your own to have a cool bike. And likely it will be a lot less then the dealers.
 
I blame it all on those who spent literally decades calling Ducatis "cool" looking, trying to convince somebody besides themselves. Function aside, all I ever saw was an unbalanced looking mess some plumber made. Now everyone is pushing naked sport touring sh*t trying to look like a Duck. Not for me.
 
I'm okay with the plumber's nightmare frames and the camel hump tanks, it's those HUGE muffler cans that throw me for a loop.
 
FLEA said:
ever noticed,most modern bikes (especially dirt bikes) seem to be made for very long legged people
Click to expand...

That too. My daughter, who is roughly 5 foot nothing, can JUST reach the ground on her Kawasaki Ninja 250.

She wants to move up after this year's riding season, but it's going to be hell finding a bike that fits her.
 
Yea I hear you guys. Last night I went to the weekly bike night held at Cardinals stadium here in Glendale Arizona. Every Thursday night there is thousands of bikes that show up. Stood around there for a couple of hours and only seen a couple of bikes that even aroused any interest. Most everything was right off the showroom floor. One was a mid 70's CB 750-4 which had received the café treatment. Yea and those muffler cans on these new bikes are a sight. Late 50's Harleys looked nice but the new ones suck. Triumph still makes a descent looking bike in my opinion. Some of the smaller displacement bikes still retain some of the traditional looks but that's about it these days. Their real big on retro cars these days, Mustangs, Challengers, as they try to recapture that old school look. Why don't some of the motorcycle manufacturers follow their lead and bring back some of the old school looks of earlier times.
jefft
 
I don't think taking off the logo's will make her feet any closer to the ground!

jefft
 
This thing caught my eye.
Concept bike from 2010 Honda 750. Got a lot of positive responses.

honda-scrambler-3.jpg


http://www.bikeexif.com/honda-scrambler
 
I agree with jefft, if I had the money to bike a new bike, it would take me a long search to find what I like, (when I seen my 1983 xs650 Heritage Special I knew that's the bike for me) I guess I'm just old school, plus these new ones are not put together like my XS650 bikes.
 
TwoManyXS1Bs said:
This thing caught my eye.
Concept bike from 2010 Honda 750. Got a lot of positive responses.

honda-scrambler-3.jpg


http://www.bikeexif.com/honda-scrambler
Click to expand...

This is a great looking bike. I really hope that they end up producing something very similar to this.
I agree with most opinions here. 95% of the new cycles being built out there today look like total crap. The new Royal Enfields that are being build have some nice classic lines and appearance I think.

-Luugo :bike:
 
That's a rif on the 1967 CL77 "scrambler"

Honda-CL77-1.jpg


I rode the wheels off one but with the black frame.

honda-scrambler-3.jpg


They even did what "everyone" did in the day and removed the muffler! All they need to add is "snuff or not" knobs on the end of the exhausts!
 
Downeaster said:
That too. My daughter, who is roughly 5 foot nothing, can JUST reach the ground on her Kawasaki Ninja 250.
She wants to move up after this year's riding season, but it's going to be hell finding a bike that fits her.
Click to expand...

Hi Downeaster,
daughter has Duck's Disease? Mine too.
OK dad, grab the sawzall and build the child a Bratstyled XS650.
 
Who doesn't think a ducati monster is an attractive bike? The air cooled s2rs are glorious.


You can blame the epa for the hideous exhaust cans. Gotta hide catalytic converters in everything .
 
I happen to be an ugly bike owner. The versys is not a super attractive bike by any means. But in terms of ergos and distance capability it checks it all off. I can cruise at 130kph all day long with enough power to zip past cars up to 200 kph with that 650 parallel twin. Stuff my givi bags full of clothes and run my heated vest and grips. Blast though corners and stop like a sport bike.

Ergonomically...bikes like the new bonnie and even my xs is cramping a fatiguing to ride for Uber long distance. Seat to peg distance doesn't work. Lack of Stator power, wind protection and hp for the roads here on old pretty bikes just don't work. Little options for hard luggage. Soft bags suck.

Do I love the way my versys looks. Not overly. It was my first buy where I didn't buy solely based on looks. But it has safely taken me 40,000 kms in 5 years coast to coast in canada an us east coast through torrential down pours and freezing cold with nary a hiccup. And very comfortably. We don't take interstate....but hp in a touring bike is important still. The bike checks every box way to good. Ugliest bike I have owned....yes. longest in the stable with most touring kms. Yes.

I love classic looking bikes. Love them. But in an all rounder for touring there is nothing there.
 

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