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^Wrong.
Bikes from the late 80's early 90's really float my boat and I'd love that GSXR.As it goes I was in Fowlers in Bristol yesterday to see my folks who were in town as my Mum needed a new pair of boots. They had this in there and I was wishing I had a spare £16k to by this.
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I have no soul.
It doesn't matter how fast or legendary that is, it is truly vile :-)Bikes like that are the reasons nakeds became so popular.
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Nah, it's the current fad for all things retro. Steel is real, all that jazz. I used to buy all sorts of auld nails for peanuts out of peoples gardens when I was a kid - no one wanted 60/70/80s Japanese bikes. They're all stupid expensive here now (even the ones held together with string) as they're getting converted into café racers...
I love some of the creative stuff being done with old bikes but it does irk me that there's this perception that riding a new bike is somehow less real. Fact is, dynamically speaking, new motorbikes are much nicer than old ones, same as bicycles. In addition, they're reliable which despite being mostly able to fix anything that goes wrong with my bikes is a wonderful improvement.
Nearly all bikes have something going for them but rarely does their respective utility have anything to do with their 'cool' ...otherwise we'd all be riding around on Multistradas and the like....
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Got the Motorbike/Motorcycle Show on series link, typical magazine show, but they covered that bike show in Shoreditch. He went scooting somewhere in Wiltshire, looked miserable, then interviewed some wiry old geezer with one of those daft mod-style scooters with 200 mirrors.
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Nothing wrong with plastic / fiber anyway...
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6231/6265077544_7e15084075_b.jpg
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Nah, it's the current fad for all things retro. Steel is real, all that jazz. I used to buy all sorts of auld nails for peanuts out of peoples gardens when I was a kid - no one wanted 60/70/80s Japanese bikes. They're all stupid expensive here now (even the ones held together with string) as they're getting converted into café racers...
I love some of the creative stuff being done with old bikes but it does irk me that there's this perception that riding a new bike is somehow less real. Fact is, dynamically speaking, new motorbikes are much nicer than old ones, same as bicycles. In addition, they're reliable which despite being mostly able to fix anything that goes wrong with my bikes is a wonderful improvement.
Nearly all bikes have something going for them but rarely does their respective utility have anything to do with their 'cool' ...otherwise we'd all be riding around on Multistradas and the like....
Good post
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Cheers dude.
Furious - great shout on the RC30. I love those bikes..I had one of my fastest road rides ever (around surrey) on a bone stocker borrowed from my mate Andy back when I was 17. It was just divinely composed over bumpy roads, probably why they were so awesome at the TT. He's also got a fully HRC kitted version, with custom carbon airbox that he went over to Germany and made with Durbahn. (Durbahn Home)
He's a bit of a loon all-round actually - he's currently plotting a run of RS850R replicas based on VF1000R motors. Legend.
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I have no soul.
It doesn't matter how fast or legendary that is, it is truly vile :-)Bikes like that are the reasons nakeds became so popular.
When buying bike covers, do not buy the expensive padded ones. They will be stolen, presumably by the homeless.
With respect Sir your 'Trumpet' is also comparatively soulless, despite young Arwan's fawning and people wanting to stop you for a chat, your bike is a copy of a bike made by an entirely different company. It was only the Triumph name that was bought by the company making those bikes today.
No different in effect to the void between a real Mini and a BMW Mini, the type of thing that modern middle class yummy mummys pop down to the shops in, clueless as to the roots of the car they're driving.
Naked bikes have always been around, before, during and after bikes with fairings. Here's a film about a fully faired motorcycle that did rather well on the Bonneville Salt Flats in 1962:
The World's Fastest Indian - YouTube
Ugly (unless you just get rosy eyed about nostalgia for the sake of nostalgia) but enormously effective.
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VanUden - I heard an old GSXR1100 at full chat on the 101 Freeway just the other day (probably an 88 - my favourite shape)
No way you could describe that noise as soulless.
I met a guy here back in 2002 that had a 7/11 with the full APE1340 kit (inc factory Yoshi cams and got knows what else.) It was kicking out a genuine 200bhp at the wheel and is the best sounding bike I've ever heard.
Love those old oil cooled motors.
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I think the problem is people who've come to bikes late in life and get all fucking precious about it. I've been through an FS1E, KH250, RD250LC, Z1300, 750SS, 888, first Blade - all at the time they were made. It's easy to sound smug, but all of those bikes had "soul", whatever that is. Proper bikes for proper thrills at the time, which makes me a little jaded when people get into bikes and immediately get a stiffy for cafe racers...and then talk about "soul". Not a fucking clue...
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I think the problem is people who've come to bikes late in life and get all fucking precious about it. I've been through an FS1E, KH250, RD250LC, Z1300, 750SS, 888, first Blade - all at the time they were made. It's easy to sound smug, but all of those bikes had "soul", whatever that is. Proper bikes for proper thrills at the time, which makes me a little jaded when people get into bikes and immediately get a stiffy for cafe racers...and then talk about "soul". Not a fucking clue...
^ This. But only if your Fizzy had a 60cc big-bore kit or you knew a mate who had one ;)
I went through a shoal of RDs in my youth from coffin tanked air-cooled 125 and 250 twins to an iconic white and blue 350LC. Plus a GS750 with an 850 Yoshi kit tuned to buggery - kick start only. One of the old XS650 twins that once kicked back on me so hard it bruised the arch of my foot through my boot and literally had tears rolling down my cheeks from the pain.
An XN85 turbo, mental but high maintenance. Never had a Ducati but always lusted after several, plus the Laverda Jota if we're talking Italiano. An original GSXR750 Slabby first generation, a GSXR1100K affectionately known as the 'Killer K' by the bike press. Plus a whole host more I can't even remember.
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With respect Sir your 'Trumpet' is also comparatively soulless, despite young Arwan's fawning and people wanting to stop you for a chat, your bike is a copy of a bike made by an entirely different company. It was only the Triumph name that was bought by the company making those bikes today.
This is all true.
And with respect to the latter part of your point, thank goodness.
I love the things but Meriden Triumphs were, in any practical regard, badly made obsolete crap. -
veLLo, you are right, I should have made a different comment. I also never said anything about the rider. In my opinion, I don't consider those nice bicycles. But at least it's a motorcycle. I got friends who ride bikes like that as well. People have different taste. Just like cars, some people like to buy a Honda (or something similar) and place a new bodykit on it. They like it, I don't (at least, in 99% of the cases I don't like it) but I even helped someone change his bodykit. I'm the one in a car giving the motorcycle enough space to pass during a traffic jam, the one who keeps enough distance from the motorcycle just in case. And it doesn't matter what kind of bike a person drives, I wouldn't buy one for the looks (doesn't say anything about the rider) but maybe they are perfect for travelling to work or going on vacation. And maybe the way I say it is a cultural thing. In my country and especially in the part I'm in, people are really direct. As far as I know, there isn't a single place where people are more direct. I will try to restrain a bit with my comments. I hope to get my license and a bike next year and I will probably buy a plastic bike as a first one because most of them are a lot cheaper then a Harley or a cafe racer. I ride old Puch mopeds myself, the geared onces. One from '57 and a "racer" from '71 (same model as the motorcycle edition, just a different engine eventhough my "50"CC (heavily tuned 70) has the same top speed). I will get a beater first, maybe a Suzuki or a Honda or something (no racer though, for some reason I can't resist to open the throttle on the highway and because driving on the rear wheel is too much fun, I will probably kill myself), and save money to buy parts so I can build my own motorcycle.
VanUden: My hair just turned red XD
veLLo: That is an actual oldschool racer. And it looks exactly like a kreidler that someone near my house has. 50CC and goes almost 200KM/h (124MPH). It's awesome because it's awesome.
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... Small, powerfull roadbikes, stripped from the useless and ugly pieces of plastic you see on those ugly roadbikes from Ducati, Suzuki and others. Low clip-on handlebars, nice low metal race seat and highly tuned. It's perfect.
mate's Ducati at the Borders Classic Bike Show - the year we won 'Best Club Stand'...
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Arawn - direct is one thing, but this is one thread on the forum where there is very little bitching. Everyone here loves motorbikes, has their own preferences and isn't critical of other people's choices. We know each other and have for some time, and have been on rides together where you'll see vintage bikes with superbikes with retros with street bikes and so on. And we're very keen to welcome anyone.
Then you rock up with a 40K plus user number, slinging round insults, when it turns out you don't have a bike or a motorcycle licence. It doesn't make you look good and, as you see, it doesn't go down well. So maybe wind it in a bit and, if you do ever get a licence, we'll see you on a ride...as long as you can keep up...
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@Arawn: do yourself a favour and pay attention to the forum elders...
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failed Module 1 test this morning - forgot to do final life saver before turn in road - instructor reckoned the examiner could have overlooked it, or just given advisory as everything else was perfect - if anything a little too fast on emergency stop and swerve/avoidance part - meh......
Seriously harsh mate, he could have cut you some slack. What now?
bq
furious_tiles
Jung
Crispin_Glover
veLLo
Markyboy
VanUden
EB
Arawn
MrE
handtightenonly-
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About
Motorcycle and Scooter appreciation
Posted by
@coppiThat
Speaking of ugly plastic Suzukis, anyone who can't appreciate this has no soul:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Suzuki-GSXR1100H-Slabside-1987-15000-miles-Slabbie-EXPORT-STREETFIGHTER-/221237778553?pt=UK_Motorcycles&hash=item3382cc9879