Motorcycles

[MarioImpemba]

I would rather own any of these over anything comparable from Germany: Miata, RX-7, BRZ/FRS, MR2, NSX, ITR, S2k.

The materials quality isn't up to snuff, but the ergonomics are dialed in many of those cars, which is much more important IMO.

Hell, the 1st gen Insight blows my mind. Aluminum chassis and body in an economy car? Are you kidding me? That thing is an amazing engineering feat given the price of the vehicle and its performance.

The Japanese and Americans file more automotive patents than Germany.

If anything, Mclaren is the pinnacle, to me.

I have never been enamored with the Audi's and BMW's I've driven. Porsche is a different story, but their interior quality is lacking. Audi and Mercedes interiors are top rate, but you certainly pay for it.

Anything much more than 3,000 lbs has too much lag in the transient dynamics IMO.

I have no idea what all this translates to in production motorcycles. Ducati wins a lot of manufacturers Championships, but Italians and Germans do so in F1, too; doesn't necessarily translate to the best production road vehicle.

 

[MarkI]

After doing lots of reading and research, and despite the negativity in this thread, put a deposit on a Cyclewerks Misfit, should be getting it early November.

Going to be my first bike, just completed the MSF course in NY and got my license.

I'll let it be known, a big reason why I chose the bike is because i'm going to be on my fathers insurance, and he wanted me to have a new bike....that and he's putting in $1,200 for it. I'm essentially only paying 2 grand for it.

 

[Cool The Kid]



After doing lots of reading and research, and despite the negativity in this thread, put a deposit on a Cyclewerks Misfit, should be getting it early November.

Going to be my first bike, just completed the MSF course in NY and got my license.

I'll let it be known, a big reason why I chose the bike is because i'm going to be on my fathers insurance, and he wanted me to have a new bike....that and he's putting in $1,200 for it. I'm essentially only paying 2 grand for it.

Nice

Buy 2 helmets, you are going to crush so much punani

Just get a couple thousand miles down first... learning in NYC is ******* brutal.

 

[BostonHedonist]

Hell, the 1st gen Insight blows my mind. Aluminum chassis and body in an economy car? Are you kidding me? That thing is an amazing engineering feat given the price of the vehicle and its performance.

The Japanese and Americans file more automotive patents than Germany.

If anything, Mclaren is the pinnacle, to me.

Yeah the Insight was a marvel of engineering. But as a drivable automobile it was.... eh. Sure did love seeing how many MPG it got going down a hill though! People who try to save the world by driving this or that are lame. It's like "oh you drive a Prius? Do you know the heinous chemicals that go into the engine give it a higher carbon footprint than a Ford F-150 until you've driven it more than 100,000 miles?"

And yeah. Mclaren is ****. While we're at it, let's compare Ford to Saleen...

 

[BostonHedonist]

After doing lots of reading and research, and despite the negativity in this thread, put a deposit on a Cyclewerks Misfit, should be getting it early November.

Going to be my first bike, just completed the MSF course in NY and got my license.

I'll let it be known, a big reason why I chose the bike is because i'm going to be on my fathers insurance, and he wanted me to have a new bike....that and he's putting in $1,200 for it. I'm essentially only paying 2 grand for it.

Good for you buddy. Just start getting miles under your belt. And for chrissake wear full gear for as long as you can bear it.

 

[Rumpelstiltskin]

None of the current Japanese bikes has any character or soul...well other than the VMax and that isn't my kind of bike. Now some older bikes from the 80s and the 70s have character but nothing in the past 10 years has any. Souless efficient machines. The last Japanese sportbike with soul was the RC51 IMHO and they stopped making that in 04 or 05.

 

[andrewgreg]

Any Harley guys here? I was at the dealership to try some of their bikes.

All the Dyna's too tall for me my legs can hardly touch the ground. The sportster Forty eight with 1200 engine fit me very well and cost about 10k. Also they have a Softtail Slim. Really perfect but that thing is about 17k holy **** I don't want to spend that much.

So right now my only options are Sportster or Softail used. As I will ride it going to school sometimes, a Softail would be "too much" for me? I'm 5'8'' and pretty young.

A friend of mine has a V rod that thing is fast as ****.

 

[MarioImpemba]

People who try to save the world by driving this or that are lame.

I wanted one just so it wouldnt rust away in Michigan like everything else

None of the current Japanese bikes has any character or soul...well other than the VMax and that isn't my kind of bike. Now some older bikes from the 80s and the 70s have character but nothing in the past 10 years has any. Souless efficient machines. The last Japanese sportbike with soul was the RC51 IMHO and they stopped making that in 04 or 05.

Define what character or soul means to you.

Not keen on the CB1100? Upcoming FZ-09?

 

[Fang66]



I would rather own any of these over anything comparable from Germany: Miata, RX-7, BRZ/FRS, MR2, NSX, ITR, S2k.

The materials quality isn't up to snuff, but the ergonomics are dialed in many of those cars, which is much more important IMO.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Hell, the 1st gen Insight blows my mind. Aluminum chassis and body in an economy car? Are you kidding me? That thing is an amazing engineering feat given the price of the vehicle and its performance.

The Japanese and Americans file more automotive patents than Germany.

If anything, Mclaren is the pinnacle, to me.

I have never been enamored with the Audi's and BMW's I've driven. Porsche is a different story, but their interior quality is lacking. Audi and Mercedes interiors are top rate, but you certainly pay for it.

Anything much more than 3,000 lbs has too much lag in the transient dynamics IMO.

I have no idea what all this translates to in production motorcycles. Ducati wins a lot of manufacturers Championships, but Italians and Germans do so in F1, too; doesn't necessarily translate to the best production road vehicle.

 

I do believe there is a glaring omission from your list.

 

[epb]



None of the current Japanese bikes has any character or soul...well other than the VMax and that isn't my kind of bike.

The American public has steadfastly refused to buy any Japanese bike with character for decades. They make them, the press raves, and we all go get another Sportster. Watch how things go with the CB1100.

 

[BostonHedonist]

::sigh::

Yes, there is the GTR. Not much for comfort as a daily driver, but it is one hell of a driving machine. I'd love to take one of those for a spin.

Any Harley guys here? I was at the dealership to try some of their bikes.

All the Dyna's too tall for me my legs can hardly touch the ground. The sportster Forty eight with 1200 engine fit me very well and cost about 10k. Also they have a Softtail Slim. Really perfect but that thing is about 17k holy **** I don't want to spend that much.

So right now my only options are Sportster or Softail used. As I will ride it going to school sometimes, a Softail would be "too much" for me? I'm 5'8'' and pretty young.

A friend of mine has a V rod that thing is fast as ****.

Probably the only Harley I'd consider is the Fat Bob



I'm not really into Harleys and it's always the guys riding these bikes in particular who don't give anyone else "The Wave." The whole culture of it is too... insular. And you're always paying in the neighborhood of $20k for something that shakes and rattles worse than a Furby in heat.

Still, the Fat Bob is one sexy beast (even if its 1600+cc engine only makes 63bhp). As for the Sportster, I feel like it tries to be on the one hand sporty and on the other hand cruisery and thus, fails at both. Of course the same could probably be said for my bike...



And I would agree with the assessment.

 

[Cool The Kid]

**** the GT-R. Yes, its competent, fast, even fun to drive... but it is the definition of soulless. Sounds like a vacuum cleaner and is the automotive equivalent of:

[VIDEO][/VIDEO]

Performance cars need to get back to the mantra of "less is more". The first M5 weighed ~3400lbs. That's less than a 6 banger 3 series today. It's absurd. We need more Ariel Atoms and Factory Five 818s. [/endrant]

I totally forgot about the RC51. Def gonna look at those when the opportunity comes. Honda 996

 

[BostonHedonist]

**** the GT-R. Yes, its competent, fast, even fun to drive... but it is the definition of soulless. Sounds like a vacuum cleaner and is the automotive equivalent of:

ahem

Ok, getting off topic.

 

[epb]



And I would agree with the assessment.

I don't think I've ever seen a t-bird or speedmaster in the wild. Chicago's crawling with Bonnies, Striples and the like but cruisers, not so much.

 

[BostonHedonist]

I've seen maybe 3-4 of Triumph's cruisers on the road besides mine in the past few years in Boston, and I live in the same neighborhood as my dealership. They are very uncommon choices, probably because you can get reliable, boring Japanese cruisers for cheaper that "look just like a Harley!" or, if you're an older guy looking for a shiny, high-torque-low-horsepower money pit, there's Harley itself.

But Triumph cruisers, for being cruisers, have a surprising amount of power, handling and reliability. And they've got their own style and character. More fun, I say, to stand out from the pack.


If I were to upgrade my Speedy to something heavier, faster and more cushy, I'd probably go with the T-Bird (MSRP $13.5k) over any other cruiser.



But I think I'll get the STriple first.





Because life's to short to always be riding a cruiser.