(10-25-2019, 01:18 AM)postoak_imp Wrote: [ -> ]I would also eliminate mini-bikes, boutique bikes, 2 cycle engine bikes, plus bikes that won't cruise at 70 mph.
I haven't applied all of the disqualifiers mentioned but here is the list I have:
BMW R nineT Pure
Honda CB1100
Kawasaki W800
Kawasaki Z900RS
Moto Guzzi V7
Moto Guzzi V9
Royal Enfield Inteceptor 650
Suzuki TU250x
Triumph Bonneville 100
Triumph Bonneville 120
Triumph Street Twin
Triumph Speed Twin
Yamaha SR400
Yamaha XSR 700
Yamaha XSR 900
Good list...Will these 2 cruise at 70mph? I suppose they will, but I bet the experience is substantially different on them. Having said that, I wouldn't mind having either, or both.
My only gripe with the W800 is if I'm paying $$ for 800cc and paying premium insurance for a bike over 750cc, I want it to have more power than my cousins 1983 CB450. It doesn't and weighs 80 lbs more too.
Kinda miss the kickstarter on most modern machines.
within any such list we could distinguish between "retro appearance" features and "retro performance" or function elements. The Kawa Z900 RS or the new BMW /5 lean towards the appearance side--their functionality and performance are much like that of the Z900 and RnineT engines/platform just under the skin. Most of the "retro" there is in the paint job and cosmetics. Air-cooled engines and twin shocks look retro but, more important, they are functionally old-fashion technology--one pays a certain price in performance for a bike that is retro inside and out. So the question becomes, do you want a bike that looks kinda retro, or one that reminds you of the sounds and sensations of operating a vintage bike--the experience of kickstarting, or the pings of an engine cooling down, or simply riding without electronic traction aids and digital display screens. Some will complain about spending money on a new bike that does not have the same power as some other bike, but it seems to me that those looking for a retro experience might prefer a bike that both looks and rides somewhat like an old bike, but without the upkeep and safety compromises of owning an actual vintage machine. Is carb maintenance worth carb authenticity--using a choke, tickling etc? would anyone still want a 6 volt system or drum brakes? the interesting category is when function and looks intersect--LED headlights, for instance, or spoked wheels with tubes. For some, "cruising at 70" will not be a particularly retro qualifier, but on today's highways maybe a practical one.
"Retro" to me implies "in the spirit of the original" - enough so to illicit common emotions associated with the original, but without many of the burdens.
