02-11-2015, 08:49 AM
(02-05-2015, 12:09 PM)Guth_imp Wrote: For me, the photo of Capos 1970 T120 illustrates why I think Honda was wise not to try to recreate any one specific design from the past. The look of the current Bonneville pales in comparison to the originals. The proportions just aren't right. The beautiful lines of that 1970 bike are lost in the new bikes with their bulbous tanks, oddly angled pipes and larger engines. The models sporting 17" wheels look worse to my eye than the T100s. Not because of the spokes, but because the size of the wheel/tire just throws the balance off that much more. Keep in mind that I consider the Triumphs of the late 60s to be some of the most beautiful bikes ever built. Simply awesome looking machines. So Triumph set their own design bar really high. I also happen to be pretty particular about stuff like this.
Those of you who have been around this forum for a while are familiar with the fact that I'm not too crazy about the look of the larger tank on the CB1100 deluxe. Same deal - the lines of the tank pass muster in some photos, but in others the curves just look bloated. I would be hard pressed to find a photo of that 1970 T120 that didn't look darn near perfect to me from almost any angle. Stunning machine.
Before I come across as being too hard on today's retro standards, I would add that I still find these designs more attractive than the alternatives. The Bonneville of today is still a more attractive bike to me than say the Daytona 675. Things just start to fall apart for me a bit when the comparison to the looks of the old bikes comes into play.
Gentlemen,
This post from our Forum's Il Duce is spot on in my opinion. I had a Lucifer Orange modern Bonneville and that double kink in the exhaust pipes drove me crazy because it shouldn't be that way. I can't warm up to the Dlx tank either and would have swapped it out for the standard tank if I bought one. Putting 17" wheels on a Bonneville is like putting 50 series tires on a 1969 Mustang, it just looks wrong. On my '13 CB1100 I would change a few things. It needs the 6 speed transmission and the bare aluminum engine and wheels of the '14 Dlx, and the black tank of the '14 std. I am not a fan of blacked out bikes or cars because so much visual detail is lost. The big air cooled mill in the CB11 shows itself off best in bare aluminum and it's the best styling feature on this bike. It puts the "motor" back in motorcycle. The exhaust system on the '13 CB is ugly with the sloppy welds feeding into the round converter that funnels awkwardly into the silencer. The taillight and turn signals on the '13 bike are WAY to big too but that has been fixed on my bike.
Still, especially as my '13 is modded today, I think it is far more beautiful than the original CB750. IMO, only the CB400 is as pretty.
As for the respectful posting of opinions, both positive and negative, they should all be welcome here. Personal attacks or flaming have no place here, but when I put up threads on Chip Beck Spec mods, I get a lot of members who post that they don't like what I have done as it's not right for them or their tastes while others really liked what I did. I posted up to subject my work to respectful peer review with all comments, positive or negative, welcome. That's my take on that.
All the best.
Chip