04-16-2015, 04:44 AM
I guess I'm an enigma; at 57, I started out converting used Japanese versions of Brit twins into cafe racers back in the '70s, and drooled over the look and sound of the inline 4 CB750, which was unfortunately beyond my budget. That morphed into 3 decades of sportbikes, when a decent income started after college in the early '80s, and I no longer had to buy used compromises of what I really wanted. Now, I find that my aging body doesn't want to fold up onto the committed position they require, and I get a lot more satisfaction and fun out of riding upright on my CB11 or lightly-cafe'd Triumph Bonneville. And I have to add here that I honestly feel that my CB is the most beautiful bike I've ever owned.
However, my heart still beats faster at the sight of a Ducati superbike. Or the KTM RC8, or...well, the sportbike list goes on and on. I still love their looks, whether trellis-framed, or aluminum perimeter-framed, you name it. Yet I fully understand that beauty is obviously subjective, as it is with any style of bike, car, art, etc. I'm just glad that there are so many bikes, in so many far-flung styles available now for every taste and niche, that nearly anybody can find a design and size that is well-suited to their situation, budget and needs.
But obviously, that doesn't change the fact that I was weened on UJMs, and still love and appreciate that style, which I've quite happily found again in the guise of the CB.
However, my heart still beats faster at the sight of a Ducati superbike. Or the KTM RC8, or...well, the sportbike list goes on and on. I still love their looks, whether trellis-framed, or aluminum perimeter-framed, you name it. Yet I fully understand that beauty is obviously subjective, as it is with any style of bike, car, art, etc. I'm just glad that there are so many bikes, in so many far-flung styles available now for every taste and niche, that nearly anybody can find a design and size that is well-suited to their situation, budget and needs.
But obviously, that doesn't change the fact that I was weened on UJMs, and still love and appreciate that style, which I've quite happily found again in the guise of the CB.
