04-16-2015, 09:41 PM
I thought some more on this topic last night, and I actually don’t find the situation to be alarming. If we look at what is available from all the major brands, I think that pretty much all producers actually has at least one bike in their line-up that is likely to appeal to those that prefer a more classic looking bike with some old-school charm.
Being realistic, this type of bike will always be a bit of a niche market. Any manufacturer is in the business to make money, and so most of their effort will obviously cater for what constitutes the biggest demand. Bike magazines in turn will also focus on these bikes mainly for the same reasons. As a result, it is not surprising that a bike like the Explorer is voted bike of the year. What I found particularly interesting though, and also very promising, was the immense interest created by the R9T last year. Although not a pure retro bike, it is one that also focuses on a niche market yet the public and the media gave it a lot of attention.
If we look at the situation brand by brand, I think it all looks quite good:
Honda
Even if there is no update for this year, the CB1100 is still available. Perhaps sales figures are fairly low, but there continues to be an interest on a global level. When its production is finally ended, and honestly there are no obvious indications of this happening soon, I would expect Honda to come up with something new to fit this sort of market. As for the rest of the Honda range, there is not much that appeals to me personally, although if I was in the market for a proper sports bike I would certainly keep an eye on the CBR1000RR.
Yamaha
I know it is not available in the US market, but as a manufacturer they are still producing the XJR 1300 which is a very interesting basic bike harking back to the 70’s and 80’s. I personally prefer the CB1100, but it does constitute a good alternative. They also have the SR400 which is certainly retro.
Suzuki
I think at present this may be the only Japanese brand that does not propose an obvious retro-like bike in any way. Since they stopped the GSXR1400 a few years back, there has been a bit of a vacuum there for them to fill. They certainly would have the parts available to make a new one, and possibly of Yamaha continues to be successful with their XJR they might bring something back. There is always hope.
Kawasaki
Again, I do not believe it is available in the US market, but Kawasaki is having a fair success around the world with the W800. My personal opinion is that this is a better Bonnie than the Bonnie, and it is certainly a competent retro offering. Having previously had the W650, they clearly saw a market demand and brought out the W800. Here in Europe it may not sell as well as the Bonnie, but it does well enough for Kawasaki to keep producing it. Then there were also those rumors about the return of the Zephyr….
Triumph
Clearly Triumph maintains the Bonneville as a cornerstone of their product range. It continues to be a very strong seller, and with their history I doubt that Triumph could stop it. I think we are more likely to continue to see updates on it, each year also seeing some special models and other derivatives from the base model.
BMW
I mentioned before the R9T, and this has proven to be a huge success. Some will say it is not actually a retro, but regardless of what it is, it seems to appeal to people like us. It is simple in design, and has a look which goes totally away from the rest of the transformer-like bikes that makes up the majority of today’s market. The impact the bike had last year is very much a sign of hope for the future!
Ducati
They have just brought out the Scrambler, and for having tested it recently it is a great little bike. It doesn’t really compete with a CB, but it clearly is the type of bike that will appeal to those who like it simple and classic. In the past there were the Sports Classic, and I can imagine that if the Scrambler is a success they might just have a go again on something like that.
KTM
I figured I would mention them given that they have become a force within the biking industry. However, let’s keep in mind that they do not have a long history of road bikes. KTM was always cutting edge endure and cross bikes, and it is only recently that they have moved to track bikes. As far as roadsters are concerned, it then makes sense that anything they produce would be based on their endure heritage, which is obvious with the Super Dukes they have made.
Moto Guzzi
Much of their production is based on the sort of bike appealing to the crowd here with the V7, Griso and California. Certainly a brand to turn to if looking for a more traditional bike.
Aprilia
Not much for me to like these days in their lineup. I liked the older V2 Tuonos, but since they went V4 it is not for me. Besides, the looks have always been a bit iffy. However, a few years back they came out with a beautiful concept bike, the Blue Marlin. Who knows what they might do in the future?
There are then a number of bike companies making cruisers that all are very much like bikes of the past while including some more up to date technology. Obviously Harley Davidson, but also now Indian as well as Victory. We also find some other specialty bikes like Royal Enfield and even the Urals. I am sure this is not an exhaustive list, but it does cover a fairly large spectrum.
So, even though the large majority of bikes sold today may not appeal to us as they are too modern/plastic/electronics etc. it seems to me there is still a lot to choose from, and I believe there still will be in the future.
Being realistic, this type of bike will always be a bit of a niche market. Any manufacturer is in the business to make money, and so most of their effort will obviously cater for what constitutes the biggest demand. Bike magazines in turn will also focus on these bikes mainly for the same reasons. As a result, it is not surprising that a bike like the Explorer is voted bike of the year. What I found particularly interesting though, and also very promising, was the immense interest created by the R9T last year. Although not a pure retro bike, it is one that also focuses on a niche market yet the public and the media gave it a lot of attention.
If we look at the situation brand by brand, I think it all looks quite good:
Honda
Even if there is no update for this year, the CB1100 is still available. Perhaps sales figures are fairly low, but there continues to be an interest on a global level. When its production is finally ended, and honestly there are no obvious indications of this happening soon, I would expect Honda to come up with something new to fit this sort of market. As for the rest of the Honda range, there is not much that appeals to me personally, although if I was in the market for a proper sports bike I would certainly keep an eye on the CBR1000RR.
Yamaha
I know it is not available in the US market, but as a manufacturer they are still producing the XJR 1300 which is a very interesting basic bike harking back to the 70’s and 80’s. I personally prefer the CB1100, but it does constitute a good alternative. They also have the SR400 which is certainly retro.
Suzuki
I think at present this may be the only Japanese brand that does not propose an obvious retro-like bike in any way. Since they stopped the GSXR1400 a few years back, there has been a bit of a vacuum there for them to fill. They certainly would have the parts available to make a new one, and possibly of Yamaha continues to be successful with their XJR they might bring something back. There is always hope.
Kawasaki
Again, I do not believe it is available in the US market, but Kawasaki is having a fair success around the world with the W800. My personal opinion is that this is a better Bonnie than the Bonnie, and it is certainly a competent retro offering. Having previously had the W650, they clearly saw a market demand and brought out the W800. Here in Europe it may not sell as well as the Bonnie, but it does well enough for Kawasaki to keep producing it. Then there were also those rumors about the return of the Zephyr….
Triumph
Clearly Triumph maintains the Bonneville as a cornerstone of their product range. It continues to be a very strong seller, and with their history I doubt that Triumph could stop it. I think we are more likely to continue to see updates on it, each year also seeing some special models and other derivatives from the base model.
BMW
I mentioned before the R9T, and this has proven to be a huge success. Some will say it is not actually a retro, but regardless of what it is, it seems to appeal to people like us. It is simple in design, and has a look which goes totally away from the rest of the transformer-like bikes that makes up the majority of today’s market. The impact the bike had last year is very much a sign of hope for the future!
Ducati
They have just brought out the Scrambler, and for having tested it recently it is a great little bike. It doesn’t really compete with a CB, but it clearly is the type of bike that will appeal to those who like it simple and classic. In the past there were the Sports Classic, and I can imagine that if the Scrambler is a success they might just have a go again on something like that.
KTM
I figured I would mention them given that they have become a force within the biking industry. However, let’s keep in mind that they do not have a long history of road bikes. KTM was always cutting edge endure and cross bikes, and it is only recently that they have moved to track bikes. As far as roadsters are concerned, it then makes sense that anything they produce would be based on their endure heritage, which is obvious with the Super Dukes they have made.
Moto Guzzi
Much of their production is based on the sort of bike appealing to the crowd here with the V7, Griso and California. Certainly a brand to turn to if looking for a more traditional bike.
Aprilia
Not much for me to like these days in their lineup. I liked the older V2 Tuonos, but since they went V4 it is not for me. Besides, the looks have always been a bit iffy. However, a few years back they came out with a beautiful concept bike, the Blue Marlin. Who knows what they might do in the future?
There are then a number of bike companies making cruisers that all are very much like bikes of the past while including some more up to date technology. Obviously Harley Davidson, but also now Indian as well as Victory. We also find some other specialty bikes like Royal Enfield and even the Urals. I am sure this is not an exhaustive list, but it does cover a fairly large spectrum.
So, even though the large majority of bikes sold today may not appeal to us as they are too modern/plastic/electronics etc. it seems to me there is still a lot to choose from, and I believe there still will be in the future.