Any Motorcycle people?

snapcracklepop

I saw this article a while ago on Winding Road and have been wondering what this is? http://news.windingroad.com/auto-news/mystery-trike-spotted-bmw-ktm-you-decide/
Has anyone figured out what it is? It looks cool and I wanted to know more about it. Thx!

boaz47

Can't see much in that picture. However I don't know of anyone other than Harley using belt drives on their big bikes. I haven't seen a BMW with a belt drive but I haven't been into bikes for a few years. I know Harley has worked with different kinds of trikes before and at one time they were supposed to be interested in producing a three wheeled vehicle that was something like a small car. But to me the belt drive is the only sign of who might have made it. :confuse:

snapcracklepop

Thanks. I didnt know that about belt drives. The article mentioned possible manufacturers, one of them being BMW. I am not familiar with the others, KTM and Can-Am, are you?

motosaurus

Thats a Bombardier model.
We have been trying to figure out who is the market-

Goldwing nuts?
Newbies who are afraid of the two wheel thing?

what do you think?

boaz47

I like the concept and a Quad or Snowmobile manufacturer would make sense now that they are making motors in excess of 600cc. It would ride nothing like a Motorcycle but it would be very famillure to a Quad rider.

snapcracklepop

I think it will appeal to anyone. Depends on your personal style. I think the weekend warrior's will love the Spyder. It looks cool - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3mgM83Y70Y

rockylee

It use to be Ducati or however you spell it. They made the 989? or something that was a 230 mph bike that was on the edge of being street legal. The Suzuki Hyboosh, is still around right ?

As you can tell I'm not a big Motorcycle man but do like them. I like the Harely Davidson's the best. The V-Rod, is probably my favorite along with the Ultra Classic. :shades:

Rocky

john_324

At the risk of getting disciplined for straying from discussing cars...

The Suzuki GSX-R series is right up there, as is the Ducati 999 range. For an underdog choice, the funky Buell bikes also handle very well due to their centralized-mass layout.

Yep, you can still buy a Hayabusa. They're one of the fastest production bikes available (though I think a Honda model is faster), even after being speed limited at around 200mph.

rockylee

Honda, what ?` :surprise: The Honda, Jet doesn't count :P

Rocky

railroadjames

Being that cycles are just 2-wheeled cars they should be included and why not? They are great on gas and efficient 2-up transportation. I own an '87 Honda Magna (yea, 20 yrs old) and still looks and runs great. Bought new for $2,500.00 and still worth $3,000.00. Wish my cars would increase in value like that. Shaft drive,Liquid cooled and a great cruiser. By the way..If memory serves me right the 3-wheeler costs a big fortune..hardly a value buy.

john_324

Yeah, I can't really see the point of the 3-wheeler/trike concept in terms of marketplace acceptance. All the inconvenience of a motorcycle combined with the price tag of a car.

wtd44

Harley owned the Tristar three wheeler company some years back. They finally sold their holdings. Holiday Rambler was another Harley venture, but that was not a three wheeler... :P

geo9

In my time I have had just about any kind of "scooter" !
Anything from rice to Brit to HDs...............

The fastest...........Kawi 3 cyl 2 stroke 900cc?
Most fun........75 Norton 850 Commando Silver jubille (spl)

Current.......77 Triumph Bonneville 750

john500

I see three-wheeled vehicles as a large potential market, however, as indicated the price must be closer to that of the motorcycle or at most halfway between the car and motorcycle.

Advantages over a motorcycle:
1. Increased stability - even I don't ride motorcycles in the rain.
2. Improved drag coefficient

Advantages over a car:
1. much lighter
2. might avert some of the weight adding "safety" features

I'd probably buy a three-wheeler if it weighed less than 900 lbs, was propelled with the Honda 599 or 919 engine or equivalent and cost in the neighborhood of $ 8-12 K. I'd like to see a shifter go-kart with turn signals and brake lights available as a daily-commute type vehicle. With all of the grossly oversized vehicles currently on the road, I agree that marketing these vehicles to anyone other than me would probably be a hard sell.

railroadjames

I too have owned several bikes (even a Cushman Eagle). One correction to your Kawasaki......It was an "H-2" 750 cc but what was amazing was, and still is, it held the record for 0-60mph 2.9 seconds. The bike was a monster. It was the most powerfull bike ever made (power to weight ratio). It ran consistantly in the low 11's at the strip. No electric start(bummer!) I used synthetic oil "Klotz" to avoid the embarassing trail of blue smoke. I've never owned a Hog. Every time a test road one I found too many thing I didn't like about them. Great lookers but lacking the refinements of Hondas & the like. My favorite bike is my last one of 20 yrs. Honda Magna '87. How many bikes are worth more after 20 yrs than what they cost new?

wtd44

Most Harleys! I ride a 2006 Suzuki VZR1800 I bought new. I love the performance. :shades:

railroadjames

Yrs ago I moonlited as a salesman @ a Kawasaki Shop in N.W. Indiana. I built a Rickman cafe racer with a Z-1 Kaw engine Bored it out to 1196 cc's...smoothbore carbs, H.D. clutch, (Barnett if I remember right)Dunlop Tires. Bike topped out @ 170 mph and ran low low 11's. In my crazy days I never found any bike that could beat it (not that it was important). Our shop raced it @ "Nelson/Ledges in Warren, Ohio back in the mid 70's. It was quite a race! Started @ noon on Saturday and ended 24 hrs later @ noon Sunday. Usually 3 riders per bike. I can still remember the scary thrill of competing with 50 plus bikes. Oh! To be young again. One other thing that I experienced was learning that Ducati bikes ruled back then. Harleys were nonexistant back then except for one yr. They placed next to last as I recall. Mostly Suzukis, Kaws, Hondas, Yamahas & Ducatis with a sprinkling of BMWs and Triumphs and I think Guzzis.

Mr_Shiftright

I had a Ducati Dharma and have owned a whole range of big road bikes at one time or another. I never liked Harleys, either then or even now. They feel very primitive by world standards. Very clumsy bikes.

My favorites were the Triumph Bonneville, the Dharma, a Moto Guzzi V50 (for zipping around town), a Honda 400/4, the very early Honda 750, a Ducati Desmo (I think it was 350). I didn't care so much for Norton Interstate oddly enough. I had two BMWs, an R67/2 and an R90, and they were great tourers. I even used to take them off road a lot because they had such long fork travel and were relatively light.

Probably the worst ride of my life was an Indian Scout with a foot clutch and suicide shifter. Yikes!

Oh I had a stripped down Yamaha 650cc I really like, too. Not exciting but a good bike for San Francisco.

wtd44

I started out with a nonimport model of Vespa at 13 that a friend of my father had carried back from Italy. I got a little Harley soon after, and then a BSA 250cc that saw me through high school. It's been Triumph, Harley, and Japanese big four since then. More Harleys owned than anything else, but I seem to like 'em all.

Mr_Shiftright

I think scooters are the most dangerous of any two wheeler.

I don't like Harleys mostly because they don't handle and are overweight. The looks are okay, especially the stripped down models. I hopped on a friend's 2005 last November and about killed myself on the first turn. I thought maybe someone had welded the handlebars. That thing plowed through the turn like a bus. I can't imagine touring with one. It's a bike that just beats you up.

Some time ago I drove a Harley that had been stripped down to a kind of cafe racer---it was an extremely minimalist bike and with the modified suspension and brakes I really liked it. The guy did a fabulous job! But it was hardly a Harley anymore in terms of OEM equipment.

Well to each his own. My style is (or used to be...sigh) to drive fast on twisties or to take really long, long trips, neither of which is a Harley's strong points IMO. For someone who likes short day trips two-up on club days, on two lane roads at more or less legal speeds, it might be the perfect bike indeed.

Not a big fan of overpowered Japanese screamers either...the styling is too freaky and there's just more power than you can possibly put on the road.

For all their faults, one thing I liked about British bikes is that they had BALANCE, in handling, braking and power...it was all in harmony.

toomanyfumes

I ride a '91 Goldwing 1500 myself. Bulletproof reliability, great bike for trips/touring. Good for commuting to work and back with lots of storage space and double the mileage of my car. (About 38 MPG.) It's a heavy beast, though they try to keep the weight down low. The gas tank is under the seat and the engine is a flat six. I'm taking about a 2000 mile trip in June from here in Wisconsin to the Smokey mountains.

Mr_Shiftright

The Goldwing is a nice reliable touring bike, although as you say very heavy. Not a sport bike definitely and I'd hate to have to pick one up by myself.

do you remember another 6 cylinder bike called the Benelli Sei? I believe they made a 750 and a 900. It was an upright 6. I think a flat 6 makes more sense in a motorcycle.

toomanyfumes

I've heard of Benelli but don't know that model. A Goldwing isn't as hard to pick up as you would think. The crash bars keep it from tipping all the way over. You kind of lean down and use your legs to push it back up.

I found out the hard way trying to get to my friend's cabin on a sand/gravel road. Off road vehicles these are not!

elroy5

Had a 750 Honda Shadow for 6 years. Fun for cruising around town, and 500 or less mile trips. Saved a lot of $$$ on gas taking the bike instead of the car or truck to work. I want to get an 1100, but the wife always has other ideas.

railroadjames

Saw a sad thing a few yrs ago. I pulled up next to a somewhat short older guy on a loaded Goldwing. He had made two mistakes. One: He had pulled up to the red light smack in the middle of the lane right over oil leak droppings. Two: He had his 275lb sweetie on the back. As luck would have it, his foot slipped and down went everything. What made matters worse than the embarassment of dropping his beautifull machine his sweetie gets up and proceeds to beat him with a huge purse. I jumped out of my car and wedged between the two of them and said I'd give him a hand righting the bike. I really felt sad for the guy.

Mr_Shiftright

LOL!

I never rode heavy bikes for this very reason. The BMWs, Ducati and the British bikes were relatively light machines (for road bikes) and I could easily lay them over or god forbid, pick them up.

Mr_Shiftright

1997 BMW 800S -- 400 lbs.

1997 Ducati 748 -- 410 lbs

1997 Honda VTR 1000 -- 452 lbs.

1997 Harley Davidson Heritage -- 700 lbs./ V-Rod 652 lbs.

Kawasaki Vulcan 2000 -- 800 lbs.

lrguy44

What kind of Harley did you ride? I (actually my wife made me) went from a Dyna Sport to an Ultra. I could not believe how easy it is to ride - and great on the interstate when you have to. I much prefer old highways and county roads.

Mr_Shiftright

A Harley is easy to ride in a straight line if you go 55 mph but not if you try to corner with it at anything approaching high speed on country roads. It's a lot of work and has a very unsettling feeling about it. I'd guess the smaller, lighter stripped down models, with aftermarket suspension and better tires and a good rider might be "okay" but any Euro bike will kill it in any dimension of performance except noise and repairs. :P

lrguy44

I had a Dyna Sport that was ok on gravel, but a Road King and abouve are pavement cruisers.

Mr_Shiftright

Well most big bikes don't like gravel very much. I found BMWs to be pretty good on rough ground because of the long fork travel however...I could take the BMW places I wouldn't dare take most larger bikes.

But you're right, Harleys are really best for straight-line leisurely cruising. They do that well, if you can stand some vibration...which you can avoid by not going too fast. Weight = stability as long as you don't try to change direction too fast. This would be true of any heavy motorcycle, not just a Harley. There are some other porkers out there from Japan.

la4mead

I'm interested in hearing from other riders. Weekend tourers to commuters. Cruisers - tourers - sportbikes - duallys - dirt, it doesn't matter. They're all good.

Garmin Zumos? Trailering? Cross-country tours?

roadburner

I jumped in with both feet almost four years ago. I have a 1996 Speed Triple fitted with six-pot front calipers, a Triumph/Sebring 3-into-1 "Racing/Off-Road" pipe, and a seat cowl. It's more than fast enough for me; it can keep up with a lot of middleweight sportbikes but the lack of a faring makes cruising at anything over 80 far too tiring.

stever

I borrowed one of these for a couple of weeks back in my HS days.

World's Most Popular Motorcycle Returns to America (Wired)

roadburner

I sometimes find myself tempted by a Royal Enfield or a Ural, although I'm virtually certain either one would be a royal PITA to maintain...

la4mead

I started riding as my primary transportation about four years ago, too. I was coming from smaller dualsport (street legal dirt) bikes like KLR250 (great alternative to the scooter, OK for freeway, but I only got 80mpg out of it) and DR and DR-Z400 (not at all similar to a scooter and a hyperactive little 400 thumper that sucks fuel from fuel stop to the next opportunity).

I appreciate the "adult" upright seating position like a cruiser, without the weight of all that heavy chrome, so I really love my VStrom. It's nothing to look at or fast like your Triple, but it's both a great tour bike and efficient commuter, easy to handle in traffic and parking lots. And instead of leaning forward and getting cramps like my friends on sportbikes, I find the position comfortable on long rides and therapeutic to my already sore spine.

I commute every day on the Strom. It's plenty quick for me, and I keep pace with my friends without a problem. But I can go farther between fuel stops. I'm back at school full-time so I don't get a lot of time on weekends, but at least once a month I join my friends on long group rides.

I'm in So Cal (north SFV), if you want to get together for a ride send me a PM. Summer's coming up, and it will be easier to schedule.

Yeah, I love my cars but use them sparingly now. I really enjoy being on the bike, except when it rains (and how often does that happen in So Cal anymore?).

la4mead

My personal favorite part about my motorcycles is not having to work on them often. I can appreciate the exotics (exotic is a euphemism when used on a Ural) and love looking over bikes you don't see often (another GSXR?) but want to ride my bikes rather than wait for parts to fix 'em. Just sayin'.

The little scooter pic is "cute" but practical only in crowded urban centers, when I feel safer on a more agile bike. Out here in suburbia, I get on a freeway right at a suburban interchange to get to campus, and that traffic is moving fast and cares little about the safety of motorcyclists. I find the best defense is to keep pace.

Riders on this forum understand not all motorcyclists fit a "biker" description of being on a bike to challenge death by Buick (or Camry, Windstar, Escalade, or any other 2+ton rolling phone booths). Plus, I guess I like to control my own gear ratios. But I hope more people use scooters (as well as bikes with fixed gear ratios) to help cut our dependence on foreign oil, have some fun, and unclog our streets. But make safety (and spread courtesy) a priority.

roadburner

I looked long and hard at the VStrom; it's an excellent bike. The S3 was just too inexpensive to refuse. Thanks for the ride invitation but I live in Kentucky. Let me know if you are ever up my way.

twomuch4u146

need a value on a suzuki 2005 sv650s 1400 miles on it

stever

I think NADA does bikes. Edmunds just does cars.

stever

The History of Harley-Davidson Picture Gallery (Inside Line)

lffuenmayorr

Hi friends, always I like it the road and adventure, my first motorcycle was Xtreet UM, of "UM Motos" and truly I am a motorcycle lover, who wishes to speak on these topics, welcome to my circle of friends.

fintail

Interesting...never seen one, guess they aren't sold in US/Canada. Might be a viable alternative to clunky Chinese bikes.

fintail

Motorcycles are itching me again - probably because I know that now in the offseason and end of year is the best time to buy, at least from a dealer. I think I will not buy a Ducati, not now anyway - not until I have a good year or so on the road to know what I want to do. The build/material quality of the Monsters I looked at seemed ages ahead of the Japanese bikes I inspected - but at a high price. I think I am going to pursue a little Ninja or the used SV650 that is still languishing at a local lot. I want something with ABS, budget 5K or so max. Or do I...

These now "vintage" bikes had big appeal to me when I was a kid, and this one looks good

This looks decent

Or this, if it had its needs addressed

These are all half the price of modern bikes I would want. I see potential future collectible status for such bikes, if they are really pristine. I remember as a kid, liking some 80s style sportbike (FZR or Suzuki?) that had white wheels, can't remember what it was.

stever

Anyone ever hear of Bob Duffey? Local guy, was just featured on American Pickers (short youtube segment).

Guess he could have been as famous as Evel Knievel, but he didn't crash enough so rarely made the headlines.

fintail

I saw that one. Fun show, although I suspect it isn't all reality. I like how they end up in the red with cars sometimes.