Retro Bike Critique...

I respect his point of view, though I do not agree for the most part.
What does strike a little nerve, but not just in this video, is the term beginners bike. I simply hate it, like every bike needs at least 200bhp or something?
Take away all the electronics from your big Ducati and show me you can keep it inline, then you can use the term beginner bike.

 

I agree with quite a lot of what he says. I own a Triumph retro (Street Twin) and I'm happy with it. But I don't love it. It does what I want, it's reliable, starts first time, it's pretty nippy, it's taken me all over the country including a 2000+ mile rally, if something goes wrong I know there's a shop down the road that will fix it (at a price of course) and I've altered a lot of it so that it stands out from other Street Twins.

But I'd swop it tomorrow for an original '60's or 70's Bonneville.

The reason I don't is because I want the Bonneville look plus the reliability of a modern bike. I want to get on it, press the button and go. I own other bikes that need care and attention to keep them running properly and they cost me a fair bit. So it's nice to have at least one bike that I find aesthetically pleasing and isn't likely to let me down.

Still tempted by an original though, maybe there's room in the garage for one more..

 

I wonder if he’s considered the Vitpilen 701? It would seem to cover his requirements… I’d love to test one (despite not using product in my beard) Ok, might be pushing it to claim a retro look, but I like the naked, “proper motorcycle” design of it.

 

Here’s an interesting quote regarding restrictions (presumably to do with emissions)...
At 1:30 in he reveals it makes 46 horsepower, but in India, the “bad boy’s version” makes over 90 horsepower!

 

go on.

do it.

there's plenty of room here on the dark side

 

The guy needs to remember..the new Bonnie is just the current version of the Bonnie.....things move on and evolve....but it need to look like a bonnie to be a bonnie and it does.

Like the current Ford Mustang....looks like a Mustang but is the current version.

I suspect if Triumph did not have to conform with world legislation the current Bonnie would be very different maybe even still have a carb??.....as would the Mustang.

 

The neo retro seems to be the current best way to sell bikes (and also cars, eg mini, fiat 500 etc).
I have nothing against it and people who likes it. Just not my taste.

 

I wondered when someone might pick up on that?

 

I kind of get his point, the bikes we see as classics were special in their time. Can a homage ever be a classic? Maybe not, but he doesn't really explain why that matters. There are plenty of ranges where the engineering and design is moving on, so it's not like the popularity of retro design and look is making the overall industry stand still.