Motorcycle Design: all time best - and worst?

[nigelphoto]

Lets start a heated debate - I hereby propose the Motion to This House that modern motorcycle designers have lost the plot. Part of the pleasure in owning a bike is that not only should it go like hell, hold the road like a limpet, be extremely cheap to run and utterly reliable, but above all it should look gorgeous. What do I mean? Well, take the latest offering from Europe's largest bike manufacturer



It might well be the fastest thing of all very-fast-things but to my mind it looks like a concoction of girders with pipes and bits flung on anywhere and a HUGE void between the rear wheel and the pillion, which, incidentally, not even a Gibraltar Ape could cling to with any satisfaction. And the headlight on a drop down panel modelled on the front end of a Panzar half-track. This bike is just plain UGLY.

Now have a ganders at this - beautiful proportions, no ugly voids, headlight where it should be, frame serves the purpose of holding the bits together and doesn't look like the Forth Bridge and proper chromed exhausts not drainpipes everywhere. Beautiful

 

[fraserdog]

That KTM looks like one of those kids Transformer toys.

 

[Ian Porter]

one of my favourite bits of modern motorcycle engineering isn't a whole bike but the GTR1400 shaft drive



now that is a work of art

 

[nigelphoto]

Yes, I'd agree - in fact the whole bike is well styled and looks balanced, although I'm not a fan of full fairings.

 

[Rubberchicken]

That KTM suffers from more downwards lines is more agressive, and the downward line is so steep that it won't fit in the bike so the whole thing falls apart. That kawa has a line from the arse end down to the front fender and looks good doing it, where on the KTM the line from the tail light doesn't even reach the front wheel and thus needs another line from the tank somewhere... It's just messy.

For the record I don't much care for the Laverda either, for one it's missing some frame downtubes which make the front end a bit weird, and it has a rather ugly seat.

 

[Kjell Lindberg]

To me this bike is a combination of both the best and the worst.
Still, I'd love to own one!

 

[nigelphoto]

For the record I don't much care for the Laverda either, for one it's missing some frame downtubes which make the front end a bit weird, and it has a rather ugly seat.

Oh I just love that seat. I could spend hours caressing that nice, round, full shape - oh no, I'm dribbling

 

[Rubberchicken]

To me this bike is a combination of both the best and the worst.
Still, I'd love to own one!

I like the line it has from taillight to front wheel, the problem with any boxer is the big second line from rear axle up through the engine. You see that a lot in the really uncompromising MX builds where those lines really start to intersect. Granted they're not built to be pretty...

 

[Lutin]

Yep, have to agree that the KTM is just so fecking UGLY!

The Laverda though is really quite gorgeous in comparison. The lack of front downtubes does look a bit odd at first, I have to admit, but it is very much more pleasing to the eye.

The Kwak is certainly more "together" and looks like my idea of a designed motorcycle but I harbour a suspicion that under all the bodywork there's a body mess going on.

As for the Beemer, well what shall I say other than "Yep, I'd have one".


And as for the seat fetish...... Matron, we've got another one!

 

[Rubberchicken]

Anything looks good compared to that KTM... but the Laverda is awkward. The seat/tank combo is a bit weird, the horn is a bit lost in the middle, dunno, can't bring myself to like it or want one. But I have that with more Italian design that others drool over...

 

[spanglish]

Take one large can of worms.....now open it .......For my opener for 10 the Triton in its many guises has to be up there in the "best", category . To match the Best engine available at the time with the very best handling frame just had to be a winner, But I'm just an old Rocker at heart. Now the worst.......just has to be this abortion....Munch Mammoth...YUK FOR GODS SAKE.......WHY??? :27:

 

[Lutin]

Take one large can of worms.....now open it .......

You know, I think you've found the one subject that could possibly (and I mean possibly) generate more traffic than the all time favourite - "which are the best tyres for my bike".

And the Munch Mammoth - because they could?

 

[Rubberchicken]

Something about oil too perhaps.