MOTORCYCLE MONDAY-Genius Ideas Edition

"Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns" (themarvelous1310) 07/11/2016 at 08:47 • Filed to: BRILLIANT!, Dan Gurney, Alligator A-6, Forward Control Motorcycles, American Motorcycles, The Odd Custom

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Meet the Alligator A-6. It’s exactly what it looks like-a sportsbike with an unapolegetically chopperish forward-control seating position. If you think that’s a wierd or dumb idea for whatever reason, you owe Dan Gurney a sincere apology.

“What did YOU ever build, you loudmouthed weeny?”

Power comes from a 670cc Honda single, both for light weight and sound(Gurney’s a flat-track fan from way back, and thus a sucker for a big-bore thumper. Wonder what he thinks of the Husky 701, or the KTM 690 Duke?), and it makes 70 horsepower-not as much as, say, a Victory Octane, but more than enough to make trouble in a bike that only weighs 320 pounds!

That’s right, only 320 pounds. Carbon bodywork, chrome-moly frame and magnesium wheels will do that.

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and describes the experience as follows:

“At first sight the Alligator looks like a sportbike, and it’s true the bike has high-performance intent. However, when you sit down (and I mean DOWN—the seat height is only 18 inches) and find your footing right behind the front wheel, it feels more like you’re riding an extreme cruiser with a drag bar than the sportbike the sleek bodywork suggests. Of course, as soon as you start rolling down the road you realize this bike really doesn’t feel like either, but rather its own thing, which is, perhaps, a magnificent blend of both.

One of the major benefits of sitting so low in the Alligator is that you never get that “perched” feeling that comes with modern sportbike ergonomics. When you corner aggressively, you are not going over the top of the bike, or even countering movement with the controlled use of your bodyweight. Instead, you are an integral part of the chassis and the slightest shift—what feels like mere thought—affects steering in the most wonderfully smooth and predictable way. Cruisers have a bit of this effect in corners, although they are heavier to steer and in dire need of more ground clearance. I imagine you can scrape something on the Alligator, but I think it may only be your butt cheek.”

Unfortunately, Gurney’s only building(built? I don’t know how to find production numbers on a boutique motorcycle) 36 of them, all in the blue and white paint scheme of Gurney’s famous #36 Eagle F1 car (the first all-American F1 winner), at a price of $36,000 dollars because America can’t build a motorcycle that’s both fast AND affordable. Fastest American bike under 10 grand? Indian Scout Sixty, which doesn’t sit ass low or handle as good, at about $8,000, enough for a decently kept Monte Carlo SS. The cheapest Buell is around $12,000, or... wow, also one decently kept Monte Carlo SS. Cars just kinda cost whatever the owner wants to charge, don’t they?

Still, I can’t help but wonder how forward-control sportbikes haven’t caught on. Feet forward motorcycles with decent handling have been around for years, just with weird 80's and 90's eggshell canopies and such, but nobody’s really just made a low, light, twisty motorcycle. Maybe they’re afraid of not being seen on such a low vehicle, which I can understand now that they’ve got Impalas on 26s floating around, but that already applies to cruisers... Why haven’t Harley or Victory made one of these? Seriously.

Can you think of another great idea that, for whatever reason, just won’t gain any traction? Tell me about it in the comments!

Variance > Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns 07/11/2016 at 20:17

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First thing that came to mind:

Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns > Variance 07/12/2016 at 16:16

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It’s actually pretty close to that ergonomically

bob and john > Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns 07/13/2016 at 11:13

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let me tell you WHY forward control sportbikes havent caught on.

because they arent sport bikes.

part of the sport bike riding is that you move off the bike to better control the weight distribution in the corners. look at all of the motoGP guys, 1/2 the time they arent in their seats.

also, shorter wheel bases are for sportbikes. by perching the rider on top, you dont have to stretch the frame out to accommodate his fat behind, along with the engine and rear suspension.


this is just a light cruiser with body panels. not a sports bike,.

Your boy, BJR > bob and john 07/13/2016 at 11:38

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Now apologize to Dan Gurney.

bob and john > Your boy, BJR 07/13/2016 at 11:41

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nah.

Party-vi > bob and john 07/13/2016 at 11:44

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Wouldn’t putting your fat ass lower in the bike mean better weight distribution through corners? I’ve seen my dad drag a knee on his fatboy before, does that mean it’s a sport bike?

Justin Hughes > Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns 07/13/2016 at 11:45

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Take away the bodywork and you have one of these.

It’s a Suzuki Savage bobber - also a 650cc single. I’m halfway tempted to make one of these just for gits and shiggles.

DipodomysDeserti > Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns 07/13/2016 at 11:45

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The previous owner of my 1973 CL450 installed forward controls...on a ‘60s era Japanese scrambler. If felt awful and added a bunch of weight to the front of the bike. Stripped those fuckers off and moved the stock foot pegs back a bit.

bob and john > Party-vi 07/13/2016 at 11:50

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it does help, but not NEARLY as much as having a short wheel base.

low CG means its easier to flick to the other corner.


I think you dad thought he bought a buell. tell him to update his prescription.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > bob and john 07/13/2016 at 11:51

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I’d say it’s kind of the GT coupe of bikes. Fast, light for its size, and good around a long sweeping corner or in an endurance race. Not an F1 car of bikes, doesn’t have to be. Not really a surprise that one of the best known GT40 crew would want a bike like a GT car and not a sportbike. He’d rather drive a fast bike than ride one, and particularly for a really big and tall dude like he is, there’s nothing wrong with that.

bob and john > RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht 07/13/2016 at 11:53

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sports touring bikes are the GT coupes of the bike world.


this is kinda like a sports truck (think GMC syclone)

Party-vi > bob and john 07/13/2016 at 11:56

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Dad bought a ZZR1200 in ‘07 or so, and added the Fatboy in ‘11 because mom refused to ride anything but American iron. He rides the Fatboy like the ZZR, except slower and sloppier.

Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns > Party-vi 07/14/2016 at 11:19

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This.

Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns > bob and john 07/14/2016 at 12:06

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Dude, you REALLY owe Gurney an abject retraction.

That's a good amount of weight distribution, don't you think?

bob and john > Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns 07/14/2016 at 13:23

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Ive seen ppl hang off sportsters too. I wasnt even trying to keep up with them and i had to slow down.

Its a funky idea. But dont call it something its not

Mister Win Blames People, Not Guns > bob and john 07/14/2016 at 16:10

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What I’m saying is, not everything that made it to motoGP is automatically better. 70 horsepower custom developed lightweight motor, 320 pound suspension and chassis that’s been developed and refined since 1986, aerodynamically tuned fairing, 0-30 in less that 2 seconds? That’s a sportbike, period. This with a dustbin fairing is what sportbikes would look like if people kept what worked best, instead of outlawing it.

Ironically, the ‘muscle version’(they call it the Instigator) can probably outrun whatever sportbike you send at it, with double the horsepower and just 1 cylinder any more weight.

You won’t be slowing down if you see one of these in the corner.