"No, I don't thank you for the fish at all" (notindetroit)
08/28/2015 at 02:07 • Filed to: None
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"No, I don't thank you for the fish at all" (notindetroit)
08/28/2015 at 02:07 • Filed to: None | 4
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Look at Joseph’s own topshot to see what I mean. Yeah, the concept does look pretty kickass. But the production B-King doesn’t even look like a serious motorcycle - it looks like a cartonish caricature of a motorcycle with its exaggerated exhaust, overly and unnecessarily embellished tank and plastic, plastic everywhere. Despite being a “naked” bike it’s purposefully accomplishing way too much and becoming overly busy with no apparent coherent goal in sight.
So yeah that’s awful. Let’s look at some bikes that don’t look awful.
The Yamaha Fz-09 is, IMHO, one of the best looking naked bikes out there right now. And it really does live up to the naked name - plastic cladding is minimal and unobtrusive and blends in to the rest of the bike. For the most part the mechanical bits from the function-as-form frame to the engine are just allowed to hang there as-is. Even the turn signals are allowed to just “hang there” which oddly works for this bike. Other than the license plate holder (which you’ll need in some form lest you risk having your riding day end with the words “please come down to the station with us”) and the mirrors (and I’ve learned the hard way I’d rather have an ugly bike than no mirrors) it’s a lean, attractive package.
And yeah, I know we’re all supposed to hate on cruiser bikes but at least you can’t fault them for looking too busy. The Polaris/Victory-owned Indians are a great example of bikes with clean lines that don’t look awful. The Victory Cross Country (below) is another great example.
And of course the Ducati Scrambler is another successful execution of a design that is simple, and absolutely nothing more.
So what have we learned here? That when it comes to bike design, less is more. No stupid plastic cladding and whatever to look badass and appeal to dudebros who think the most practical car/bike for their garage is a linear logical fallacy towards duuuuuh whatever has the most horsepower hurr durr also truck because brotruck.
AMGtech - now with more recalls!
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
08/28/2015 at 02:45 |
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Completely agree. Except that you didn’t mention the two best naked bikes (oh and btw, I love cruisers, no need for the hate):
Triumph Thruxton
And of course Ducati Monster.
Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
> No, I don't thank you for the fish at all
08/28/2015 at 02:50 |
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I don’t know, I’m glad they didn’t go for the concept’s looks but I am slightly disappointed they didn’t go for the concept’s engine as well. Personally, mirrorless bikes (or the ones fitted to the handlebars NOT on a Cafe Racer like wtf) aren’t that great.
AdverseMartyr
> Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
08/28/2015 at 04:45 |
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I haven’t ridden a bike with them, but it seems to me that the bar end mirrors could actually show you something other than your elbows. I just can’t figure out how you could glance at them without having to turn your head quite a ways.
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Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura
> AdverseMartyr
08/28/2015 at 04:54 |
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Actually, you’d be surprised what standard mirrors can do. I mean, I’m a pretty average (re: wide!) dude and I don’t see myself. Bar mirrors exist for cafe racers or posers. Or for those who crouch.