Bikes with character... | Page 2 | GTAMotorcycle.com

Bikes with character...

matthew said:
What about bikes without character? Is there a motorcycle equivalent of a gold coloured Toyota Corolla?
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Honda 500(insert letter here) gets really close.

EDIT:
Actually Honda anything (with a very few exceptions) gets very close. The half-civic motor is the most soulless thing I have ever ridden. It is a miserable turd with a redline about half of where it should be for a bike without a huge motor.
 
Motorynka
 

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GreyGhost said:
Actually Honda anything (with a very few exceptions) gets very close.
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Agreed.

I owned a CRF250L for a couple of seasons, and I cannot say one nice thing about that bike other than it never broke down. If cost of ownership and reliability is what turns your crank, then Honda is your go-to.

This one is nice though:

Honda-RC51-AJ-Front-Right-Featured.jpg
 
Lightcycle said:
Agreed.

I owned a CRF250L for a couple of seasons, and I cannot say one nice thing about that bike other than it never broke down. If cost of ownership and reliability is what turns your crank, then Honda is your go-to.

This one is nice though:

Honda-RC51-AJ-Front-Right-Featured.jpg
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That's definitely on the list. Also VTR, 250RR, some of the VFR's, maybe the Blackbird. Nothing remotely recent though (imo).
 
mimico_polak said:
Was thinking about this recently and as I'm only used to Honda with literally ZERO character or 'wow' factor in my F/X/Rebel experience.

How would you define character in a motorcycle? What do you look for?

Sound?
Speed?
Comfort?

What do YOU look for?

I'm at the stage where I love riding, but I think I do really need a changeup to get me excited again. Otherwise, the X is just sitting there. And while it's a good bike for what it is...it's not great at anything except being reliable and cheap to own.

Unfortunately my budget is fairly limited so 'character' may be out of reach regardless of which route I go! LoL
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The notions of soul and character in a motorcycle are subjective and deeply personal to each rider. I do see a few things that contribute:

Styling and Design: The esthetic design plays a significant role in its character. For some, that's as simple as the sleekness of a sportbike, they size, leather and sparkles of a big cruiser, or the ruggedness of an ADV. Or maybe it's just the finishing details -- big difference between the angular CBR650 and a Guzzi TT. I think this can also be connected to the person's subculture.. (fashion, adventurousness, risk appetite, and clique).

Audible Experience: Many bikes have their own distinctive sound, HDs and Ducatis come to mind as having iconic sounds. The high RPM whine of a 4cyl sportbike, the thumping rhythm of a big single, or the low speed potato-potato-potato of a Harley, Sound contributes to the unique character of motorcycles.

Riding Experience: Some bikes are tame, silky smooth, and tempered with rider aids. Others offer a more visceral experience, delivering too much or too little of everything, giving the rider the tingly thrill of reaching the razor's edge on control.

Heritage: Varies between motorcycle brands-- could be mechanical as in valve trains, engine crank and rods... could be legendary dependability, longevity...could be recorded at the race track or single track. It could also be the historic part of heritage, like being a 2T, air cooled, or game changer.

Ultimately a rider makes an emotional connection to a motorcycle. Weighing the importance of character belongs to each rider.
Personally, I don't care what you think. When a bike combines what I need it will have a character for me.

Bikes I've owned with Character? All of them.
 
GreyGhost said:
That's definitely on the list. Also VTR, 250RR, some of the VFR's, maybe the Blackbird. Nothing remotely recent though (imo).
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Yeah, I was just thinking that. There was a point in time when Honda cared about making exciting and interesting bikes (shout out to the 5th Gen VFR).

Not recently though. Wonder what changed for them.
 
matthew said:
What about bikes without character? Is there a motorcycle equivalent of a gold coloured Toyota Corolla?
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That would be 90% of Hondas, 50% of Yamahas and 90% of all bikes sold around the world.
 
Mad Mike said:
That would be 90% of Hondas, 50% of Yamahas and 90% of all bikes sold around the world.
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The 125 and down market (cheap appliance bikes) are interchangeable for me. In that market, lack of character is a benefit. You want cheap and reliable (and easy and cheap to fix if broken). That is probably 90% of the bikes sold in the world. Living here, the bike is a toy and if I am going to expose myself to a lot more risk, I also want a lot more character to balance that out. Thankfully, we have access to some bikes that have character, are reasonably reliable and reasonably affordable.
 
Lightcycle said:
If a vehicle has the same kind of engineering as 90% as everything else out there, and the only thing different is the badge, I'm not that interested.
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This is the case with EV's, no doubt they've proven they got performance but it's all just going to be too similar.
Variety is what makes any motorsport scene more fun imo, never understand fan boys that bash things that are different like it would be so boring if everyone had the same ish
 
Bikes I have owned that had/have lots of character:

Honda: CB 750, GL1000
Kawi: H2 750, (EN250 only because I had way more fun riding it than I ever expected)
Yamaha: XV920R, TW200
Suzuki: GSXR1300R, TS200R
Jawa: 350 Californian

My 2 daily riders are right in the middle... nothing special, nothing that puts me off: FJR1300 and DL650

Ones I have owned that had/have too little character

Suzuki; M50
Yamaha: XV1100, XV250, QT50
Honda: GL1500
A long list of <250cc endoros
Triumph: TR25
 
mimico_polak said:
Was thinking about this recently and as I'm only used to Honda with literally ZERO character or 'wow' factor in my F/X/Rebel experience.

How would you define character in a motorcycle? What do you look for?

Sound?
Speed?
Comfort?

What do YOU look for?

I'm at the stage where I love riding, but I think I do really need a changeup to get me excited again.
Click to expand...
Change how you ride, not what you ride.
I'm the character - not my bike.
 
mimico_polak said:
Was thinking about this recently and as I'm only used to Honda with literally ZERO character or 'wow' factor in my F/X/Rebel experience.

How would you define character in a motorcycle? What do you look for?
Click to expand...

Some would say flaws, but the flaw would need to be enduring and not show stopping.

There's also an element of uniqueness that adds to the experience. Sounds, sensations, looks, features.

The last is self-affirmation. Look at me, I'm riding a Harley. Look at me, I'm on a Ducati. I'm riding these bikes and my peer group has an opinion on these that I would like to associate with.

Coming from a CB500F as well, that had zero character because it was flawless from a conveyance perspective. Engine was never too buzzy, always compliant, fuel efficient, enough acceleration for commuting, but was sleepy and dull. The rest of the bike did what it was supposed to. Nothing great, nothing terrible. That made it have no soul.

End of the day, its all personal taste. One person's trash is another's treasure.
 
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