Royal Enfield

[healey36]

Nice looking bikes:

http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2015/10/31/all-new-triumph-bonneville-launch.html

I'd love to see the kids dispense with the crotch-rockets and move in this direction...

Healey

[mickeydee]

The T120 'Prestige' version would be my choice.

I've ridden motorcycles all my life (up until 2011), as my only means of transport, in all weathers and its my opinion that the 'sit up and beg' riding position is by far the safest for everyday road use because its the most comfortable, gives you the best visual field and these provide you with the optimum conditions for safe riding.

Survival on 2 wheels is dependent on anticipation of potential dangers and having the time to react appropriately, you can do this best when you are comfortable with all your controls to hand without contortionist demands on the body. In fact a riding position similar to that used for horseback is the best.

If you are properly positioned, properly balanced, you are able to read the feedback from the machine that tells you how much grip the tyres have, whether the angle of the road surface is less than ideal (very important on bends) and on high crowned rural backroads this can mean the difference between life and death if you are unwisely pushing your luck on a crotch rocket that contorts you so that this feedback isn't so abundant.

Stiffly suspended 'sport bikes' can become real death traps under those conditions as a friend of mine almost found out to his cost when his Ninja 900 went into a wicked tankslapper on a bend following the straightway he'd been going too fast on. Convinced something on the bike was at fault he asked me to help analyze it and we found nothing wrong.

The final 'test' was me doing something similar on my faithful old T500 - love that bike - and boy did it ever warn me of what was coming, I'd never had that problem on that stretch of road because who in their right mind enters a village via sharp bend at over 70 anyway? I finally gave him a go and said "don't go as fast but feel the seat and handlebars, you'll see what I mean." and he did.

I tried the same on his Ninja and it gave no warning until it broke away. In other words the superior performance is gained at the cost of leaving no safety margin, she'll give you all she has and then let go. I suppose playing with the fork oil, tyres and spring settings might help but the real culprit is that stupid hunched riding position. No ones body can function optimally if its uncomfortable.

[healey36]

I agree...the combination of prone position and peg handlebars seems a near-lethal combination. High speed in a straight line...that's what the youngsters seem to be all about these days.

Not me...give me some proper handlebars:



Healey

[healey36]

For your consideration...Bryan Woods opines on his top 10 most frightening bikes:

https://rideapart.com/articles/top-10-frightening-motorcycles?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_811247

Healey

[rogruth]

Any of them scare me.

[mickeydee]

A pretty good choice of death traps! I nearly killed myself on a Vincent because I didnt realize how fast I was going, the speedo wasnt working and the engine note sounds like its just past idle when you're doing 90. besides I had my hands full trying to keep the damn thing on the road, weird suspension doesnt come close to it, also the brakes were damn near useless. Add to this a humpback bridge immediately followed by a right turn and congratulating myself on being clever i allowed for gyroscopic precession as I went airborne but I over corrected came down hard and the front suspension just gave up trying. Laid it down and slid under a steel railing down an embankment and into a river which probably saved me. Wasnt badly hurt and the bike survived this too, got bent a bit, nothing serious, I'd have been chopped into two parts if I hadnt gone down and under that railing which stopped the bike from following me.

I briefly owned a Kawasaki 500 triple and loved it, it was absolutely lethal on country roads, flexi-flyer was what they were, you could feel the frame flexing. Very similar end to the Vincent ride (that one wasnt mine) hit a patch of wet leaves on a bend bike went sqirrelly, I baled out because Cornish 'hedges' are usually greenery covered drystone walls. Slid on my back down the road towards an oncoming truck which thank God was a septic tank pumper with a very high wheelbase. I slid under the truck saw the bloody driveshaft turning as I passed beneath it and out under the rear axle. Bike was wrecked, truck driver was a nervous wreck himself, I was bruised but unbroken thanks to the fact that I never ride without full gear. Crash helmets really work and so do leather glove, jacket and boots.

All the early superbikes had too much engine, not enough handling although the Honda and GSX-R were better than most you just have to think before opening the throttle. Tyres were the other problem, they hadnt really caught up with the bikes. Avons were pretty good though but wear out fast, to be honest I ran the cheapest rubber I could find because there wasnt that much difference between the best and the average and despite my horror stories (I've got more) I wasn't really a throttle jockey, I rode my bikes all year round as my sole means of transport. I usually only got into trouble when doing something I knew damn well was risky.

I stopped riding powerful motor cycles at age 68 because I knew I'd run out of luck. I had a terrific run of it, enjoyed my riding tremendously never made the mistake of thinking it was all down to my skill as a rider Never concluded a days riding without thinking and sometimes saying "Thank you Lord." I think He tapped me on the shoulder and suggested I hang it up It was like a switch had gone off. I see bikes now and don't have a moments lust or regret or wonder if maybe...its all behind me now and I'm quite content.

[v8vega]

Thanks to Democrats young guys today will never experience the explosive power of two stroke Kawasaki triples and Yamaha twins.

[healey36]

The Himalayan:

http://www.gizmag.com/royal-enfield-himalayan/41671/

Looks sharp.

Healey

[Mitch]

I don't care much for the styling at all. The fairing, bars, fuel tank, seat and saddle bags suggest Touring, but the suspension looks like a dirt bike. And what the hell is that up front, 8" above the front fender; another front fender???? 411CCs, even if I was a youngin' back in my prime, I'd take a BSA 441 Victor over that. I mean, if you're gonna run a single lunger, you should have something that has a serious bark! But, to each his own.

[healey36]

'The Musket' Royal Enfield V-Twin:



http://www.pipeburn.com/home/2015/10/05/the-musket-hazan-motorworks.html

Further proof that true craftsmanship, however misguided, lol, still exists in this country.

Healey

[aww]

On the Royal Enfield I believe they have been making them in India completely unchanged for decades I understand that India is filled with them. In the last few years they have entered the US market so I assume upgrades have been done. But before that they were virtually the same as a 1950s bike.

Allan

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Why in the world would they not put a fender over that front tire. Is the theory that a mud-splattered face is all manly and whatnot? What aerodynamic advantages are accomplished by that omission ? Honda "Night Hawk" fans might want to know , eh?
Murph, the former road warrior .
Plus, whatthehaystax are those minimalist handlebars supposed to be a statement of? Eh. Huh?

[v8vega]

Its a show bike Murph, I doubt its been ridden more than around the block.

[webenda]

Plus, whatthehaystax are those minimalist handlebars supposed to be a statement of? Eh. Huh?

Minimalism.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Plus, whatthehaystax are those minimalist handlebars supposed to be a statement of? Eh. Huh?

Minimalism.

Pretty darn clever reply, sir. My hat's off to ya. Of course, you're right, too! I'm still chuckling ...
Murph