I had some 650s over 40 years ago that felt like sitting on a Honda 350 and handled similar except that had more power.How come the new ones are so much larger that they sell today. Why can‘t they make a medium size bike just like they did 45 years ago?
I agree, in mid '80's I had a Virago 750, a friend had a Triumph 750, both of his cylinders were smaller than1 of mine, A few months ago I met a man waiting for a new tour bike of 2300cc.
I agree, in mid '80's I had a Virago 750, a friend had a Triumph 750, both of his cylinders were smaller than1 of mine, A few months ago I met a man waiting for a new tour bike of 2300cc.
Modern motorcycles are in general noticeably heavier than vintage bikes (1970's and earlier) because they are better equipped. Brakes, suspension, electrics, electronics, frame, forks you name it, the technology has moved on. They try to make bikes as light as possible but these days there is a lot more going on between your legs than was the case back in the 1960's/70's. In terms of speed and power there are a lot of vintage and classic bikes that compare favorably with modern motorcycles but there is a world of difference in terms of sophistication, there's no computer-assisted suspension adjustment, ride-by-wire, engine mapping or ABS. And don't be fooled by a classic bike feeling like it handles as well as a modern motorcycle; modern tyres make a difference but check the speeds you are doing and you'll probably find that you aren't riding as fast or smoothly as you would be on modern machinery. Triumph have confirmed that they are currently developing a 250cc motorcycle though; it's still early days but it's expected to be launched around 2015 or 2016.
The Thruxton is a damn beautiful bike and same size as years ago but I know what you mean. Apart from the Rocket (damn awesome), the America, Thunderbird and Speedmaster seem huge. Not a fan of those 3 models. The Scrambler (which Doctor Who rides) is very cool. As stated before, the Thruxton is gorgeous, the Bonneville, meh All the triples are brilliant and normal sized. My next bike will be a Triumph. I'm a big fan
Modern motorcycles are in general noticeably heavier than vintage bikes (1970's and earlier) because they are better equipped. Brakes, suspension, electrics, electronics, frame, forks you name it, the technology has moved on. They try to make bikes as light as possible but these days there is a lot more going on between your legs than was the case back in the 1960's/70's. In terms of speed and power there are a lot of vintage and classic bikes that compare favorably with modern motorcycles but there is a world of difference in terms of sophistication, there's no computer-assisted suspension adjustment, ride-by-wire, engine mapping or ABS. And don't be fooled by a classic bike feeling like it handles as well as a modern motorcycle; modern tyres make a difference but check the speeds you are doing and you'll probably find that you aren't riding as fast or smoothly as you would be on modern machinery. Triumph have confirmed that they are currently developing a 250cc motorcycle though; it's still early days but it's expected to be launched around 2015 or 2016.
The Thruxton is a damn beautiful bike and same size as years ago but I know what you mean. Apart from the Rocket (damn awesome), the America, Thunderbird and Speedmaster seem huge. Not a fan of those 3 models. The Scrambler (which Doctor Who rides) is very cool. As stated before, the Thruxton is gorgeous, the Bonneville, meh All the triples are brilliant and normal sized. My next bike will be a Triumph. I'm a big fan
