Why are Practical Bikes Unpopular?

[aflundi]

Every time I'm in a motorcycle shop and the sales person asks me what I'm interested in, I tell them no one makes what I'm looking for. I tell them I don't care about performance (sport bikes) or looks (cruisers), but that I just want a practical, low total-cost-of-ownership bike that'll carry stuff -- something like the long-since discontinued Honda Pacific Coast 800. They respond by telling me that no one buys those kinds of bikes.

Is really true? Is there no one out there who just wants to get from point A to point B as inexpensively as possible and doesn't buy based on the ability to accelerate and corner in ways never really possible on realistic streets, or to flash chrome in other's eyes?

[VermilionX]

Is really true? Is there no one out there who just wants to get from point A to point B as inexpensively as possible and doesn't buy based on the ability to accelerate and corner in ways never really possible on realistic streets, or to flash chrome in other's eyes?

the smaller bikes can't carry a lot of load but they are very practical and many people buy them.

you should just get a used goldwing.

[scan]

Kawasaki Concours. Low cost 1 Litre inline 4. Shaft drive. Wind protection. Hardbags come with the bike. It isn't ugly, but it isn't pretty.

[sapaul]

Check out the Urals, they are getting more popular.

[MASHBY]

If only Honda imported the Deuville into the US sounds like it would be perfect for you:



680cc V-Twin shaft drive

[CNF2002]

If only Honda imported the Deuville into the US sounds like it would be perfect for you:



680cc V-Twin shaft drive

I like that!

Honda has no info on it on their site...any specs? price?

[ZooTech]

I tell them I don't care about performance (sport bikes) or looks (cruisers), but that I just want a practical, low total-cost-of-ownership bike that'll carry stuff -- something like the long-since discontinued Honda Pacific Coast 800.

Sounds like you want a scooter.

[aflundi]

the smaller bikes can't carry a lot of load but they are very practical and many people buy them.

Personally I'm OK with smaller bikes except, like you say carrying stuff is a weakness, and shorter lifes push the total-cost-of-ownership up.

Kawasaki Concours.

The Concours is about the best I could find to date. I was looking to buy one but then backed off as it 1) seemed unnecessarily large and heavy, and 2) though it has hard bags, the bags seemed sort of small.

If I were more into entertainment with weekend sport riding or touring, I think the Concours would be the "Cats-meow", but for city commuting it just seems a bit excessive.

But, like I say, the Concours is the closest thing to a practical bike I've been able to find.

Check out the Urals, they are getting more popular.

I've looked into Urals, but low gas mileage, frequent repairs, and (what I thought was an) outragious price for what you get, turned me off. I'm looking for a practical bike, not a project bike.

[-Holiday]

look into a suzuki bergman (scooter) or a honda helix(scooter). I'd say the vstrom(motorcycle) also falls into the category of usefull, but ugly.

Also, older BMW K series bikes can be had for reasonable prices, run forever, often come with hard bags, etc etc.

Stuff is out there.

But like you said, a lot of people are into motorcycles (at least initially) for the image it portrays, not for practical reasons. Hence the big sellers arent the most utilitarian things out there. Another large peprcentage see it as a sport more then a mode of transportation. Nothing wrong with that, but its just the way it is.

[aflundi]

If only Honda imported the Deuville into the US sounds like it would be perfect for you:

I've lusted over the Deuville for a long time. If only....

Sounds like you want a scooter.

I'd be OK with a scooter as long as it were big enough to ride on the highway except that from what I've seen, a similarly sized motorcycle
will cost a lot less, the small wheels will cost you a fortune in tires due to their short life, and the longevity of scooters appears to be pretty short. Figure all that in, and it doesn't appear you get anything even remotely like a low total-cost-of-ownership with a scooter.