Are we experiencing a "practical bike" renaissance?

[Grey Thumper]

Just thinking of next year's launches and it seems to be the year of the "do-it-all" bike. Versys 1000, revised Wee Strom, Triumph Explorer, the water-cooled BMW GS, and so on. All roughly conforming to the "adventure bike" look (of course, only a tiny percentage of these will actually be used off road). I tend to think of them as standards with really upright riding positions, built-in windshields, and optional hard saddlebags. Use em for canyon carving, commuting, touring, whatever. Anyway, I'm looking forward to all these practical choices coming up.

[jstark47]

I gotta say, no, we're not having a practical bike renaissance until I start seeing affordable, attractive small displacement bikes for sale in the US market. Things might be different over there where you are.

How about a 400cc oversquare twin in a lightweight frame with a standard riding position, but not supermoto style? How about a tour-able (i.e. faired) 500cc V4 or I-4 with affordable luggage options and exciting performance? (Note the exciting part, that leaves out the Deauville!! ) How about a plain old 400cc UJM? Not every small displacement bike needs to be a thumper, fercryinoutloud!

Well, some of these things exist in other markets, but the manufacturers' opinion is that they won't sell here, so they don't bother to homologate them for the US. Since they're not offered for sale here, there's no perception of them in the public mind as desirable objects, so no demand. It's a vicious circle.

Makes me want to look at tiered motorcycle licensing again.....

[TechTMW]

Practical and small cc's are covered by a fair amount of scooters in the US market. Granted, they aren't exactly motorcycles. I think that you are also missing the boat on a few great bikes (like the bonneville, sv650, GS500, etc.) Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see the kind of bikes that you mention, but I have a feeling we are going more towards the overgrown scooter w/ a CVT before we go back to something like a CB550 (unfortunately.) Look at the two 500cc standards that we have ... I'd love to see the stats on how those bikes are selling (but too lazy to look it up )

[jstark47]

I think that you are also missing the boat on a few great bikes (like the bonneville...........etc.)

I'm not missing the Bonneville, I own one. Bonne's are fairly pricey for what you get, 800+ cc's, and heavy for their size. Great bike, but not the "everyman" bike I'm visualizing here.

Look at the two 500cc standards that we have ... I'd love to see the stats on how those bikes are selling

??? I'm probably brain dead, but I can't think of what two 500cc standards you mean?


(BTW, nice to see you back here on TMW.)

[sunshine229]

Hey Grey Thumper, I kinda have to agree with you that there has been a fair expansion in this part of the market recently it must be getting more popular. I'm sure the show rooms are still full of sportsbikes and cruisers but even have a few of these adventure types kicking around represents at least a small shift.

[TechTMW]

??? I'm probably brain dead, but I can't think of what two 500cc standards you mean?


(BTW, nice to see you back here on TMW.)

Ya i guess i missed that you have a bonnie And thx for the welcome back.
dont we still have the gs and ninja 500s? Been outta the usa for 6 years, sorry. But even faired, i'd consider em standards due to riding position.
Not saying i dont agree, mind you - i dont think we are in a practical bike renaissance but i'll expound later. Typing on this phone is friggin annoying.

[Wrider]

Nope, both of them have been discontinued. Shame IMO. Most newer riders didn't want them because they didn't look cool, not because they thought they were too small. If either had been redesigned with decent looks they probably would have sold much better.

[Grey Thumper]

I'm sure the show rooms are still full of sportsbikes and cruisers but even have a few of these adventure types kicking around represents at least a small shift.

Yeah, the massive adventure tourers are really more like headliners; they'll be on magazine covers, take up prime space on showroom floors, win Bike Of The Year, etc. Even if most riders won't buy them, it plants a seed in people's (especially new riders) heads that there are other cool kinds of bikes out there aside from "Harleys and Ninjas".

[sapaul]

Can only really comment from my neck of the woods, but there is a big shift to naked's here

[TechTMW]

Oh man, no more 500 twins .

Kinda like the way Ford let the Ranger die. WTF are they thinking? "Let's not improve on our product for 20 years, and then say that the market is dead for our 20 year old product, so we'll stop producing it." great.

I think I was going to say something profound last night, but I usually do feel that way after a few There is a post on this forum somwhere about the 'decline of the motorcycle' or something similar. Maybe the current trends are happening because the un-practical people (poseurs, squids, etc - i.e. people who see a motorcycle as a status thing or a luxury) are getting out of motorcycling due to the recession. It's easy to replace one statusy time-waster entertainment thingy (m/cycle) with another (an Ipad??)

Is the current trend towards a more practical motorcycle? Maybe - depending on what you think that is. Is it as JSTARK said - a smaller displacement bike in a lighter frame? A bike with an upright riding position where you can potentially take alot of your stuff with you? Something that gets reasonably high MPG's? I've seen a family of four on a vespa scooter in Italy and a goat herder in africa with two goats strapped around his shoulders on some scooter- so there you have it - the perfect practical bike is a scooter, just like I said - and we have plenty of those here.