What happened to "Plain" Standard motorcycles?

[NJ-Brett]

The sx650 was a great bike, and when they were around, I wanted one badly.
I ended up with a Triumph Daytona, then a 1979 Bonneville special brand new.

I did 700 mile days weeks on end on the Bonneville, no windshields needed.

One thing I really liked about all the old bikes was the flip up seat with the dual helmet locks built in.
You could stash stuff under there, gloves, spares, tools, all easy to get at.
When they stopped doing that is when bikes turned too modern for me.

Also, I bet you could put some better rear shocks and thicker fork oil, and some dual sport tires on that cb400ss and have some fun in the dirt on it.

[wmax351]

You know, if older honda (or yamaha, suzuki, etc) 4's and twins had the parts support that the old BMW Airheads (or better yet, the old vincent HRD's), it would be great. I'd buy an old CB350, and keep it cherry. Or a 750. Or a 550. They can crank out their new bikes, with all the plastic they want, and we can fix the old ones up all we like.

BMW makes a profit from their airhead parts, as well as do the countless distributors who make a living off of it. Or the case of Vincent, where the original engineering drawings were available, and the owners club has a company that sells them. They can literally make a brand new bike from new parts.
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/20...all-new-parts/

http://vincentspares.co.uk/

[dustfilter]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

My view...a "naked" bike is different from a "standard." The lack of fairing is the only thing they have in common. A naked bike is a sport bike/race replica without a fairing. Very different in character from a standard. A Standard (in my view) is not a thrashing, high-performance bike. Sure, it can have lots of HP, but track days are not its intended purpose. A Standard can be made into a long-distance highway bike by bolting on a windshield or bubble fairing.

Not very many standards being made these days. R1200R, Bonnie (and variants), XR1200,...

I don't consider the F800R a standard, nor the Street/Speed Triples or Monsters or Tuono. Those are performance-oriented, short-trip bikes.
Oh...and one final thought...to qualify as such, a Standard must have a metal tank.

I do believe this would qualify as a standard.

[NJ-Brett]

Yes, I want an sl350, looks like it would be fun, but parts are hard to get, you would need to get a bunch of parts bikes.

Old Triumphs are no problem at all, I had the old Daytona for 6 years and could get any part I wanted, and most were cheap.
I used nothing but new old stock.
The Daytona had long hard use issues though, always needed fussing with.
I think with an sl350, once you got it in good shape, it would hold up real well.
I used to have the first XL250 and it was a tank, nothing wore out of broke on it.

Originally Posted by wmax351

You know, if older honda (or yamaha, suzuki, etc) 4's and twins had the parts support that the old BMW Airheads (or better yet, the old vincent HRD's), it would be great. I'd buy an old CB350, and keep it cherry. Or a 750. Or a 550. They can crank out their new bikes, with all the plastic they want, and we can fix the old ones up all we like.

BMW makes a profit from their airhead parts, as well as do the countless distributors who make a living off of it. Or the case of Vincent, where the original engineering drawings were available, and the owners club has a company that sells them. They can literally make a brand new bike from new parts.
http://thekneeslider.com/archives/20...all-new-parts/

http://vincentspares.co.uk/

[mike]

Originally Posted by kfoster

Is this more like it?

I love mine. Too bad they dont import them anymore.

[DAKEZ]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

Oh...and one final thought...to qualify as such, a Standard must have a metal tank.

Ya? Well that's just your opinion man.

[dustfilter]

Originally Posted by mike

I love mine. Too bad they dont import them anymore.

very nice example.

[VixObs]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

My view...a "naked" bike is different from a "standard." The lack of fairing is the only thing they have in common. A naked bike is a sport bike/race replica without a fairing. Very different in character from a standard. A Standard (in my view) is not a thrashing, high-performance bike. Sure, it can have lots of HP, but track days are not its intended purpose. A Standard can be made into a long-distance highway bike by bolting on a windshield or bubble fairing.

Not very many standards being made these days. R1200R, Bonnie (and variants), XR1200,...

I don't consider the F800R a standard, nor the Street/Speed Triples or Monsters or Tuono. Those are performance-oriented, short-trip bikes.

Oh...and one final thought...to qualify as such, a Standard must have a metal tank.

I really didn't think 6k miles on my Street Triple would be considered a "short trip". I don't "thrash" on it and have only done one track day. But I do have a metal tank

And besides, who cares what you call it. You get a bike that excites you and you go ride it. You accesorise it and make it fit your needs. Now if only I could find that perfect sports tourer that wasn't a behemoth and didn't cost an arm an a leg

[njd]

Originally Posted by VixObs

I really didn't think 6k miles on my Street Triple would be considered a "short trip". I don't "thrash" on it and have only done one track day. But I do have a metal tank

And besides, who cares what you call it. You get a bike that excites you and you go ride it. You accesorise it and make it fit your needs. Now if only I could find that perfect sports tourer that wasn't a behemoth and didn't cost an arm an a leg

I find my Versys to be the perfect compromise between naked and sport tourer. Minimum fairings, plenty of engine, and it supports hard luggage.

[flak]

Originally Posted by NJ-Brett

One thing I really liked about all the old bikes was the flip up seat with the dual helmet locks built in.

believe it or not, my bandit has those - there's not much room to speak of for storing stuff under the seat aside from a neck gaiter, some gloves maybe - but it does have the helmet locks built in under the seat - you just have to unlock the seat from the side using the key first

oh and when I mentioned the triumph bonneville earlier I totally forgot about the TU250, I like those bikes! especially since the msrp is half of the bonnie...so they can be had as used bikes for not a lot of cash

Originally Posted by dustfilter

I do believe this would qualify as a standard.

agree completely

[MichiganMachete]

Originally Posted by VixObs

I really didn't think 6k miles on my Street Triple would be considered a "short trip". I don't "thrash" on it and have only done one track day. But I do have a metal tank

And besides, who cares what you call it. You get a bike that excites you and you go ride it. You accesorise it and make it fit your needs. Now if only I could find that perfect sports tourer that wasn't a behemoth and didn't cost an arm an a leg

I'm going to say the same for my Fz1 (first gen) !

Having done an 800 mile day, Deals gap, and track days on it without doing anything other than strapping bags to it and masking tape on teh glass (track day), I'd say it's a great fit in the standard (albiet big motor) class.

Oh. And they're cheap to buy and maintain!

[USGunRunner]

Originally Posted by dakez

ya? Well that's just your opinion man.

dude!!!!!!!

[Mastheadmike]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

My view...a "naked" bike is different from a "standard." The lack of fairing is the only thing they have in common. A naked bike is a sport bike/race replica without a fairing. Very different in character from a standard. A Standard (in my view) is not a thrashing, high-performance bike. Sure, it can have lots of HP, but track days are not its intended purpose. A Standard can be made into a long-distance highway bike by bolting on a windshield or bubble fairing.

Not very many standards being made these days. R1200R, Bonnie (and variants), XR1200,...

I don't consider the F800R a standard, nor the Street/Speed Triples or Monsters or Tuono. Those are performance-oriented, short-trip bikes.

Oh...and one final thought...to qualify as such, a Standard must have a metal tank.

For the most part I agree with what's being said here but I feel the need to clarify what you said. I have always been of the opinion that the definition of standard derives from the basic categories of bikes: 1) standard 2) sport 3) cruiser 4 touring (or 3a)-some may lump touring in with the cruiser or sport groups depending on your bike but if you're reading, for example, the MSF Basic Rider Course handbook it's taught as a separate entity). The breakdown of bikes is when looked at like this purely by riding position.

Calling a bike a Standard refers to a neutral riding position that gives a wide range of control and comfort for a variety of riding, long straight highway to mountain twisty to even moderate off road or city potholes (because from the suspensions point of view, they can be nearly the same!).

With this in mind, many manufacturers have closed the gap between a standard and a sport bike because of market demand and technological advances in engine design. I like the R1200R comments with regard to it's seat as a perfect example: the scalloped seat is a design allowing transition from more relaxed cruiser/upright riding to a sportier aggressive crouch/tuck. Also, I agree with noting that calling a bike naked is referring to a stripped down sport bike/race replica. That is a widely held industry definition. However, many of the sport bikes out there are actually standards in disguise simply because they're so powerful. My friend's previous bike, an FZ6 is a standard by position-though faired with plastic wind screen other aesthetic add-ons to make it appeal to the sport bike crowd. My GT1000 is (in the stock form) a standard too-by position-but naked and plenty sporty hang with it's other Ducati brethren. And it has a plastic tank (that has thankfully not swelled yet!)

[Croak]

Originally Posted by DiabloADV

I don't consider the F800R a standard, nor the Street/Speed Triples or Monsters or Tuono. Those are performance-oriented, short-trip bikes.

Oh...and one final thought...to qualify as such, a Standard must have a metal tank.

Really? Performance oriented, yes, but my Tuono is also all-day comfortable. Less luggage and high-speed protection than my Sprint for sure, but below 80mph or so, just as comfy for 500 mile days (though granted, having to stop for fuel twice as often might have something to do with that), and capable of hauling all the gear I'd need for a week or so of credit card camping without looking like Jed Clampett's bike.

And adding metal tanks as a qualifier rules out a lot of bikes made in the late 90's through the late oughts, spun plastic tanks were all the rage and would still be all the rage if not for Euro regulations changes in the last few years.

[spenny]

I consider my XR1200 to be a standard.