Start the week topic

[squirrelciv]

Great topic and some good responses. Reading the posts has really got me thinking 'what is style?' Why do some things hit the right button to the majority, including those who don't understand the subject matter? This to me is closely linked to art. Some bikes are moving sculpture covered in art and producing music.

For me, stylish machines perform their function with minimum fuss, but maximum grace. All the separate elements are necessary to complete the task the machine is built for yet flow together to fool the mind into thinking they are as one.

The standard XBR doesn't quite do it, but some specials I've seen certainly do. Their owners have added the style by the close attention to the detail that a mass produced bike rarely gets.

[Steve Lake]

Well, not mentioned....as usual.....the little srx....I love'em (as you know)....they trick up wonderfully.....easy to work on, robust, reliable, the best effort to come out of japan with a cradle frame (styled on the featherbed).....great little scratcher....i could go on....i love the quirky rev counter stuck out to one side.....the air cooled engine, .....the sexy kickstart......oh sh1t i am going on..

[themoudie]

Style!?

Duke singles.
Aermmachi racing singles. 
Most Italian, racing double knocker up to 250cc singles factory bikes. 
Sally the SRX, wi' twin shocks. Mono shock variant, if you must.
Harleys, usually corpulant, corporate and chromed. However, once in a while something tasty comes along and you just know its 'Right'!





Not Sold on Ebay. Lot number:300321355421

It just 'Looks Right'.

Keep on boppin', Bill

[robG]

Looks like a ' Hogbitz ' cafe job . Nice.

Rob .

[guest27]

I am a great lover of the old style ally tank on wheels cafe racer and so would expect to find it mmmmm, but it falls short, the tank and seat do not compliment each other and the bike above the tank-seat line clashes with the bike below the tank-seat line - IMHO

To me there are few poor Tritons, they are just so right - if I could get my Photobucket working I would post a pic of an Atlantic M/C Datona Triton that is to me just about perfect.

However this is possibly one of the few Tritons that do not work for me...



R

[guest18]

YUK! 
Maybe something like this would be more to your taste...

[guest27]

That is better - such nice proportions...

R

[robG]

However this is possibly one of the few Tritons that do not work for me...



R

Sorry Rog but it looks like a tweaked /hardtailed Commando frame to me with an SS50 tank . The motor looks like a Commando as well . Perhaps a sprinter ?

Rob .

[guest27]

Fair cop - I was googling for a very pretty red Triton and this turned up titled as a red Triton, looked no further than that, so it is not even a Triton - well at least the FB frame was not hacked - mind if it was a FB that had been damaged beyond reasonable repair than it would be a fine use.

This was the pic I was looking for



R

[beeman]

Brother has put a Hedingham sidecar on to his w650 and loves it. Only uses it for short trips with the kids tho'. I wonder if the tank capacity is large enough as it looks quite small.

Good thread this and has got me thinking. style what is it? looking at a lot of replies function is high up on the agenda for thumper club members but is that really style. After all if function was the main consideration would we have so many designs of bike.

On top of this I see a common thread of what we liked as a yufff. often looking throgh rose tinted glasses at past bikes forgetting their problems eg 1 cylinder 400/4's in the wet, non stopping disk brakes or worse still non stopping drum brakes.
I looked up some old bike mags from the 50's and some of the articles harked back to the "good old days" so this is not a new discussion.

Modern bikes I like them I ride everyday and the thought of old bikes with hight maintenance or poor reliability don't do owt for me. I work 6 days a week 10 hours a day so hours working on bikes is not an option.
Why is there a problem with plastic covering the bike for me it gives designers a chance to create individual designs. why do we have to see engines etc.

Is the reason because we grew up with bikes like this and this is how bikes should be.
It reminds me of my dad saying about led zepplin "no tune and you can't here the words" now I say the same to my kids about their music.

I don't ride at the limit puting my knee down, but I do like to have a well built bike which does the job I ask of it and looks good in my eyes.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, don't mock what we don't understand and don't make generalisations about different types of bikes and those that ride them.  some of the greatest riders I know ride race bikes, hailwood, dunlop, toseland etc

Remember if everyone wanted a single they would be far more expensive and I for one couldn't afford to buy one.
enough said ride safe and enjoy lifes to short as it is.

beeman

[Andy M]

Brother has put a Hedingham sidecar on to his w650 and loves it. Only uses it for short trips with the kids tho'. I wonder if the tank capacity is large enough as it looks quite small.

The Bonneville has you looking for petrol at 100 miles, on reserve at 140 and walking before 160. I can't recall picking out a larger tank/better range when looking at W650's.

That's another thing with style. There is space on the Bonneville for a 5 or 6 gallon tank, even with the larger section frame to support 60 HP. Now when the furthest most people rode was to pay their window tax at the nearest Roman garrison and their 30 HP Triumph did 60 mpg, I'm sure the 4 gallon/240mile/8 hour tank was fine. When the style people came to the 2002 Bonneville they kept the same proportions, stuck the big tube down the middle and brought a 3 gallon/120 mile/3 hour bike into a world where motorways make a 200 mile trip a decent afternoon on the road. With 60 HP, an extra 10kg of petrol isn't going to cause much hassle. Style over function. Isn't there a Harley with a 75 mile range? Can't look very stylish with a jerry can strapped on the back!

Andy

[squirrelciv]

Fair cop - I was googling for a very pretty red Triton and this turned up titled as a red Triton, looked no further than that, so it is not even a Triton - well at least the FB frame was not hacked - mind if it was a FB that had been damaged beyond reasonable repair than it would be a fine use.

This was the pic I was looking for



R

Got that picture on the wall by my desk at work. Makes my grin inside to see it and keeps me working when all I want to do is quit!

[Steffan]

Style be buggered 

Ride what you got and be happy   

Steffan

[guest18]

Now *that's* the sort of tank, and indeed the style they couldn've used for the new Bonneville, probably would have managed to go between petrol stations with that! 

I have to say it's very, very nice going from a bike that hit reserve at 112 miles to one which does so as 190 odd miles...  Much easier and more practical 

[guest27]

My ratty old Triton had one of those big 5 gal tanks - used to be good for a weeks benefit cheque and about 250 to 300 miles but boy was the handling different full and on reserve!

Mind that red triton could be 'different' and thus more to my liking - I would have less rear mudguard and possibly a dinky set of lights tucked under the seat, and prolly brakes that worked at least on the front...

Someone mentioned the original LCs - 250 was nice but the 350 was near perfect, mine had a set of chrome Allspeeds which I really liked, mind a mate had a fully faired, ally tank etc from Mel Le Moto on his and that was mmmmmmmmmm

I think what I like is distinction - I know all Tritons are much of a muchness - mind I did see a pretty much standard Dommie with an Umph engine on the IoM some years ago, the bloke riding it had started to suffer with the cafe racer shape of his Triton so he clothed it in std seat, tank etc and had best of all worlds.

Tii many of the current crop look similar to each other - mind so did our crop.  But then there are a few peaches, 916 mmm, Original Fireplace was good but common so tempered the feel of it. Back in my day (grumble mutter fart) the GS1000S was to me mmmmmm, the CB900 Hondas just missed.  XT500 was mmmm XL, SP etc not quite there.  Some of the RGV SUzukis have been near perfect - cannot remember what model, but later ones lost some.  I thought the FJ1100 had more style than the GPz900R

It is all horses for courses, mind in my time I have ridden a Jawa 250, Kwak 250 triple, Honda CB200, CB250 Superdream (X4) a number of mongerels etc, none of them stylish, all of them good transport after a fashion.

R