Topic: "INSPIRATION GALLERY "

[Ecosse]

just want to clarify: is this a japan only proposal? because i'm already thinking about what i'd have to do to be able to afford one. 

nit pick: why does it have to be an 1100? can't they at least have a mid-sized one to compliment this behemoth?

[Retro Rocket]

just want to clarify: is this a japan only proposal? because i'm already thinking about what i'd have to do to be able to afford one. 

nit pick: why does it have to be an 1100? can't they at least have a mid-sized one to compliment this behemoth?

Gday Bill, no its not just a Japan model, Aussie forum member Mick7504 has a red one and says it is great....

Mick

[Ecosse]

figures... the u.s. get's the ol' katana from behind once again.

[Retro Rocket]

Your market seems to miss out on some great bikes. Seems you only have Harley clones or squid bikes, what a shame....

Mick

[weekend_junkie]

figures... the u.s. get's the ol' katana from behind once again.

Ahhh, I read that and thought "Katana? Those bikes suck. Why anyone want a pretend sport bike?"

...and THEN I got the 'knife in the back' joke.  Har har.

[Retro Rocket]

figures... the u.s. get's the ol' katana from behind once again.

Ahhh, I read that and thought "Katana? Those bikes suck. Why anyone want a pretend sport bike?"

...and THEN I got the 'knife in the back' joke.  Har har.

I knew a couple of guys that raced the 1100 Katana and they were a sportsbike......and bloody fast as well....

Mick

[crazypj]

figures... the u.s. get's the ol' katana from behind once again.

Ahhh, I read that and thought "Katana? Those bikes suck. Why anyone want a pretend sport bike?"

Have you ever ridden one or do you just listen to BS from others?
 second Gen Katana had one of the first production perimeter frames and handle real well despite limitations of suspension.
 It's also a 'Sport tourer', which it does really well (plus the 750's do about 150mph, at least European ones)

[Retro Rocket]

figures... the u.s. get's the ol' katana from behind once again.

Ahhh, I read that and thought "Katana? Those bikes suck. Why anyone want a pretend sport bike?"

Have you ever ridden one or do you just listen to BS from others?
 second Gen Katana had one of the first production perimeter frames and handle real well despite limitations of suspension.
 It's also a 'Sport tourer', which it does really well (plus the 750's do about 150mph, at least European ones)

No good as a sport tourer, i rode a friends bike 1000+ miles and had to keep sitting up to let the wind get under my chest and take the weight of my wrists, by the time we got to our destination my wrists were aching. That was with the standard handle bars, they just put my wrists at a uncomfortable angle.....It still handled well though, then i went out and bought my first GSXR 1100 ....man ...what a difference..

Mick

[Damfino]

Your market seems to miss out on some great bikes. Seems you only have Harley clones or squid bikes, what a shame....

Mick

Spanner making bikes now?

[motocyconomad]

I don't know why the English and the Aussies get all the cool motorcycle stuff and we get the shaft, that really chaps my hide.  Son of a #$%* if your crafty Brits ain't bring'n back them snort'n Nortons. Goddamn it. I hope they put some "birds" in the adds went they market to us.
    We got #$%*ing Harley selling an image not a good bike, I got Indian doing who the hell knows what, Buell out ..they was the great American whiteboy hope
    I tell the kid at work that I'm going to get one of those big baggers and stick my SOHC cb750k motor in there. It disturbs him. I tell him every time I stick a 750 in a Harley a Hells Angel loses his wings.

[Jinxracing]

I don't know why the English and the Aussies get all the cool motorcycle stuff and we get the shaft, that really chaps my hide.

Probably because nearly every time they listen to us screaming "If you let us have that cool new uber-standard-vintage-racer-thingamajig we swear we'll buy them all up", they end up not selling very well. Honda GB500, '90s CB750, CB1000 Big 1, Hawk 650, Kawasaki W650, Suzuki GSX 1100G...etc.

Don't get me wrong, I wish they'd offer every model they sell here, but I can understand why they'd cast a jaundiced eye on the American motorcycling public when we ask for new "boutique" models. Apparently we are, in fact, a bunch of leather-clad douchebags and barefoot-riding squids.

[MCRider]

I don't know why the English and the Aussies get all the cool motorcycle stuff and we get the shaft, that really chaps my hide.

Probably because nearly every time they listen to us screaming "If you let us have that cool new uber-standard-vintage-racer-thingamajig we swear we'll buy them all up", they end up not selling very well. Honda GB500, '90s CB750, CB1000 Big 1, Hawk 650, Kawasaki W650, Suzuki GSX 1100G...etc.

Don't get me wrong, I wish they'd offer every model they sell here, but I can understand why they'd cast a jaundiced eye on the American motorcycling public when we ask for new "boutique" models. Apparently we are, in fact, a bunch of leather-clad douchebags and barefoot-riding squids.

Yup and don't forget the ill-fated Yamaha GTS. So sad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yamaha_GTS1000

I believe to this day, it still holds a record for shortest stopping distance of all motorcycles, and it only has 1 disc. OCICBW

[weekend_junkie]

figures... the u.s. get's the ol' katana from behind once again.

Ahhh, I read that and thought "Katana? Those bikes suck. Why anyone want a pretend sport bike?"

Have you ever ridden one or do you just listen to BS from others?
 second Gen Katana had one of the first production perimeter frames and handle real well despite limitations of suspension.
 It's also a 'Sport tourer', which it does really well (plus the 750's do about 150mph, at least European ones)

I make a habit of not listening to other people (ha!) and no, I haven't ridden one.  It is pretty easy to recognise a UJM-esque bike with modern plastics on it to appeal to the poor squid crowd who can't otherwise afford a GSXR or a CBR.

As for the Katana being a Sport-Tourer, no thanks.  VFR, Blackbird, FJR... those are sport touring bikes.  For what it's worth, I just did 1500 miles 2-up with the wife on a fully packed VFR800.

Katana = Not inspiring to me

[hondaface75]

Wasnt America THE motorcycle market to be in, in the 60s?

[Doctor_D]

I don't know why the English and the Aussies get all the cool motorcycle stuff and we get the shaft, that really chaps my hide.

Probably because nearly every time they listen to us screaming "If you let us have that cool new uber-standard-vintage-racer-thingamajig we swear we'll buy them all up", they end up not selling very well. Honda GB500, '90s CB750, CB1000 Big 1, Hawk 650, Kawasaki W650, Suzuki GSX 1100G...etc.

Don't get me wrong, I wish they'd offer every model they sell here, but I can understand why they'd cast a jaundiced eye on the American motorcycling public when we ask for new "boutique" models. Apparently we are, in fact, a bunch of leather-clad douchebags and barefoot-riding squids.

Ahhh, the GB500... If they had given it a bit more guts... well, maybe not. If I come across a nice one, I'd have to think hard to pass it up.

Funny how other 500cc bikes like the GS500E could sell well enough for years and the SRX6, GB500 etc can't hold on. Maybe it's because all of us who say we want those bikes already own a couple and can't justify adding more to the stable. 

[fastbroshi]

Wow, I just sneaked a peak at the Yamaha GTS1000 on wiki.  Single sided FRONT?  Very cool.  Ahead of it's time I guess.

[MCRider]

Wow, I just sneaked a peak at the Yamaha GTS1000 on wiki.  Single sided FRONT?  Very cool.  Ahead of it's time I guess.

it is a RADD single sided swingarm front, with leading link characteristics. Which means when you jump on the brake the front end wants to rise rather than plunge, which accounts for the superior stopping power.

Too expensive, hence the poor sales.

[fastbroshi]

I believe to this day, it still holds a record for shortest stopping distance of all motorcycles, and it only has 1 disc. OCICBW

87ft from 60mph - 0!!

[crazypj]

The Yamaha could have had whatever it wanted, neutral, lift or dive
during testing riders wanted it to feel like conventional telescopic fork.
It wasn't that it was too expensive, it was more that motorcyclists are extremely conservative when it come to plunking down cash (as mentioned earlier)

Hub center steering
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hub-center_steering
http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/gsx-radd-hub-center-steered-motorcycle-suspension
My favorite, Tony Foal
http://www.tonyfoale.com/Articles/Steer/STEER.htm

[the architect]

Inspiration comes from many places, right?

[johnsy]

have any info on the artist?

Inspiration comes from many places, right?

[weekend_junkie]

Learn how to use tineye.com and you will find the droids you are looking for.

http://www.prodigalnine.com/

[Ricky_Racer]

http://prodigalnine.com/?m=200708    RR

[78CB750CAFE]

http://prodigalnine.com/?m=200708    RR

reminds me of Daniel Clowes with prettier subject matter

http://www.google.com/images?q=DANIEL+CLOWES&oe=utf-8&client=firefoxa&rlz=1R1DVFA_en___US395&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=eXuBTNzwG8P58AbinM2xAg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CEkQsAQwAw&biw=1024&bih=589
http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.browse&category_id=204&Itemid=62&vmcchk=1&Itemid=62

[flipprboi]

1955 MV Agusta 175 Disco Volante CSS.

The shape of the tank alone screams out insiration. Love the dash and bars too.