Well yes. For me, nothing excites like the FEEL of power and speed, and its better for me if I get it at lower speeds. I do not want something that vibrates so much parts fall off (Old Triumph 500 twins) but like a bit of sound and feel when getting on a bike, like almost any thumper or the old Triumph 750 twins, and the Harley's. I really like singles where you feel the power pulses, light nimble bikes with torque and the feel and sound of power pulses. Those bikes are so fun to ride they can make you not want to stop. The bike does not HAVE to have flaws, like bad seats, wide gas tanks, crappy suspension parts, reliability issues and so on, its just that most older bikes did have some of those flaws. My current TU250 is a bit (ok very) small and under powered, but it FEELS like you are going warp speed sometimes, has the (little) thumper power pulses that makes me enjoy EVERY ride, and EVERY ride, even all day ones are too short. Its a rare bike I can do a 14 hour ride on and 1/2 hour after I get home I want to go back out on. If you have never had a bike you felt like that about, you have not found the right bike.
For me, any bike that will not lift the front wheel easily is boring - except (and I was surprised to see it on this list - twice) the little Ninja 250. I bought a 1999 model 3 years ago, for my daughter, and I just can not stay off of it. There is something about it's light weight, and small size that makes it an absolute blast to ride - as long as I stay off of the slab. I have owned plenty of big Dual Sport singles (XR600, KTM620, DR650, DRZ400S), and they are all pretty boring, with heavy, slow revving motors and sedate power delivery, but they will snap up a decent wheelie when forced. Probably the most boring bikes I have owned were a 1998 Triumph Thunderbird Adventurer (decent motor, but just too heavy and long), and a Honda VT500 (this bike *looked* like it would be a blast, but its motor was utterly gutless and uninspiring).
Maybe you just needed to fit a pumper carb on the big singles, my dr650 would loft the front wheel with just the throttle in the first 3 gears (stock gearing). That WAS fun. I wish they would make a street bike with the dr650 engine.
rode a harley once after changing the front tire on the bike for a guy. I was dumbfounded...i knew it would be slow but I was not prepared for a 1450cc bike to be that dog ass slow. truly pathetic, with enough vibration to damage internal organs. truly a defective POS, could not believe that people line up to pay 16k for that. the whole harley scene is a colossal triumph of calculated marketing over common sense
To start with: DL-1000, what to say? It was comfortable, competent and had a big twin in it. I should have liked it a lot. The saddle and riding position nearly put me to sleep and the power delivery was not at all.. exciting. DL-650, pretty much the same though I liked the engine a little more also on the 2012 I rode the wind blast was not existent which was good. I hated the suspension on it. I could see the road surface was rough, textured and full of cracks. Riding the same roads on my Multistrada and it told me those things. On the Wee? Couldn't tell the difference. It was the same squishy couch sensation on rough back roads or slabbing it. FZ-6, it put my hands to sleep and I found I just don't like I4s. FZ-1, see above. It's a great bike, it's not for me. C-10, this was the first big bike I rode. I was anxious about riding bigger bikes and worried heavy weight of a big ST would be overwhelming. (I was riding a Monster as my only vehicle which had some serious inconveniences and flaws.) So my roommate and I swapped bikes for a week. I hated it. It made my hands numb, it was fat, uncomfortable and boring.. boring. She didn't agree with me about it being boring until she bought her Norge.. then rode it again after having the Norge as her daily rider for 6 months. Needless to say I had no desire to hustle a big bike like that around in traffic or in the hills so sacrificing some comfort for lighter weight became a yes for me. Now my current bike is only like 60-70lbs heavier than my monster was with a full tank of gas and it holds almost 2 gallons more. There are still times were I think I probably should have spent less money on a less..unique and prissy bike as my only vehicle but I love my Multistrada to death. It's a great bike.. for me, though I'd have a lot more money if I'd bought something like a Wee (though that's debatable given the crap people go through to make them 'likeable') or something else that is cheaper to keep running and has less expensive parts.
The only boring bikes that I have ridden have been cruisers, and I used to own a KLR. I just can't get rid of the recliner feel with my feet out front like that.
My last three road bikes were Honda Pacific Coast, the mini vans of motorcycling. But I'm the practical, conservative type so they are perfect for me. My DR 650 fills in the fun factor.
I usually like every bike I ride. With one exception. Any year FJR. I'm not sure it's the bike. Competent in a heavy sort of way. But I've ridden others like that. I think it has more to do with me. I guess I like bikes with a bit of character. And a FJR has that designed out, it seems to me.
BMW K75. I spent about an hour riding one, and it didn't call attention to itself in any way at all, good or bad. Fine machine, boring as hell.
NT700 - There is a reason it's often called the Dullville. Tractor-like engine (unusually bad NVH for a Honda), uninspiring handling, and as they say in media circles, it has "looks for radio." I so wanted to love it, as it was a completely logical, practical step up from my '09 Ninja 250, but I kept the 250...far more fun to ride to this day. It wasn't the worst bike I've ridden, though. The '11 Ninja 650 takes that honor. Like others, I found the new Bonnie a bit drab as well.
Yamaha FZ6R. Everything about it is dull. The brakes, the suspension, the handling, the styling. It's a decent appliance that'd I'd probably keep around for commuting or something, that's about it.
CR500AF Yawn. I can see getting bored on a goldwing or some other mega tourers, otherwise I think you're just doing it wrong. Go into a corner hard on budget suspension and tell me if you are bored.
most boring bike ever? It would probably be a close call between the BMW R1100R, K75, and the GL1500. on second thought - GL1500. The refrigerator of the motorcycle world.
BMW R75/6...............It failed to pass the test of going uphill better then my DR650,no matter how much it was revved or spun up it refused to go faster then a casual natter down the road,it hated corners,especially lord forbid there was a bump. Brakes? About the same as power output,minimal. Shifting was as expected,like an old truck. Rubber cow handling,check. The droning puttering noises reminded me too much of tractors I had driven as a kid,it got traded for a 650 Strom in an act of irony,which at least could be sold,no one would bid over 1500 for the /6. I can easily see why the airheads have such a huge following though.
New Triumph Bonneville. Looks nice, rides OK, enough power, painfully dull though. Did a demo on one and came back scratching my head as to why it was so utterly boring. I still don't know why the combination just doesn't work for me. .