Why Did You Buy a Retro Styled Bike?

These W650's are making a stir in the Retro stakes......... For a modern bike, they're an excellent compromise - so miuch so, I got one too

I've also got an '01 W650, and love it.

Been riding 49 years, and have owned every style, and most brands, of bikes.

My favorite was probably a vintage Triumph I had. Based on my age, Triumphs were THE bikes to own. Looked and sounded great, and a college dorm mates '64 Bonneville was the first bike I was ever on.

When I saw the W, and read about it, I figured it was all the benefits of a Brit bike with none of the headaches. Luckily, that's just how it turned out.

I sold my SV1000 soon after buying the W and have no regrets. Same for a Wee Strom, found it wasn't dirt enough, just wasn't using it, much preferred to ride the W on the street.

Wish they'd bring the W800 here.

In 1979 I bought my biggest badest bike, Benelli Tornado 650 which tore my arms from their sockets and buried my eyeballs in the back of my skull when I tore the accelerator open. It vibrated my teeth out of my skull and ate light bulbs and fuses like they were free. I wanted a Triumph Bonneville but by then Triumphs were clearly on the way out and because I lived in Italy the Benelli was easily found used and had actual parts and delaers to hand. It was a terrible ride, full of character and breakdowns and epic speed.




Imagine my surprise when I found I was the object of the retro craze that suddenly permeated the motorcycle industry. I was no longer obliged to ride a plastic coated transformer. I could own a bike that looked like a bike from my youth with none of the terrible inconveniences known as "character.".



I thought about a Ducati Classic with more performance but I ride a lot, 15,000 miles a year and only use a car when family requirements oblige me to. A Ducati seemed a bit iffy for a daily rider, especially in Flatistan where Ducati's out-of-the-box performance isn't necessary. I wanted a Harley but the XR1200 was years away and even when it did come out the stupid plastic bodywork prevented easy attachment of luggage. I like the 1200R Sportster no longer offered and the Road King is lovely but too huge. I like the W650 but it is a museum piece nowadays after only two years for sale in the US and has no accessoriy catalogue like the Bonneville's.
The Ural? 15,000 miles a year at 25mpg on a Russian bike? The Enfield? Not likely. The Moto Guzzi V7 is lovely but I like a bike with a dealership network. The Bonneville wins on all counts. Don't like the seat, suspension, engine size, tires, exhaust..etc etc..? Buy a new one to your taste. The bike itself is cheap enough by modern standards. I'd love a Colorado Norton Works Interstate but at $30,000 its too rich for my 99% blood. I earn my "it's only money" sitting up all night.

I have ridden the Bonneville 70,000 miles and I've ridden it 36 hours straight. I commute, ride around town, travel and pootle and I enjoy it as much as ever. I wish it had tubeless tires and a bigger fuel tank but even if I wear this one out I will look for a carburetted replacement. I like the looks of the Honda CB1100 or the Yamaha SR400 but the Bonneville is a mainstream offering by a reputable manufacturer that stands behind the bike. Japanese retros are one small slice of a huge industrial output.


I could go on but I was 22 and tough back then. I'm soft and middle aged now. I rented a BMW K1200S one trip back to Italy and it was fun hitting 125mph on the Autostrada but in this land of diminished speed limits the Bonneville is fine for me.

I got my old bike (actually bikes) because I was on German eBay under the influence of Czech beer.
I bought it primarily because it was ¼ the price of similar BMW's. It was a bonus that it was old and speed limited so I wouldn't kill myself out on the German autobahn.
They're super simple to work on and "upgrade" due to lots of interchangeable parts. Ural/Dnepr bikes and parts were cheap and plentiful once upon a time.
For instance, the slightly used Ural 650cc OHV engine AND gearbox (second photo) were $475 and took me about two hours to swap out by myself. I upgraded from manual advance ignition to electronic ignition and newer carbs all with hand tools: no carb sync tools, timing lights, or dwell meters. I had the whole thing running again in a weekend.
Did I mention that they look cool, too???

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I'll see your Kawasaki W650 and raise you 150cc!

I'd probably pay 150% of MSRP and use my left testicle as a down-payment on one of these if they'd just get W800's to the USA.

Nice! I just picked up this ZX(R "retro 90's" sportbike. I'm big on the lime/purple combo

For me it was back in '93, when the guys I worked with were drooling over the [then brand new] Ducati Monster - I said to them if I ever bought a street bike, it would be one of those... and sure enough when the time came, it was!



I've had my M620 for ten years now, and although clearly it's had a few mods along the way, I've still tried to keep it clean and simple...




However, my first love is still dirt bikes, and for me perhaps the purest of them all is my Honda TLR:



Jx

Sweet,

for the first time in like ten years I'm Kawasaki-free and unless they bring the W800 into the states, I'm likely to stay that way for a long time to come. 'Beautiful bike, too bad they won't let us buy it. This would be why I'm liking Honda more all the time (CB1100).

1990 Honda GB500. It was retro when it was new.

Its too big, and more then I need, but that sure does look good!

Love that bike but I didn't think we'd see it so I bought this.

Schwinngg!!

Not enough street cred because it lacks a kick starter.

The W800 is interesting, but why would you buy the copy when Triumph will be happy to sell you the real thing?

Unless Kawi can undercut Triumph's price point (and I doubt they can - the Bonnie is already the least expensive bike in the Triumph line up) there would be no good reason for them to bring them to the US.

Besides that, Kawasaki ought to be promoting their own heritage, not somebody else's - bring back the KZ900/Z1!

To answer the question presented, I bought a retro-styled bike because sleek, faired bikes just leave me cold. A motorcycle should move your soul, not just your body, and sportbikes don't do it for me. Ditto for the Harley-clone cruisers.

Bought this 4 years ago next week:



I've farkeled it up a bit, but it still has that classic styling and that classic feel.

To me, this is what a motorcycle should look like. A clean, elegant design, without gimmicks.

This is what she looks like now.



Can't imagine a better all around bike. Yes, she could use a bit more power. I do sometimes miss the engine on my old Thunderbird (though I don't miss the electric fan and coolant tank.)

Also one of the most comfortable bikes I've ever owned.

I love the new CB1100 and hope the "retro" trend catches on.

I had a new Bonneville, and found it a very poor copy of the older ones.
I think the W bikes are likely to be better copies.

And oddly enough, I think they look better then the originals unless you go back to the 60's...

Agreed, I have been looking at the W650 for a while and just found one to pick up. Wish there were more of them here. I think they could make it work since the W bikes have a more classic look than the Bonnies and also, there are people that just don't want a Euro brand. That, and the Cafe thing seems to be growing in popularity with the younger crowds. The chopper thing is dying with the baby boomers.

The Hinkley Bonnies are lovely bikes but when i was looking to buy a retro standard in 2001 I looked hard at and rode both the W650 and the new Bonnie and decided to buy the W. Part of that might have been the W looked more the part as the T100 would not be coming out for another year or two and part of that might have been how they were equiped (W's came with center stands, kick starts, and a hindged seat that opened with a key) but really, in riding the two, the W just felt more like the real deal. Peter Egan did a write-up of the two a year later that said much the same thing, the new Bonnie being the better modern bike, the W feeling more like the classic. It really depends on what you are looking for. Iin my case, I still haven't bough a Bonnie tho if the W came back in i'd have my deposit down on one tomorrow. Both are fine bikes but more different than you might think from the look of them.

Alright, I'll throw my new to me 1992 Kawasaki Zephyr 750 out there. My first "retro" styled bike, and first inline 4. I really like it so far, after trying a few different styles I just decided to sort of go back to basics and try an older, proven design.

I had never heard of this particular model, but when a fellow inmate and friend put it up for sale I knew immediately that I wanted it. It just looks like a motorcycle to me. Easily modifiable to any number of configurations so everything from cruising around town to a multi-day tour is totally doable.

....and I think it is damn pretty.

Not a fan of 4 cylinder bikes, but that does look nice.