What happened to "Plain" Standard motorcycles?

[NJ-Brett]

Looks great!

Also, the Moto Guzzi V7 classic is a standard, looks very sharp!

Originally Posted by 650sf

UJMs are the only street bikes I've ever owned, I've had 7 so far, and they were all originals.

I just love the style, simplicity, and comfortable riding position.

My current "standard".

[NJ-Brett]

I totally agree, the seat on my sportster locks me into the wrong position.
In the old days, you could slide forward for sport action, move back and tuck in for high speeds, there was room for two, and seats were much thicker, like they expected people to spend a few hours on one.
Its SO nice to be able to move around on long trips and for different speeds.

New bikes seem to aim for small people, get that seat height as low as possible, cut the frame down, remove padding.

Then there is the 'put the passenger WAY up there'.
What is that about?
Having someone way up on the back of the bike makes it handle better???

Originally Posted by Cakeeater

I don't get the scalloped seats of most bikes today. Give me a straight bench seat any day. I like to move all around a bike on long rides. My rumper hurts locked in one position all day. The old standards had great seats. Sit on the back seat, scoot forward....the curve of that bmw makes me ache just looking at it. Nice bike otherwise

[Defconfunk]

You can stil lbuy one of these new.
Air cooled 500cc ptwin. Pretty darned close to the old GS450 of the 80s, just ever so slightly more modern. I think it looks smashing. Not as chic as a Bonnie or those japan-only retro 400s, but still a simple and handsome bike.

Throw a fly screen on it and a fair of soft bags and you've got a great bike to get you anywhere without pretense.

[ThomasVolomitz]

I don't think you can buy one new in Merica, but it looks nice.

[NJ-Brett]

That is one fine looking bike, and practical I bet.

Older (pre rubber frame) sportsters, the V7 classic, the new Triumphs, the TU250 are all that is out there in quantity, the last three new.

I sure wish there was a way to bring in a cb400ss....or they made a tu350, or a TU500 twin...

Originally Posted by wishin4woods

I know what you mean. I hate the look of bikes covered in plastic and love the simplicity /looks of an air cooled engine. I literally waited years to buy a new bike in hopes that one of the Japanese manufacturers would bring over something like this....


It never happened and I got tired of waiting so I picked up a Sportster. I love the bike and it has treated me damn well yet I still can't help but long for a 400-650 cc classically styled Japanese standard.

[Grainbelt]

Originally Posted by Rasthomas

I don't think you can buy one new in Merica, but it looks nice.

mechanically unchanged but sold here as the GS500F with a big 'ol fairing on it since about '06.

[2manyrides]

It's marketing and what they think the general public "wants" VS what the other manufacturers are making. "Keeping up with the jones'".

I can admit to being swiftly left behind in the race of technology and modernization.
But as I aquire a machine through savings or hard earned payments, I'm not about to just give up on it for the next new thing. And the next new thing is what they think we want.
It's like radio stations. Gone is the days of free form radio where they play what they want. Now it's decided by corprate exec's survey based decisions. Or TV, what happened to real shows where there were writers?
Now plastered with "fake" reality shows.
The shame is that the majority of the public "goes for it". thus we get more and more! Same with bikes.

But...
There should be choices, and all types for us to choose from.

Some of us could see it happening as it was taking place.
For instance a yamaha xs 650...
Last year for a STD in america was 79 and only a small portion were available in the us. They shoved specials down our throats through 83, while providing the other continents with real bikes!
Buckaroo bars and stepped seats. Ever ride those?

Here's an 80 STD from germany, and they were offered through 83 there.



You should have your choice of seats, but don't make me sit down in a cup.



^^^There's room for 3, just not 3 sets of pegs.^^^




Granted...I don't have a large displacement bike, but I don't have to cross state lines much. And the more power there is the more trouble I could eventualy get my self into. No matter how conservative my approach...sooner or later I'm gonna feel the need to gas it.
The speed limit is 65mph.

[Cakeeater]

I'm looking at sportster custom. Midcontrols, "normal" handlebars. aircooled engine that I can see...and access without pulling sixteen pieces of plastic out of the way. But I'd ditch the scalloped seat, have a flat seat installed, and install some better rear shocks that hike the back end up an inch or two. My legs are plenty long. Otherwise a pretty standardish bike.

Just looking at all those awesome UJMs of yesteryear makes me lust after flat comfortable seats.

[MaineScoot]

I'd love to find one of these to restore:

[DC2wheels]

Bought a new 900F Supersport back in '82. Put lots of miles on it- Had the dealer install Honda's kit that included lower "superbike" bars and moderate rearsets.

Sold it when the kids came along. Wish I had kept it.......

A typical 900F photo. Very UJM standard.

[Defconfunk]

Originally Posted by Rasthomas

I don't think you can buy one new in Merica, but it looks nice.

Just looked over the US suzuki page. We're still getting them up North, so I figured you'd be as well. Shame you aren't. Not that used models are terribly hard to find. Well, given how badly naked bikes sell in the US, maybe it is hard to find...

[pauljr]

I grew up on standards. High performance bike you could use for anything was what I wanted and readily available. Naked (to me) is not the same, try touring comfortably 2 up on something like a speed triple or a new honda/kawasaki 1000. I think my interpretation of standard is a thing of the past excepting a few rare instances.

[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.

[pauljr]

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

I purchased a FJ1100 when it came out, performance, used for lots of 2up trips, comfortable, fairing. It was still a standard to me, but probably at the point in time things changed.

[bigphish]

Retro standard and lovin' it