Other bike-going retro

ofdave

Member
Have you noticed that ever since Triumph came out with the new-retro Bonnevilles, others are jumping on the band wagon?
Motoguzzi sort of with the Roamer and Bobber.
Now Yamaha with the SCR950-look here
http://ridermagazine.com/2016/06/08/2017-yamaha-scr950-first-look-review/
If I remember right Honda started it with the CB1100, now out of production (after only 3 years) I think.
And Royal Enfield got in on it in 2015 when they established a presence in Milwaukee and set up a dealer network rather than going through a distributor and set up a dealer network. They are fuel injected now, more reliable than before and a blast to ride as long as you like 55 mph max cruise-they get buzzy as heck if you push them
The new Bonnies are sharp for sure and the Street Twin is competitively priced. The T 120 gets close to 12 thou and then the cost of bags if you want them.
None get the mileage we do and none have any kind of auto.
To me the look is cool (I do like the T 120 & Street twin) but I like my bike.
So whaddya think? Is it a fad and will it last? The Triumphs will stay but the rest?
 

Merlin III

New member
Have you noticed that ever since Triumph came out with the new-retro Bonnevilles, others are jumping on the band wagon?
Motoguzzi sort of with the Roamer and Bobber.
Now Yamaha with the SCR950-look here
http://ridermagazine.com/2016/06/08/2017-yamaha-scr950-first-look-review/
If I remember right Honda started it with the CB1100, now out of production (after only 3 years) I think.
And Royal Enfield got in on it in 2015 when they established a presence in Milwaukee and set up a dealer network rather than going through a distributor and set up a dealer network. They are fuel injected now, more reliable than before and a blast to ride as long as you like 55 mph max cruise-they get buzzy as heck if you push them
The new Bonnies are sharp for sure and the Street Twin is competitively priced. The T 120 gets close to 12 thou and then the cost of bags if you want them.
None get the mileage we do and none have any kind of auto.
To me the look is cool (I do like the T 120 & Street twin) but I like my bike.
So whaddya think? Is it a fad and will it last? The Triumphs will stay but the rest?
I think it is a fad fueled by old people like ourselves who have very fond memories of our youth. :)
 

randy1149

New member
Thanks Dave, oh boy, do these retros bring back memories and a smile on my face. If I still had the same inseam as 30 years ago, one of these would be in my garage.
 

Woodswoman

Member
Triumph makes some bikes that really appeal to me. The new Bonnies are right in my wheelhouse, power-wise and weight-wise.

Thing is, where I live in upstate New York, I'm in a big, black hole for Triumph dealerships. The nearest one to me used to be 60 miles away, but he gave up the marque, so now it's even further to find one.

If I were to have a second bike right now, I'd probably try Honda's CB1100. My brain has it tagged as being in the same marketing niche as the new Bonnies.

.
 

Thumper

New member
I love all of them! But, I agree the style is retro and will fade with time. It would be fun to have that Yamaha, but I already have a Ural Retro in the garage on a lift. It will likely end up my sons problem someday, and somehow, I am smirking about that!
 

randy1149

New member
I'm not so sure these bike will ever loose their appeal. The era of these bikes where in the transition period of oil leaking inline 2's with Lucas toaster wiring, shifters on the wrong side to the Asian fit and finish, electric starters, didn't leak oil and the "coup-de-grass", the stake into the hearts of Triumph, Norton, Royal Enfield, BSA... etc, was by the Honda 4 inline CB750. The CB is STILL being made by Honda after around 30 years. That speaks volumes, it was the game changer and still in the hearts of folks in my time period.
 

MJC

Super Moderator
I agree that the Triumphs will stay or at least out of the retro models stay the longest. I feel to be a good selling retro people must have had or a least wanted that model back in the day. I started riding in the 70's, and it was get a HD or get a Triumph and make it "Cool". My cool triumph was a hard tail, long front end, high bars, no front brake, kick start, all the riding done with that bike was hard on the body, but the girl on the back and my buddies a long side me made it worth it. We had some great times, and has they say " if you can remember them, you did not have has much fun has I did". When the CB came out people did the same thing to them just like the Triumph and HD, cut, chop, and ride. So for me a RETRO model is just a starting point to making it cool. I was just thinking the other day, if I had a ctx700 dct engine and trans, put it into a old (soft tail) racked out frame, add high bars, a (RDL) king/queen seat, how that would be so cool.....MY wife saw me seating there and said "what you thinking?" and I said "YOU DO NOT WANT TO KNOW" and started LOL...she just walked away...
Now I find this tread and you got me thinking...winter will be here soon and I should start looking for parts on ebay....Who's in, we can design the bike on this forum, maybe meet over the winter in my basement and build it...or not, but it would be fun to start a tread on what people would put into/on a retro bike...
 

ofdave

Member
@mjc
"meet over the winter in my basement and build it..."
Build it in your basement-that right there is "retro". I wonder how much of that goes on today.
While in college in Boston (a long while ago) , my downstairs neighbor and classmate had a 650 Triumph in boxes and kitchen pots and pans through most of a winter. Stuff spread all over the living room and you weren't allowed to move one box or pan. He got it back together and rode it that summer. Place smelled like gas and oil most all the time. Then the gas evaporated and only the oil smell was left.
So, to me,"retro" may be about more than just the ride.
 
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