Friday, September 23, 2011

My Dream Motorcycle

This is a silly blog, and completely useless in all but purpose. But I thought that maybe putting things down on paper (or pixels) may enlighten me.

I own a Suzuki C-109R/T motorcycle. It is an 1800 CC monster cruiser bike, but it has it's fair share of quirks that keep me thinking about alternate motorcycles. So let me write down what I like about the C-109R/T.



C-109R/T
(+) A very powerful engine
(+) Liquid-Cooled Engine
(+) Fat rear tire (I like how it looks)
(+) Drive Shaft low maintenance
(+) Rear Passenger
(-) Drive Shaft loss of power
(-) No Cruise Control
(-) Limited Customization (due to lack of Suzuki Production)
(-) Cruiser Fender covers up the tire
(-) Sounds like a weeny-bike
(-) Low Suzuki Support
(-) windshield is very difficult to remove
(-) bags are falling apart
( ) 40 mpg (could be better, but definitely could be worse)

My ideal bike would
A) sound like a harley
B) be liquid-cooled
C) have hard-bags that are easily removed and lockable
D) Have a bat-wing fairing or easily detached windshield
E) 45-50 mpg or 6 gal tank
F) cruise-control

I think what I realized is that riding a motorcycle is more than just freedom. Freedom on a motorcycle is similar to putting the top down on a convertible or putting on shorts after working all day in professional dress attire. But it is also an internal makeover as you step into the shoes of someone else. For a while, you are no longer that geek who does math tricks in his head or the used car salesman with bad hair on a windy day. The moment you swing your leg over a cycle, you become someone else and you live differently. You see the world differently too. And how you feel, or should I say who you feel like, depends on what you ride and how you ride. Are you in matching leathers with a reflective visored helm, hunched over a bullet bike screaming down the road? Or are you in black leather, relaxed, and cruising down the street with your engine thumping. When you step off the bike, it's like going through a virtual reality machine. Everything shifts. Your vision warps as normal reality sets in.

Right now, my vision isn't lining up. I have mixed and matched different realities. I don't know what I feel like when I sit on my bike, but it isn't calibrated correctly for the experience I was looking for. It's close, but not quite. And I can't help but feel proud and embarrassed at the same time when I whip down the street in my jap cruiser. It feels out of place.

There is a lot of argument in the motorcycle world when it comes to jap bikes vs American (and let's not forget European bikes). Each category has it's "faithful" zealot followers. They love to point out the flaws in each other. Some flaws no longer exist. A lot of American motor vehicle manufacturers made really bad products in the 80s and early 90s. Harley-Davidson was no exception. Many anti-Harley folk like to laugh at how Harley-Davidson's break down frequently, but it doesn't take long to see how much of this has to do with poorly made bikes from those days.

Bikes made today are good all around. The real difference is that different motorcycle manufacturers have different philosophies. Also, some bikes are supported while others are not. Take Suzuki for example. They continue to heavily support their sportbikes, but their cruisers are dwindling. The customization available reflects that, as fewer products are being made or designed. There are hardly any selections when it comes to after-market pipes. However, look at Harley-Davidson and you'll see the opposite when it comes to their cruisers. In addition, Harley-Davidson does make you pay more for the same product (but knowing what I know now, I think you get more in the end).

I think if I ever buy another bike, I'm going to stick to what each manufacturer is best at. When I look at Suzuki, I'll be looking at their sport bikes. When I look for cruisers, I'll be down looking at the Harley-Davidson bikes.

1 comment:

  1. Great insights you got there. :) Yep, there is definitely no such thing as the perfect motorcycle. This is mainly because people’s tastes differ from one another. Some like cruisers, while some like sports bikes. The important thing is that the bike you have or will be buying meets your expectations.

    Clare Westby

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