Re: [St] The Future of Motorcycling

[Gavin Lawrie <gavin.lawrie@xxxxxxxxx>]

In Europe the Harley crowd that is the focus of the article is much  
less of an issue.  Rather we have YouTube videos of maniacs doing  
150mph+ on highways, and a bike industry focused still on selling race- 
reps to the road bike market, which fuels the videos and provides  
ammunition to the anti-bike lobby.  Even BMW got in on the act  
launching the K1200 with a video of it ace-ing the Nurburgring.

Trouble is I think that it is hard for the industry to back itself  
away from the power-to-weight ratio argument.  Did the new Tiger or ST  
really need to have a bigger / more powerful engine than the one it  
replaced?   Does anyone have any sensible use for a ZZR1400 that  
wouldn't be equally well met by a (say) a Honda Blackbird?  Or a  
Triumph ST?  In light of ever increasing output from 600cc engines, is  
it surprising that last week one (admittedly loopy) safety pundit  
called for a ban of all bikes over 600cc on basis that there is  
nothing legal that can't be done by one of lower capacity.

But the market here doesn't tolerate 'not quite as powerful but more  
practicable and better mileage' as a feature set for a 'new' bike.   
Witness the polite indifference to Honda's Deauville (sp?) - a  
'sensible' bike.  There are good reasons for having powerful bikes  
(and anyone who tries to prise my hands off my 955 is in for a  
fight... ;) ).  But until all-out track speed gets balanced out by  
consideration of all the other reasons, things will look grim for the  
future.

My 2¢


-- 

Best Regards

Gavin Lawrie
ST'03

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