The Best Looking Bike Ever?

[Yorick]

The 350LC has to be in there as a contender:

I loved and cherished mine

20210529_160942.jpg (788.14 KiB) Viewed 514 times

[KungFooBob]

My mum says my 1999 R6 was the best looking bike I've ever owned (also the only bike I ever bought brand new for myself).

[Demannu]

Only it's mother could love that

You've never seen a half faired one. I love the naked EFE, but prefer the old ET.

I had an ET, good bike, but the GS1000E that had the same frame was better looking.

Are you quite sure? Iirc ET had square downtubes and my GS certainly had round tubes!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

You've never seen a half faired one. I love the naked EFE, but prefer the old ET.

I had an ET, good bike, but the GS1000E that had the same frame was better looking.

Are you quite sure? Iirc ET had square downtubes and my GS certainly had round tubes!

ET has round frame tubes, the 84 onwards E got square tubes

[Demannu]

I had an ET, good bike, but the GS1000E that had the same frame was better looking.

Are you quite sure? Iirc ET had square downtubes and my GS certainly had round tubes!

ET has round frame tubes, the 84 onwards E got square tubes

I think you're talking about the gsx1100s, not the gs1000s aren't you?

[Mr. Dazzle]

Well if race bikes are allowed, it would be the RC211V for me. Still also my favourite race bike too, looks or otherwise.

So far as I know, this colour scheme was purely for promotional purposes, but man it looks good.

Still seems nuts to me that this bike is less powerful than a litre bike you can buy in a dealer these days.

[mangocrazy]

1989 Cagiva 500GP bike.

Nice, but to my eyes the last of the line V594 trumps it.

Cagiva V594.JPG (81.03 KiB) Viewed 435 times

[Mr. Dazzle]

See look...carbon fiber isn't that sexy and new, it's been around longer than the Spice Girls. It's a wonder people still think it's exotic

Edit: Ha, you changed your pic The first one had an annotated "carbon fiber box" swing arm.

[Count Steer]

The problem with these fully faired bikes is it's only the paint job really that makes 'em look different and the red and silver MVs have got that tied up. Otherwise it's all paint on plastic/fibreglass/carbon fibre whatever. In terms of function and form they just look ermm, aerodynamic. I like to be able to see the thing that makes the aerodynamics necessary....an engine.

[Dickyboy]

MORINI_01-1-1100x732.jpg

Morini 3½ Sport.

I think the 500 is a better looker myself.

[Horse]

The problem with these fully faired bikes is it's only the paint job really that makes 'em look different ...

Errr, no.

The overall balance, the attitude (i.e. whether it looks tilted up or drooping at the front). Use and alignment of angles. How panels meet or sections (fairing, tank, side, seat) overlap.

Basic '3 box' unfaired bike

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First one, odd angle of fairing:tank and seat hump to tail.



Align the fairing

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Make it all blend, even side panels into the tank knee cutouts

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But look at the proportions and shape/location of the seat humps. To me one (unfaired) 'works', others don't. The final one seems too big, but that could be because it includes the taillight.

[Yorick]

20221203_144029.jpg (1.81 MiB) Viewed 388 times

[Count Steer]

The problem with these fully faired bikes is it's only the paint job really that makes 'em look different ...

Errr, no.

The overall balance, the attitude (i.e. whether it looks tilted up or drooping at the front). Use and alignment of angles. How panels meet or sections (fairing, tank, side, seat) overlap.

Basic '3 box' unfaired bike

20231223_163419.jpg

First one, odd angle of fairing:tank and seat hump to tail.



Align the fairing

20231223_163403.jpg

Make it all blend, even side panels into the tank knee cutouts

20231223_163442.jpg

But look at the proportions and shape/location of the seat humps. To me one (unfaired) 'works', others don't. The final one seems too big, but that could be because it includes the taillight.

None of those are 'fully faired' though. I agree, once you can see the engine lots of other things become important. You can hide lots of ugliness and poor lines with a big fairing but you can't without one.

[Horse]

Form initially follows function. After that comes art.

I chose that sequence because it shows series development. That they're top half only faired isn't important. They show how styling can work, and how things like proportion and visual balance are needed. And, from an engineering perspective, aspects such as lift and centre of balance need to be included.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Are you quite sure? Iirc ET had square downtubes and my GS certainly had round tubes!

ET has round frame tubes, the 84 onwards E got square tubes

I think you're talking about the gsx1100s, not the gs1000s aren't you?

Just to be clear, the 1980 GSX1100ET has pretty much the same frame as the 1979 GS1000E, there are differences in the brackets for mounting the bodywork etc. but the overall geometry is identical both are made from round steel tubes, the GSX1100 has an alloy swingarm. The GSX1100 engine is a GS1000 engine with a 16 valve too end. They're really similar bikes, neither of them are the best looking bike ever, they're not even the best looking bike of 1980.

[Count Steer]

Form initially follows function. After that comes art.

I chose that sequence because it shows series development. That they're top half only faired isn't important. They show how styling can work, and how things like proportion and visual balance are needed. And, from an engineering perspective, aspects such as lift and centre of balance need to be included.

I suspect then that we are in violent agreement.

[Horse]

Form initially follows function. After that comes art.

I chose that sequence because it shows series development. That they're top half only faired isn't important. They show how styling can work, and how things like proportion and visual balance are needed. And, from an engineering perspective, aspects such as lift and centre of balance need to be included.

I suspect then that we are in violent agreement.

Don't you come around here being nice!

[cheb]

Race bikes?

Freddie's Honda:

[cheb]

I think it's that, for that style of bike, the rider looks like he actually doing something rather than being part of the machine.

[cheb]

There's certainly a bit of nostalgia, I had a CB900F back then. And neck muscles too.