revtothelimit - motorbike forum

For me, it's a clear and obvious one and what i personally consider a gap in the market that could/should be exploited.

KTM 790 Supermoto R.

That's the bike they should make. Get it as lightweight as possible, i see 165kg as being viable. Give it full electronics, give it WP adjustable suspension and throw a KTM 790 engine into a 690SMC-R frame....

Get that, stick a £10,000 price tag on it, you'd sell them... all day.

What don't they make that YOU think they should and would possibly sell well ?

I'd like one of the larger Dukes (I think - what Adam and SSD had) but with a seat height that means I can get at least one foot down!!

I sat on Adam's and SSD's bikes and they had to hold them up as I couldn't actually get on them due to lack of leg length!! (I never knew I had short legs till I started riding bikes!!!)

I share Noggin's pain. I'd like a big (engine) adventure bike but none of them fit. I understand they have to be taller for the ground clearance but I'm sure there could be some kind of compromise for the likes of........... me

I considered a Himalayan but it's not got a lot of power so I think I'd get bored with it quickly and end up using it for local shopping trips.

So something adventurey that has more power than a Himalayan, with good ground clearance and a low seat height. I could manage a little bit of tip-toeing so long as it wasn't particularly heavy either.

Added dancing banana for no reason

I think Triumph should make an "RT"/"Pan European" style bike around the Rocket 3 engine. Better handling than a Goldwing, more Torque than a Pan/RT, more "kudos" than any other big tourer.

I think the Big4 should be making 300/400 cc bikes that are high quality with decent suspension and proper fit and finish, not just cheap transport. (Mind you, this is negated by the incoming electric bikes i think).

I think someone needs to be making cheaper electric bikes that have a half decent range /performance specification because the current crop of "high performance" bikes are way outside of the buying budget of the average motorcyclist, and until electric bikes become affordable for the "average motorcyclist" they won't gain momentum in the market place.

I think someone needs to bang motorcycle journalists heads together and make them see that every time they slag off something new and different they're killing yet another opportunity for biking to advance, it's terribly hidebound and conservative (generally speaking) and if our hobby is to survive it needs to move with the times and accept new ideas more readily.

Trinity765 wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:30 am I share Noggin's pain. I'd like a big (engine) adventure bike but none of them fit. I understand they have to be taller for the ground clearance but I'm sure there could be some kind of compromise for the likes of........... me

I considered a Himalayan but it's not got a lot of power so I think I'd get bored with it quickly and end up using it for local shopping trips.

So something adventurey that has more power than a Himalayan, with good ground clearance and a low seat height. I could manage a little bit of tip-toeing so long as it wasn't particularly heavy either.

Added dancing banana for no reason

I can manage tip-toeing as long as I can have one foot on the ground to get on the bike!!! Once I've got my arse on I'm happy to balance on tiptoe of one foot even with just having on cheek on the seat!! Years of riding Blackbirds (that really were too tall for me!) and managing fine means I don't worry too much. I couldn't pick one up but generally didn't drop it and still need to pick it up

Noggin wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:08 am

Trinity765 wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 10:30 am I share Noggin's pain. I'd like a big (engine) adventure bike but none of them fit. I understand they have to be taller for the ground clearance but I'm sure there could be some kind of compromise for the likes of........... me

I considered a Himalayan but it's not got a lot of power so I think I'd get bored with it quickly and end up using it for local shopping trips.

So something adventurey that has more power than a Himalayan, with good ground clearance and a low seat height. I could manage a little bit of tip-toeing so long as it wasn't particularly heavy either.

Added dancing banana for no reason

I can manage tip-toeing as long as I can have one foot on the ground to get on the bike!!! Once I've got my arse on I'm happy to balance on tiptoe of one foot even with just having on cheek on the seat!! Years of riding Blackbirds (that really were too tall for me!) and managing fine means I don't worry too much. I couldn't pick one up but generally didn't drop it and still need to pick it up

I had a CB1000r and I could reach the ground on both sides, however, because of it's weight, I had to be careful where I parked because if it was leaned over too much I couldn't stand it up once I was on it. Developed a technique of pushing the right handlebar while pulling the left, that or I had to push it somewhere level first.

When I look back over the bikes I've had the ones I enjoyed the most have been the simplest that I could just go to after periods of neglect and start up and hoss about on.
Oh and although I've not always stuck rigidly to this I prefer quiet hooning.

So, fairly basic, dead reliable electric (quiet, and at least in theory less moving parts so reliable) bike.
Oh and make it kind of modular so when Lithium Ion batteries become obsolete Id kind of like to just pull the battery and charge controller off and fire some solid state goodness (or whatever else comes up in the future) on without it being a pain in the arse.

I have absolutely zero interest in buying new bikes for the sake of it and can't stand vehicle salesmen so ideally want to reduce contact with them down to a minimum.
Looking at that, I can see how come I'm not in the sales target demographic so its a good job there's people out there obsessed with the buying a new bike experience otherwise there wouldn't be a bike on the road.
Thanks all you bike buyers.

Trinity765 wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:46 am

Noggin wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:08 am

I can manage tip-toeing as long as I can have one foot on the ground to get on the bike!!! Once I've got my arse on I'm happy to balance on tiptoe of one foot even with just having on cheek on the seat!! Years of riding Blackbirds (that really were too tall for me!) and managing fine means I don't worry too much. I couldn't pick one up but generally didn't drop it and still need to pick it up

I had a CB1000r and I could reach the ground on both sides, however, because of it's weight, I had to be careful where I parked because if it was leaned over too much I couldn't stand it up once I was on it. Developed a technique of pushing the right handlebar while pulling the left, that or I had to push it somewhere level first.

Yup you always sort out little tricks! I almost never (in the UK) put my left foot down when stopping in traffic on the left half of my side of the road!! I nearly 'lost' a friends bike that way as the road cambers away to the left

I actually learnt to look at the road to know which foot to put down!! LOL

But as we've both said above - you need to be able to get on it first!

Trinity765 wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 11:46 am Developed a technique of pushing the right handlebar while pulling the left, that

Moving the front tyre contact point sideways to the left moves the bikes CoG to the right.

Also, when stopping, if you want to put your left foot down, give a little press (and release again) on the left bar just as you do the final braking and clutch in. It will slightly lean the bike left. And vice versa.

Noggers & Trinity need some Elton John boots

Yorick wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 4:37 pm Noggers & Trinity need some Elton John boots

I've been known to ride in 4 inch stiletto boots - awesome cos I felt as if I could put my foot flat (obviously just meant that toe and heel of boot were down!)

Sadly I've not found any decent stiletto boots that also have crash protection

For me a Honda Africa Twin 750 would be my wish bike. Parallel twin engine, bike weight (kerb) under 200kgs, 200mm travel - fully adjustable, a 19" front wheel and a 20L tank. Not loaded with electronics either so it keeps the cost under £10K. There are always rumours of a middleweight adventure bike from Honda but it never appears.

Noggin wrote: Sat Jan 02, 2021 4:41 pm

I've been known to ride in 4 inch stiletto boots.....

I thought it was only me.....

I can't see any manufacturer building what I'd really like and maybe it's only what I think I'd really like!

Anyway,either of these two for starters.

I'd like a modern Firestorm. Keep the idea that it's not an out and out sports bike, but give it a bit more poke, USD forks. I guess the closest thing you can currently buy is a BMW R1250RS, or maybe a Superduke GT.