Modern Vespa

Mind-bendingly good, if you manage to stick through to the end. (He's Canadian, eh.)

I love Ryan for his sense of humor and moto-geek brain.

Choosing a bike is an action guided by pure rationality, as we all know...

Nice timing for this post: although my personal rationalizations include good (for me) ergonomics as a high criterion, just a few days ago I took an opportunity to ride a new Triumph Speedmaster with forward controls.

It doesn't have any vibrations, have a mono-shock hidden in the behind etc. so is designed as other modern bikes, but is does have a throaty exhaust close to your ground hugging bum/ear and feet tangling somewhere much further away than the motorcycle ergonomics design text book says.

And... well, kind fun to ride for an hour. Around 30-40min mark I did get a tingly feeling into my bum just because all my weight rested on it. I tried to shift positions and 'pull' myself a bit up using the pegs etc., but at 60min I was already getting a bit too numb. I hear that among cruiser riders this bike is from the very comfortable end, so this is either a personal weakness or preferences...

What I was amazed though, that it apparently is possible to build a 'cruiser' that also rides well. I've earlier ridden Triumph Bonneville Bobber, a bike sharing a lot of components with the Speedmaster, but having an upright, pretty much 'normal' riding position. That bike looks like a classic, but is amazingly nimble through corners too.

To my surprise, and contrary to the looks, Speedmaster shared a lot of this DNA. It felt almost wrong to steer with those funny 'beach bars', feet tangling up there and yet the bike did exactly what is was told to in mid-corners. Until you scraped the ground with the pegs, that is. Another feature from the cruiser style I was not used to... and the sound scared the heck out of me the first time it happened!

Yeah, I can believe why some folks like these and naturally, all the others are 'copies' of the original.

My brother-in-law has one like it.
If he hadn't been a biker, I would never have let him marry my sister.

I think a lot of people who despise Harleys would think very differently if given the chance to ride one. Yes, they are gutless and vastly overweight pigs that have limited cornering ability and are far too expensive. But get one out on the open road and find that sweet spot cruising speed all bikes seem to have and there’s simply no better ride, sound or feeling in the world.

I’ve almost bought one several times now but each time I go to the dealer and feel all that weight and look at the price tag and the price of parts I end up heading over to some other dealership and buying something cheaper that handles better and is faster and...

‘Cause Harleys suck so bad when they are not rockin’.

HD is a world apart, it is bought for many reasons and the last of these is that it is a motorcycle.
It is a lifestyle and a philosophy that has consigned itself to history, for many things as a concept it is similar to the Vespa: a model to be imitated and also imitated.

One quote from the video stands out:

“Close-minded, that’s the Harley style.”

YMMV…

I can't believe I watched the whole thing. But I did enjoy it, especially the technical stuff about the engine.

Ryan is usually good for a laugh and frequently teaches something valid.

We should badger him into testing a Vespa.

Better not, he might like it too much ...

At least he wouldn’t say anything like “Close-minded, that’s the Vespa style”.

Scooters Rock.

And if you can't ride with an achin' back, at least you can polish the fenders (with apologies to Mr. Joel).

Ah Harley's
I remember in the 60's among some enthusiasts having a heated discussion about the utility of electric starters
Something about the masculinity of anyone who was unable to kick a hog over
It was not uncommon for one to kick back, leaving the rider with a hitch in their get along

Sportster/883 has always been a decent basic bike, primitive in a wonderful way, shakes ya by the taint, like nothing else
Turns like a tractor on car tires
All part of the charm
Not my kind of fun, but I get the appeal

The only decent imitation was the Yamaha Drag Star.

'Becks' as a fender polish.
Who knew?
I'll give Fosters a try and see how that goes.

Well, you see, the bike's air cooled, but . . .

Hardly the best

or a flattrack Version

One more classic Indian

This is hardly a copy or replica of a Harley. Those fenders scream early fifties Indian. While some American makers did build fours and singles (Harley’s own 350 Peashooter comes to mind) V twins have long been the preferred layout of the American motorcycle there having been literally dozens of makers before the model T ruined the show. Its become the Harley layout because they’re the only maker to have survived continuously since the beginning. Keeping in mind that the only relationship that the current Indian has to the original is that Polaris bought the rights to the name, the real company died back in the 50s.

If you want to see what I mean google: Reading Standard, Crocker, Henderson, Thor, Excelsior...

And if anyone really wants to bend their brain into a pretzel please google Harley XA, and dig the flat twin shaft drive bike they made hundreds of, I’ve only ever seen a couple of these but they are mighty cool.

Indian is Indian, not an imitation ... Indian is to HD as Lambretta was to Vespa.

My dad rode one of those a little while in the Army in the early 1940's, he did not like them as he said the torque of the drive shaft would pull the bike down to one side in the turns.

As I understand it they were basically a copy of the German BMWs that were being used in the deserts of Northern Africa. Idea was they would be better than the chain drive bikes in the sand.

Petite

Like the BSA Bantam this is a designed liberated from DKW at the end of the war. BSA mirrored the drawing to get the shift over to the other side. Harley use it as is.

The army demanded a shaft drive bike for desert use, so yes, Harley copied the BMW. Indian built a similar bike to answer the government contract but basically rotated their standard V twin 90 degrees to end up with a bike that looks like a US army Moto Guzzi. Google Indian model 841

Back in the 1970s when I was really active Harleys were just one of the bikes. You went to an event and there were BMW, Triumph, BSA, Norton, the Japanese Big Four and Guzzis in all shapes and sizes. Oh yes, and maybe a Harley or two.

Now the crowd is about 90% Harley with a few Metric Cruisers thrown in. Sorry kids but they have become the Designer Jeans of motorcycles. Everyone has to have them because everybody else has one.

Just a few days ago read an article on the custom bike scene here in Finland at 80's. Young guys were eager to build bikes like they'd seen in American magazines from the 60's and early 70's, but HDs were really hard to find here. Brits and Japanese bikes ruled here too.

So a bunch of guys arranged an expedition to US to find some!

They'd seen an old article about Denver's Choppers in California and headed right there. They did find Mr. Denver Mullins himself from the shop - but the place was not full of legendary HDs as they expected, instead it was full of customized bikes with Honda and Kawasaki engines!

Denver explained the change in custom bike scene at the time... still, the story ended well, Finnish lads noticed an add in an local paper and with a strike of luck, this lead them to an original 70's chopper, built and painted extremely well around 50's Panhead. They shipped the bike home to enrich the bike scene here.

I still ride an old chopper that was built in 1970. It was chopped by a lifelong buddy of mine. He rode it from 1970-1982. I helped him put it in his basement in 1982 and it stayed there until 2003 when he sold it to me. It was my primary source of transportation from 2004-2015. Now it's used for weekend fun. This bike started life as a 1949 Panhead.

-Craig

Had an CHP cop as an patient who crashed his bike when chasing a car thief, I asked him what service bike he had, "a piece of shit Harley" was his answer......

Over the years, I had 9 Harleys - none was "a piece of shit." In fact, after a few Goldwings and a BMW in the middle of the HDs, my last dresser was once again a Harley. It was comfortable, reliable, powerful enough to get me down the road at any speed I wanted, and had nice touring amenities. None of them "leaked oil"... none of them "jettisoned parts while going down the road"... none of them left me stranded. They were all... good bikes.

That said, they are a different premise from most other motorcycles - they really do evoke a different feeling when riding them. The only problem I had while riding a Harley: I was invincible. May have been my age and mind-set at the time. (Ya think?) When I rode my BMWs, I was... a gentleman biker.

And these days, when riding my Vespa, I am just enjoying the pure riding experience. I don't feel tough or sporty... I just feel joy that I am still riding!

Yesterday, while getting back on my bike after lunch at a restaurant, there was a couple (I'm guessing my age or a bit older) getting on a Harley trike next to me. We exchanged the usual "nice bike"/"yours, too" things and the guy asked me, "How fast will that go?"

I said, "80, maybe 85 miles per hour - I don't intend to take it there, though." He looked surprised; I think he may have doubted me. Their Harley trike is a beautiful machine, but certainly not anything I'd want. Pretty sure they felt the same about my GTS. Lots of different two-wheel conveyances out there (and, yes, three), the best thing is to find what does it for you. But, it doesn't make someone else's choice wrong or bad.

Ride what ya like.

From a discussion with a Harley rider while we were both stopped at a bridge opening last year: "Vespa is to scooters, as Harley is to motorcycles..." The are both iconic, largely due to the long-standing traditional styling.

I've been reading that the Sportster will be "dead" after this year. I just saw what Harley will be offering as "the new Sportster" (engine based on the Pan America)...

Nothing will ever be like the old 1340cc ...

I disliked ryan the first couple times I watched him. now I kinda like him. dang that was a good video. and I learned a bunch pertinent things about harleys.

I have several friends who ride harleys. I have ridden a few models. my last comment was " holy heck this bike is heavy and a real danger to my bird legs, but holy wow once at cruise speed I see what the attraction is." more than anything though these people are so image conscious its sad...

disclaimer: harleys NOT for me on so many levels

I can see that's a keeper, for sure - a good looking bike!

The numbers are small, but around here there's a growing interest for small circles of custom bike builders to build 60's/70's style choppers again.

Especially the kind of 'narrow', often with a stretched frame and narrow tyres, the 'Swedish style' (which is a funny name, because the style was copied from the US and just made more known by enthusiastic bike builders from Sweden at the time) is favored instead of the very fat rear tyre ones that have been dominating the scene lately.

I'll bet your bike would get a very high ranking from these younger guys too!

Around here there are bike magazines favouring a certain scene (Brits, HDs...),t but there are also quite objective ones, testing and comparing bikes with objective measures and long term tests.

Through the years, there's a clear difference how HD models get ranked in these tests. 'Naked' bikes, Sportsters, Softails etc...always tend to be at the bottom end of comparisons, with comments like 'if you'll like the style and are willing to ignore some inferior features...'

Then again, the top end fully dressed HDs seem to behave very differently. Those often rank close to Goldwings, big Beamers and such also by objective measures and ergonomics.

Funnily enough, it' s the lower end models that get bought here🙄 The style and image fits better these buyers preferences, where as those seeking top end dressers tend follow that 'gentleman rider' image and perceived quality of German and Japanese bikes.

One factor for top end bikers here has been the change from traditional dresser bikes towards large 'adventure' bikes, BMW GS boxers leading this change and gaining a big portion of the markets. They are kind of 'SUV's in the European bike market - used mostly like Goldwings and such were used, but hoping to convey a more active, sporty.. well, younger image of the rider. So let' see if the Pan America will do the same over that side of the pond.

I think that new sportster is so cool. i would love to own one but looks like they are out of my price range. still been wanting to get an evo sportster for a while but im enjoying my vespa a lot and i dont have room for another bike until i can get into a place with a garage.

Which 1340cc? The 1340cc shovelhead (1978-1984), the last Harley-Davidson big twin with iron cylinders? Or the 1340cc evolution (1984-1999)? I like them both. Hard to choose.

-Craig

It's definitely a keeper.

I love the narrow rear tires. They are a lot easier to roll into a corner than the fat rear tires. And with a long fork bike, you need all the help you can get to make the handling a little lighter.

-Craig

1978 - 1984... What else?
And a clutch that is hard to pull like a corkscrew on a bottle from the year 1800.