Got Sixty Large to Blow ... on a Motorcycle?

[Overpaid Slacker]

If I did, this would be the one for me, the Confederate Hellcat:







Check out the Confederate Site, and while you're there, look at the Wraith concept bike -- price unavailable.



I gotta hit Lotto or something...

[joeclarke]

That Hellcat is some kinda cool. I'm not sure why, but it reminds me of a VMax. I thought they were about the meanest thing around until I just about blew my brains out on one. Thank heaven I've outgrown self-indulgent, irresponsible motor vehicles like that...

Now I just stick with Valkyries and Porsches - much more civilized.

Hold it... just took another look at that site. How about a joint-venture? You get the Hellcat November through May. We split maintenance costs down the middle...

[BlueSkyJaunte]

For that amount of money I'd be looking for a 0-mile resto of a Vincent Black Shadow, or maybe a Brough Superior or a Crocker or something.

[Neilk]

Where do you put your b*tches that you pick up at the bar?

[}{arlequin]

I second the Vincent choice too, and I'd add an 850 Norton Commando as well. Confederates do look the biz, though. Saw one in person and it's beautifully put together. Very high level of finish.

Just over the weekend I saw a MHR Ducati. It was in a tunnel and it sounded great. It's quite a small bike in person (I was in a Miata so the bikes's lack of size was quickly apparent), fairly narrow rear tire, but it put out a wonderful rumble.

[RickM]

JP,

That last ride looks like a reall ball buster.

Hey if you can swing it go for a bike that exudes testosterone:




If on a budget how about this homemade 48 cylinder job:

[joeclarke]

Originally posted by }{arlequin
I second the Vincent choice too, and I'd add an 850 Norton Commando as well. Confederates do look the biz, though. Saw one in person and it's beautifully put together. Very high level of finish.

Just over the weekend I saw a MHR Ducati. It was in a tunnel and it sounded great. It's quite a small bike in person (I was in a Miata so the bikes's lack of size was quickly apparent), fairly narrow rear tire, but it put out a wonderful rumble.

lol, showing my age - but I had one of those Commandos (new) (see what you can do when you save your paper route money) and sentiment would be about the only reason I would renew that investment today.

As to Ducatis - I would dearly love to have back a certain 70's 450 desmo that I used to tool around with (single cylinder with a compression release so you could kick it over), I know it's a different topic than the MHR, but it doesn't do it for me either.

But on the other hand - I can remember a 60's BSA Royal Star that a friend of mine trashed that I would love to behold again. Something about those BSAs...

There's just no accounting for taste, I guess.

[}{arlequin]

So you weren't happy with the Norton? Was it unreliable? I'm still tossing around different ideas as for what bike to try out. I did the sportbike thing and I wouldn't mind doing it again, but at the same time I'd like to play w/ a vintage "sport bike" as well.

[BlueSkyJaunte]

LOL, they called 'em "Notrun" for a reason....

[}{arlequin]

Damn, there go my daydreams. So is there anything in the vintage sportbike world that's close to "old 911 reliability"? I don't think I can afford a Black Shadow, plus, I just don't see too many of them for sale. I'm looking for something closer to a cafe racer than Bonneville. Any other brands I should be considering? It seems there is a lot more dirt bike choices from that era, a recent thread about that reminded me of all the Eastern European bikes.

[joeclarke]

The Norton was unreliable and uncomfortable for any kind of meaningful distance. And that was when both it and my body were new and relatively new, respectively. Norton bragged about the smoothness of the 850 commando (they had a reputation for roughness with the 750), but I remember my legs were like rubber after even a short highway haul.

Mine got cranked into a retaining wall (squeezed out by an unobservant car driver) and sat for years in parts in my parent's basement thereafter. Somehow the Commando had and has retained a legendary following - I'm not really sure why. Back then the Japanese performance bikes were just so much better.

IMHO the Norton was outclassed but many other marques in the cruiser catagory too. But then as a classic bike maybe they've finally found their stride! Certainly don't avoid them just on my say- so!

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by }{arlequin
Damn, there go my daydreams. So is there anything in the vintage sportbike world that's close to "old 911 reliability"?

Hate to say it, but a Honda CB750 cafe bike or a BMW R90s or something of that sort might be your best bet.

The old (like 40's and 50's) bikes just can't cut the mustard reliability-wise. Strange how people rode them all the hell over the place, though. Stranded in BFE? So what? Just another part of the adventure...

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Originally posted by joeclarke
Somehow the Commando had and has retained a legendary following - I'm not really sure why. Back then the Japanese performance bikes were just so much better.

I think Peter Egan has written more than a few loving columns about them in R&T or some other non-moto mag, and as a result the unwashed masses all see it as the pinnacle of classic sportbikes. I've had more than one non-moto acquaintence mention that (those?) very article(s?) upon realization of my classic bike tastes.

[Purrybonker]

Originally posted by }{arlequin
So you weren't happy with the Norton? Was it unreliable? I'm still tossing around different ideas as for what bike to try out. I did the sportbike thing and I wouldn't mind doing it again, but at the same time I'd like to play w/ a vintage "sport bike" as well.

Ah, Commandos weren't reliable or unreliable- but reliability was and is a relative (and largely irrelevant) concept with bikes. In the seventies Nortons were probably better than anything from the continent and as good or better than anything from Britain.

My '72 Yamaha got torn down and rebuilt about once per season whether it needed it or not (and it usually did) and I logged a number of seat-numbing maintenance-only miles on a commando.

Vintage bikes are about much more than reliability. If you want a tank - go buy a 70's honda 750-4 they'll run forever. But I'd much rather see a commando in my garage than some Honda queen.

Like the man said, no accounting for taste.

[Overpaid Slacker]

If I don't find the "right" V-Rod by next spring, a Daytona Orange R90S will definitely be the purchase. I love that bike.

Rick - that first bike I've seen somewhere; it looks like it belongs in some po-mo Tron remake.

JP

[BlueSkyJaunte]

I had something particularly mean to say about the v-rod, but in the spirit of motorcycling brotherhood I will hold my tongue.

That V-10 "bike" is actually a 4-wheel Viper abortion created by Chrysler in an effort to distract the automotive press from their plummeting market value.

http://www.allpar.com/cars/concepts/tomahawk.html

[Overpaid Slacker]

Blue -
Porsche designed the motor; what ill can be said? It is the baddest sounding bike I've ever heard, and add the Screamin' Eagle straight pipes and you'll wake the dead.

JP

[ZAMIRZ]

I want this...

[yetidave]

I've ridden the Hellcat and its one bad-ass bike. Just not my taste. I'll take Duc 750SS any day.

[ronin]

naah JP. get one of these. they're much cooler