Do you like the newer style of naked bikes? Specifically the front lights..

Admittedly, I only fell into my love for motorbikes in the last 2 years but I still don't have much love for the newer Hornets etc with the space age front lights.. I'm still a sucker for the older round headlight. There's obviously a few exceptions which look great but overall, a lot of the newer bikes don't do it for me in the looks department.

I'm still on the market for 696 but it took me a while to really get into the front light with the indicators across the front.. I think the older monsters look nice but they're nigh on impossible to find here.

Is it just me?

sonic85

I think bikes like kawasakis z800 and Yamaha fz8 look excellent. the angular styling is brilliant - makes them look so aggressive.

I love the look of the newer street triple myself. prefer it to the older round headlights. definitely be my next bike.

Wossack

they just look like crashed sports bikes with the fairings removed now - not a fan. Reckon they're losing their individuality as a result, and slowly morphing into slight variations of the same styling

'classic' street triple owner here, so maybe biased

CJhaughey

I don't think the new Yam looks like a stripped faired bike.
Nice punchy triple there as well to give some competition to MV and Triumph

Stainless_Steel

Have to say im a big fan of the aggressive 'transformers' styling.

KamiKazi

Love these...

Pique

KamiKazi wrote: »

Love these...

Ditto.

Much prefer them to the newer ones with the diamond shaped lights.

Wossack, you're a lucky bugger!

That and the Buell one that's similar..

Wossack

Pique wrote: »

Ditto.

Much prefer them to the newer ones with the diamond shaped lights.

Wossack, you're a lucky bugger!

hah thanks - mines like that white one cept in go faster green, rowr


sorry, think alot of my ire in previous post is directed at the new street triple - bah those headlights + exhaust - and it leaks into other threads hah..

Be interested to see how the new fz9 goes - hopefully it finally spurs triumph on to refresh their 1050 speed triple (rumours abound!)

guess theres kinda two areas of design for the naked bikes; a more classical style, round headlights, softer curves etc; and the new modern angular look, with accents, and sharp lines etc - which Im just not sold on (personally). I think they can age and go 'out of fashion' a bit quick..

thought the same about the tacky DRLs on new audis - Ive a feeling we'll look back at them in 10-15 years like we view chrome wheel arches on auld mercs - what where we thinking!?

opinion of course, and mine stinks like any other :pac:

sonic85

Wossack wrote: »

they just look like crashed sports bikes with the fairings removed now - not a fan. Reckon they're losing their individuality as a result, and slowly morphing into slight variations of the same styling

'classic' street triple owner here, so maybe biased

how do you like the street triple? whats it like to ride and to live with every day?

Wossack

sonic85 wrote: »

how do you like the street triple? whats it like to ride and to live with every day?

on year 5 with it now, so you could say Im a happy customer

Go in and out of town with it every day - no national roads or motorways, so all sub 100kmph - wind protection is an issue (ive just the nose cone, with no flyscreen). Tis called a street triple, and not a motorway triple afterall though..

engine is perfection really - super torquey (imo), so gets me in and out of trouble pretty easily, always seems to have more on tap ready to go - love it. Tis as good as all the mags say

ive just a standard (non-r), and while brakes are perfect, suspension is a bit crude.. I put in a cbr600rr shock in it couple of years ago, and while it certainly helped, it sorta just drew attention to the twin pogo sticks on the front.. trying to justify spending ~850e on a matris cartridge kit on it at the moment, which Im pretty close on doing, as theres no other bikes out there that really draw me at the moment (!), so may aswell tart this one up further hah

Hmm.. Very tempted by the Street Triple. They're very rare to find out here in Vietnam so feel like going for an impulse buy.

http://pkl.vn/forum/threads/12054-H%C3%A0-N%E1%BB%99i-B%C3%A1n-Triumph-Street-Triple-675-2009-10-000km

Good idea/Bad idea? And how are they compared to a 696? I'd be moving up from a cb400.

Wonda-Boy

If I was to get a naked bike the one I would take is the Suzuki B-King.....pure muscle and aggression.

Wossack

vietnam? something to bare in mind is, the triple is hot, like temperature wise - underseat exhausts are regularly swapped out by the US/AUS folks for lowboys etc, and the mileage is 1000cc vtwin bad (30-40mpg), but the 696 is no contest.. its very underpowered in comparison. Its better compared vs the 796 engined monster, or even the 1100evo

City driving means I'm on the bike for like 20mins at a time so hopefully the heat wouldn't be too bad.. But my girlfriend would be on the back a lot. Would it be uncomfortable for her over short distances? She already hates loud exhausts and will hate them even more if they're burning her!
Roadtrips outside the city mean no passenger and an air cooled ass hopefully.

As for mpg, it's definitely bad but not a massive concern for me.. It's e0.86 / litre here and no road tax so running costs are relatively cheap. It would be about twice the fuel consumption of my cb400 but I don't consider it expensive anyway.


So you really think it's a better bike than a 796?

Wossack

cant advise about pillion use, as Ive never had one on mine (pillion pegs removed, and rear seat cowl on 100% of the time hah!), but I cant imagine it being a comfortable experience.. high level cans, and very small and thin seating area back there.. though, again cant really advise - could be as good/bad as a cb400 for all I know really

the ducatis are finished better, more styled and arguably better equiped (vs the 'R' version, perhaps not), but the engine aint as good imo - and Street quite a bit cheaper. If the mags are to be believed, you'll find the street hard beaten vs them - but course to be taken with a grain of salt.. particular the (patriotic) Brit mags
796 has smaller tank, probably worse pillion comfort, less mpg(!), and a bit lumpy low down (<3k rpm) and seating position on the monsters is a bit marmite (cramped legs, yet big stretch to bars) - need a test ride for certain

bear in mind Ive a bit of bias..

Dear God, I want to go buy this thing right now.. Been watching and reading reviews all day.

Wossack

lol - know the feeling... think I was waiting about 4 months for mine to arrive at the shop when I bought it - supply totally outstriped by demand

take yer time though, make sure its the bike for you!