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If you were to build the ultimate motorcycle for yourself, what would you build.

I'll start:

Since the engine is it's soul: 500cc v-twin for narrow packaging, good vibes, sound and mileage potential. EFI with wide band 02 sensor feedback loop, 6 speed, wide ratio gears, tall 6th for highway, variable timing and lift camshafts. Basically a modern VTEC in a smaller package with lean burn active at most freeway speeds. Hydraulic valve lifters. Spin-on oil filter. Belt drive with alternate ratios available from other models. Easily tuned ECU from factory, with switchable tunes from sport to balanced to MaxMPG and Custom. 12,000 rpm redline to produce good hp when needed.

Styling: Sport/cruiser, very low seat height for low frontal area, very aerodynamic. Some talented stylist could come up with something with more 'cool' than I could.

Comfort: Excellent, full coverage adjustable weather protection. Engine heat directed at rider for winter, away from rider in summer. Tubular handlebars for easy aftermarket support of different bends. Most bikes really lack effective weather protection, good protection extends the riding season considerably.

Suspension: Dialed in from the factory with alternate rate springs and dampers from other models that fit to reduce costs and increase availability.

Storage: Able to store two fully loaded grocery bags, or a passenger, plus one cubic foot of other stuff like maps, logbooks, gloves, etc.

Electrics: Able to power additional 200 watts of electric clothing, lights, other accessories. Integrated information system that has ScanGauge-like capability.

Tires: Use sizes where both sport and touring tires are readily available.

Performance: 0-60 in 6 seconds, 13 sec 1/4 mile, 90 mpg at 65 mph.

That's not too much to ask is it?

I'm interested in a plain old commuter/funbike, too. The BMW F 650 CS 'Scarver' came the closest - modern single 650cc, excellent performance, construction and features (helmet lock, built-in baggage, etc.). A novel bike.

But, it was a bit too heavy, a little odd looking and too expensive for a single. It has a cult following for those who recognize its virtues.

I'd like to have a Duke 690 or the new BMW 450 dirt bike in pure street form. I'm not a motard lover, but they are onto something with the low weight and powerful, simple, little engine.

Ideally, I'd like to recycle a flattracker into a street bike. Maybe put a Buell Blast engine into a C&J frame, bates lights, alloy spoked rims...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3092/2491374204_67a1ba2a67_o.jpg

I have several "Fantasy" bikes.

Honda Vision
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/591/Vision_big_s.jpg And the Honda Evohttp://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/591/honda-evo6-concept-bike-big_s.jpg

The problem is that they are Honda's fantasy also. They are concept bikes. The Vision looks like it could be very aerodynamic.

They already make it..... Honda GL1800. I'd take a used 01 with ABS if I could find a nice one I could afford. I recently sold a Honda VTX1800 (not the same engine).

Hi All:

___Mine…

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/071119_apetera_hmed_830a_h2.jpg

___BEV or PHEV, I don’t care ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne

08 Harley Dyna Street Bob in pewter denim. Oh, wait, I already have that.

Honestly, though, give me a clean 2 stroke technology. A 500cc 2 stroke would woop (power, mileage). Just make it look like the bike from Akira and we're straight!

While my Concourse is by far the best value in a commuter/touring bike I also really liked the Dan Gurney Alligator.

http://www.allamericanracers.com/alligator/alligator_photo38.html

I already have it. A Suzuki Burgman 650. There are many, many advantages to this over the cruiser style.

http://bnaiorpueblo.com/profile1.jpg

When I bought my Burgman 650, I bought it because I liked it. Not because I wanted to have people say how nice it is or to be part of some motorcycling group, but because it felt good when I sat on it.

Now I find I can’t get out of a gas station in less than half an hour because people come over to admire it. The first question is always “How fast does it go?” (ans: The speedlimits with me on it.) Itry to find empty gas stations so I can get in and out quickly, but it never seems to work.

Yesterday I was stopped first in line at a red light and a guy crossing the street walked over to admire it. He totally ignored the “other” bike that was stopped next to me in the other lane. I was afraid he would be stranded in the middle of a busy intersection when the light changed.

Another thing I don’t like is how effortlessly it cruises on the interstate. I try to keep my speed at 70 mph as that is the most efficient speed for long distance riding. But if I don’t watch it closely, I find myself going 90 indicated. I’m totally against speeding, so this is a major deficiency.

Since riding on the interstate is so smooth, I figured I’d go out on a very windy day and get some challenge. Even with a 26 mph steady direct crosswind, the scooter wasn’t moved. Sure, I had to lean a little into the wind, but it was very comfortable. After 150 miles of this, I gave up trying to find a challenge in the wind.

The comfort is another big issue. Other riders seem to hobble after only 100 miles or so. 100 miles seems like a quickie. After 300 miles with only one quick stop for gas, I feel as fresh as when I got on.

Where is the satisfaction in that?

Twisties are no challenge at all. The scooter handles flawlessly at the speed limits. And with the engine braking, setting the speed entering the curves is simple. You would think it would be more fun riding twisties downhill, but with the engine braking, even the steepest twisties are effortless and don’t require any braking.

Slow speed handling is too easy. A 20 foot U turn isn’t a challenge at all. Figure 8’s in 4 parking spaces are also very simple. But then, people figure it’s just a scooter and it should be easy.

Oh, and the acceleration…what’s so good about that. Merging onto the interstate, I can pick a hole and accelerate into it with ease. No excitement wondering if I’m going to get run over. And no having to worry about what gear I’m in while looking for traffic. (Yawns.)

Why is it that no other bike or car ever keeps up with me when I leave a stop light? I don’t use more than about 3/4 throttle. (I don’t participate in races if someone seems to want one.)

The worst part is, I figured I’d be buying a few more bikes as I “moved up.” Now there is nothing to move up to. Everything bigger would be a compromise of some sort. Why did I buy the perfect ride as my second scooter? (The first is a Yamaha Majesty.) Now the only way to get a new one is to wear it out. But the dealor says that is impossible.

Some people complain the windscreen isn’t big enough, but this is a problem that just disappears with time. With a full face helmet I don’t notice the little bit of wind.

On another board, I see people having fun working on their bikes fixing little problems that come along. They get to ask all sorts of advice about how to fix their carburator, etc. None of that with the Burgman 650. Nothing has broken yet in almost 30,000 miles.

The only problem I’ve had is a persistant whine: “Honey, are you going riding again?”

Perfection is so boring…I have to wear a dark visor so people don’t see me grinning all the time.

gershon- how big are the wheels on the 650? My one problem with Scooters is the tiny wheels/tires. Of course those small wheels give it the in town handiness that makes them so loved. It also keeps the seat height low.

I think Blast with 16" wheels and an even lower seat height would be ideal.

What is your actual in city mpg with the 650?

Thanks,
Charlie
PS I had a VT500- 1983 Honda 500cc V-Twin with a shaft drive that was much like "the ideal bike" of the OP.

I think they are 15 on the back and 14 on the front. I also have a Suzuki C50. I notice absolutely no difference in the handling from the point of view of potholes, road lines, etc.

I've also ridden a Suzuki Nomad 1600 and the comfort on the scooter is much better. The acceleration even seems better.

The Burgman 650 is much more responsive in the twisties than the C50.

The seat height is 29 inches which is a little high for motorcycles. Shorter people have some problems with it.

In the city, I get mid to high 50's. On secondary roads, I get in the low 60's, and on the interstate I get low 50's at 75 mph. If I keep it to 65, I get about 58. The mileage is very dependent on how hard I accelerate and does drop some in the winter when I use heated gear.

The scooter also handles pretty well on dirt roads and in deep gravel. Last year, I had the opportunity to test this outside of Yellowstone park when they had a road completely torn out.

Keep in mind, the Burgman 650 is a motorcycle that looks like a big scooter. It's geometry is closer to a sport bike than a cruiser and I've been told the handling is more like a sport bike.

Because of the CVS transmissioin, it will out accelerate cruisers with bigger engines at most speeds.

(Can you tell I like it?)

This video I took back in Apr should dispel any doubts about it being able to keep up with bigger bikes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdZ4jU0heD8

something like this
http://www.detroit-choppers.com/catalog/images/BOBBER%203.jpg

Gershon- those are pretty good mpg numbers. Most current motorcycles get high 30's low 40's(not one bit better than 1980- of course they make literally 2X 3X the HP).

29" would actually be well below average seat height for current motorcycles. My SR500 is fairly low it is about 31" with a narrow waist to make the 31' seem like less. The standover of scooters is actually much much less than the MCs and that is a huge plus. I'm short,so seat height/standover is always a big deal.Bikes over 32" are just too tall for me.Scooters always have low standover no matter what the seat height.

15 and 14" mean close to 20" total diameter- not too bad. My main concern is our crummy, potholed,rutted streets. I've noticed that scooters have gone to bigger wheels-no 11-12" wheels) lately for just that reason,I guess.

Thanks,
Charlie

I already have a 2002 Goldwing which I love but I'd rather have one of these..

http://www.ecomobile.com/



http://www.ecomobile.com/cost.h1.jpg

Not my cup of tea, but entertaining.

Ecomobile video - Jeremy Clarkson (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbdkZB9-Sd4)

The OP nailed it for me!

Actually my Kawasaki Vulcan 500 comes pretty close to that: good looks, excellent performance and acceleration (the Ninja parallel twin and 439 lb weight = lotsa zip), and I get 55 mpg. Plus, they're less than $6K new. I bought mine with 4000 miles for only $3100.

Where it diverges greatly from the fantasy bike is in the comfort area. Being "only" a 500model means that the aftermarket selection is scarce, there's no tach or big electrical system for add-ons, and the bike is a bit cramped for a 6'2" rider.

I'd "move up" to a bigger bike for comfort's sake but a bigger frame means a bigger engine which means worse mpg. So I'll just have to wait for the OP to build that fantasy bike.

I think the Ecomobile is a neat idea but the cost and parts of the execution need some work. The outriggers are a good idea, but is there enough warning before they touch in a corner and unload the rear wheel?

you didn't watch the video.

They're not quite ecopriced either. Concept is neat.

Fantasy bike = 30's-'50's Harley bobber bike.

Yeah just some nice looking Harley will do it for me.

Bikes I've owned in my time,

50cc pedal start moped gerneli?, honda c90, Yamaha xt125, Yamaha yz125, yamaha yzf750

Here is a pic of a 1984 CBR750 that I bought last week. I was planning on selling the engine and associated parts to do an EV conversion. I'm having second thoughts now. 90+ hp and lots of torque of the V45. Here is the pic and the rest of it is in two boxes.

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/500/bike_sm.JPG

Good choice for conversions. Lots of room in the frame and it's big enough to handle the load.

Have you ever adjusted the valves on the Honda V4 motors? This may be the incentive you'll need to change to electric.

Like flatty said, good candidate. Hope you also have the fairings to shield the batteries and motor and make it look cool again.

I saw a old Cushman than the post office used to use. It's a 3 wheeler with enclosed driver area. I think putting a 1 ltr 3 cyl Geo metro XFi back there would do wonders for acceleration and FE!

I matured in a Honda motorcycle shop. Yup, I've had my hands in the innards>

Have you ever adjusted the valves on the Honda V4 motors? This may be the incentive you'll need to change to electric.

Like flatty said, good candidate. Hope you also have the fairings to shield the batteries and motor and make it look cool again.

How about one I don't have to pay for and gets 100 mpg?

I'm interested in a plain old commuter/funbike, too. The BMW F 650 CS 'Scarver' came the closest - modern single 650cc, excellent performance, construction and features (helmet lock, built-in baggage, etc.). A novel bike.

But, it was a bit too heavy, a little odd looking and too expensive for a single. It has a cult following for those who recognize its virtues.

I happen to ride one, what's more, she's my only vehicle, so the 'commuter/funbike' category is pretty much a hit, she's both for commuting and fun. I'm definitely among 'those who recognize its virtues', this bike is very practical yet looks a bit like a piece of art. That belt drive is really sexy :D
Originally I wanted to buy a smaller one for good FE (the Oil Age has to end soon, one way or another), but everyone talked me out of buying a little 125 (for 2*60km daily freeway commute and longer tours), until the point that I had to admit that they may be right. I don't regret my final choice after more than a year and almost 16000 kms.
Weight is about the maximum I can handle when not riding. I did not want anything over ~200kg at all. She already felt heavy enough when she fell on my foot... (I hate gravel...)
FE can be pretty good, with conservative driving I've been able to get ~3.2l/100km (in US MPG it's in the low-mid 70s) since day 1, now I'm learning to hypermile her and my best is 2.63l/100km so far - 89.45 US mpg. I may be lucky that most of my commute is off-city.

My dream bike? I'd like to see the same Scarver with electric motor and batteries enough for the same range (my best fill gave me well over 500km, but it takes no hypermiling to exceed 400, even 2-up), with the same weight... slow (the 'bottom' of 5th gear, ~70-80 km/h = ~44-50mph) cruising would not be much more silent (in 5th at ~3000rpm she sounds like a not-so-good CPU cooler :D A few days ago I did a FAS at 70km/h and I could hardly tell the difference :D), but using renewable energy sources would feel real good...

Just for fun, a scaled up Harley-style V-twin using two Wright R-1820 Cyclone jugs for 404 cubic inch displacement, and an oversized "bobber" style bike built around it.

It's the American way.

Hi All:

___Mine…

http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/071119_apetera_hmed_830a_h2.jpg

___BEV or PHEV, I don’t care ;)

___Good Luck

___Wayne
If I had to get a motorcycle, that would also be my first pick, but I would prefer an OPHV (Obesity Powered Hybrid Vehicle) or OPPHEV (Obesity Powered Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle) over a PHEV or plain EV version, since it can then run on a source of energy that is a vast surplus in America. Of course, it would be kinda hard to fit much "fuel" and equipment on board a motorcycle. (An OPHV or OPPHEV Prius would make more sense.)

Ducati Monster Dark or 80s BMW K750