Mock carbs

[Rough Edge racing]

Just a question , what percentage of the general population are engineers ? You guys are ignoring the fact that Triumph sales increase almost every year , so they are doing something right . Most folks are making an emotional decision even buying a motorcycle . I love my engineer friends , but let's face it , most people don't "think" like engineers 

 Dusty

I might think that many riders buying retro style Triumphs don't even know it's cover styled to look like a carb and likely have no idea what  Amal Monobloc means... Like you say, they like the way it looks...

[kingoffleece]

Sorry for the "sigh".
But, if looks don't matter and just function-it could be argued that the throttle bodies on the Triumph work just fine.  Would that have a measurable increase in performance if they looked different?  And given the bike's price point would it even matter?
As for "any part that doesn't make it go faster (and such) is worthless", again, it would appear the Triumph is ok there, too.

Now, I'm not too stupid.  Not trying to take on Pete, or anyone else.  But it sure seems like Triumph made a decision to capture a certain look or style they feel the market will embrace.  Using Bonnie sales as a barometer it seems they have had reasonable success.  And does that not also reflect in part on those of us who embrace the V7?  Under powered we're told.  Bias ply tires.  Yadda yadda yadda.  Who cares?  We love the V7 precisely because it is what it is.

Good interesting discussion I'd say.

[pete roper]

Sorry for the "sigh".
But, if looks don't matter and just function-it could be argued that the throttle bodies on the Triumph work just fine.  Would that have a measurable increase in performance if they looked different?  And given the bike's price point would it even matter?
As for "any part that doesn't make it go faster (and such) is worthless", again, it would appear the Triumph is ok there, too.

Now, I'm not too stupid.  Not trying to take on Pete, or anyone else.  But it sure seems like Triumph made a decision to capture a certain look or style they feel the market will embrace.  Using Bonnie sales as a barometer it seems they have had reasonable success.  And does that not also reflect in part on those of us who embrace the V7?  Under powered we're told.  Bias ply tires.  Yadda yadda yadda.  Who cares?  We love the V7 precisely because it is what it is.

Good interesting discussion I'd say.

Believe me, I'm not trying to 'Take On' anybody on this issue either. I just think that cosmetic dross like this is odious. Others may well feel differently, thats fine, its not a life or death matter.

Also, FWIW, I'm really enjoying my V7 'Racer'! Its a great little bike, it could just be a hundred times greater if that lovely little powerplant was put in a chassis that had been designed after dinosaurs became extinct! The fact that it has a gross fuel tank doesn't help either but other than that its fun, fun, fun!

Pete

[ohiorider]

Form vs function.  Buick portholes. 

http://www.autofocus.ca/news-events/features/design-icons-the-reason-buick-s-portholes-are-no-longer-functional

[kingoffleece]

Agreed.

[oldbike54]

 My Buick MC with factory side car was a 4 holer .

 Dusty

[Rough Edge racing]

  Styling to imitate function is not new to Triumph...Even the old Triumph Co did it... This new for 68 twin leading shoe drum brake on a 650 Triumph gives an illusion of a brake disc that was fresh technology on bikes at that time..Japanese bikes had similar styling clues, four mufflers on a four cylinder engine to show off the cylinder count even though a 4-1 exhaust was lighter, less expensive and more efficient...
 I believe the Buick port holes were not to imitate heat extractors but to imitate exhaust stubs on WW2 aircraft that did influence postwar car styling

             

   
     

[kenvil1]

Interesting. I bought a 1968 triumph when I was nineteen, and I never knew the faceplate for the front brake was intended to imitate a disc; all I know is that I liked how it looked. I had mine glass-beaded and polished and I had the levers, the spring, and the linkage chromed. The finished product looked awesome.

[oldbike54]

 Not sure the ring on the twin leader was purposely designed to mimic a disc , read somewhere that it was engineered as a stiffening ring . This might not be correct , Rough , do you have info on this ?

 Dusty

[Sheepdog]

Some of those old bikes had those rings to dissipated heat from the brakes, but often the bike was just imitating features you might see at a racetrack. My '60 R60 had a hubcap on the hubs...

[oldbike54]

Some of those old bikes had those rings to dissipated heat from the brakes, but often the bike was just imitating features you might see at a racetrack. My '60 R60 had a hubcap on the hubs...

 Great pic .

 Of course it begs the question , just how many very large Detroit products can you get in one un-staged photograph 

 Dusty

[Kev m]

Meh... Put me firmly in the camp that likes the look.

I mean for gawd's sake a throttle body is the modern descendent of the carb, just it only meters air and not fuel. So why not pay homage to the past and style it to look like something interesting, arguably beautiful.

If you want nothing but function that basically disregards form there are dozens of bikes from JAPanInc. or even most BMWs these days that offer such a thing.

Personally i think there should always be a balance of form and function, a blending of art and engineering. I think this detail maybe pushes the envelope of my tastes, but certainly I appreciate the details.

Other people will think a CARC "looks" good, and I admit I loved the way mine worked, but never warmed to its looks.

[ohiorider]

Meh... Put me firmly in the camp that likes the look.  Other people will think a CARC "looks" good, and I admit I loved the way mine worked, but never warmed to its looks.

Put me in the camp that likes the faux carbs on the T120.  They have to look like something .... why not pay homage to the carbs that came on the original bike?
Oddly enough, I think the CARC final drive looks ok too.  It not only looks the business, it is the business.

Bob

[Kev m]

Put me in the camp that likes the faux carbs on the T120.  They have to look like something .... why not pay homage to the carbs that came on the original bike?
Oddly enough, I think the CARC final drive looks ok too.  It not only looks the business, it is the business.

Bob

I get it, the CARC looks more uh modernly mechanical, that said it took me a while to warm to its looks. I'll say it got better looking as I enjoyed the function, but it's nice to be attracted from the start and not to have to grow to love or like...

[Sheepdog]

Great pic .

 Of course it begs the question , just how many very large Detroit products can you get in one un-staged photograph 

 Dusty

The folks across the street also kept a black '78 Lincoln in the garage. The doors on my '77 Mercury Grand Marquis were as long as a Smart Car...

[Moto]

  Styling to imitate function is not new to Triumph...Even the old Triumph Co did it...

You can  say that again. Edward Turner designed the original Speed Twin -- the stylistic twin-cylinder forebear of the classic 650's -- to imitate the single-cylinder, twin-exhaust bikes then dominating the market. That's where that tapered cylinder leading up to a large cylinder head came from. Or so I read.

Moto

[oldbike54]

You can  say that again. Edward Turner designed the original Speed Twin -- the stylistic twin-cylinder forebear of the classic 650's -- to imitate the single-cylinder, twin-exhaust bikes then dominating the market. That's where that tapered cylinder leading up to a large cylinder head came from. Or so I read.

Moto

 Uh yeah , Turner so hated the look of swinging arm rear suspension that we got the sprung hub , a complete disaster . AND , later after Turner retired we got the Beezumph Triples that were styled by a company that designed toasters and vacuum cleaners  Good grief , those ray gun mufflers were strange looking devices 

 Dusty

[Tom]

Well....the news says that electric cars need to have a noise maker because they're too quiet.  Some cars already emit noise.  So fake exhaust mufflers as speakers with fake engine sounds. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_vehicle_warning_sounds

[Phang]

it looks so cool to kick start a guzzi twin

doesn't matter if it is real or fake 

[Sasquatch Jim]

 What is the best way to synchronize mock carbs?

[kenvil1]

What is the best way to synchronize mock carbs?

I guess you'd have to use a digital vacuum gauge that's made to look like analog gauges.

[oldbike54]

What is the best way to synchronize mock carbs?

 Mockometer ?

 Dusty

[Kev m]

What is the best way to synchronize mock carbs?

Well if they're actually throttle bodies then they have the exact same components which require synchronization, throttle plates.

[Rough Edge racing]

 This German made "Synchroflow" is an excellent flow meter, shown here on my bike....No, not mock carbs   

   

[oldbike54]

 Uh , Kev and Tony , seems you have misplaced something 

 Dusty

[Kev m]

Uh , Kev and Tony , seems you have misplaced something 

 Dusty

Nope, a joke isn't funny if it misses the mark, which it does, since you CAN synchronize throttle bodies whether or not they are styled like "mock" carburetors.

Which leads back to the silliness of the original objections against them, but hey, people often mock (pun intended) what they don't understand.     

[unclepete]

So , is it a cover or is it integral to the throttle body ? If it's a cover , dirt will gather behind it .

[oldbike54]

Nope, a joke isn't funny if it misses the mark, which it does, since you CAN synchronize throttle bodies whether or not they are styled like "mock" carburetors.

Which leads back to the silliness of the original objections against them, but hey, people often mock (pun intended) what they don't understand.     

 Yeah , forrgot that Jim and I aren't sophisticated like you East coat boys ...

 Dusty

[Kev m]

Yeah , forrgot that Jim and I aren't sophisticated like you East coat boys ...

 Dusty

Passive-aggressive much?

Nah, I'm just pointing out that it's another case of silly tilting and windmills...not that I don't tilt for fun too.

[HDGoose]

I put these in the same vein as the fake kickers on Harley's.

On many of my bikes, if I have to remove a cover for maintenance and it is just cosmetic...it may not be put back on.