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I was out the other day with my beat up and rusty '62 F100. While at a gas station, a younger guy looked over and said cool truck. Don't know if he meant it or was being sarcastic?? Tom
Nostalgia does play a part -- we all lust for the bike or car or ??? we couldn't afford when we turned 16, which is why prices go up on any well-maintained machine when it's about 35 or 40 years old. Our generation like retros when we can't afford a fully-restored BSA or Velocette. But there's more to it. I noticed this winter that the lift operators in Aspen listen to a ton of '70s-era rock -- at some level they like the drive and color and variety compared to the fairly monotonous -- in the sense of tune-free -- stuff being foisted on them by today's musicians. Modern cars tend to look like smooth wind-tunnel lumps, sleek and not unattractive but all the same and without character. Retro stuff is quirky, with personality. For instance, despite being aimed at the same buyers, today's Beetle, Fiat 500 and Mini don't look alike. Same with bikes. Today's superbikes, to my eye, are hard to tell apart other than by branded colors, but when I see a retro flash by I know instantly if it's a Guzzi, Triumph, RE or Beemer. Even the motomags (or the motovids that have replaced them) use the word character when they review a retrobike, and not when they ride an adv or fully-faired rocket. Harley has known this principle all along -- for a generation they've sold nothing but retro bikes.The retro Beetle that sort of kicked off this trend in the car world was sold mostly to women and hipsters who thought it was cute or "affordably authentic." But the real first retro was the Miata, which filled the hole left when the British car industry cratered. I'd argue that Porsche is like Harley -- it never stopped making a retro 911.
That we had it right the first time.
I'm not the least bit interested in todays cars. They're just transportation. I'd much rather look at a '55 Bel Air or a '66 Chevy II Nova, Chevelle, or something of that nature. But no FORDS please
Imagine you are anywhere between the ages of 10 and 40. All you can remember are chains of businesses. Chains of pharmacies, home-improvement centers, restaurants, convenient stores, Hardware stores, steak houses. Almost any town you go to in America it all looks the same. You have the Walmarts, the targets, and it goes on and on and on.Now if you grew up in the 40s, 50s, 60s you remember mom and pop pharmacies, mom and pop hardware stores, local restaurants, local grocery stores and so on , All very interesting places that treated you as an individual not as a customer number. Like it’s been said, carsBack in the day had a unique look and feel and so did the businesses.It was all more intimate and meaningful.Now all the younger generation has is A very boring And impersonal world to live in. That’s why the younger generation in our town is patronizing local hometown restaurants and businesses in the small town of Lancaster Pennsylvania. These small businesses are thriving thanks to the younger generation who does appreciate a personal feel and flocks to a local business that cares about the community, unlike a Walmart or Target.
This is exactly why Royal Enfield, Triumph, and Harley Davidson are thriving in this boring environment. If Moto Guzzi could get their act together they could reap the rewards as well
If Moto Guzzi got “their act together” like Harley, Enfield India and Triumph, they too could sell mass market plastic replicas of their past products. The Nuovo V7 etc is awful, but not quite as awful as a Union Jack emblazoned Triumph built in Thailand with fake non functional injection molded plastic transmission cases. Guzzi still has its real facility, as well as mechanical designs that didn’t start with primarily a cosmetic requirement.I do think the Enfield is better than the Triumph, and that Harley has finally shown progress in building modern motorcycles. The latter is real progress.
You are clearly wrong in your assertion that the v7 is "awful", but I can see there is no use in pointing out why you're wrong.
Was riding a /5 toaster tank on a regular basis , it was interesting to note that young folks born in 1990 were drawn to it , somehow understanding that although it was a bit of a beater , or as Luap said , "now fellas , there's a motorcycle with patina" , the beemer was the real deal . Coming out of a bookstore walking towards the old thing , a woman in an Escalade asked if I had a moment , wanting to know why everyone who walked past the "old beat up motorcycle stopped and stared at it , ignoring the flashy new shiny motorcycles parked in the next aisle?" Looking at her Escalade and her fancy rings , it seemed likely no explanation would satisfy her . Dusty