New Moto Guzzi Door Mats Available Now
Wasn't that bike featured in a Cycle World American Flyers series some years back? Ten or twelve years or so ago?
Not real practical as an all-around do-anything bike. Looks like a fair-weather ride to me. My fenders are much more complete, and guck still gets everywhere. I have a hard time seeing something as aesthetic when it isn't capable of doing what it's supposed to do. Kind of goofy having a bike that can only be ridden on days when it, for sure, won't rain the whole time it's out. And in Seattle, no less!
So there R332 , how do feel about seats , also unnecessary on a motorbike Dusty
That sold on ebay a few months back, there was a thread about it at the time. very helpful I know.... no further info
If you are riding in the rain and get road crap on your bike, can't you just wash it? I wash my bike every time I get caught in the rain anyway and the road grim comes off easier then bugs or tar.I have a caf� T3 with no rear fender and open stacks on the carb but I wont ride it if I know it is going to rain. I have other bikes for that. And now that I am older, and don't commute on my bikes anymore I usually will blow off a ride if it is raining. I don't feel like that makes me less of a "biker". You said "I have a hard time seeing something as aesthetic when it isn't capable of doing what it's supposed to do." Well my caf� bike is supposed to look good, and to me I think that it is very capable of that. Some on the caf� racer sites get all caught up that a cafe bike is supposed to be all about performance, but I can throw many thousands of dollars at my 41 year old bike and still get it's butt kicked by a bone stock Ninja 300. Every bike is compromised in some way and there is no way to justify most bikes other than it is the bike you want for the riding you want to do.
Fenders are useful for more than protection from rain and road muck. How about hot tar? Rocks? Dirt clods? Sorry, I just have never had issues with hot tar, rocks or dirt clods. Maybe the roads I ride.Race bikes look cool with minimal fenders, but that's the race track. And, yes, a trials bike has no seat to speak of, but that's a trials bike - you're not supposed to sit down. That's the problem here - comparing apples to apples. The problem is that you see all fruit as apples I'm not going to argue the cafe thing - there are those who think no (or minimal) fenders are good, big giant oversize tires or even dual sport tires look and work good, and seats with 1" of padding finish it off. And, of course, the checkered racing stripe down the middle of the tank. When I was 16 I liked the sound of open pipes, but that got old after a while. And I also thought it looked cool with no front fender. By the way, no front fender doesn't only affect you in the rain. Sometimes there's a section of road that's wet - someone watered their yard and the water ran across the road. The road grime flings up and now you're covered in muck visor to nuts. My last café bike didn't have a front fender and that never happened to me. You can slow down or move over when you come across a puddle. Again, it was a second bike, didn't go out in the rain if I could avoid it. Didn't leave the city much, so the roads are clean, just full of pot holesMe, I like the look of fenders that fit the bike. Some were ugly from the factory and the trick is fabbing something that looks right. There are some cafes I like, but most of them do nothing for me. If you like having a bike that only goes out in nice weather for a Sunday afternoon ride - that's your thing. I like having bikes (sport or touring) I can take out for several days and not worry if a couple hours away I'll hit rain. And that happens around here. I recall one beautiful spring day four or five of us rode 60 miles up the gorge to Hood River, then up to Mount Hood. Before we made it up the mountain it started raining and didn't stop till we got to Rhododendron. Boy was that miserable! The rider on an RS was the only one enjoying himself. See, I have a bike that is perfect longer rides. I take my Monster on 5 or 6 over night trips and usually at least one 3 day trip each summer. I would never consider that with my café racer. My legs and butt wouldn't take more than 60 miles without a long brake, plus the tank hold less than 1.5 gals.That's how it is out here. Of course there are some nice twisty roads five miles away, but I've ridden them so many times I don't feel like pulling the bike out just for that. And, you know, riding a bike without fenders and all the other mods is close to the same experience (except for the sore butt) as having one with all the normal equipment - it just LOOKS cool to others watching or who see it at the cafe. I like looking at hot rods and race bikes, but for something practical, I prefer a real seat, fenders, horns, and all the normal things I expect on a road-going machine.You are looking at this as someone with only a single bike that needs to do everything. There is nothing wrong with specialized motorcycles. Just as I wouldn't wear dress shoes hiking, I don't have to use one motorcycle for touring, off roading or bopping around town.
