Author Topic: If modern tarmac/cement roads where not invented... (Read 6235 times)

bad Chad · « **on:** February 17, 2018, 06:07:53 PM »

And bricks and cobblestones where only used in towns and cities. What I'm getting at is if we had to ride on dirt/gravel everywhere you really wanted to go, what type of bike would you choose? Duh, this is just for fun.

I think I would get me a TT650 or some such, and yes if it were really the case their would be a ton more suitable bikes to choose from. But for this thought challenge, you can only pick from motorcycles that have or already are in production, to fantasy bikes here!

I want to get from Newark NJ to the San Francisco bay, and the roads are basically 1917.

guzzisteve · « **Reply #1 on:** February 17, 2018, 06:11:08 PM »

I'd take a mule, no flats.

oldbike54 · « **Reply #2 on:** February 17, 2018, 06:15:17 PM »

UNIMOG .

Dusty

twowings · « **Reply #3 on:** February 17, 2018, 06:18:24 PM »

Since I can't ever afford a Stelvio, a Royal Enfield Himalayan...and my Mosko Moto luggage...

jacksonracingcomau · « **Reply #4 on:** February 17, 2018, 06:23:35 PM »

In 1985 I rode my 1978 Le Mans from Nairobi to Morroco very few sealed roads, prob much worse than 1917 USA - similar distance if not further
So I think I would take same bike I still ride, many dirt roads here in Aus anyway, rarely do I go out without riding at least one.

Turin · « **Reply #5 on:** February 17, 2018, 06:46:20 PM »

I think that if we nrver had paved roads, vehicle evolution might look pretty different.

Sasquatch Jim · « **Reply #6 on:** February 17, 2018, 07:52:40 PM »

Suzuki DS 650 E hands down.
Or a Suzuki 200cc Van Van.

Antietam Classic Cycle · « **Reply #7 on:** February 17, 2018, 08:36:46 PM »

One of the same Guzzis I already own - my '69 Ambassador or V700. Why would I need anything else?

Rough Edge racing · « **Reply #8 on:** February 18, 2018, 10:11:39 AM »

30 years ago my elderly neighbor, who in the 1920's, made a motorcycle trip from NY to California with two friends...Two newer V twin Harleys and an Indian.. He said out side of cities the roads were very poor and for hours at a time they had to stand aside the running bikes pushing them through miles of nearly impassible mud that was considered roads...sand, rocks, detours,flat tires, breakdowns but they got to the west coast with the bikes still running...About three weeks total time...
Take a look a 1920's JD Harley or Indian Scout, three speeds, about 20 hp on a good day,hand shift ,foot clutch and of course no electric starter...Any reasonable weight modern bike would be far better....

blackcat · « **Reply #9 on:** February 18, 2018, 10:21:52 AM »

Quote from: Rough Edge racing on February 18, 2018, 10:11:39 AM

30 years ago my elderly neighbor, who in the 1920's, made a motorcycle trip from NY to California with two friends...

I wonder if they followed the Lincoln Highway?

oldbike54 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 18, 2018, 10:30:59 AM »

Maybe if all the roads were still dirt we would have cars and motorbikes that fly .

Dusty

Numbercruncher · « **Reply #11 on:** February 18, 2018, 11:21:48 AM »

Beta 390 RRS if they were single track.

Africa Twin if they are really rough.

Stelvio for anything that falls into the category of not paved or unimproved.

NC

giusto · « **Reply #12 on:** February 18, 2018, 01:00:53 PM »

Waiting on the V85

LowRyter · « **Reply #13 on:** February 18, 2018, 01:14:41 PM »

if we didn't have roads, we'd never have cars to drive on them.

Kinda chicken and egg deal, without a transportation system we'd never be able to to manufacture and distribute enough stuff needed to build a transportation system.

Lannis · « **Reply #14 on:** February 18, 2018, 04:48:47 PM »

Quote from: LowRyter on February 18, 2018, 01:14:41 PM

if we didn't have roads, we'd never have cars to drive on them.

Kinda chicken and egg deal, without a transportation system we'd never be able to to manufacture and distribute enough stuff needed to build a transportation system.

You're right, so we need to change the conditions of the proposal.

Say some apocalypse in late 2018 destroyed all the roads in the USA, so that they were about in the conditions that roads were back about 1917 - dirt, gravel, broken pavement. You are backpacking from Atlanta and have almost reached Birmingham, Alabama, on your way to Alaska, where you hope to start a new life.

Society is pulling itself back up, there are gas stations coming back on line, electricity's back on, but it's going to take 50 years to get back to 2018 conditions. Meanwhile, you've come across .... the Barber Museum, which was protected and untouched during the events. You have saved the life of a young cousin of George Barber from the clutches of a mutated Morlock-like creature in the ruins of Atlanta, and he offers you any bike in his collection as a reward. You realize that THIS is your ticket to Alaska! You can choose a '69 Ambo, a Beta 390, a Guzzi Lemans, a Suzook DR650, a JD Harley, a RE Himalayan, a Guzzi Stelvio, or any other bike you've ever heard of. You have to be able to fix it if it breaks (or maybe it won't break).

Which do you choose!

Lannis

oldbike54 · « **Reply #15 on:** February 18, 2018, 04:50:50 PM »

R80GS .

Dusty

Murray · « **Reply #16 on:** February 18, 2018, 04:54:53 PM »

Quote from: Lannis on February 18, 2018, 04:48:47 PM

You're right, so we need to change the conditions of the proposal.

Say some apocalypse in late 2018 destroyed all the roads in the USA, so that they were about in the conditions that roads were back about 1917 - dirt, gravel, broken pavement. You are backpacking from Atlanta and have almost reached Birmingham, Alabama, on your way to Alaska, where you hope to start a new life.

Which do you choose!

Lannis

A matt black 1975 XB Falcon coupe...... there are no options.

guzzisteve · « **Reply #17 on:** February 18, 2018, 05:00:38 PM »

IF that were the case maybe steel wheels and steam powered. I still like the mule though.

Lannis · « **Reply #18 on:** February 18, 2018, 05:03:42 PM »

Quote from: Murray on February 18, 2018, 04:54:53 PM

A matt black 1975 XB Falcon coupe...... there are no options.

I don't think the Barber museum has one of those. The last of the V8 Interceptors ended up elsewhere, I think.

Lannis

Antietam Classic Cycle · « **Reply #19 on:** February 18, 2018, 05:27:53 PM »

Quote from: Lannis on February 18, 2018, 04:48:47 PM

You're right, so we need to change the conditions of the proposal.

Say some apocalypse in late 2018 destroyed all the roads in the USA, so that they were about in the conditions that roads were back about 1917 - dirt, gravel, broken pavement. You are backpacking from Atlanta and have almost reached Birmingham, Alabama, on your way to Alaska, where you hope to start a new life.

Society is pulling itself back up, there are gas stations coming back on line, electricity's back on, but it's going to take 50 years to get back to 2018 conditions. Meanwhile, you've come across .... the Barber Museum, which was protected and untouched during the events. You have saved the life of a young cousin of George Barber from the clutches of a mutated Morlock-like creature in the ruins of Atlanta, and he offers you any bike in his collection as a reward. You realize that THIS is your ticket to Alaska! You can choose a '69 Ambo, a Beta 390, a Guzzi Lemans, a Suzook DR650, a JD Harley, a RE Himalayan, a Guzzi Stelvio, or any other bike you've ever heard of. You have to be able to fix it if it breaks (or maybe it won't break).

Which do you choose!

Lannis

Sticking with my original choice - '69 Ambo.

Antietam Classic Cycle · « **Reply #20 on:** February 18, 2018, 05:30:30 PM »

Quote from: Murray on February 18, 2018, 04:54:53 PM

A matt black 1975 XB Falcon coupe...... there are no options.

Check out this story: https://barnfinds.com/landlocked-35-years-1972-ford-falcon-gt/

Lannis · « **Reply #21 on:** February 18, 2018, 05:45:39 PM »

Quote from: Antietam Classic Cycle on February 18, 2018, 05:30:30 PM

Check out this story: https://barnfinds.com/landlocked-35-years-1972-ford-falcon-gt/

It would be a terrible thing if I had that car.

It appears to be in good stock condition, good interior, etc. It would absolutely ruin the looks and the value when I had to cut a hole in the hood for a supercharger .....

Lannis

Antietam Classic Cycle · « **Reply #22 on:** February 18, 2018, 05:48:16 PM »

Quote from: Lannis on February 18, 2018, 05:45:39 PM

It would be a terrible thing if I had that car.

It appears to be in good stock condition, good interior, etc. It would absolutely ruin the looks and the value when I had to cut a hole in the hood for a supercharger .....

Lannis

ohiorider · « **Reply #23 on:** February 18, 2018, 05:55:42 PM »

Quote from: oldbike54 on February 18, 2018, 04:50:50 PM

R80GS .

Dusty

The PD version with the larger fuel tank? I'd certainly take that over my R100GS. Although the Akront rims that work with tubeless tires on my R100GS would be desirable. The R80 in the attached pix doesn't appear to be running tubeless.

image img

Turin · « **Reply #24 on:** February 18, 2018, 06:45:23 PM »

1 Hover craft full of eels.

rodekyll · « **Reply #25 on:** February 18, 2018, 08:29:31 PM »

Quote from: Turin on February 18, 2018, 06:45:23 PM

1 Hover craft full of eels.

That gives "slipstreaming" a new meaning.

Kiwi_Roy · « **Reply #26 on:** February 19, 2018, 10:20:56 AM »

Quote from: bad Chad on February 17, 2018, 06:07:53 PM

And bricks and cobblestones where only used in towns and cities. What I'm getting at is if we had to ride on dirt/gravel everywhere you really wanted to go, what type of bike would you choose? Duh, this is just for fun.

I think I would get me a TT650 or some such, and yes if it were really the case their would be a ton more suitable bikes to choose from. But for this thought challenge, you can only pick from motorcycles that have or already are in production, to fantasy bikes here!

I want to get from Newark NJ to the San Francisco bay, and the roads are basically 1917.

Hang on, Ill ask my Father, that's exactly the sort of roads they had.

He said "A Harley with no front brakes".

Sheepdog · « **Reply #27 on:** February 19, 2018, 11:03:09 AM »

An old Triumph Tiger, a BMW /2, or some other lightweight and super simple bike from the sixties. Something that weighs in at +-400 lbs. Dirt roads are a chore on heavy bikes...

Ncdan · « **Reply #28 on:** February 19, 2018, 08:08:25 PM »

No brained, Suzuki Storm 650 or maybe the 1000. Probably 650 as it’s plenty powerful enough.

n3303j · « **Reply #29 on:** February 19, 2018, 08:47:17 PM »

My Ural, of course.

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Author Topic: If modern tarmac/cement roads where not invented... (Read 6235 times)

oldbike54

twowings

Rough Edge racing

oldbike54

oldbike54