Are lightweights coming back?

[Gary]

Scooters are red hot in the USA right now; go to any college campus to see hundreds. Ten years ago you couldn't find a single one.

The motorcycle magazines seem obsessed with "adventure bikes" (dual purpose bikes) and while they seem to think we want to hear about the one we will need to ride in the Paris to Dakaar race, they always seem to seem to discover that smaller, lighter bikes seem to be able to go just about anywhere much better that the 600 lb. plus bike with 1,000cc.

Finally, I have started noticing motorcycle ads for 125cc to 250cc bikes again. Its been over 30 years since a 175cc bike got a full page ad in a USA motorcycle magazine.

I am 100% for smaller, lighter, dual purpose bikes. My ideal bike would be under 300 lbs. with all fluids and a full tank of gas. The wheels would be at least 18". And give it as much displacement and power as you can and stay in the weight limit. Finally, put a real seat (as good as any cruiser or touring bike) on it that's not more than 30" off the ground.

The lousy, narrow, hard seats on most present "dual-purpose" bikes is their number 1 reason for not selling many, many more. Maybe there are some people out there that want to try to ride a dirt bike standing up like a pro; if so, let them buy a dirt bike or an aftermarket seat made like a dirtbike seat. I never see anyone standing up, even when I ride offroad.

I ride sitting down 99% of the time, and I won't buy a bike that doesn't have the foot pegs directly under my center of gravity so that it is easy to raise up off the seat (or support myself when riding, so its not my arms or butt taking all of the support duties).

They are making nice 400cc 4 stroke dirt bikes already; how about one that's street legal with a decent seat?

I grew up inthe USA when the most common bikes were 1) 5 hp Cushmans and clones, 2) Sears copy of the 250cc Vespa, and 3) the 50cc Honda Hawk; a 650cc bike was a monster, even a 500cc bike was considered a big one. And 90% of my greatest thrills riding came on 125cc to 350cc bikes when I was trying to ride them to their max. Most guys under 45 would not believe how fast you can ride a 125cc bike on a twisty road.

 

[Rocky]

Yes indeed, there is a trend towards smaller bikes and new twin cylinder models are making a comeback too.
Ten years ago cruisers were all the rage and the latest trend, and as you noted, adventure bikes are all the rage now with everyone (companies) on the adventure bandwagon.

 

[DaveM]

I always maintained that when riding dirt you need a lighter bike but then if you doing long rides to out of the way places you may need the bigger bike with better road capabilities. So it then becomes a trade off maneuverability for power and speed. I did a major long trip back in the 70's on a Yamaha 360 and it was all I wanted and needed. On the road I was able to cruse above the speed limit and in the dirt I was able to take it anywhere I wished. I went places where you would not even be able to walk to.

Even this side it seems that the scooters are taking off but I always look at that as being just transport for those people and nothing else. I wonder how many of them you will see riding in many years to come as we now are. When I started out we also started on small bikes 50cc 125, 250 and moved up but then they were bikes and not scooters and here we still are riding today

 

[keystiger]

Well, in the Keys scooters where EVERYWHERE. I had coworkers in Key West that didn't even own a car. Just a scooter.
Since moving back to Alabama I have noticed an increase in scooter, and smaller displacement bikes 650 and under, many are used as daily commuters---I pass the same guys all the time-- a couple on scooters and 3 different small cc 250, 500 and 650 cruisers. Loaded for bare with saddle bags, windshields etc. There is even a couple in my neighborhood who ride together, her on her pink vespa and him on his black one WITH the dog in the SIDECAR, pudding bowl helmets et all.

I have also noticed a trend in the younger riders leaning towards smaller, 250 and 500 Ninjas and such. IN part I think many are learning a 500 will go faster than you really need, it will out accelerate all but the top end high performance sports cars, and you can get a new model 250 or 500 for what you would pay for a used Gixxer1000 or Busa or such.

We have a group here in Daphne early 20 somethings that gather at the Sonic once a month, on scooters and Mopeds. Dressed in "period" clothes and all from like the 50's They are laughing and having a ball runnin around on those little things, and you should see some of the mods and customizing its a riot.

 

[Rocky]

Gas prices here fluctuate a lot, but hover around $1.30 a litre - give or take.
Over that past couple of summers I've noted the increase in scooters for daily transportation on fine days.
A lot of young women are on scooters and small motorcycles - as well as young men and older adults - but young men tend to be macho and opt for motorcycles.
The use of bicycles has increased too with bike lanes being provided on some roads and streets.
Now if we could only get bicycle riders to obey at least some of the rules of the roads, things would be OK

 

[DaveB]

I see a huge future for lightweights.

Moped/scooter sales are on the up. I see this trend as primarily for affordable transport, but it's no more than a repeat of the Seventies (when we called it the Oil Crisis as gasolene/petrol prices rose sharply). Well, high gas prices are here to stay :y8:. Sorry BBC, your dream of a two-stroke comeback ain't gonna happen (because of emissions regs- & they're here to stay too).

But, but.... good performing lightweight single & twin cylinder four-strokes? Oh yes; I predict this market will explode in future years, with capacities from 125 to 500 cc. For road bikes I'd start my thinking with the Ninja 250- this is surely the modern incarnation of one of the most revolutionary bikes ever made, the Honda CB72. I'm told that the little Ninja has to be revved very hard to get it to go, but it's still my starting point, the mark in the sand, for future decent performance lightweight roadbikes. For offroad/dualsport? Well, has anybody had the courage to look at the power outputs of the current KTM range of competition 4-stroke singles ? - just detune these competition engines a bit to extend both the service intervals and the durability. This will reduce the power & increase the fuel consumption at the same time and I believe we can see the future.

 

[CarlS]

Gary, I can relate to exactly what you are saying. My early small, displacement bikes were a hoot to ride.

 

[Gromit]

Scooters are on the up here too. From school kids to business men/women. They beat the traffic like nothing else if you're doing in-city commuting. Noticed a few boys at our school coming in on 175's too.

I can't say for anywhere else but here in SA, it's the chronic traffic grid-locks (in Joburg 6 out 10 traffic lights are permanently out of order!) and also the cost of fuel.