These six seven eight factors are in my tentative order of importance:
- Appearance – I like traditional standard styling with round headlights and curved fuel tanks and bodywork. I don’t think the current transformer/insect/robot styling will have lasting appeal. And why are some recent Honda’s (i.e. NM4) so weird? This may be a later rant post… Related to appearance is fit and the use of good quality materials.
- Ergonomics/Comfort – A slight lean forward with legroom and a comfortable seat. Find it amazing that some motorcycles have seats that are unbearable after 20 minutes of riding. Looking at you – Ducati Scrambler and Honda Grom. Also need to consider seat height. Usually not much of a concern on road bikes, but dual sports and dirt bikes challenge my 30″ inseam. Suspension compression allows me to feel comfortable on a machine with a 32-33 inch seat height. But a 30 inch or a less seat height is confidence inspiring.
- Weight – Less is better. Motorcycles weighing less than 400 lbs are really fun. Over 500 lbs is starting to feel like work.
- Fueling – It’s nice when this is sorted from the factory. Bad fueling can usually be corrected, but it shouldn’t happen.
- Suspension – Compliance and comfort over secondary road surfaces and firm enough to be sporting. Honda does this best.
- Engine Configuration – Twins are my favorite. Then singles, triples, and lastly fours. The triples that I’ve owned have all be great fun, so they’re tied with the singles. Also owned some great four-cylinder machines such as the Honda CB-1 and CB700S, Suzuki GS1100E, and Yamaha XS-550. The one electric motorcycle I rode had lots of low-end torque and was very quiet, it was a unique experience. I’m looking forward for this (battery) technology to mature. Would probably take the electric leap if there was a local Zero dealer.
- Exhaust Note – This quality adds considerable enjoyment to the riding experience. In my opinion, there are relatively few instances where the factory gets the right balance between character and compliance with noise regulations. The Honda CB-1, Triumph Speed/Street Triples, Triumph Street Twin (perhaps the best), and Ducati air cooled “L” twins make you want to twist the throttle to hear their engines sing while still not beating-up the ear drums.
- Factory and Aftermarket Parts – The availability of parts and accessories to make a motorcycle work, fit, or look better helps me retain a long-term interest in the machine. KTM does a good job in having lots of functional and performance parts listed in their catalog (along with reasonable prices). Ducati and Triumph fall into second tier in this category. The last generation of Triumph twin is well supported by the aftermarket.
How about you?