[gdrazek]

Re: Did They Run Out of Blue Paint?

Actually, Skoda is a Czech company... but I agree, the old gauges looked horrible (like a Lada dash!). I was at the dealership ready to buy a Falco, and just couldn't get over how ugly the dash was. (I ended up with a Daytona 955i after finding out I could insure it for the same price).

But back to the topic at hand. I really like this new Mille. Any time someone says a bike looks "slab sided" I seem to love it. And they finally got rid of all the racer-boy graphics. I'd also take off the remaining stickers they if I were to buy one. Which is a definite possibility.

That swing-arm and twin exhaust look great. The front is a 200% improvement over the old Mille, which I didn't care for. Overall I think Aprilia has a huge hit on its hands.

Slap on some heli-bars and that just might be my next ride. Speaking of, cycle companies should offer optional clip-on heights when you buy the machine. It would greatly increase the prospective customer base. There are a number of bikes I'd be more interested if they had higher bars.

 

[gdrazek]

Re: Czech It Out

Due to living in Russia right now, I consider myself an expert in Lada and Skoda dashboards.... and unfortunately driving a 4x4, not riding a bike.

From the day that I bought my Daytona I considered buying the helibars, and I probably should have. I commuted on it for 2 years and any traffic jam turned into a painful affair.

How hard would it be for the moto companies to offer 2 or three sets of handlebars/clip-ons when you purchased the cycle? (bars, brake lines and clutch cables) I'm sure most people would choose the higher set-up than what the companies are offering now.

There is always the option of buying the companies "softer" version. (i.e. YZF-600 over the R6), but they are really missing the point. The older bikes just don't look as cool as the newer ones. Looks matter! And I fully admit that I am never going to get the full performance out of the top level sportbikes and couldn't even ride the YZF-600 to its limit. But I want a motorcycle that is fun to ride and that I can stand about 10 feet from before and after the ride and drool all over myself about. And those are usually the top-level machines.

Just make them more comfortable! Anyone else agree with me?

 

[gdrazek]

choices

I'm not talking ape-hangers, just a couple more inches of rise. But your probably right, I don't see any of the manufacturers stepping up to the plate and adding "options" to their motorcycles. That's what they think the aftermarket is for, and when it's in-house, they make even more money of you. You have to buy all the parts with the initial purchase, even the ones you don't want.

But in this hyper-competitive industry, I'd think that by having optional features would make it much easier to sell bikes, and in the end making it less expensive for the owner. When you buy a car and want leather interior, you don't have to buy the cloth seats and take them out to install the leather ones. For example, how about two types of seats for motorcycles? One for the racers, and one (more like a Corbin) for commuters/weekend canyon carvers.

It wouldn't take too much market research to estimate how many of each they would sell, so the dealers could order how many of each type they think they could move. No extra $500 and no waiting.

Back to reality, I'm just waiting to see what the new SuperHawk looks like. That will be in the running for my next steed.