[vfr101]

They're cute little 3/4 size cruisers, but did you look at the prices? $13,100 for a 25 HP motorcycle that can go "75 Plus MPH" is a little more than I'd like to pay....



Oh yeah, First Post....

 

[wwalkersd]

They've been among those little ads in the back of the MC magazines for years, mostly building small cruisers with automatic transmissions.

 

[sarnali]

The engine photo's in the factory shots look like those "super V" engines Harley Nostalgia was trying to flog in the 80's through Supercycle magazine.

They were their own crankcase castings using Chevy 350 pistons, valves and distributer and HD primary drive, clutch and transmissions. You had to buy the kit bike fom them and they'd sell you the engine to go with it. I don't think they lasted very long, maybe these guys bought up their castings.

 

[36962]

Those engines in the automatic bikes look an awful lot like the big Briggs & Stratton Vanguard V-twins, with different rocker covers and air-cooling shrouds.



engines are the most expensive part of any bike's development, I'd be really surprised if Ridley weren't buying engines from an established vendor.



first heard of the little Ridleys in a shorty riding ippression Burnsie did on CW as I recall. It'd be a fun little bar-hopper.

 

[obandoj]

I remember seeing a couple of them at Laguna Seca during WSB and AMA weekend about three years ago, they sounded and looked pretty good. I never heard anything else about them untill now, they are pretty nice little bikes but their prices are way out of proportion, so to speak !

 

[wrecks]

Looks like a SOHC Honda generator motor and a snowmobile drivetrain.



"That means you don't have to know how to shift to ride this bike!"



I'm waiting until they come out with one where "you don't have to know how to steer!"

 

[1163]

Hey, MO, check out where they come from. I'd seen the Speedster and Auto-Glide at a local bike night dinner spot and found out they were built right here in Oklahoma City. According to the folks who ride them they're the greatest bike on the road but that's expected.



Haven't seen the new X-Glide yet. Looks nice though and I hope you guys get one for review. I think Rider did a review a couple years ago.

 

[ogre23]

Ok, they are claiming a 265 lbs dry weight, which is astonishingly low. I don't know why they are getting such poor performance out of a nearly 600cc engine, though.

With a dirtbike thumper in that frame, it could be a seriously kicky little cruiser.

Way too expensive, though.

-Ogre

 

[ogre23]

Ok, that is cool. Their "automatic" transmission is really a CVT. They should play that up more. And the 83 MPG highway rating is pretty cool, too.

-Ogre

 

[seruzawa]

I'm waiting until they come out with one where "you don't have to know how to steer!"

I think I saw those at the last local novice race I went to.

 

[gatling]

They've been around for awhile. I have some photos of their bikes on my website from the Love Run a couple of years ago. They look like baby Harleys.

Joe Berk

www.joeberkphotography.com

 

[1163]

CVT?

What's CVT, kawa'ki?

 

[BrokenLink]

Neat concept. The Autoglide 740 might be just the thing for my wife. However, the price is a little high considering I can get her a Honda Rebel etc for half the price. She will just have to learn to shift

 

[BrokenLink]

Cool site

Nice web site Joe. Very cool pictures.

 

[wrecks]

Re: CVT?

Continuously variable transmission. No gears, just a belt and 2 pulleys. 2 halves of drive pulley close together from centrifugal force as torque increases, thereby increasing gear ratio continuously. Same as a snowmobile.

 

[3522]

your former EIC did a review of one for Cycle World about a year and a half ago...?

 

[nokneedragin]

More power to anyone who tries to manufacture motorcycles. Especialy if it not just a HD motor in a chopper frame. May the buisness gods bless them.

The motors look to be 90deg, or have my eyes gotten that bad. If so, punch up the compression on the 750, get it in a sporting chassis and see if it can compete on a track.

It's just a thought, you know, try to compete. It's been done in the US of A before.

 

[1163]

Gracias

 

[F451]

It will be interesting to see what the X-Glide is all about come January 7th. H-D should look into the pint size version as it might be a way to save their future cruiser market through capturing the young move-up market. The automatic feature might be good for those who have certain physical limitations through age, incident or other means and still love to ride. Their pint-size versions are pricey.

 

[Intersport]

I thought their mini-cycles were powered by a Mitsubishi generator motor- no kidding. But they used a different cam or something that gave it a real H-D like sound. I remember that the sound was awesome. It looks like their new bike is yet another H-D Evo clone.