jawfish

Bikes Get Options
john posted in rides on November 9th, 2005

Performance and racing motorcycle fans take note: the age of options is upon us. Maybe. Well sort of, and it took too long.

In my youth you could walk into your Chevrolet dealer and get a 2 or 3 speed automatic, a 4 speed stick, a straight six, a 307 -327-396-454 V8 all available on the same car. There was much bragging that no two cars were ever identical. Most of it was silly, but hot rodders could get the 4.11 positraction and 4bbl carb of their dreams. Motorcycles traditionally come in different models, with paint color the only option. BMW offered the S and RS models, in the old airheads. They still offer an S model. Ducati sell S and R models of the 749-999, which have radical engine modifications and suspension, but that’s about it for factory mods.

Manufacturers are limited in the pipe and tuning areas by law, but there is nothing to stop them from selling upgraded suspensions, wheels, shocks, brakes, and some engine mods. You wonder why they haven’t grabbed a piece of the market. Wouldn’t you rather not have to pay for that crappy shock and fork on your new SV, when you are just going to replace them anyway?

Along comes Yamaha to shake up the superstock classes with an upgraded R1.

R1 LE : picture by Yamaha

It has Marchesini wheels, full Ohlins suspension, and a slipper clutch. It also costs a bundle, $18,000, though even that’s not in Ducati 999R territory. Even if Yamaha doesn’t quite get the setup right for you, any suspension shop should be able to dial it in for the street easily. Never mind if this makes sense for the street. After all, a stock 2005 R1 is famously capable of running in the top 10 in AMA. This is drooling lustful racer-boy fantasy stuff, and the price is reasonable if you look at the components.

I think there is a bigger market for options in the cheaper bikes. For instance, the hugely popular SV650 is inexpensive, and comes with a suspension to match. Racers typically transplant GSXR forks and wheels, with an aftermarket shock, and transform a pleasant street bike into a capable race bike. The new Kawasaki 650, BMW F650 and 800, and of course the hot-selling 600s are prime candidates for shocks, wheels, brakes, fork bits, and so forth.

Adding the options into the loan would be an advantage for those who use the financing. Sure the manufacturers have offerred coupons and such for accessories for years, but folks would snap up the opportunity to have the bike delivered custom. There’s even more opportunity in the touring, cruiser, and dirt markets.

I’ll take three from column A and two from B. Check the tire pressures, I’ll pick it up in the morning.