Forum

[Chris [Stockport]]

Just been looking at the 2 new RE's...
A question: Why do new bikes seem to have such short mudguards, with a bit extra in plastic?

[enfield_trials]

may be they want to keep RE continental gt style

[binary]

Plastic costs less than steel and may be a cost cutting measure. I like the big early model guards over the two 19 inch tyres on my RE. They look proper British old school,hey what and say no more.

[Revband]

A motorcycle used to be transport used in all weather and the mudguards helped keep the bike and rider free of road sludge in bad weather. Now a motorbike is a toy used only on nice days, the bits of plastic are decorative and only there because the law states a motorbike must have them it just doesn't say they need to work?.

[stinkwheel]

In a word. Fashion.



There's a big market based around the cafe racer/brat chopper/bobber lifestyle brandings.



So the style is minimalism, no airbox, no side panels, single seat, cut-back subframe, clip-ons or ace bars, single round headlight.



Thing is, there are loads of people out there with more money than sense and more ambition than skill. Ebay is full of bikes people have tried to "customise" and at the more extreme end of this trend, you get an aircooled bike with no airbox, open bellmouth, the subframe chopped off with an angle grinder, no mudguards (at all) and the forks dropped through the yokes to the point they are topping out.



They then find these bikes don't run properly because they can't set them up with no airbox and a cobbled together charging system (nowhere to put the battery). They never get as far as finding they are unrideable because of the lack of front mudguard and gross geometry changes because most of them will never pass an MOT because of frame modifications, topping out suspension and the lack of appropriate lighting and a fork brace (which was part of the mudguard on many bikes).



They then give up and put it on ebay for the amount they have spent on it rather than what an MOT fail in need of extensive remedial work is worth. It's good for us because my 350 bullet is still worth the same as I paid for it 10 years ago. Sad, because there are a lot of irrevocably ruined classic bikes out there. Especially late 70's/early 80's aircooled singles.



But anyway. Manufacturers have picked up on this. A certain demographic likes the look of bikes with no mudguard so they make them appear as minimal as possible.

[ed.lazda]

In my (obviously very humble) opinion, a long mudguard that actually does something useful looks much better than a silly piece of useless short plastic. Fashions don't make things work, and they don't usually make them look better either.



And while we're here, what about chain drive without a fully enclosed chain? Where's the sense in that?



Grumpy old git? Me?

[stinkwheel]

Why have a chain at all when you can have a belt? Buell were putting 85ft/lb of torque through them when they were still on the go.

[papasmurf]

Belt drives are VERY reliable IF fully enclosed. However if the "cogs" are chrome plated (no motorcycle make no pack drill,) a flake of chrome plate can cut the belt in seconds.

[stinkwheel]

Had a GPz305 years ago that had a belt with no fancy trimmings/tensioners etc. it just fitted like a normal chain on alloy pulleys with a double sided swingarm and tug-type tensioners.



It a never gave a moments trouble. People used to baulk at fitting a £100 belt every 30k miles but you'd probably have gone through two chain and sprocket kits by then. They'd fit cheap industrial drive belts instead, which would then break.



It used to squeak sometimes but you just had to scribble on it with a pencil to stop it.



Back on topic. I have noticed a lot of manufacfturers recently favouring black plastic in many parts. I think this is an attempt to move towards something of a modular construction. Only certain parts are painted meaning they can knock out very standardised bikes across a range and bolt in a few coloured panels to suit the owner with a wide variety of colours available. This is particularly noticeable across the Yamaha MT range.

[Rattlebattle]

Plastic is cheaper and more consistent to produce. Every one of the last four new bikes I've bought has needed a fender extender and in two cases a hugger. It's form over function. Main stands are usually optional extras or part of a comfort package or whatever too. A lot of us while not using bikes as transport do go touring and use them in adverse conditions. Personally I won't go for a ride if it's raining, though if it rains when I'm out, too bad. I've had my share of freezing and soaking years ago. Even with a fender extender and hugger some modern bikes get absolutely plastered in crud because the mudguards are too far away from the tyres. RE can't continue exports on the basis of niche old singles for older riders - like BMW did they have to extend their range. The market for the current UCE single must be nearly saturated; this is why my supplying dealer switched to a more modern brand. The row of unsold REs was static for months. As for belt drive, having had alignment problems on a BMW F800GT in my opinion they aren't that great and, like shaft drives, it's hard to change final gearing. Anyone who's had a bearing collapse in a "maintenance-free" BMW rear drive or a output bearing go on a Honda shaftie would have a dim view of them too. Chain for me any day, especially now that PTFE chain lubes are available. Each to his own.