2017 Retro Roadster Shootout | 4K

[Applause] this bike has roots to 1923 this one to 1959 that one to 1969 what it's 2017 it's time for a retro roadster revisited shootout a couple years ago we took out the first r9t and the first CB 1100 now we've got a CB 1100 e^x and an R 90 pure and of course the new triumph t 120 Bonneville into the mix John what are we doing here we're having a nice day at the beach aren't we Kevin it's hot hot day today but it's nice here in the 70s we're actually at the bottom of the igneous rock formation for millions of years ago when these bikes were formed up that's that set BMWs like this is the first motorcycle right the max freeze 1923 thought the first boxer twins Triumph Bonneville is new and improved it's just a couple years ago but the first Bonneville was 1959 or something and the speed twin it's based upon 1938 and the Honda is just a baby the first one of these was 1969 the cb750 turned the world on on edge the first of the Japanese which took over from the British kind of killed off the British motorcycle industry but now it's back the German would never never went away there was a short period during a bad time in the 40s where production slowed a little bit but um yeah if you're in the history and the motorcycles these kind of combine some of the best elements of both of those things so we're going to go for ride and find out which one we like best [Music] [Music] all right I've been dropping around these three bikes all day plus earlier this week got a little bit of battleship gray here next to a battleship USS Iowa and we're at a little bit of a stand down here of which is the best bike because each of them does something a little bit different than the other a little bit different character a little bit different stand out a little bit different disappointments Evans I just start us off and tell us about your favorite like what I have to say my favorite bike is the r9t pure the BMW I just think it's the most versatile bike of the bunch here it's got the performance chops the others were trying to keep up with and we did our role on Tesla all of them in the dirt handling is much nicer probably because it's the only 17 inch front wheel out here engine power is awesome the only thing I would change on this bike is it needs some rear suspension work it's a little bit harsh newer suspension but other than that I think this is just a perfect all-around motorcycle it does everything you want it to do and because it's naked and it's not a single purpose of what it's been refined to do it just it really appeals to me in that level and I just have to say one last thing I'm shocked given my love of parallel twins that the BMW beat out the triumph in my opinion well I'd say there's a lot of things to like about that BMW it is the sportiest bike when we were out in the canyons that's the bike to be on if you want to keep up with your guys your friends on Dix's and stuff on a standard bike that would be your first choice some nice aluminum bits on that it looks high-class shaft drive though that's a good thing you know oiling the chain but also a bad thing because I think that's part of the reason why the rear suspension is a bit harsh it's a little heavier swing arm and arrangement back there these other ones are chain driven the BMW also is the only one here without a thinner stand which helps contribute to its latest in class weight and that another thing that really helps it handle well on the canyons it is light it's like 50 pounds less than triumph and like 60 pounds less than the Honda I believe we learned on the scales this morning all right what makes it give it such a good acceleration though they shortened the gearing when they whatever bike they created it from they shorten the gearing a little bit so when you get going idiots a little buzzy it's a little busy it's kind of a little busy all the time for me and I think if I'm buying this kind of bike I'm not really looking for a real sport bike I'm looking for kind of a cruising around town and it has to be a little bit sporty you have to be able to go around corners on it some but I don't think it's that much better than the Honda or the triumph for me for sporty riding these are both softer and bigger but they kind of both get it done it seems like somehow I don't know how the Honda with a new dual bending valve fork this year is that what it's called getting melding yeah yeah it's better and yeah it's better than it was and the rear end suspension works pretty good too I think the thing works it's kind of like a big old couch but it goes really good and I have to I have to like the Honda because I've complained about this gas tank seem forever like the triumph as like why don't they get away get away from that and they finally did and it looks like a hundred times better to me it kind of when I look at it reminds me of some old classic Norton or something you know it looks really nice to me now and the paint is outstanding and the chrome is like as good as on a Harley yep and ever looking like this kind of a kind of a retro bike I so I once got steel fenders not plastic ones I could go on but go ahead but I like to say you know it's a it's a retro bike but I don't want you to III don't think we need to go back to retro power delivery and yeah it is not that fast it's not super fast please power the group and it kind of shows us that way too and being the heaviest bike as well yeah but I agree I think we all agree - best for me anyway the best-looking bike of the bundle it's beautiful it's absolutely dude and the finished detailing is excellent yeah they're all about 12 grand in their base level but it's the Honda that actually shows maybe they could look to be as expensive bike yeah visually but yeah the power I bet you a Seabee 1100 from 30 years ago has more power than that that does only about 80 horsepower of the rear wheel and further a nearly 1200 cc motorcycle that seems like a little bit of a missed opportunity yeah yeah you know for me it's kind of with these things it's more about the torque and it makes almost as torque as the other ones do really low for a four-cylinder and only 25 3,000 rpm which is what when you're if you're not sport riding but we should do less often more just cruising around town this thing's awesome but then I'm sitting around town but it sprightly even in the North developing that brightly as the the BMW has just romp and bottom and trying is a love yeah even though that's British this one's more genteel this is the most genteel bike of the group and it's a nice change of pace it says what the exhaust has a really nice burble got the hangeul exhaust if it sounds really good but it's not loud and the triumph has a great motor too but I kind of like this one a loop and if it's enough power John why were you talking about shaving the head and putting on I was just saying when I looked at the specs I see if Skott got a tint ten to one compression lower compression than the others and it kind of looks like it's kind of like a big play school kit for adults what are the bolts that hold the hold the cylinder head on encourage you to take it off of there and maybe put some higher compression pistons or maybe shave it a little bit get a little more compression you could you could have fun bumping it up a little bit I don't think I would buy but it wouldn't be hard to make it competitive power wise with the other two I don't like it so what I one thing in defense of the Honda and its motor is that exhaust system sounds so sweet the burble it has exiting corners up in the canyons and by that you know that's been any way up it has this great tone that just puts a smile on my face and I I don't want to insult your BMW but it's kind of the opposite the way that thing sounds to me I think the best boxer twin is the quietest boxer twin I mean because that one sounds I like only exhaust I don't really like it I like to Blackie I'd say laughs I guess you could call it call it bloody I'd call it more what's the word I'm looking for flatulence flatulence all right well since we're talking about sounds how about the triumph here which is going to be my choice of the three the 270 degree crank shaft on this make sound like beast with nice deep sound not lauded by braking Caliban and really good power from from idle on up it doesn't have a great power horsepower it's kind of figure but it's got power everywhere and I really enjoyed riding this around this felt like a great way to go retro I didn't feel like I was I need to be on a sport bike or something like a BMW and like I want to go fast on that this one's more casual yeah but the thing I don't like about it it's slow to steer it feels really heavy steering and it made me think of the street twin that we love so much right that at a single-disc front brakes have these dual disc and it just felt like such a more nimble machine than this and that's my only real complaint about the Bonneville look are is kind of narrow yeah it's my leverage but again a lot of nice finish detailing on this one as well the aluminum here the the faux carburetor fuel injector things I just felt like this was a great way to go retro without a lot of penalties yeah yeah when it comes to function I like that everybody as much as the Honda I think it's got like the street twin it makes it most of its torque it like 3,200 rpm those LED lights are huge and then it could con tapers off but it gets you going immediately it's got a great great big twin would it be heresy for me to say I like the street twin engine more yet and that one guy would actually be Harrison but yeah just the street winds a great little bike too but as far as function going around corners I like both of these the triumph and the Honda but since they're so even performance wise I got to go for this one gonna waste the same price haven't mentioned the suspension on the Triumph but out on the freeway it is the nicest riding of all of them you know dealing with the expansion joints it just gobbles them up yeah that was Institue of travel on the shocks is really nice a progressive Springs over there to the hardest not as good but that BMW the only one that's uncomfortable in the freeway you know so but the I thought the triumph was was best if you were using it for a commuter bike and had to hit the interstate into town every morning that the triumph would be a really good chance for that yeah the thing I like about the travelling does it have the least buzz at cruising speed to smooth this running when you go eighty a little four-cylinder buzz but not not at all bad for me you you it would drive crazy no no it's not it's not about okay then as we argue assassins attest the frequency didn't bother me that much the amplitude does it zero the time but it's not really that yeah so yeah I think it's great ring it's cool I like to be able to sleep back and forth on the flat seat which we can do on the triumph also you get you it on all of these pretty much really on there when ya look imagine the seats because yet the Honda and the triumph are great seats great flat seats I've given my my daughter rides on both these bikes and they really love the comfort nature of that the BMW is got a rates flat board it's not uncomfortable but it's not as comfortable as these ones and I think that's part of the penalty for it looking so good right probably the best-looking seat well the buckle around that's pretty nice too but but yeah not not quite as comfortable but definitely the sporty one and then my Honda has a helmet lock it's got bungee hooks all over the place and a real chrome rail to strap stuff to your bike got that is your bike that's it it's what a rail I'm gonna bet I don't have the bugs they have a helmet lock I didn't do that much research see there no it doesn't it well his how the block is hanging outside brought everyone to see you can't see the little windshield wiper on side the oil window over here though inside the sight glass too they put all the stuff from 1969 on here only it's better up top triple clamps beautiful brushed aluminum it is nice it's a nice bike that's that's all I've got to say and your Warren will have to fill out the official score car things underneath the the headlight that those are horns and they are loud you will get noticed on that bike and you get to do them every time you hit the turn signal that's right the Honda has switched up the horn and turn signal locations and so first time when you switch over to the Honda it's a good chance you're going to hit the horn so let me bag on Evans's bike one more time those nice spoke wheels on there that's apparently a $2,500 option comes with the cast aluminum wheels which is probably all you need and probably lighter than this and make it steer even nicer but if you want the spoke wheels you got a past reform there standard equipment on the Honda and triumph which jacks the price of the least worthy bike up to the most expensive bike here all right cornering clearance that's another thing we didn't really get to into too much today but on our John Souza Canyon the Honda the drags first the triumph not far behind and the BMW you got to be ripping pretty good to even touch the pegs on that so great cornering clearance but at the cost of a little less seat to peg room you got the tightest legroom on the BMW as well this is the most comfy in it it's pretty comfy it isn't a triumph or almost interchangeable they're both create plenty plenty of room play your room for passenger on the back not anybody will ride with me but you know just in case so if you want to go retro there's three great ways to do it here and they don't really compete totally head-to-head so pick the one that looks best to you or pick the one where it's the engine configuration that you like best or pick the one where your brand is well served by the dealer close to you these are all of 12 grand and honestly I think we could all be happy on any of them they're they're cool in ways that new bikes driven for performance aren't these are bikes that you can do almost anything on look cool and give your significant other or your kid a ride on the back and not feel like you're going to have them fall off when you're ripping around at 90 miles now alright so if you liked this video make sure to press that like button on YouTube and if you're watching on YouTube you got to go over to motorcycle comm where the full test will be there with weights and dyno figures and a lot more clever words from these guys that's it I think it's all out the scorecard and see who wins this thing since we're split kinda huh yeah it's going to come down the scorecard again where you have to go to motorcycle on the seat there's nothing more obnoxious and allowed motorcycle when you're trying to hang out with your battleship you don't want to criticize them they're out saving lives exactly

Channel: Motorcycle.com

Views: 723,293

Rating: 4.8379455 out of 5

Keywords: BMW, r ninet, pure, honda, cb1100, cb1100ex, triumph, t120, black, bonneville, review, comparison, vs, retro, roadster, shootout, motorcycle.com, 2017

Id: 5YMN5C1sGCo

Length: 15min 27sec (927 seconds)

Published: Tue Aug 15 2017