Triumphrat

Old Scratcher

Style is such a subjective thing, it's impossible to reach any kind of consensus, as one person's style icon is another waking nightmare.
But I think we can all agree that there are many bikes. Which, while they are perfectly capable machines, just don't inspire or engage the rider. & are, for the want of a better term, a bit souless.
I suppose any UJM, from the 70's to present day, would fit the bill. & I'll get that ball rolling with the Yamaha XS750/850, Suzuki GT750 (waterbottle), Honda CBX, Kawasaki Z1300 etc.
But I also think the Bavarians have turned out some bland POS over the years too, especially the early K series (flying bricks) & those frightful R series cruisers from a few years ago.
At least the Brits & the Italians (& HD as well) can't be accused of producing unengaging souless robo-bikes with no character.
So which bikes do you think have no soul?
& just so it's not a totally negative thread, which bikes have more soul than James Brown?
My James Brown bikes are
1. Vincent C series Rapide
2. Triumph Bonnieville (59-69)
3. Norton Commando
4. Ducati 750SS
5. Laverda Jota (180)
6. Ducati 916
7. Moto Guzzi Le Mans (all series)
8. Honda CBR900R Fireblade
9. Triumph Speed Triple
10. Kawasaki Z900

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fivehundo

Bikes with no soul....

Hmmmmm...

Suzuki Katana comes to mind.

Also, perhaps the Suzuki GS500E...

Buell Blast, for sure...

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Gob-ny-geay

Right you are Old Scratch - It's seemingly pointless to try to "style" a new bike on this forum, as there are so many differing tastes. Seems we end up with an average of the average of the average. Yet another Harley Cruiser Clone! Who woulda' thunk it!

Anyway, as candidates for "soul-less" Bikes, IMHO I'd have to go with the endless range of crotch-rockets made in Japan now-a-days. Great bikes I'm sure, excellent technological break-throughs, etc., but how on earth do you tell which one is your's? They all look the same to me.

Second place would have to go to BMW. Fantastic bikes, again world class technology, but Tuetonics were never known for "Soul" (Has anyone ever seen a German dance?)

To be PC here, I'm just kiddin' about the dancing stuff... but seriously, can you Boog-a-loo? Can you "Get on the Good Foot?"

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TriumphTengu

Though they have no "soul" the Suzuki GS500E will never die.
You'll still find them alive 50 years from now.
The ultimate meat and potatoe bike.

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Sprint1050DA

I guess my experiences with UJM's are different. I found mine (1982 GS650GL) to be a very fun and engaging bike with a lot of character. That may have had something to do with the fact that it was 18 years old when I picked it up, but even though it was heavy, slow, and leaked oil at an amazing rate, I loved that bike.
I found your #8 soul-having bike an interesting choice. Of all bike manufacturers I find Honda to be the least engaging, and their bikes to be the least inspiring. The only Honda's I've ever ridden that I actually enjoyed were a 1985 CB700 Nighthawk (right before they went to the style that survived the next 20 years unchanged) and a 1986 VFR750, first sportbike I ever rode.

HiDesert

Seeing you put the CBX (!!!) on a list of soulless bikes doesn't give me much hope for consensus on this topic either. But let's list anyway!

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Sprint1050DA

Missed that one on the list without soul. Can't agree that it should be there either.

New Harleys to me have no soul. They have great marketing, but they are just as cookie cutter as the Japanese V-twins that have copied them. Loud pipes and chrome don't give it a soul. Other than the V-rod they've done nothing innovative in years. To really have soul I think a modern motorcycle needs to do something very different than other bikes.
New KTM's have soul.
Some of the new BMW's appear to have soul, but I've not been near enough to actually know.

denman13

The bike with no soul. Hmmm, sounds like a bad Stephen King novel. About 800 pages or so.

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iceman

.... my previous bike had 'no soul' - a Suzuki 1200 Bandit.
It was good value,comfortable,reliable,did everything well,and had plenty of power - but no character.
After about 6 months I realised that although it was a great bike I didnt really like it much.
Then the 1050 Sprint came out and it was love at first sight.

My Sprint has character (soul?) in spades

Grant

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Keith G

Couldn't agree more, but style is in the eye of the beholder, not what some clown in a magazine says it is!

Anyway, I notice there wasn't an Australian 'bike in your 'Soul List' - try this one (eats Ducatis for breakfast):

http://www.irvingvincent.com/

(A 'bike conceived 72 years ago with 1,600cc and 165bhp@7,000rpm winning races at Daytona = instant soul in my book! )