Tuesday, 31 January 2012

Pointless

I saw this front end on a few Harley XR1200s at the Verona show. I was struck by the 1980s barnstorming lunacy of it. This is brand new, but seems like it's from the time of inboard discs and six-cylinder engines and mechanical anti-dive. I mean, really, what the hell is the idea? If you can't make telescopic forks that work without an external coil-over shock unit and massive horse shoe brace (and all the related unsprung weight), then you're in the wrong game, just buy someone else's that do work. Or are the sliders empty and it's trying to be a BMW?
If you're impressed by this kind of gadgetry, you're probably 12. G
at

14 comments:

  1. Dr-Ogo31 January 2012 at 19:50

    Bit harsh there G, looks like it might be really good at opening tins, or crushing cans or er, something else...

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  2. rustyli15031 January 2012 at 20:52

    "Barnstorming lunacy"

    I'm having that!

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  3. Travis1 February 2012 at 03:10

    Bit snarky there, eh? I can't say I don't agree with you! I'm just sort of surprised at the honesty. I expect this sort of things out of blokes like me in the comment section!

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  4. Hairy Larry1 February 2012 at 04:00

    Yeah, give a 12 year old a CNC Mill...does seem rather useless.

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  5. IRONMACHINE1 February 2012 at 04:36

    It's a Telescopic UDX Springer...

    CRAP...

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  6. 7471 February 2012 at 05:32

    maybe the big gal is so darn heavy it needs the support. Like my fat aunt in Nebraska that needs a walker.

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  7. Unknown1 February 2012 at 10:36

    I assumed it was decorative ; {)

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  8. Harley1 February 2012 at 14:20

    Perhaps some sort of post modern ironic nod towards the Harley springers with a central shock (which, of course, were an irony free attempt at establishing evil handling retro tat as cool) or a 6th form metalwork project that got out of hand?

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  9. Anthony Brown1 February 2012 at 15:23

    I notice you only pictured one end. Are you sure thats the front?

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  10. t_s1 February 2012 at 16:15

    I would have expected little else from one of Italy's most highly respected purveyors of tat. They deserve the same fate that will one day befall Rizoma.

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  11. Milo1 February 2012 at 21:10

    it's not even symmetrical.

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  12. Sideburn Magazine1 February 2012 at 21:27

    Symmetry is the least of its problems. Anyway, motorcycles are never symmetrical. G

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  13. capnsimo1 February 2012 at 23:07

    oooohh thats rather tasty that is, I am taken by the highly technologicalness of it, wasn't it once upon a time done as a means to really quickly like you're in a big race or something change the front shock spring/damping set up pronto rapido wizz it out and bung another in and it also gets kept really cool being up there high altitude etc...wasn't it FIOR or some other wacko race builder tried it out in 1836 Milano Trento....

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  14. -|Giannis~SpeedJunkies|-6 February 2012 at 18:56

    i think those are the same Designers/Tech guys on Rossi's bike Can't Figure Shit!

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