Searching For The Perfect Motorcycle

What is the perfect motorcycle? Is there such a thing?

I think the perfect motorcycle is the one in your mind. I have had more than 20 motorcycles in my life, so far, and I have loved every one of them. No two of them were the same, and not one of them was “perfect.”

When I grew up, in the 1960s, Triumphs and Harley-Davidsons dominated the big motorcycle scene. Hondas and other Japanese small-displacement bikes were starting to arrive. It didn’t much matter to me, for, as a 15-year-old kid, any motorcycle would have been perfect. Then, a neighbor gave me a ride on his Norton.

I had to have one.

Of course, parents and lack of money intruded. At 18, I was able to purchase a brand new Honda S65, 65cc of whining perfection. Until it wasn’t. Not after I saw a Honda Scrambler 305. Now, that would be perfect.

While I worked toward that 305, a friend offered to let me ride his Triumph TR6 Trophy. Suddenly, that Honda didn’t seem so perfect anymore. Coincidentally, a used and affordable Triumph T100C Tiger became available.

My search was over. I finally had the perfect machine.

Well, until another friend showed up with a Norton P11 Scrambler. If only I could afford one of those. I had to endure the Triumph until I could afford that perfect Norton.

Years later, when that day finally came, the P11 was no longer available. Instead, a Norton Commando 750 fulfilled that dream, and I had the perfect motorcycle.

That is, until everything started to fall off from the vibration. And then, there were the oil leaks. And the weekly clutch cable replacement. And the troublesome Lucas electrics. And the convoluted starting ritual.

Then, life intervened. Family, job and house pushed motorcycles out of my life for a while.

For years, I dreamed of getting back to finding that perfect motorcycle. During those years, that vision eluded me. Motorcycles were changing. Gone were the British bikes of the ’60s. Race-replica Hondas, Suzukis and Yamahas were taking the spotlight. Cruisers, sport tourers and dual sports abounded. Nothing seemed to do it for me.

When I finally got back into it, I settled on a Suzuki GS700ES, a trick-looking, race-inspired, faired almost crotch rocket. I say settled, because it really wasn’t what I wanted. So, I stuck with the Suzy for a while, but it was not perfect.
Then, I thought maybe no bike was perfect, that, perhaps, I could achieve my goal by having more than one bike. Two bikes, each having very desirable qualities, might satisfy my needs. What a stroke of genius!

I bought and restored a Norton. Recaptured youth and Japanese reliability, the perfect combo. Ah, not quite.

Then, a Ducati 900SS appeared. The ultimate in style, handling, engineering (don’t you just love that Desmo thing?), speed and charisma. So long, GS. Finally, the best of both worlds: a modern performer and a British classic. What more could one ask for?

A Kawasaki W650, maybe?

After all, it was a modern, pseudo-British classic that didn’t leak oil. And having three bikes is doable. Oh, and a Suzuki DR-Z250 would be nice to handle that off-road craving. I have room in the shop.

But, damn, Triumph had to make that Thruxton, a real British modern classic. Sorry Kawasaki, but the “W” had to go. And, once I had the Thruxton, I didn’t really need that finicky Italian crotch rocket.

Three bikes, but something was missing.

I know, I’ll fill that void with a cool Harley-Davidson XL1200 Roadster. I’ve got it all now: a sporty cruiser, a classic show bike, a modern British cafe racer and a cool dirt machine. Well, ….

Enter the Triumph Bonneville T100. A comfortable, modern British roadster, a two-up-capable touring machine. Perfect.

Almost. A little boring, perhaps. A Moto Guzzi V7 Racer, with a chrome tank and a red frame, might add a little Italian spice.

My motorcycle life is almost perfect now, albeit a little complicated. Some simplicity is needed. I don’t ride that dirt bike much. And then, there’s that trailer thing. I don’t show the Norton anymore. It’s just collecting dust (and still leaking oil). There is no one left to impress with the Harley. Goodbye Suzuki, Norton
and Sporty.

Back to only three bikes again, and perfection eludes. Perhaps, that Royal Enfield Continental GT thumper would help.

Well, the moral of this story is that there are only two kinds of motorcycles: the ones you have and the ones you want. There is no such thing as a perfect motorcycle.

Well, perhaps a BMW R 1200 GS. Or an Indian FTR 1200. Or ….

Ted Freeman is an AMA Charter Life Member from Old Lyme, Conn.