They Are Back - The New Old Bikes
Friday, September 4th, 2009 at 7:58 pm by Skid Lid
They were dead and gone, or so we thought. Personally, I’m glad they are back. The great monikers should never fade away. Names like Triumph, Norton, Royal Enfield, Indian and others should live on and achieve future accolades and not simply be relegated to the historical archives. Well, some of the old motorcycle legends have returned in a new suit of clothes, and boy do they look great. I call them “the new old bikes”; others might prefer the term “modern classics.”
Triumph came back several years ago. The latest Triumph offering is the 2009 special Limited Edition 2009 Daytona 675SE. It features a 126hp three-cylinder engine and high tech chassis with Nissin monobloc front brakes and Pirelli SP tires. This is just one of Triumph’s new models amongst an assortment of newly designed, resurrected classics. Specifications and photos of this bike and those that follow may be found at Total Motorcycle. com - http://www.totalmotorcycle.com/welcome-archive.htm.
Norton, another award winning British motorcycle from the past, also has made a comeback. Norton’s 2009 stable of bikes include the Norton 961 Commando Roadster, NRV588 Road Supersport and the NRV588 Race Racer. The Commando is a modernized, general purpose road bike featuring alloy steel frame, aluminium swing-arm, Ohlin adjustable front and rear suspension, Carbon Fiber wheels, Michelin tires, Brembo front and rear disc brakes, an 80 hp at 6500 RPM air-cooled engine with twin 39 mm Keihin carburetors, a 5 speed gearbox with chain final drive at a total dry weight of 415 lbs. What’s next? In the works is a rotary engine race bike - the NRV 588 Racer.
The British Royal Enfield has also been resurrected for 2009 with several models based on the 1955 Royal Enfield Bullet, but technologically updated. The ‘99 Bullet G5 Classic EFI is offered as a single cylinder, 4-stroke, air cooled, OHV, 499 cc engine with 5-speed gearbox, chain final drive, gas shocks, front disc brake and rear drum, at 412 lbs dry weight. The bike is featured as a classic, low maintenance, economical general purpose motorcycle.
A final re-entry bike for 2009 is the re-born American Indian Motorcycle. There are four new Indian models for 2009 - the Chief Standard, Delux, Roadmaster and Vintage. All are beautifully hand crafted motorcycles in the $32,000 price range. All have 105 cubic inch V-twin, fuel injected, air- cooled, push-rod engines with 6-speed transmissions, final belt drive, Brembo brakes and spoke wheels. They are all behemoths at approximately 738 pounds with huge 5.5 gallon gas tanks. It’s good to see Harley Davidson’s old rival back on the scene. Let the delayed competition begin . . . again.
There you have it - the modern classics. The new old bikes are back. Welcome, and may destiny be kind to you all. Who says “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks”?
Skid Lid
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I have mixed emotions on the new old bikes.
Bloor bought the rights to Triumph from the receiver when the “original” company went bankrupt. So there is some continuity. I like the new Triumphs, for what they are.
The Royal Enfield has been in continued production the entire time, albeit in another country, India. Continuity.
But, the Indian kind of bothers me. When Indian went bankrupt in 1954, They imported Royal Enfields and badged them Indians. Then when that tapered off along came a string of Italian bikes badged as Indians. There were a few projects with potential, but most were cheap, low displacement bikes, capitalizing on the Indian name.
Then in 1999 came the CMC Indian. This was basicaly an S&S Harley Clone engined motorcycle. The skirted fenders and teardrop headlight were the only things that separated this from an HD (Old Indians Rival). It did have one thing in common with my 1947 Chief though. They both went through taillight bulbs like crazy!
Unfortunately when they did come out with a proprietary engine, the party was about over, and they folded in 2003.
They did however help to increase the value of the original Indians for a period of time! Good if you had one to sell :), bad if you wanted to buy one :(.
I do not have strong feelings about the new company one way or another. I just do not have a sense of continuity from the old Indians to the New Indians.
mcstanger